Mercury’s next steps after Sarver NBA and WNBA Phoenix sales

The Phoenix Mercury They have won three WNBA championships, and are perhaps the greatest player of women’s basketball history.

Robert Sarver, majority owner of the Phoenix Suns The Mercury is also selling the franchises. The Suns are a desirable pinnacle property of the NBA in a hot-weather city. The Mercury, the NBA’s “sister” team, holds the titles and has one of the most engaged fan bases.

It is not certain that all franchises will be sold together. However, Sarver appears to have intended this, just like it was for. Minnesota Timberwolves/Minnesota Lynx Glen Taylor, the owner of both franchises when he sold them last year.

The Mercury were among eight teams that started the WNBA in 1997. They were all owned at that time by NBA teams. Since 2003, the WNBA has been open to outside ownership. Five of the 12 WNBA teams have been affiliated with NBA teams, the Mercury, Lynx and the Lynx. Indiana Fever, New York Liberty And Washington Mystics.

The league’s history is a part of the new Mercury owners. Phoenix has hosted a WNBA All-Star Game (2014) as well as the Commissioner’s Cup final (2211). The league is known for its fan support.

History is one thing, but the present isn’t stable with the franchises up for sale. As soon as new ownership comes in, leadership will become more important than ever.

This past season, the Mercury experienced an excessive amount of conflict in personnel. At some point, the Mercury will lose its face and one of the faces for women’s basketball. Diana Taurasi. We will see how much direct decision-making a new or existing owner would want to do with Mercury. Since 2013, Jim Pitman, a long-serving Suns/Mercury executive, has been the Mercury’s general manger.

In April 2004, Sarver purchased his share of the Suns, Mercury and Mercury. This was also the month that the Mercury drafted Taurasi No. UConn. At 40, Taurasi is now the WNBA’s most successful scorer. He led the franchise to the championships in 2007 and 2009. Although Taurasi’s future is uncertain, the Mercury know that a new era of play will soon be upon them.

However, Taurasi’s fate is not the only concern the Mercury face. The Mercury fired Sandy Brondello, the long-serving coach that had guided the team to 2021 WNBA Finals. Her replacement was the Mercury Vanessa Nygaard, a WNBA assistant whose previous experience as a head coach was at high school. They signed also center Tina Charles Guard Diamond DeShields As free agents, it seemed to have a team that could contend for the 2022 title.

Then, the center Brittney GrinerMercury’s former No. 1 pick, Freddie, was also arrested in February on drug charges. Mercury’s former No. 1 pick, was arrested on drug charges in February and is currently being held in Russia. He was sentenced to nine year imprisonment in August. Tensions emerged between Taurasi and his fellow guards early in the season. Skylar Diggins-SmithAnd between Diggins Smith & Nygaard. Charles was then forced to leave the team by contract divorce. He joined the rival Seattle Storm. Taurasi was injured during the regular season, and Diggins Smith left the team to pursue personal goals. The Mercury were in the middle of a playoff race.

The Mercury made it to the postseason but lost in the first round against eventual champion Las Vegas. Diggins Smith, DeShields as well as starters, are under contract for a second season. Brianna Turner. The rest of Mercury’s roster is still in flux. It seems that the team will have to decide whether Diggins-Smith or Nygaard are kept, if they can’t work out their differences.

The Mercury have reached the playoffs in 14 of their 16 seasons, which includes the past 10. The Mercury will continue to thrive on the continuity created by the Suns staying together with Mercury. It hasn’t been possible for all WNBA teams whose NBA brethren have been sold or moved.

The Charlotte Sting, an original WNBA team, was also owned and operated by the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. The Sting was not relocated to New Orleans by the Hornets. Instead, Robert L. Johnson bought the Sting and made it a permanent home. This was in preparation for the expansion Bobcats who were moving to Charlotte. After the 2006 WNBA season, the Bobcats decided not to purchase the team and the Sting were forced to disband.

Clay Bennett purchased the Seattle SuperSonics and the WNBA Storm in 2006. He also bought them for the 2007 season. Bennett relocated the Sonics from Seattle to Oklahoma City to be the Thunder in 2008, when a new arena was not built. Force 10 Hoops LLC bought the Storm, keeping it in Seattle. The Storm were very successful with their independent ownership. They won three of the four Force 10 championships.

Detroit Pistons Bill Davidson, Shock owner, died in March 2009. Later that year, the Shock were purchased by Tulsa. In 2010, the Pistons were put up for sale and were purchased by Tom Gores in 2011. He kept them in Detroit. The Shock was a Tulsa-based team that played from 2010-2015. In 2016, they moved to Dallas to become the Wings.

After the Kings’ previous owners, the Maloof family decided not to continue running the WNBA team, the Sacramento Monarchs, another one of eight original WNBA franchises, was sold in 2009. A buyer couldn’t be found. They sold the Kings to the Maloofs in 2013. They tried to move them to Seattle but they chose to stay in Sacramento.

All of these situations took place between 2006-2009 during the global economic crisis. This was also when the Houston Comets were disbanded and the WNBA had to face its greatest challenges. WNBA franchises aren’t worth as much as NBA franchises, but the WNBA and its teams have grown their fan base and are now in a better financial position.

This makes Mercury a valuable asset — not an “and”, or an “also” during the forced sale. The new owner must also have the same mindset moving forward.