1997 Phoenix Mercury season
Encyclopedia
The 1997 WNBA season
was the 1st for the Phoenix Mercury.
1997 WNBA Season
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was the 1st for the Phoenix Mercury.
Initial Player Allocation
| Pick | Player | Nationality | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Michele Timms Michele Timms Michele Margaret Timms is a retired Australian professional basketball player who played for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association... (G) |
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
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| 12 | Jennifer Gillom Jennifer Gillom Jennifer "Grandmama" Gillom is a former WNBA basketball player who played for the Phoenix Mercury from 1997 to 2002... (C) |
Mississippi University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the... |
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WNBA Elite Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Bridget Pettis Bridget Pettis Bridget Pettis is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a guard in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons during the 1990s and 2000s... (F) |
Florida University of Florida The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... |
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| 2 | 15 | Nancy Lieberman-Cline (G) | Old Dominion Old Dominion University Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools... |
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WNBA Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7th | Toni Foster | ||
| 2 | 9 | Tia Jackson (G/F) | Iowa University of Iowa The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees... |
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Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 22 | Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007.... |
76-59 | Win | 1-0 |
| June 24 | @ Houston Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and... |
55-70 | Loss | 1-1 |
| June 28 | @ Cleveland Cleveland Rockers This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which... |
68-63 | Win | 2-1 |
| June 29 | @ New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league... |
57-65 | Loss | 2-2 |
| July 3 | @ Utah Utah Starzz The Utah Starzz were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They began play in the 1997 WNBA season as one of the league's eight original teams. The Starzz relocated, in 2003, to San Antonio, Texas where the team became the San Antonio Silver Stars... |
77-55 | Win | 3-2 |
| July 7 | New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league... |
69-50 | Win | 4-2 |
| July 9 | Houston Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and... |
69-64 | Win | 5-2 |
| July 12 | @ Utah Utah Starzz The Utah Starzz were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They began play in the 1997 WNBA season as one of the league's eight original teams. The Starzz relocated, in 2003, to San Antonio, Texas where the team became the San Antonio Silver Stars... |
51-52 | Loss | 5-3 |
| July 13 | @ Los Angeles Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began... |
57-56 | Win | 6-3 |
| July 16 | Sacramento Sacramento Monarchs The Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009... |
84-67 | Win | 7-3 |
| July 21 | @ Sacramento Sacramento Monarchs The Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009... |
70-57 | Win | 8-3 |
| July 22 | Houston Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and... |
69-77 | Loss | 8-4 |
| July 25 | Los Angeles Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began... |
83-86 (OT) | Loss | 8-5 |
| July 28 | Cleveland Cleveland Rockers This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which... |
64-76 | Loss | 8-6 |
| July 30 | @ Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007.... |
67-68 | Loss | 8-7 |
| July 31 | @ Cleveland Cleveland Rockers This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which... |
67-79 | Loss | 8-8 |
| August 2 | @ New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league... |
70-78 | Loss | 8-9 |
| August 4 | Sacramento Sacramento Monarchs The Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009... |
83-60 | Win | 9-9 |
| August 6 | Utah Utah Starzz The Utah Starzz were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They began play in the 1997 WNBA season as one of the league's eight original teams. The Starzz relocated, in 2003, to San Antonio, Texas where the team became the San Antonio Silver Stars... |
78-46 | Win | 10-9 |
| August 7 | @ Houston Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and... |
70-74 | Loss | 10-10 |
| August 9 | @ Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007.... |
59-79 | Loss | 10-11 |
| August 12 | New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league... |
77-67 | Win | 11-11 |
| August 14 | Cleveland Cleveland Rockers This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which... |
61-55 | Win | 12-11 |
| August 17 | Utah Utah Starzz The Utah Starzz were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They began play in the 1997 WNBA season as one of the league's eight original teams. The Starzz relocated, in 2003, to San Antonio, Texas where the team became the San Antonio Silver Stars... |
71-63 (OT) | Win | 13-11 |
| August 18 | @ Los Angeles Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began... |
66-75 | Loss | 13-12 |
| August 20 | @ Sacramento Sacramento Monarchs The Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009... |
69-54 | Win | 14-12 |
| August 22 | Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007.... |
78-63 | Win | 15-12 |
| August 24 | Los Angeles Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began... |
73-68 (OT) | Win | 16-12 |
| August 28 (WNBA Semifinal) | New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league... |
41-59 | Loss | 0-1 |
Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; FG = Field Goals; MIN= Minutes; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points| Player | GP | MIN | FG | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Gillom | 28 | 874 | 163 | 151 | 21 | 37 | 15 | 440 |
| Bridget Pettis | 28 | 842 | 107 | 107 | 78 | 49 | 12 | 352 |
| Michele Timms | 27 | 966 | 99 | 99 | 137 | 71 | 3 | 326 |
| Toni Foster | 28 | 736 | 246 | |||||
| Marlies Askamp | 28 | 211 | ||||||
| Umeki Webb | 28 | 141 | ||||||
| Tia Jackson | 26 | 74 | ||||||
| Nancy Lieberman-Cline | 25 | 64 | ||||||
| Tara Williams | 12 | 37 | ||||||
| Mikiko Hagiwara | 12 | 33 | ||||||
| Monique Ambers | 19 | 14 | ||||||
| Molly Tuter | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryneldi Becenti | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
- Toni Foster ranked ninth in the WNBA in total rebounds with 172
- Toni Foster was ranked ninth in the WNBA in steals with 53.
- Toni Foster tied for seventh in the WNBA in blocks with 21.
- Toni Foster ranked seventh in the WNBA in Field Goal Percentage (.468)
- Jennifer Gillom ranked tenth in the WNBA in Free Throw Pct with .777
- Jennifer Gillom ranked fourth in the WNBA in field goals with 163
- Jennifer Gillom ranked fifth in the WNBA in points with 440 points.
- Jennifer Gillom ranked fifth in the WNBA in points per game with 15.7
- Bridget Pettis was tied for tenth in the WNBA in steals with 49.
- Michele Timms ranked third in the WNBA in minutes per game with 35.8
- Michele Timms ranked second in the WNBA in steals with 71.
- Michele Timms ranked third in the WNBA in assists with 137.
- Chantel Tremitiere ranked fourth in the WNBA in assists with 135.
- Umeki Webb ranked fourth in the WNBA in steals with 68.
Awards and honors
- Jennifer Gillom, Center, All-WNBA Second Team
- Bridget Pettis: Led WNBA, Free Throw Percentage, .898
- Michele Timms: Third in WNBA, 3-Pt Field Goals, 49