The 2022 Phoenix Mercury season was the 25th season for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association. The season began on May 6, 2022, against the Las Vegas Aces and ended in the 1st round of the WNBA Playoffs against the same team. The season was marred by a number of issues, including injuries and the absence of Brittney Griner, who was detained in Russia on drug charges.
On December 6, 2021, the Mercury announced that they would not be renewing Sandy Brondello's contract and parted ways with her as head coach. On January 24, 2022, the Mercury announced that Vanessa Nygaard had been hired as Brondello's replacement.
The Mercury got off to a quick start to the season, winning two of their first three games. However, that momentum did not last as they then went on a seven game losing streak. They ended May 2–7. They were able to end their losing streak in June and win four of their first six games that month. However, they lost three and won three of their final six to end the month 7–5. July was another up and down month as the team struggled to build momentum and couldn't build a streak. They finished the month 4–5. Diana Taurasi suffered a quad strain during their game against the Connecticut Sun on August 2. The Mercury announced that she would miss the rest of the regular season with the injury. On August 11, 2022, the Mercury announced that Skylar Diggins-Smith would miss the final 3 games of the season for personal reasons. Despite injuries to two of their prominent players, the Mercury entered the final day of the season with a chance at qualifying for the playoffs. Despite a final day loss and a 2–4 August record, the Mercury finished in eighth place in the standings and qualified for the final playoff spot.
The Mercury faced first seed Las Vegas in First Round of the playoffs. The first two games of the series were in Las Vegas and the Mercury lost both games, preventing the series from returning to Phoenix. Neither game was close with the Mercury losing by sixteen points in Game One and thirty-seven points in Game Two.
Transactions
WNBA draft
Round Pick Player Nationality School/team/country 3 26 Maya Dodson Notre Dame 3 32 Macee Williams IUPUI
Trades and Roster Changes DateTransaction December 6, 2021 Parted Ways with Head coach Sandy Brondello January 11, 2022 Extended a Qualifying Offer to Shey Peddy January 13, 2022 Sign Shey Peddy to a Qualifying Offer Waived Megan Walker Extended a Qualifying Offer to Kia Nurse January 24, 2022 Hired Vanessa Nygaard as Head coach January 31, 2022 Traded Kia Vaughn to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for a 2023 Third Round Pick February 1, 2022 Re-Signed Sophie Cunningham to a One-Year DealFebruary 3, 2022 Traded Bria Hartley, the 20th Pick in the 2022 WNBA draft, and a 2nd Round Pick in 2023 to the Indiana Fever, as well as a 1st Round Pick in 2023 to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Diamond DeShields from Chicago Signed Jennie Simms to a training-camp contract February 4, 2022 Signed Tina Charles to a One-Year Deal February 5, 2022 Signed Kia Nurse to One-Year Deal February 13, 2022 Signed Leaonna Odom to a training-camp contract March 1, 2022 Signed Kiana Williams to a training-camp contract March 2, 2022 Hired Crystal Robinson as an assistant coach March 10, 2022 Signed Kristine Anigwe to a training-camp contract March 31, 2022 Hired Nikki Blue and Cinnamon Lister as Assistant Coaches April 12, 2022 Signed Sam Thomas to a training-camp contract April 13, 2022 Signed Maya Dodson and Macee Williams to rookie-scale contracts Signed Mael Gilles and Vivian Gray to training-camp contracts April 16, 2022 Signed Emma Cannon to a training-camp contract April 21, 2022 Waived Macee Williams April 30, 2022 Waived Mael Gilles May 3, 2022 Waived Emma Cannon, Kiana Williams, Jennie Simms, and Vivian Gray May 4, 2022 Signed Megan Gustafson to a training-camp contract May 5, 2022 Temporarily Suspend Brianna Turner and Diamond DeShields due to Overseas Commitments Waived Maya Dodson and Leaonna Odom May 6, 2022 Signed Emma Cannon and Jennie Simms to Hardship Contracts May 10, 2022 Activated Brianna Turner and Diamond DeShields from their Temporary Suspensions Released Emma Cannon and Jennie Simms from their Hardship Contracts May 14, 2022 Signed Brianna Turner to a Contract Extension May 25, 2022 Signed Karlie Samuelson to a Hardship Contract May 30, 2022 Released Karlie Samuelson from her Hardship Contract June 9, 2022 Signed Jennie Simms to a Hardship Contract June 23, 2022 Released Jennie Simms from her Hardship Contract June 24, 2022 Waived Kristine Anigwe June 25, 2022 Waived Tina Charles June 28, 2022 Signed Reshanda Gray and Jennie Simms to 7-day contracts July 4, 2022 Signed Reshanda Gray and Jennie Simms to their 2nd 7-day contracts July 11, 2022 Signed Reshanda Gray and Jennie Simms to their 3rd 7-day contracts July 18, 2022 Signed Reshanda Gray Signed Jennie Simms to a Hardship Contract July 21, 2022 Signed Kaela Davis to a 7-Day Hardship Contract July 29, 2022 Signed Kaela Davis to a 2nd 7-Day Hardship Contract August 8, 2022 Signed Yvonne Turner to a Hardship Contract August 10, 2022 Temporarily Suspend Skylar Diggins-Smith August 11, 2022 Signed Kaela Davis to a Hardship Contract
Roster
Depth Pos.StarterBench C Brianna Turner Reshanda GrayBrittney Griner (inactive) PF Sophie Cunningham Megan Gustafson SF Diana Taurasi Diamond DeShieldsSam Thomas SG Shey Peddy Jennie SimmsKia Nurse PG Skylar Diggins-Smith (inactive)
Schedule Preseason
| 1 | April 28 | Seattle | L 78–82 | Tina Charles (16) | Kristine Anigwe (8) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (8) | Footprint Center2,759 | 0–1 |- | 2 | April 30 | @ Los Angeles | L 84–87 | Kiana Williams (25) | Kristine Anigwe (11) | CannonSimms (3) | MatadomeN/A | 0–2
Regular season
| 1 | May 6 | Las Vegas | L 88–106 | Skylar Diggins-Smith (25) | TaurasiSimms (4) | Diana Taurasi (9) | Footprint Center7,167 | 0–1 |- | 2 | May 11 | Seattle | W 97–77 | Tina Charles (22) | Tina Charles (11) | Diggins-SmithPeddy (6) | Footprint Center6,098 | 1–1 |- | 3 | May 14 | @ Seattle | W 69–64 | Diana Taurasi (24) | Brianna Turner (14) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (5) | Climate Pledge Arena12,453 | 2–1 |- | 4 | May 17 | @ Las Vegas | L 74–86 | Tina Charles (17) | Tina Charles (9) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (6) | Michelob Ultra Arena2,536 | 2–2 |- | 5 | May 19 | Dallas | L 84–94 | Diamond DeShields (22) | Tina Charles (11) | Shey Peddy (5) | Footprint Center6,151 | 2–3 |- | 6 | May 21 | @ Las Vegas | L 80–100 | Diamond DeShields (19) | Brianna Turner (8) | Diana Taurasi (7) | Michelob Ultra Arena5,572 | 2–4 |- | 7 | May 25 | @ Los Angeles | L 94–99 | Skylar Diggins-Smith (28) | Tina Charles (7) | Diamond DeShields (9) | Crypto.com Arena4,020 | 2–5 |- | 8 | May 29 | @ Atlanta | L 54–81 | Diamond DeShields (23) | Brianna Turner (8) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (5) | Gateway Center Arena3,138 | 2–6 |- | 9 | May 31 | @ Chicago | L 70–73 | Tina Charles (25) | Brianna Turner (9) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (8) | Wintrust Arena5,133 | 2–7
| 10 | June 3 | Connecticut | L 88–92 | Diana Taurasi (32) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (6) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (6) | Footprint Center7,180 | 2–8 |- | 11 | June 5 | Los Angeles | W 81–74 | Skylar Diggins-Smith (29) | Brianna Turner (9) | Diana Taurasi (7) | Footprint Center10,151 | 3–8 |- | 12 | June 10 | Atlanta | W 90–88 | Diana Taurasi (23) | Brianna Turner (13) | Diana Taurasi (6) | Footprint Center7,650 | 4–8 |- | 13 | June 12 | @ Washington | W 99–90 (OT) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (27) | Brianna Turner (10) | Diana Taurasi (7) | Entertainment and Sports Arena4,200 | 5–8 |- | 14 | June 14 | @ Washington | L 65–83 | Diamond DeShields (21) | Diamond DeShields (8) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (8) | Entertainment and Sports Arena3,088 | 5–9 |- | 15 | June 15 | @ Indiana | W 93–80 | Tina Charles (29) | Brianna Turner (10) | Shey Peddy (7) | Indiana Farmers Coliseum1,824 | 6–9 |- | 16 | June 17 | @ Dallas | L 88–93 | Tina Charles (27) | Tina Charles (9) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (10) | College Park Center3,140 | 6–10 |- | 17 | June 21 | Minnesota | L 71–84 | Skylar Diggins-Smith (25) | Tina Charles (7) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (6) | Footprint Center6,394 | 6–11 |- | 18 | June 23 | @ Minnesota | L 88–100 | Tina Charles (26) | Brianna Turner (8) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (5) | Target Center8,004 | 6–12 |- | 19 | June 25 | @ Dallas | W 83–72 | Skylar Diggins-Smith (26) | Diamond DeShields (10) | Shey Peddy (6) | College Park Center4,240 | 7–12 |- | 20 | June 27 | Indiana | W 83–71 | Diana Taurasi (27) | Brianna Turner (8) | Shey Peddy (5) | Footprint Center5,044 | 8–12 |- | 21 | June 29 | Indiana | W 99–78 | Skylar Diggins-Smith (17) | Brianna Turner (11) | Diggins-SmithTaurasi (7) | Footprint Center5,833 | 9–12
| 22 | July 2 | @ Chicago | L 75–91 | Skylar Diggins-Smith (25) | Diamond DeShields (9) | Shey Peddy (6) | Wintrust Arena8,028 | 9–13 |- | 23 | July 4 | @ Los Angeles | L 75–78 | Skylar Diggins-Smith (22) | CunninghamPeddy (6) | Diana Taurasi (6) | Crypto.com Arena3,340 | 9–14 |- | 24 | July 7 | New York | W 84–81 | CunninghamTaurasi (23) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (7) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (9) | Footprint Center6,158 | 10–14 |- | 25 | July 12 | @ Minnesota | L 107–118 (2OT) | Sophie Cunningham (36) | Shey Peddy (10) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (10) | Target Center6,503 | 10–15 |- | 26 | July 14 | Washington | W 80–75 | Skylar Diggins-Smith (29) | CunninghamTaurasi (7) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (9) | Footprint Center5,994 | 11–15 |- | 27 | July 17 | Atlanta | L 75–85 | Diana Taurasi (23) | Sophie Cunningham (9) | Shey Peddy (5) | Footprint Center7,963 | 11–16 |- | 28 | July 22 | Seattle | W 94–78 | Skylar Diggins-Smith (35) | PeddyTaurasi (7) | Diana Taurasi (7) | Footprint Center14,162 | 12–16 |- | 29 | July 28 | Los Angeles | W 90–80 | Diana Taurasi (30) | Brianna Turner (7) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (6) | Footprint Center8,124 | 13–16 |- | 30 | July 31 | @ New York | L 69–89 | Sophie Cunningham (21) | Shey Peddy (12) | Skylar Diggins-Smith (11) | Barclays Center6,433 | 13–17
| 31 | August 2 | @ Connecticut | L 63–87 | CunninghamDiggins-Smith (15) | Brianna Turner (6) | Diggins-SmithPeddy (4) | Mohegan Sun Arena6,130 | 13–18 |- | 32 | August 4 | @ Connecticut | L 64–77 | Skylar Diggins-Smith (16) | Brianna Turner (12) | Brianna Turner (7) | Mohegan Sun Arena6,215 | 13–19 |- | 33 | August 6 | New York | W 76–62 | Diamond DeShields (25) | CunninghamDeShieldsSimms (8) | Brianna Turner (4) | Footprint Center11,724 | 14–19 |- | 34 | August 10 | Minnesota | L 77–86 | Sophie Cunningham (24) | Shey Peddy (10) | Diamond DeShields (10) | Footprint Center7,307 | 14–20 |- | 35 | August 12 | Dallas | W 86–74 | Diamond DeShields (24) | CunninghamDeShieldsPeddy (5) | Shey Peddy (8) | Footprint Center8,047 | 15–20 |- | 36 | August 14 | Chicago | L 67–82 | GustafsonSimms (12) | Megan Gustafson (10) | Yvonne Turner (4) | Footprint Center12,383 | 15–21
Playoffs
| 1 | August 18 | @ Las Vegas | L 63–79 | Diamond DeShields (18) | Brianna Turner (16) | Shey Peddy (5) | Michelob Ultra Arena8,725 | 0–1 |- | 2 | August 21 | @ Las Vegas | L 80-117 | Kaela Davis (23) | Brianna Turner (7) | B. TurnerSimmsDavisGustafson (3) | Michelob Ultra Arena9,126 | 0–2
Standings
Playoffs
Statistics
Regular season