The Phoenix Mercury will enter the 2020 season with a revamped roster after several additions and departures during the offseason. The biggest move the team made was trading for four-time All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith to form a big three with WNBA legend Diana Taurasi and MVP hopeful Brittney Griner. While the addition of Diggins-Smith will spark some interest in this team as a potential championship contender, there was a slew of players who are no longer on the team after trades, free agent signings and retirements.
Depth could be an issue for this team in the bubble, but the Mercury are one of a few teams that have very few players sitting out the 2020 season, as Jessica Breland was granted a medical exemption from this year. With many of the contending teams missing significant players, the Mercury could capitalize on what is expected to be an unpredictable season. If Phoenix is healthy, don't be surprised if this team is competing in the WNBA Finals in September.
Here's a look at the Mercury's roster, schedule and some key storylines for when the season starts in Bradenton on July 25.
Roster
| NAME | POSITION |
|---|---|
Diana Taurasi | G |
Skylar Diggins-Smith | G |
Bria Hartley | G |
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough | G |
Sophie Cunningham | G |
Brianna Turner | F |
Alanna Smith | F |
Nia Coffey | F |
Brittney Griner | C |
Kia Vaughn | C |
Players sitting out: Jessica Breland
Schedule
| DATE | TIME | OPPONENT | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
July 25 | 2 p.m. | Los Angeles Sparks | ABC |
July 29 | 6 p.m. | Indiana Fever | WNBA League Pass |
July 31 | 9 p.m. | Las Vegas Aces | CBS Sports Network |
Aug. 2 | 12 p.m. | New York Liberty | ESPN |
Aug. 4 | 6 p.m. | Atlanta Dream | ESPN2 |
Aug. 6 | 9 p.m. | Chicago Sky | ESPN2 |
Aug. 8 | 2 p.m. | Seattle Storm | ABC |
Aug. 10 | 6 p.m. | Dallas Wings | ESPN2 |
Aug. 12 | 8 p.m. | Chicago Sky | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 14 | 9 p.m. | Atlanta Dream | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 16 | 7 p.m. | Dallas Wings | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 19 | 9 p.m. | Los Angeles Sparks | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 21 | 9 p.m. | Minnesota Lynx | CBS Sports Network |
Aug. 23 | 7 p.m. | Washington Mystics | WNBA League Pass |
Aug. 26 | 9 p.m. | Connecticut Sun | CBS Sports Network |
Aug. 28 | 9 p.m. | Washington Mystics | CBS Sports Network |
Aug. 30 | 5 p.m. | Minnesota Lynx | WNBA League Pass |
Sept. 1 | 9 p.m. | Las Vegas Aces | WNBA League Pass |
Sept. 3 | 9 p.m. | Indiana Fever | WNBA League Pass |
Sept. 5 | 7 p.m. | New York Liberty | WNBA League Pass |
Sept. 9 | 6 p.m. | Connecticut Sun | WNBA League Pass |
Sept. 11 | 9 p.m. | Seattle Storm | CBS Sports Network |
Key storylines
The big three: After a season where Taurasi was limited to just six games due to back issues, and a first-round exit in the playoffs to the Chicago Sky, the Mercury tried to reload in the offseason by pulling off a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Wings that landed them Diggins-Smith. With the addition of the former Notre Dame product, Phoenix will run out a lineup centered around those two players in addition to Griner, who put up a career-high 20.7 points a game last season.
A backcourt of Taurasi and Diggins-Smith is as talented as it comes in the WNBA, and Phoenix is hoping that this combination is enough to propel it into the championship conversation. While Taurasi was injured last season, and Diggins-Smith was out after giving birth to her child, when healthy, these two are some of the best at what they do in the league.
Bringing in Diggins-Smith takes some of the ball-handling duties off the shoulders of future Hall of Famer Taurasi, who at age 37 is nearing the end of her career. It'll also give the Mercury a chance to see what a pairing of Diggins-Smith and Griner can produce, as both players are under 30 years old and can be the centerpiece of this team for a few more years.
Depth issues: While Diggins-Smith gave the Mercury more firepower on offense, they certainly did sacrifice a lot to get her. Dewanna Bonner, who put up 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds a season ago, and Briann January were traded to the Connecticut Sun, while Leilani Mitchell and Essence Carson joined the Washington Mystics in free agency. Not to mention the retirements of Camille Little and Sancho Lyttle. Between Bonner, January and Mitchell, the Mercury lost three of their top five scorers from last season, a huge loss that wasn't significantly addressed in the offseason.
The departure of these players, though, means that Phoenix will lean far more on some of its younger players to step up. Brianna Turner, who played in 29 games as a rookie last season will likely see an uptick in playing time and touches as the Mercury tries to get production outside of their big three. They'll also turn to offseason acquisition Bria Hartley, who put up career numbers last season (9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists) with the New York Liberty. The lack of depth will be Phoenix's major weakness heading into the 2020 season, but if it can get some surprise production somewhere off the bench, its championship odds should greatly improve.
Taking advantage of an unprecedented situation: Speaking of championship odds, the Mercury are currently at 13/2 odds to win the 2020 championship per William Hill Sportsbook, putting them sixth behind teams like the Sparks, Sun, Mystics, Aces and the favorite Seattle Storm. However, anything can happen in the WNBA bubble when the season starts. The Mercury could be getting Taurasi back at 100 percent health, and. the last time that happened the legend put up 20 points a game. The same goes for Diggins-Smith, who in 2018 ranked third in the league in assists per game (6.2).
That, combined with a usual 20-point, seven-rebound production from Griner would make them a dangerous team every night. Depth will certainly play a factor for them, however, if their star players mesh well and put up huge numbers on a nightly basis, then less could be asked of their role players. Don't count out this team to win it all if it can get things going inside the bubble.
