How has the absence of Brittney Griner impacted the Phoenix Mercury.
(Rick Scuteri/Associated Press)
Making 16 playoff appearances and not missing the playoffs since they drafted Brittney Griner, the Phoenix Mercury has a history of greatness.
Diana Taurasi, Candice Dupree and Griner led the team to the playoffs and won the finals in 2014 taking the league by storm going 29-5 during the record-breaking regular season.
Recently, the Mercury have built their team around the abilities of their stars Griner and Taurasi, but how has the absence of Griner in the 2021-22 season impacted the Mercury?
Griner, the 6-foot-9-inch center was drafted with the number one pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft to the Phoenix Mercury. Immediately her potential was shown during her rookie season and in the next year Griner averaged 16.7 ppg during the 2014 championship run with the Mercury only losing one game in that entire playoffs. In 2017, Griner had a breakout season averaging 21.9 points-per-game, 7.6 rebounds-per-game and 2.5 blocks-per-game. This was a large step up from Griner's previous season averaging 13.4 ppg.
As a premier shot blocker and paint defender in the league, the Mercury’s defense is anchored by Griner. On the offensive end, Griner draws double teams when receiving the ball in the post because of her versatility in scoring on one-on-one matchups. Griner is a seven-time All-Star, eight-time blocks leader and two-time defensive player of the year. Her versatility on both sides of the ball combined with her height allow her to contest shots while still being in position to secure rebounds.
Griner plays with high confidence and consistently strives to improve her skills. She is not afraid of a challenge and believes in her ability to beat any opponent one-on-one. These characteristics are not easily found and the Mercury have had to work harder on both ends of the floor to make up for the absence of Griner.
New head coach Vanessa Nygaard will have to establish a new system without getting to plug in one of her stars. The team did everything it could to adapt during the off-season with circumstances out of everyone's control that would leave Griner sidelined. In good strides the team added elite scorer Tina Charles and wing Diamond DeShields to improve in areas impacted by injuries during the Mercury’s last Finals appearance.
Although Taurasi, Charles, Deshields and Skylar Diggins-Smith are all averaging at least 15 pgg the Mercury have started the season out slow only winning five games out of 14 played as of now. The Mercury have lost games by 20 or more points multiple times this season, and the protection in the paint is as expected not as strong with the absence of Griner. Brianna Turner has continued her efficient production on the boards and defensive side of the ball her play is showing potential for a long career in the WNBA.
Lots of uncertainty surrounds the organization as it is unsure when Griner will be released from Russia, but it is clear that the absence of Griner has impacted the team. A resilient group, the team continues to play while advocating for their teammate and her family. Still hoping to improve from last season's loss there will be many challenges to come for the Phoenix Mercury.
