WNBA team season
The 1997 WNBA season was the first for the Phoenix Mercury.
WNBA allocation draft
[edit]
| Date
|
Transaction
|
| January 22, 1997
|
Drafted Jennifer Gillom and Michele Timms in the 1997 WNBA Allocation Draft[1]
|
| January 27, 1997
|
Hired Cheryl Miller as Head Coach[1]
|
| February 27, 1997
|
Drafted Bridget Pettis and Nancy Lieberman-Cline in the 1997 WNBA Elite Draft[1]
|
| April 28, 1997
|
Drafted Toni Foster, Tia Jackson, Umeki Webb and Monique Ambers in the 1997 WNBA Draft[1]
|
| May 22, 1997
|
Signed Marlies Askamp and Tara Williams[1]
|
| June 20, 1997
|
Waived Ryneldi Becenti[1]
|
| July 22, 1997
|
Waived Molly Tuter[1]
|
| Signed Ryneldi Becenti[1]
|
| July 31, 1997
|
Traded future considerations to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Mikiko Hagiwara[1]
|
| 1997 Phoenix Mercury roster |
|---|
| Players | Coaches |
|---|
| Pos. | No. | Nat. | Name | Height | Weight | DOB | From | Yrs |
|---|
| F | 42 |  | Ambers, Monique | 6' 4" (1.93m) | | 1970-12-21 | Arizona State | R | | C | 14 |  | Askamp, Marlies | 6' 5" (1.96m) | 198 lb (90kg) | 1970-07-08 | | R | | G | 4 | | Becenti, Ryneldi | 5' 6" (1.68m) | | 1971-08-11 | Arizona State | R | | F/C | 0 | | Foster, Toni | 6' 1" (1.85m) | 175 lb (79kg) | 1971-11-16 | Iowa | R | | F/C | 22 | | Gillom, Jennifer | 6' 3" (1.91m) | 180 lb (82kg) | 1964-06-13 | Mississippi | R | | G | 24 |  | Hagiwara, Mikiko | 5' 9" (1.75m) | 160 lb (73kg) | 1970-04-27 | | R | | F | 3 | | Jackson, Tia | 6' 0" (1.83m) | 148 lb (67kg) | 1972-04-21 | Iowa | R | | G | 10 | | Lieberman-Cline, Nancy | 5' 10" (1.78m) | 150 lb (68kg) | 1958-07-01 | Old Dominion | R | | G | 32 | | Pettis, Bridget | 5' 9" (1.75m) | 150 lb (68kg) | 1971-01-01 | Florida | R | | G | 7 |  | Timms, Michele | 5' 7" (1.7m) | 132 lb (60kg) | 1965-06-28 | | R | | G | 24 | | Tuter, Molly | | | 1975-08-25 | Arizona State | R | | G/F | 21 | | Webb, Umeki | 5' 10" (1.78m) | 162 lb (73kg) | 1975-06-26 | NC State | R | | G | 31 | | Williams, Tara | 5' 11" (1.8m) | 170 lb (77kg) | 1974-07-23 | Auburn | R |
|
- Head coach
- Cheryl Miller (USC)
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (DP) Unsigned draft pick
- (FA) Free agent
- (S) Suspended
 Injured
|
1997 game log
Total: 16–12 (Home: 11–3; Road: 5–9)
|
June: 2–2 (Home: 1–0; Road: 1–2)
|
July: 6–6 (Home: 3–3; Road: 3–3)
|
August: 8–4 (Home: 7–0; Road: 1–4)
|
| 1997 season schedule
|
‡Waived/Released during the season
†Traded during the season
≠Acquired during the season
- 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.
- Jennifer Gillom, Center, All-WNBA Second Team [2]
- Bridget Pettis: Led WNBA, Free Throw Percentage, .898 [3]
- Michele Timms: Third in WNBA, 3-Pt Field Goals, 49
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