Sports360AZ
By Jeff Metcalfe
The Phoenix Mercury last played a complete season without Diana Taurasi and/or Brittney Griner in 2003.
The time may have come, though, for a major re-set around 2024 additions Kahleah Copper and Natasha Cloud.
Taurasi is expected to retire after 20 WNBA seasons and Griner is exploring free agency for the first time going into her 12th season.
If both depart, the Mercury will have an additional $384,000 in salary cap space based on what Taurasi and Griner earned last season.
General manager Nick U’Ren then would have a wide range of options in free agency, now open for negotiations with signings allowed starting Feb. 1. There are 13 WNBA teams in 2025 including expansion Golden State.
WNBA career scoring leader Taurasi joined the Mercury in 2004 and played every season since other than 2015 when she played exclusively in Russia.
Taurasi played only eight games in 2012 when the Mercury went 7-27 and drafted Griner first overall in 2013. Griner missed the 2022 season while detained in Russia and has been back with the Mercury for two seasons since, averaging 17.8 points and 6.6 rebounds in 2024.
The Mercury currently have five players under contract – Copper, Cloud, Becca Allen, Sophie Cunningham and Natasha Mack (for training camp). They also have made reserved qualifying offers last week to Celeste Taylor, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and Amy Atwell.
Copper, Cloud and Griner currently are playing in the first-year Unrivaled 3-on-3 league. Griner, 34, reportedly is meeting with multiple WNBA teams while in Miami for the eight-week Unrivaled season.
Under second-year coach Nate Tibbetts, the Mercury could be considering a shift in style of play that would offset the loss of a more traditional center like 6-9 Griner.
Cloud led the Mercury (19-21) in scoring last season (21.1 ppg) while Cloud averaged 11.5 points and 6.9 assists.
WNBA top unrestricted free agents (some with core designation by their current team) include Breanna Stewart, Nneka Ogwumike, Satou Sabally, Kelsey Plum, Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Mitchell and Emma Meesseman.
Meesseman, 6-4 forward from Belgium, has ties to Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver, Cloud and Copper. She last played in the WNBA in 2022 with Chicago.
The Mercury have the No. 12 overall pick and a third-rounder in the WNBA draft on April 14.
