Over the past few seasons, the Mercury have made roster changes. In 2010, the Mercury traded a pick in the first round to Los Angeles Sparks to acquire Cappie Pendexter. Pondexter is a late threat to be named WNBA MVP. Candice dupree was added in the offseason to the team's already formidable off-ball threat. They are now trying to bring Griner home safely.
Griner's colleagues are trying her to return home safely
Griner's team is doing everything they can to make sure Griner's safe return, despite the lack of information. They are trying get in touch her family to tell them. Griner is in good physical and mental health, but the situation is far from ideal.
The American government has been fighting for Griner's return since the beginning of the long-running battle. Many lawmakers, however, have been muted in their support, citing concerns about Griner's privacy.
Mercury sold a pick in the first round to the Los Angeles Sparks for a 2010 draft
In a 2010 trade, the Phoenix Mercury acquired Temeka and Kara Johnson from the Los Angeles Sparks. Johnson was taken by the New York Liberty in the first round of the 2005 WNBA Draft and ended up playing for the Mercury and the Minnesota Lynx. The Sparks traded for a first round pick in the 2010 draft. Johnson and Braxton were traded by the Mercury for Rafaella Masciadri, who was also acquired from the Los Angeles Sparks. LaToya Princegle and Ticha Pericheiro were also signed.
The Sparks were looking to acquire a center. They received Candace Parker. Parker is an excellent defender with an average of 1.6 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. She'll turn 35 in 2020 and was named the WNBA's Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Diggins-Smith has been a late push for WNBA MVP
Sarah Diggins Smith has been a consistent player in the league over the past few years and has recently challenged for the MVP award. She is the league leader in minutes, assists, scoring, and per-game. This season, she has kept her team alive in multiple games. She is a popular franchise player, and is well-known both on the court and off. Her stellar play has earned her MVP votes and made her an All-Star first team member.
Diggins Smith leads the league by minutes played. She did, however, request a break for a game. This is a sign that her team needs all of her energy to reach the playoffs. She's still only 32 years old so she has plenty of basketball skills.
Cunningham has proven to be a formidable off-ball threat
Cunningham has been an off-ball threat for Mercury this season. In addition to scoring, he is an effective defender and a good offensive rebounder. The Mercury have a poor defensive rebound rate (only grabbing 62% of missed shots in their past 10 games), so Cunningham has helped juice their offense.
Since Charles' departure, the Mercury have not had a scoring option. Cunningham, however, has taken the lead in his absence and Curt Miller was a fan of Cunningham's defense effort against Sun. The team has been using zone defence to make up the difference for their smaller size. They also used bodies on the court when Jones's frontcourt needed a little more.