The Mercury entered the off season looking to upgrade their interior scoring and they did just that.
The Phoenix Mercury entered free agency with a checklist of veteran needs, the biggest being interior scoring. While Brittney Griner proved that she has taken the reins of first option from WNBA GOAT Diana Taurasi, the Mercury found little to no scoring threats downlow in non-Griner minutes.
The Mercury hit their mark on the head, signing the 2021 WNBA leading scorer Tina Charles to a one-year $108,000 contract. Aside from Charles, Phoenix also succeeded in bringing back their stronger bench pieces.
So how did the Mercury do this offseason?
The biggest signing is obviously Charles, but the Mercury also managed to retain their All Defensive Team post Brianna Turner.
Turner’s defensive versatility helped mask much of the Mercury’s scoring woes throughout the playoffs. Turner was able to defend the WNBA’s elite low post presence while switching out to defend guards.
During the WNBA Semifinals, Turner held the reigning MVP A’ja Wilson to 22% midrange shooting in clutch minutes. Wilson also shot a season low 26% on unassisted field goals in that series.
In the WNBA Finals, Turner’s defense kept the Mercury from getting swept, but her offensive deficiencies dug the team in at crucial moments.
While sharpshooter Kia Nurse will not play in the 2022 campaign, she was a key role player for the Mercury throughout the season. She not only provided elite wing defending, she also gave the team consistent outside shooting– something that was clearly missed after she tore her ACL in the WNBA Semifinals.
Nurse shot 35% from three and was the primary wing defender for the Mercury. Retaining Nurse gives the Mercury youth and shooting. Although she is coming off a knee injury, her game isn’t predicated on athleticism giving her a higher chance of returning to her pre-injury performance levels.
In the meantime, Phoenix will have to rely heavily on another shooting option outside of their core of Taurasi, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Tina Charles. Thankfully, they retained Sophie Cunningham.
Cunningham heated up in the playoffs when Nurse went down; and while she isn’t the same defender as Nurse, she is a hussle player who isn’t scared of the big moment. Cunningham shot 56% from three once Nurse went down and helped Phoenix hold off the Las Vegas Azes to advance to the WNBA Finals.
The biggest question of their retained vets is Shey Peddy.
Peddy got hot during the Mercury’s playoff run, taking ball handling pressure off of Taurasi and Diggins-Smith. In the WNBA Finals, her scoring production dipped along with her defensive efficiency.
Her hot streak was promising for the Mercury, but her overall history raises more questions than answers. Can Peddy be a consistent backup point guard for the Mercury for an entire season? The Mercury plan to test that out.
Retaining their key role players is fine and dandy, but did not guarantee them a championship or even making it back to that position– a place they were not favored to make it last season.
Signing Charles, however, makes them favorites to not only get back to the Finals but to also win the whole thing.
Charles, Taurasi, Griner and Diggins-Smith have playing experience, winning the 2020 Olympic Gold with Team USA this past summer. Tauirasi, Griner, and Charles have even more experience playing together dating back to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Aside from leading the WNBA in scoring last season, Charles has always been a gifted passer and excels in the high low action. Charles also extended her three point scoring, shooting 36% from three last season as opposed to her 18% clip she shot in the 2020 season.
The Mercury kept their important vets while also signing a future Hall of Famer. In doing so, they created a team that is already considered one of the greatest super teams assembled.
Free Agency Grade: A
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