Three Reasons Why the Phoenix Mercury Will Win the WNBA Title


Heading into the 2015 WNBA Playoffs presented by Boost Mobile, the title is as up for grabs as ever. Each of the eight contenders can state their case for why they will take home the trophy come October. With that in mind, WNBA.com is profiling all eight one-by-one as the Sept. 17 tip-off approaches.

3 Reasons Archive: Liberty | Lynx | Sky | Mercury | Fever | Shock | Mystics | Sparks

The questions surrounding the Phoenix Mercury heading into the 2015 season were focused more on what they didn’t have than what they did: How would the team adapt with Diana Taurasi sitting out the season? What effect would Brittney Griner’s suspension have on team dynamics?

After 34 regular-season games, the Mercury have answered those questions clearly. They still have the talent to compete, especially with Griner playing better than ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIC194J6Mi0

Here are three reasons why Phoenix will win the 2015 WNBA title:

Star power.

After playing sidekick to Taurasi year after year, DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree left little doubt this season that they are bona fide stars who are good enough to lead a playoff team.

Bonner averaged more than 15 points for the second time in her career and came up clutch all season long. Dupree played with the same machine-like efficiency as her previous four All-Star campaigns.

And, of course, there’s Griner, who at her best may be the top game-changing force in the game.

Defense.

Phoenix’s style of play may not look as sexy as it did a year ago, but the Mercury are still playing championship-caliber defense. In fact, they actually posted a better Defensive Rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) than in 2014 — when they set the all-time league record for wins at 29-5 — and held opponents to a league-low 38% shooting after the All-Star break.

Having Griner, perhaps already the best shot blocker in league history, protecting the paint allows for such dominance. She missed the first seven games of her third season due to suspension and still finished with 36 more blocks than anyone else in the league, averaging a career-high 4.1.

Phoenix will have to dig in like never before, but Sandy Bronello knows how to coach defense, and this group has enough offensive firepower to keep pace on the other end.

The X-Factors.

The Mercury like to call their home crowds the X-Factor, and for good reason: Phoenix is 12-4 at home this season after going 21-1 (including playoffs) a year ago.

But there could be other X-Factors at play during their quest for a repeat. Tops among those are 1) their championship pedigree, which only Minnesota and Indiana can match; and 2) Leilani Mitchell, their point guard who can bring the offense to another level when she gets hot.