![]() “Last year was just so up and down with injuries, with drama, with things that are not basketball-related,” Cunningham said. Skylar Diggins-Smith was out the final week of the season and has been on maternity leave. Issues surrounded the team early in the season when Tina Charles had a contract divorce from the team in June and chemistry problems arose.įrom there, the roster faced an overhaul with Taurasi and Shey Peddy suffering injuries. We were never even allowed to find joy in the day,” Nygaard said. “We wanted to keep BG at the front of everyone’s minds and we were concerned about her. 'More in the tank': Diana Taurasi is ready for 19th season with Phoenix Mercuryįrom the logo on every court in the league that honored her to an honorary spot in the All-Star Game, there were constant reminders of Griner’s absence. Being able to call them my friends and see them progress, it means a lot to me.” “It means everything to me just watching them. You could see the potential and to see them growing and stepping into the bigger roles,” Griner said. Turner played a career-high 33.4 minutes per game and was more effective on the defensive side of the ball with 2.8 combined blocks/steals. She finished third in the Most Improved Player award voting. ![]() Now she’s like, 'Wow, look at all these new things they can do!'”Ĭunningham had a breakout season with career highs in points per game (12.6), rebounds per game (4.4), and assists per game (1.6). “They had to do so much more last year and so their game grew and now with BG coming back, it’s like BG remembers Sophie as this player and Breezy as this player. “The situation last year was terrible, but in some ways, it elevated those two players in particular with their game,” head coach Vanessa Nygaard said. Once the top bench option in 2021, Cunningham shifted around the starting five and even played power forward with Turner last season. The same could be said about Sophie Cunningham. But given last year’s circumstances, she had to add more to her game. With Griner in the lineup, Turner played a more defensive-minded role at power forward that suited her. Without Griner’s inside presence, the Mercury had a smaller lineup featuring a 6’4” center in Brianna Turner. Griner looks like a different player than from the Finals in 2021, but as she eases into the grind of the schedule, she’ll ultimately change the makeup of the Mercury’s roster. “It’s been really nice and we’ll see if we can keep it going.” How Griner changes the team’s makeup “When you go back to winning a championship, I think we underplay how important it is to have that team chemistry and have that respect for each other,” Diana Taurasi said. A team like the Mercury has a roster with a wealth of experience and the overall joy of playing with Griner again. Other teams are drawing eyes as the league continues to trend younger with teams aiming to establish a dynasty. With the 2023 season set to tip off in Los Angeles on Friday at 8 p.m., the Mercury debut a lighter, more energized team set to make Griner’s return season memorable. ![]() The Phoenix Mercury are free from the darkness surrounding last season now that Brittney Griner is back. View Gallery: Photos: Brittney Griner returns to court for Phoenix Mercury ![]()
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