Mercury Owns One Selection in Thursday’s WNBA Draft

The three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury will make one selection in Thursday’s 2017 WNBA Draft at Samsung 837 in New York. First round coverage of the draft will air on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. Phoenix time, while ESPNU will provide coverage of the second and third rounds beginning at 5 p.m.

Phoenix owns the 29th overall selection (third round) in Thursday night’s draft, potentially marking just the second time in franchise history (2003) the Mercury made only one selection in the WNBA Draft. Phoenix traded its first and second round picks to acquire proven WNBA veterans to play alongside three-time WNBA Champion Diana Taurasi and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Brittney Griner. The Mercury dealt the 5th overall pick (first round) to San Antonio to acquire three-time WNBA All-Star point guard Danielle Robinson and the 20th overall pick (second round) to Indiana in a three-team trade that acquired 2010 WNBA Champion Camille Little and rookie forward Jillian Alleyne.

Overseeing the Mercury’s draft from the team’s headquarters in Talking Stick Resort Arena for the fourth-straight year will be General Manager Jim Pitman. Head Coach and VP of Player Personnel Sandy Brondello will join the war room via conference call from Russia, where she will be coaching UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Women’s Basketball EuroLeague Tournament.

After selecting Griner 1st overall in 2013, Phoenix traded its 2014 first-round selection to acquire Erin Phillips, a key contributor in the team’s 2014 title run. The Mercury used the 12th overall pick in 2015 on Tennessee standout Isabelle Harrison, who sat out the 2015 season due to injury, and returned to action during 2016.  Last year, Phoenix selected South Florida’s Courtney Williams with the 8th overall pick, Alleyne and UCLA’s Nirra Fields with the 32nd overall selection.

Get a front-row seat for history this summer! Diana Taurasi will open the 2017 regular season just 178 points shy of becoming the all-time leading scorer in WNBA history, as she attempts to lead the Mercury to a WNBA-record tying fourth championship.  Tickets for the Fry’s Food Stores Home Opener on Sunday, May 14, and the other 16 regular-season Mercury home games can be purchased by calling 602.252.WNBA or by visiting PhoenixMercury.com.