The Phoenix Mercury entered the 2025 WNBA season with 10 new players — nearly a complete roster overhaul, triggered by the retirement of Diana Taurasi and the surprising free agent departure of Brittney Griner.
As the Mercury begin the second half of their season by hosting the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday night, that overhauled Phoenix roster is proving to be one of the WNBA’s most potent.
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Led by All-Stars Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, the 15-7 Mercury have the WNBA’s third-ranked defense by defensive rating and the league’s fifth-best offense. Thomas is a bonafide MVP candidate, leading the league in total assists (162) and assists per game (9.5); Sabally is sixth in The W with 19.1 points per game, a mark that is the best of her career.
MORE: DeWanna Bonner proves leaving Indiana Fever was the right choice for her
Still, it has been jarring to see a Mercury team without Griner, especially amidst the departure of another franchise pillar in Taurasi. But unlike Taurasi, Griner is simply wearing another uniform — Atlanta’s, where she is playing for the Dream on a one-year deal.
Wednesday night marks Griner’s first game in Phoenix since her offseason exit; there seem to be no hard feelings on the veteran’s end about the end of her tenure with the Mercury. Still, Griner’s free agent move brought an end to an 11-season stint in the Valley that produced 10 All-Star selections, two Defensive Player of the Year Awards and one WNBA championship.
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Griner played with DeWanna Bonner on that 2014 title team. Bonner only recently returned to Phoenix as a free agent after a frustrating stint with the Indiana Fever, so she knows the emotional roller coaster Griner might experience at PHX Arena.
“You can’t mention Phoenix without mentioning BG,” Bonner said Wednesday. “We’re excited to get her back here in Phoenix, excited for the fans to see her on the court. I’m sure that it’ll be emotional for her, but we’re excited to love on her a little bit.”
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