Observations From Mercury Camp: Day 2

Tue, May 19, 2015, 10:41 PM

The theme of Day 2 of training camp was simple.

Repetition.

Sandy Brondello is famous for her attention to detail, and the team went over and over even the most (seemingly) insignificant notes on Tuesday. From transition defense to hedging/icing a screen, Brondello and her staff made sure the team was on the same page…or they’d do it again.

Here are a few other things I saw in Day 2:

DeWanna Bonner Looks Fantastic

A convincing case could be made that DeWanna Bonner was the best player on the floor in Day 1 and Day 2 of 2015 Mercury Training Camp.

Bonner has also been more vocal this year, something the team needs from the two-time WNBA Champion and veteran.

DB has always looked solid during camp, but there’s something different about Bonner this year that has camp buzzing.

Noelle Quinn’s Impact

At one point during a scrimmage, Quinn took control of the ball in transition, set up a play and executed it to perfection.

Many people forget that Quinn has spend some time at the point guard position throughout the course of her career, and her intelligence could be a big factor for the Mercury in 2015. She’s in fantastic shape, and has routinely hit shots from the perimeter in camp.

Backcourt Defense

The Mercury have several guards in training camp, each with varying styles of play. The one thing they have in common, however, is their focus on defense.

Leilani Mitchell, Tiffany Bias, Jasmine James, Tess Madgen, Alex Harden and Promise Amukamara have been encouraged to be as active as possible along the perimeter and communicate defensively. In fact, I’d say it’s one of the coaching staff’s main priorities.

Leilani Mitchell’s Vision

Mitchell has shown an ability to quickly find teammates open on the break, as well as being effective in the pick-and-roll. She may not be the biggest player on the floor, but she understands how to use angles to her advantage in order to get teammates involved.