Full Breakdown
The Phoenix Mercury's Draft Decisions: A Retrospective on 2010 and 2011
12/7/2025, 9:33:26 PM
Overview of the Draft Selections
In the 2010 and 2011 WNBA drafts, the Phoenix Mercury faced challenges due to their late draft positions, having only second and third-round picks. Despite these limitations, the Mercury aimed to bolster their roster with promising talent. In 2010, they selected Tyra Grant with the 24th pick and Nyeshia Stevenson, both of whom had notable collegiate careers but struggled to make a significant impact in the WNBA.
Key Draft Picks and Their Performance
Tyra Grant, a guard from Penn State, averaged 16.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists during her college career, peaking at 19.6 points in her junior year. However, after a brief preseason appearance with the Mercury, she did not play in the regular season. Similarly, Nyeshia Stevenson, who played at Oklahoma, averaged 9.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, with her best performance occurring in her final collegiate year at 14.6 points per game. Like Grant, Stevenson also did not see regular-season action with the Mercury.
In 2011, the Mercury selected Brittany Spears in the second round and Tahnee Robinson in the third. Spears, who played at Colorado, averaged 17.2 points and 7.9 rebounds in college. She participated in the preseason but did not contribute significantly during the regular season. Robinson, from Nevada, had an impressive college average of 22.1 points per game but also did not suit up for the Mercury after the preseason.
Impact on the Franchise
The 2010 and 2011 drafts did not yield the expected results for the Mercury, as none of the selected players achieved notable career highs with the team or elsewhere. These drafts are remembered as part of the franchise's history, highlighting the challenges of drafting late and the difficulty of transitioning collegiate success to the professional level.
Despite the setbacks in these drafts, the Mercury had previously found success with key player DeWanna Bonner, who was drafted in 2009 and played a vital role in the team's championship victory that year. The impact of Bonner's contributions continues to overshadow the less successful picks from 2010 and 2011.
Official Statements & Responses
The Mercury organization has not publicly commented on the specific outcomes of the 2010 and 2011 drafts. However, the focus on past successes, such as Bonner's impact, suggests a commitment to building a competitive team through strategic selections in future drafts.
Criticism & Opposition
Critics of the Mercury's drafting strategy argue that the inability to develop talent from these drafts reflects a broader issue within the team's scouting and player development processes. The lack of contributions from the 2010 and 2011 picks raises questions about the effectiveness of their draft strategies during those years.
Verbatim Quotes
- “These players are still a part of franchise history.” — Davion Moore, Sports Journalist
- “These two drafts were different for the Mercury, and none of the players were able to tally a career high with Phoenix or elsewhere.” — Davion Moore, Sports Journalist
