The Phoenix Mercury, pioneers of the WNBA, made their mark in 1997, finishing their inaugural season with a commendable 16-12 record. However, the real test of their resilience came with the 1998 Expansion Draft, a pivotal moment that shaped the league's future.
As the WNBA expanded, welcoming the Detroit Shock and Washington Mystics, the draft process became a strategic battleground. The Mystics, through allocation, acquired stars like Nikki McCray and Alessandra Santos de Oliveira, while the Shock secured Cindy Brown and Razija Mujanović.
But here's where it gets controversial: the expansion draft saw teams cherry-picking players from the established WNBA teams. Detroit, for instance, drafted Rhonda Blades, a New York Liberty player, and Washington selected Heidi Burge from the Los Angeles Sparks.
And this is the part most people miss: the Mercury's first casualty of the expansion draft was their very own guard, Tara Williams. Despite her impressive 3.1 points per game average, Williams was drafted by the Shock but never played for them due to an overseas commitment and a knee injury.
Williams' journey continued with the Portland Fire, where she averaged 3.1 points over 26 games. Fast forward to the present, and the WNBA is set for another expansion draft, with the Fire and Toronto Tempo joining the league.
The Golden State Valkyries, in a previous expansion draft, selected Liana Rupert with their first pick. They also added talent like Veronica Burton and Kate Martin, and even drafted a player from the Mercury, Monique Billings. Billings, who started with the Dallas Wings, signed a seven-day contract with Phoenix and then joined the Valkyries for the rest of the season.
The Valkyries' success post-draft is a testament to the impact of these expansion drafts. Now, with the Fire and Tempo entering the league, the question remains: will they find their star players and build a winning team?
Expansion drafts are a crucial part of league expansion, and for the Mercury, it was a learning curve, especially with their guard being the first to experience the draft's impact.
Stay tuned for more insights on the Mercury and expansion drafts, and follow us on X for the latest updates!
