The 2020 WNBA season was the 23rd season for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association. The season tipped off on July 25, 2020, versus the Los Angeles Sparks.

During the off-season, it was announced that Talking Stick Resort Arena would be undergoing renovations and the Mercury would be forced to play their home games at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum for the 2020 season.

This WNBA season will feature an all-time high 36 regular-season games. However, the plan for expanded games was put on hold on April 3, when the WNBA postponed its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under a plan approved on June 15, the league is scheduled to hold a shortened 22-game regular season at IMG Academy, without fans present, starting on July 24.

The Mercury's season got off to a slow start, with the team losing its first two games. However, a four-game win streak followed and the Mercury were 4–2. The Mercury only won two of the next seven games and were just under .500. The team then won its next six games to secure a playoff spot. After losing two of their last three games, they qualified for the playoffs as the fifth overall seed.

As the fifth seed, the Mercury played the Washington Mystics in the First Round of the playoffs. The Mercury won that a nail-biter of a game 85–84, and advanced to the Second Round. They faced off against the fourth seeded Minnesota Lynx and were defeated in another close match, 79–80 to end their season.

Transactions

WNBA draft

Round Pick Player Nationality School/Team/Country 1 10 Jocelyn Willoughby Virginia 2 18 Te'a Cooper Baylor 3 29 Stella Johnson Rider

Trades/Roster Changes DateDetails February 11, 2020 Traded F DeWanna Bonner to Connecticut in exchange for the 7th and 10th pick in the 2020 WNBA draft in addition to a first-round pick in the 2021 WNBA draft. February 12, 2020 Traded the 5th and 7th pick in the 2020 WNBA draft in addition to a first-round pick in the 2021 WNBA draft to Dallas in exchange for Skylar Diggins-Smith. February 13, 2020 Re-signed C Brittney Griner Signed G Bria Hartley February 19, 2020 Acquired F Jessica Breland and F Nia Coffey in exchange for G Briann January, the 17th pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, and the team's second round pick in the 2021 WNBA draft February 24, 2020 Signed C Kia Vaughn April 17, 2020 Acquired G Shatori Walker-Kimbrough from New York in exchange for the draft rights to G/F Jocelyn Willoughby. July 12, 2020 F Jessica Breland medically excused for 2020 season.

Roster

Game log

Regular season

| 1 | July 25 | Los Angeles Sparks | L 76–99 | Taurasi (16) | Griner (9) | Diggins-Smith (6) | IMG Academy0 | 0–1 |- | 2 | July 29 | Indiana Fever | L 100–106 | Hartley (26) | Tied (7) | Tied (5) | IMG Academy0 | 0–2 |- | 3 | July 31 | Las Vegas Aces | W 102–95 | Tied (22) | Turner (9) | Taurasi (10) | IMG Academy0 | 1–2

| 4 | August 2 | New York Liberty | W 96–67 | Hartley (27) | Turner (11) | Taurasi (9) | IMG Academy0 | 2–2 |- | 5 | August 4 | Atlanta Dream | W 81–74 | Taurasi (20) | Turner (7) | Taurasi (6) | IMG Academy0 | 3–2 |- | 6 | August 6 | Chicago Sky | W 96–86 | Tied (22) | Griner (8) | Taurasi (6) | IMG Academy0 | 4–2 |- | 7 | August 8 | Seattle Storm | L 68–74 | Griner (20) | Griner (8) | Taurasi (5) | IMG Academy0 | 4–3 |- | 8 | August 10 | Dallas Wings | W 91–79 | Diggins-Smith (26) | Griner (13) | Diggins-Smith (7) | IMG Academy0 | 5–3 |- | 9 | August 12 | Chicago Sky | L 71–89 | Tied (15) | Griner (6) | Diggins-Smith (4) | IMG Academy0 | 5–4 |- | 10 | August 14 | Atlanta Dream | W 96–80 | Hartley (24) | Griner (8) | Hartley (5) | IMG Academy0 | 6–4 |- | 11 | August 16 | Dallas Wings | L 89–95 | Griner (29) | Taurasi (9) | Hartley (6) | IMG Academy0 | 6–5 |- | 12 | August 19 | Los Angeles Sparks | L 74–83 | Taurasi (19) | Turner (7) | Hartley (9) | IMG Academy0 | 6–6 |- | 13 | August 21 | Minnesota Lynx | L 80–90 | Hartley (24) | Turner (9) | Hartley (5) | IMG Academy0 | 6–7 |- | 14 | August 23 | Washington Mystics | W 88–87 | Taurasi (34) | Turner (17) | Hartley (5) | IMG Academy0 | 7–7 |- | 15 | August 28 | Washington Mystics | W 94–72 | Diggins-Smith (24) | Smith (8) | Taurasi (7) | IMG Academy0 | 8–7 |- | 16 | August 30 | Minnesota Lynx | W 83–79 | Diggins-Smith (25) | Turner (15) | Peddy (5) | IMG Academy0 | 9–7

| 17 | September 1 | Las Vegas Aces | W 92–85 | Taurasi (32) | Turner (13) | Tied (7) | IMG Academy0 | 10–7 |- | 18 | September 3 | Indiana Fever | W 105–81 | Diggins-Smith (28) | Turner (12) | Diggins-Smith (8) | IMG Academy0 | 11–7 |- | 19 | September 5 | New York Liberty | W 83–67 | Diggins-Smith (30) | Turner (13) | Turner (4) | IMG Academy0 | 12–7 |- | 20 | September 7 | Connecticut Sun | L 70–85 | Taurasi (19) | Turner (8) | Diggins-Smith (6) | IMG Academy0 | 12–8 |- | 21 | September 9 | Connecticut Sun | W 100–95 | Diggins-Smith (33) | Turner (21) | Taurasi (7) | IMG Academy0 | 13–8 |- | 22 | September 11 | Seattle Storm | L 60–83 | Walker-Kimbrough (24) | Turner (11) | Peddy (6) | IMG Academy0 | 13–9

Playoffs

| 1 | September 15 | Washington Mystics | W 85–84 | Diggins-Smith (24) | Turner (11) | Taurasi (6) | IMG Academy | 1–0

| 1 | September 17 | Minnesota Lynx | 79–80 | Taurasi (28) | Turner (14) | Taurasi (9) | IMG Academy | 0–1

Standings

Playoffs

Statistics

Regular season Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Diana Taurasi 19 19 28.1 40.9 36.5 91.2 4.2 4.5 1.0 0.4 18.7 Brittney Griner 12 12 31.8 49.7 0 80.9 7.5 3.0 0.3 1.8 17.7 Skylar Diggins-Smith 22 22 30.7 47.4 39.7 90.0 3.3 4.2 0.9 0.5 17.7 Bria Hartley 13 3 24.8 42.0 38.5 80.5 2.9 4.5 1.2 0 14.6 Shatori Walker-Kimbrough 21 10 19.0 42.9 43.1 92.0 1.6 1.5 1.1 0.4 7.3 Brianna Turner 22 22 27.9 57.9 0 64.3 9.0 1.8 1.1 2.0 7.2 Kia Vaughn 22 10 18.9 48.8 0 57.9 3.6 1.5 0.5 0.3 6.1 Alanna Smith 19 0 15.6 42.2 23.3 69.0 3.6 1.2 0.3 0.8 6.1 Sophie Cunningham 21 11 18.9 38.5 23.5 88.0 1.0 0.8 0.5 0.1 5.0 Shey Peddy 8 0 17.6 29.4 10.5 100 3.0 2.4 1.5 0.1 4.0 Alisia Jenkins 2 0 11.5 25.0 0 66.7 1.5 0 0 0 4.0 Nia Coffey 15 1 15.3 42.1 33.3 16.7 2.5 0.8 0.3 0.3 2.7

Awards and honors Recipient Award Date awarded Ref. Skylar Diggins-Smith WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week September 8, 2020 Brianna Turner 1st Team All-Defense September 29, 2020 Diana Taurasi All-WNBA Second Team October 4, 2020 Skylar Diggins-Smith

References

External links