Mercury Training Camp is Open for Business

Diana Taurasi will be back with the Mercury after taking a year off. Picture Courtesy of mercury.wnba.com

By Francisco Romero. – Hopes of another championship title is on the horizon for the WNBA Phoenix Mercury as they began training camp for the 2016 season at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Monday.

And why not, the Mercury have if not the best, one of the best teams in the league. In addition to the personnel who made it to the West Conference Finals last year, the most complete player in WNBA history is once again ready to join the Valley of the Sun squad in Diana Taurasi.

Taurasi had taken a year off to rest.

The Mercury will be looking for their fourth title as they have won the WNBA Finals in 2007, 2009 and 2014.

Taurasi, her phoenix teammate Brittney Griner and Mercury’s Head Coach Sandy Brondello, last week conquered the EuroLeague’s Women Final with their EMMC Ekaterinbur (Istanbul) team. Brondello is an assistant coach with EMMC.

A great addition to the team was the re-signing of Penny Taylor, one of the top players in franchise history. Taylor was an important piece of the franchise during their three championship titles. Taylor did not play in the league last season; she has an integral component of the Mercury since 2004.

“If Diana Taurasi is the heart of our franchise, Penny Taylor is the soul,” said Mercury General Manager Jim Pitman.  “Not only is she one of the greatest players in the history of the women’s game and one of the driving forces behind our three championships, she is a great teammate, a leader, a calming force on the floor and in the locker room.  She has overcome injuries and setbacks, and she relentlessly persevered as the ultimate professional to get back on the court and help lead us to the title in 2014.”

The Mercury open the 2016 season in Minnesota against the Lynx on May 14, their fist game in Phoenix will be on Friday May 20 against Seattle Storm.