The 2008 WNBA season was the 12th for the Phoenix Mercury. The Mercury were not able to win their second consecutive WNBA Championship and became the first defending champion to not qualify for the playoffs.
Offseason On September 27, 2007, head coach Paul Westhead resigned and took a job as an assistant coach under P.J. Carlesimo for the Seattle SuperSonics. Assistant coach Corey Gaines was named the team's new head coach on November 7 of that year.
Expansion draft Jennifer Lacy was selected in the 2008 Expansion Draft for the Atlanta Dream.
WNBA draft Round Pick Player Nationality School113 LaToya Pringle North Carolina225 (from SA) Leilani Mitchell Utah341 Marscilla Packer Ohio State
Transactions Trades April 22, 2008 To Phoenix Mercury New York's third-round pick in the 2009 WNBA draft To New York Liberty Leilani Mitchell
Free agents Player Signed Former team Le'Coe Willingham March 10, 2008 Connecticut Sun Barbara Farris March 14, 2008 New York Liberty Olympia Scott August 7, 2008 Los Angeles Sparks Player Left New team Player Re-signed Kelly Mazzante February 20, 2008 Tangela Smith March 11, 2008 Diana Taurasi March 20, 2008 Jennifer Derejanik April 3, 2008
Regular season Season standings
Season schedule Date Opponent Score Leading Scorer Attendance Record May 17 vs. Los Angeles94-99Cappie Pondexter (32)13,7490-1 May 20 @ San Antonio76-81Cappie Pondexter (23)9,1030-2 May 22 vs. Seattle83-87Diana Taurasi (23)7,0590-3 May 31 @ Minnesota83-94Cappie Pondexter (31)6,9140-4 June 3 vs. Washington98-93Diana Taurasi (29)7,5611-4 June 6 @ Los Angeles85-79Diana Taurasi (29)13,1422-4 June 11 @ Seattle77-83Diana Taurasi (37)7,4832-5 June 14 vs. Detroit79-89Cappie Pondexter (28)7,6962-6 June 18 vs. Connecticut102-81Diana Taurasi (32)4,4783-6 June 20 vs. Chicago112-105 (OT)Diana Taurasi (33)7,3114-6 June 22 @ New York72-105Diana Taurasi (21)8,6884-7 June 24 @ Washington98-90Diana Taurasi (31)6,6625-7 June 26 @ Chicago89-79Kelly Miller (17)3,1036-7 June 29 @ Connecticut87-80Diana Taurasi (25)9,5187-7 July 1 @ Atlanta97-79Diana Taurasi (28)9,7958-7 July 5 vs. New York83-93Diana Taurasi (25)6,4818-8 July 6 @ Los Angeles80-91Kelly Miller (14) Cappie Pondexter (14)10,0048-9 July 8 vs. Houston99-94Diana Taurasi (30)15,4999-9 July 10 @ Seattle78-89Cappie Pondexter (20)10,4549-10 July 12 @ Sacramento97-105Cappie Pondexter (33)7,0449-11 July 15 vs. San Antonio87-97Diana Taurasi (23) Cappie Pondexter (23)6,4519-12 July 17 vs. Los Angeles99-92Cappie Pondexter (27)7,98110-12 July 19 vs. Atlanta110-84Diana Taurasi (21)7,91311-12 July 22 @ Houston92-94Diana Taurasi (31)6,13411-13 July 24 @ Sacramento74-83Cappie Pondexter (23)11,94611-14 July 25 vs. Seattle94-80Diana Taurasi (31)8,32312-14 July 27 vs. Indiana84-88Diana Taurassi (25)7,92412-15 August 28 vs. San Antonio55-77Diana Taurasi (13)7,93112-16 September 3 vs. Minnesota103-96Diana Taurasi (32)7,72213-16 September 5 vs. Sacramento81-69Diana Taurasi (26)10,52714-16 September 7 vs. Houston99-74Diana Taurasi (33)10,26115-16 September 9 @ Detroit78-89Cappie Pondexter (23)7,49515-17 September 12 @ Minnesota96-87Diana Taurasi (31)8,34316-17 September 14 @ Indiana89-103Cappie Pondexter (23)8,77616-18
Player stats
Regular season Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 34 34 31.9 .446 .360 .870 5.1 3.6 1.4 1.4 24.1 32 32 31.3 .413 .313 .846 3.7 4.2 1.2 0.2 21.2 25 25 28.9 .417 .348 .867 7.0 1.1 1.1 1.2 11.1 34 27 24.5 .570 .185 .741 5.9 0.9 0.7 0.2 10.1 34 34 27.8 .408 .385 .845 4.4 4.0 0.7 0.1 8.3 34 2 18.9 .332 .331 .833 1.9 1.1 0.7 0.1 5.8 29 7 13.0 .448 .000 .824 3.5 0.3 0.3 1.5 4.4 34 8 16.3 .463 .000 .698 3.8 0.2 0.6 0.1 3.5 6 0 11.5 .364 .000 .000 3.2 0.5 0.2 1.0 2.7 23 0 7.3 .351 .000 .941 0.7 0.6 0.3 0.0 2.4 14 0 7.1 .333 .182 .500 0.8 0.3 0.4 0.1 2.1 5 1 8.2 .375 .000 .600 2.2 0.0 0.8 0.2 1.8 17 0 8.5 .263 .125 .750 1.0 1.6 0.1 0.2 0.8 Phoenix Mercury Regular Season Stats
Roster
Awards and honors Diana Taurasi, WNBA Player of the Week (June 2–8, June 16–22, June 23–29, and September 1–7) Cappie Pondexter, WNBA Player of the Week (July 14–20) Diana Taurasi, WNBA Peak Performers (Points) Diana Taurasi, All-WNBA First Team
References