Mercury enter 2024 refocused with Taurasi, Griner, new coach, roster makeover

Everything for Phoenix Mercury seems revamped for the 2024 season, which might be the last dance for Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner leading the team.

The Mercury have a new coach in Nate Tibbets, who was hired in October.

New general manager Nick U’Ren got the job last July.

The new Phoenix Mercury practice facility and team headquarters, part of team owner Mat Ishbia’s $100,000,000 Player 15 Group building in downtown Phoenix, was revealed in early April.

Taurasi, the league’s all-time leading scorer and three-time champion, is in her 19th year and final season of her two-year deal. Griner, 33, re-signed a one-year deal in March and is entering her ninth season, discounting her out in 2022 from her imprisonment in Russia. Phoenix is the only WNBA team Taurasi and Griner have played on.

The Mercury, which finished the past two years on losing records, including the WNBA’s worst in 2023 (9-31), begin training camp on Sunday in Phoenix, and will continue practice the following four days at San Diego State.

The team’s 18-player preseason roster was finalized on Wednesday. This year’s roster is guard-heavy again with just three bigs, including the 6-foot-9 Griner. The two others are rookies Bella Murekatete and Desi-Rae Young. The roster consists of six veterans, three in their second or third years each, and six rookies.

Besides Phoenix’s core trio in Taurasi, Griner, and shooting guard Sophie Cunningham, the Mercury has just one other returner in third-year guard Sug Sutton, who emerged as the team’s top facilitator (8.2 points, team-high 4.8 assists) in her 12 starts and 40 appearances last year.

This off-season, Phoenix replaced six players in guards Moriah Jefferson and Shey Peddy, forwards Michaela Onyenwere, Brianna Turner, and Kadi Sissoko, and center Megan Gustafson, who signed with Las Vegas in free agency.

Onyenwere and Turner were traded along with the Mercury’s No. 3 overall pick to the Chicago Sky for three-time All-Star wing and 2021 finals MVP Kahleah Copper. Jefferson was dealt to the Connecticut Suns for nine-year guard Becca Allen in February.

Also, the Mercury signed two-time All-Defensive Team selection and the league’s 2022 assist leader in former Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud that same month.

“I didn’t know the Kahleah trade was coming. I saw it in real time with everyone else and I started running around the room,” Cloud said to the media in February. “I’m just excited we’re bringing in great talent in me, Kah, Bec, and then we’re adding two of what the core of DT, BG, and Sophie, and just a great organization overall. …

“You got bunch of dogs on one team that are hungry, that want to win, that are willing to put whatever aside to get these dubs and rebuild this dynasty to what it should be.”

Earlier this month, Phoenix drafted two third-round picks. Charisma Osbourne, a 3-and-D specialist guard and second on UCLA’s all-time scoring list, was the 25th overall pick. Jaz Shelley, a former Australian NBL pro point guard and two-time All-Big Ten Team selection at Nebraska, was picked 29th.

“Obviously, they have a lot of great guards there, and Diana Taurasi is like the GOAT of basketball, so to be able to learn from her is going to be so fun, and I can’t wait for that,” Osbourne said about the Mercury on draft night. “It’s kind of unreal to be able to say that like I’m going to be teammates with Diana Taurasi and Natasha Cloud.”

The Mercury play two preseason games — at the Seattle Storm on May 7 and the Los Angeles Sparks on May 10.

The season officially starts in Las Vegas on May 14. The home opener is against the Atlanta Dream on May 18.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New coach, roster shake-up give Mercury new look for 2024 WNBA season