Beset by injuries, the Phoenix Mercury struggled through a disappointing season that ended in the first round of the 2019 WNBA Playoffs, when they were blown out by the Chicago Sky. Despite the quick exit, the season will end on a bright note -- at least for Leilani Mitchell. Early on Wednesday morning, the league announced that the veteran guard has been named the 2019 WNBA Most Improved Player. 

Mitchell, who also won the award back in 2010 when she played for the New York Liberty, is the first player in WNBA history to receive the honor multiple times. In addition, she's the first Mercury player to take home this trophy. She received 27 out of 43 votes from the media panel, with the rest of the 16 votes split between seven different players.  

With Diana Taurasi missing much of the season due to injury, Mitchell had a huge opportunity, and she stepped up. Though she of course couldn't replicate what Taurasi does, she gave her best impression. Making 27 starts, she put up career-high numbers across the board, averaging 12.8 points, four rebounds and three assists per game, while shooting 43 percent from 3 -- a mark that ranked third in the league.