The WNBA will continue announcing honors soon, as they will reveal things like the WNBA All-Rookie Team and the All-Defensive First and Second Teams.
The All-Rookie Team highlights young players who had great seasons, and have a bright future ahead of them.
Paige Bueckers took home Rookie of the Year this season, and she will be a force in this league for years to come. Then, there are other rookies like Sonia Citron, and while Bueckers took home the big, prestigious award, Citron will likely be honored with a spot on the All-Rookie Team.
Over the years, the Phoenix Mercury have had their share of talented rookies. The All-Rookie Team was not around in the early years, but it was introduced after Diana Taurasi’s rookie season. Taurasi was drafted in 2004, and she won Rookie of the Year after averaging 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals.
Taurasi made the All-WNBA First Team that year. Then, after the league introduced the All-Rookie Team, some talented rookies that came after her were honored. Temeka Johnson made in in her rookie season, as she ended up winning Rookie of the Year in 2005. However, she was not with the Mercury at that time. She was with the Washington Mystics then.
The first Mercury player to make the All-Rookie Team was Cappie Pondexter. She made it after averaging 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals. There were two players on this team who would join the Mercury later on. Those players were Candice Dupree and Monique Currie.
While there were no Mercury players on the 2007 team, there was one with ties to Phoenix. Lindsey Harding made it that year, and the Mercury traded her in a draft-day deal where they received Tangela Smith.
DeWanna Bonner made it two years later, which was abig year for her and the Mercury. She won Sixth Woman of the Year,and the Mercury won their second championship.
Throughout the years, other Mercury players or players who had Mercury ties later on made it. Samantha Prahalis, Brittney Griner and Brianna Turner made it as members of the Mercury, while others like Tina Charles, Skylar Diggins and Satou Sabally made it while they were with a different team.
Phoenix has had great players over the years, and some of them received great honors early on.
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