Looking to win two straight for the first time all season, Megan Gustafson and the Phoenix Mercury bench delivered the goods. The reserve center made a significant impact in just 12 minutes against the Chicago Sky as she caught the ball in the post off an inbounds pass and took one dribble before burying a contested and-1 hook shot with two defenders standing in her way. Gustafson connected on 5 of her 10 field goals for 12 points to pair with six rebounds as the bench scored 45 of the Mercury’s 80 points in an 80-62 victory on July 20, 2023. 

Megan Gustafson

Megan Gustafson battles through contact for running hook

With her Phoenix Mercury in the midst of a six-game losing streak, Michaela Onyenwere had seen enough. Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull’s eyes lit up when she thought she had a clear path to an open transition jumper, but Onyenwere had other ideas as she fought through some contact to disrupt Hull’s attempt with an emphatic rejection that sailed out of bounds. Onyenwere did a little bit of everything for the Mercury as she posted nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks off the bench to help her squad pick up a much-needed 85-63 win on June 29, 2023. 

Michaela Onyenwere

Michaela Onyenwere denies pull-up jumper with emphatic swat

The body control it takes to finish lobs as consistently as Brianna Turner is hard to comprehend. The Phoenix Mercury center cuts hard to the hoop as teammate Diana Taurasi floats an entry pass into the paint from half-court, then leaps into the air, rotates 180 degrees and lays in the bucket before the defense knows what hit them. Turner finished with 13 points, 10 boards and three blocks in the May 14, 2021 win over the Minnesota Lynx.

Brianna Turner

Brianna Turner leaps to catch and convert long distance alley-oop

See a bucket, get a bucket, repeat. For nearly two decades, Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi has put on scoring clinics throughout the league and the points add up. Against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 27, 2021, the 17-year vet and all-time WNBA scoring leader curls around a high screen, bullies her way into the paint and banks home her iconic 9,000 career point.

Diana Taurasi

Diana Taurasi banks home running floater for 9,000th career point

The Indiana Fever may have forgotten that Brittney Griner has led the WNBA in blocks eight times since 2013. Catching Emma Cannon in the act of trying to sneak in a bucket, the 6-foot-9 Phoenix Mercury center drifted over and swatted her attempt with relative ease. The nine-time All-Star was on point on both ends of the court as she tallied a team-high 29 points on 9 of 13 shooting while mixing in six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in an 85-82 Phoenix win on June 11, 2023. 

Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner erases layup attempt with last-second block

On a night where the Phoenix Mercury and Connecticut Sun battled in a meeting between heat-based team names, nothing proved hotter than the right hand of Diana Taurasi. In a smooth showing on both ends of the floor, the former league MVP rotates over to block a shot at the rim, before using an outlet to set up a fastbreak attempt. Falling back in transition, Taurasi gets the ball back with only one second to go in the quarter, before calmly rising up for a triple, giving her team the lead. Taurasi paced all scorers with 32 points, six three-pointers, four assists, two steals and a block on June 3, 2022.

Diana Taurasi thwarts a drive then pushes the pace for quarter-ending triple

There’s something about must-score possessions that brings out the best in Shey Peddy. Hoping to stop the bleeding during a third-quarter Dallas Wings run, the Phoenix Mercury guard finds the needed space for an isolation before beating a defender down the baseline on the way to a silky-smooth reverse layup. Peddy’s gritty play showcased itself in the box score as she tallied up 10 points, four rebounds, five assists and a block on May 19, 2022.

Shey Peddy

Shey Peddy drives baseline for reverse layup scoop shot

Elite hoopers can finish from any angle around the rim. Phoenix Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith gets a jump on her defender as she penetrates from the perimeter, heads straight to the cup and rotates mid-air to bury a tough reverse layup on July 9, 2021. Diggins-Smith dropped 26 points and six dimes in the win over the reigning champion Seattle Storm.

Skylar Diggins-Smith

Skylar Diggins-Smith cuts baseline for falling reverse layup

As long as Brittney Griner roams the paint, putting one past the Phoenix Mercury is next to impossible. Up by two in the final seconds of Game 5 of their semi-final battle against the Las Vegas Aces, Griner checks A’ja Wilson in the high post, trails her under the hoop, then pins her would-be game-tying shot attempt against the backboard. Griner added 28 points and nine boards in addition to the series-clinching defensive stop on October 8, 2021.

Brittney Griner pins layup off glass, clinches series win in 2021 Semi-Finals

Nothing sends a louder message than a Brittney Griner cram. The Phoenix Mercury center spins out of a screen as teammate Skylar Diggins-Smith draws multiple defenders, then signals for the rock and throws down a one-handed slam along the baseline. Griner dropped 27 points and gathered 16 rebounds in the May 29, 2021 victory over the Dallas Wings.

Brittney Griner rolls out of a screen, throws down baseline dunk vs. Wings

With the shot clock winding down and your team in need of a bucket, few players have proven more ready for the moment than Diana Taurasi. Battling in a tough Western Conference matchup, Taurasi shows off her one-of-a-kind shooting ability, sneaking up the middle of the lane, draining a three-pointer from nearly the logo to help the Mercury cut into the Los Angeles Sparks’ lead before halftime. Taurasi did a little bit of everything in the come-from-behind 99-92 win on July 17, 2008, with 23 points, eight rebounds, six assists, a steal and two blocks.

Diana Taurasi beats buzzer with quick-release triple from the logo

No, there’s nothing Diana Taurasi can’t do with a ball in her hands, and yes, she still surprises us with her ability to conjure up magic. Beginning behind the arc, the 10-time All-Star instantly fools the first defender out of her shoes with a deceptive head fake before putting the ball on the floor and tricking another with a highlight-reel behind-the-back dribble while muscling herself toward the basket. For her encore, the Phoenix Mercury legend confronts two more opponents at the rim, then flips a lightning-quick assist around the wall to a cutting, opportunistic teammate. As usual, Taurasi was in the middle of all the action, scoring 14 points to go with three rebounds, seven assists, a block and a steal against the Las Vegas Aces on May 21, 2022.

Diana Taurasi slaloms through defense for low-post dish

Marketplace

Megan Gustafson

Michaela Onyenwere

Brianna Turner

Diana Taurasi

Brittney Griner

Diana Taurasi

Shey Peddy

Skylar Diggins-Smith

Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner

Diana Taurasi

Diana Taurasi