Metcalfe – Mercury begin looking ahead while awaiting Taurasi decision

Jeff Metcalfe

The day after the Phoenix Mercury’s 28^th season ended was not about whether Diana Taurasi will return for a 21^st WNBA season.

Taurasi was not among three veteran players speaking to the media Thursday following exit interviews, a reminder that no matter when the 42-year-old’s perhaps already made decision is announced that life without the WNBA career scoring leader is coming soon enough.

And that the Mercury must spin it forward regardless to improve on a 19-21 regular season and 0-2 exit from the playoffs.

The Mercury made a 10-game improvement under first-year coach Nate Tibbetts even given injuries that limited them to only 11 games (7-4 record) with their full starting lineup.

They returned to the playoffs, after a one-year absence, for the 11^th time in the last 12 years and while hosting their third WNBA All-Star Game debuted a $100-million practice facility.

“If she (Taurasi) doesn’t come back, that’s going to open up a lot of money to bring some phenomenal athletes in here,” said Sophie Cunningham, who signed a one-year contract extension Sept. 14. “I know a lot of people want to come here. It’s an exciting time to not only be in the W but be a part of the Phoenix Mercury.”

Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud, Becca Allen and Cunningham are the only Mercury players currently under contract for 2025. Griner almost certainly will re-sign for a 12^th season with the team that drafted her No. 1 overall in 2013.

Beyond that, in an offseason when there will be a WNBA expansion draft for the first time since 2008, uncertainty and opportunity surround the roster.

“Nick (U’ren) and our front office had a really good offseason getting Cloud, Kah and Bec,” Tibbetts said of his general manager. “I would expect us to try to make some more moves this offseason.”

That’s a given either way with Taurasi and the Mercury have a low first-round draft choice because of a pick swap with New York in a 2023 trade.

Taurasi’s super max salary ($234,936) if available would allow U’Ren to pursue Belgium power forward Emma Meesseman, who has ties for Cloud, Copper and Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver, presuming Toliver is not hired away as a head coach.

Allen, a 6-2 forward, being healthy for only 18 games and not at all after the Paris Olympics was a significant hit to the Mercury’s defense and rebounding. Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier put up a WNBA two-game playoff record 80 points against the Mercury, a tribute to the league MVP runner-up’s talent and blaring alarm for Phoenix’s need to get bigger and tougher inside.

Having a healthy Allen is “something I think about but try not to think about because it wasn’t reality,” Tibbetts said. “But our numbers with Bec on the floor were really good all season. I know she’s disappointed with the injuries. Having another reliable veteran W player that has been in those situations would have been very valuable.”

Cunningham said she will have surgery on her right shoulder for an injury she played through to appear in all 40 games with 21 starts. She also will be part of the Phoenix Suns TV broadcast team for a third Mercury offseason thanks to a $35,000 time-off bonus (per herhoopstats) in her 2025 contract.

“I have a dead collarbone,” Cunningham said. “I’ve been dealing with that half the year. A lot of people didn’t even know about it, but I was kind of turning into a lefty. I don’t think I’ve got any practice reps since the beginning of the season with my right hand. A lot of people were like we want you to shoot more. I can’t.

“I’m proud of myself that I finished the season because it could have been really easy for me to be like I’m done. Some days I couldn’t even brush my hair.”

Copper, who won Olympic gold along with Taurasi and Griner, dropped off productive-wise after Paris but still finished with a career best and team-high 21.1-point average. She was eighth in WNBA MVP voting.

“This was a tough season with it being an Olympic year,” Copper said. “It was a lot, mentally, physically. For me it (Olympics) was the ultimate goal so it’s whatever it takes.”

Copper and Cloud are playing in the new Unrivaled 3×3 professional league coming up for eight weeks starting in January in Miami.

Griner averaged 17.8 points and 6.6 rebounds in her second season back from a nearly one-year imprisonment in Russia in 2022. She averaged 20-plus points in four of the five seasons before her illegal detainment and was WNBA MVP runner-up in 2019 and 2021.

“I had spurts,” Griner said. “Those 10 games in the beginning with a broken toe put a damper on my parade. I was trying to get into my groove a little bit later. I’m a professional athlete, I’ve got to be able to get into it way quicker. We’re close, real close (to her 2021 form). My body feels better. I feel better about the game.”

Griner became a parent this season with the birth of her son Bash on July 8.

Copper and Griner addressed player complaints about racist comments toward them at games –including Connecticut at Indiana on Wednesday — and on social media in a season when the WNBA grew exponentially in attendance and TV ratings.

“We’re playing a game,” Copper said. “A game that we love, that takes us so many different places, brings us joy. There’s not a place for hate. Some of those things I saw online were nasty and unacceptable. It’s not something I would want for any of my peers. I didn’t like seeing that at all.”

Griner, 33, has dealt with hate attacks much of her life for her sexual orientation and became even more of a target while in Russia and after her release in a prisoner exchange.

“I do appreciate the new fans that are here to grow our league,” Griner said. “I appreciate the players that are coming in (from college) and playing at the level they’re playing at. We need more players coming in ready to put on a show and ready to give a good product so we can keep going.

“It’s not that hard to understand qualities (such as diversity and equity, WNBA cornerstones). Those are very basic things we all should have learned from our parents growing up.”

Griner believes the WNBA should have acted sooner to condemn player harassment by fans than in a statement after the second Connecticut-Indiana playoff game.

“Being swift with it, making a stand,” she said. “Fans that come to games and want to show out in the wrong way, they don’t need to be in there. We all deserve to play in a safe environment and not have to worry about racial and sexist comments.”