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WNBA team season
The 1997 WNBA season was the first for the Phoenix Mercury.
Transactions[edit]
WNBA allocation draft[edit]
WNBA elite draft[edit]
WNBA draft[edit]
Transactions[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 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 Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Mikiko Hagiwara[1]
|
1997 Phoenix Mercury roster
|
Players |
Coaches
|
Pos. |
# |
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, 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)
- Assistant coaches
- -
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (FA) Free agent
- (IN) Inactive
- (S) Suspended
- Injured
|
Schedule[edit]
Regular season[edit]
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
|
Playoffs[edit]
Season standings[edit]
Statistics[edit]
Regular Season[edit]
Player
|
GP
|
GS
|
MPG
|
FG%
|
3P%
|
FT%
|
RPG
|
APG
|
SPG
|
BPG
|
PPG
|
Michele Timms
|
27
|
27
|
35.8
|
.336
|
.345
|
.760
|
3.7
|
5.0
|
2.6
|
0.1
|
12.1
|
Jennifer Gillom
|
28
|
28
|
31.2
|
.434
|
.313
|
.777
|
5.4
|
0.8
|
1.3
|
0.5
|
15.7
|
Bridget Pettis
|
28
|
28
|
30.1
|
.334
|
.306
|
.898
|
3.8
|
2.8
|
1.8
|
0.4
|
12.6
|
Umeki Webb
|
28
|
17
|
27.7
|
.297
|
0.67
|
.687
|
4.2
|
2.4
|
2.4
|
0.3
|
5.0
|
Toni Foster
|
28
|
28
|
26.3
|
.468
|
.167
|
.704
|
6.1
|
1.0
|
1.9
|
0.8
|
8.8
|
Marlies Askamp
|
28
|
1
|
18.5
|
.393
|
.000
|
.763
|
5.2
|
0.8
|
0.8
|
0.3
|
7.5
|
Mikiko Hagiwara
|
12
|
5
|
15.5
|
.256
|
.286
|
.500
|
1.2
|
0.8
|
0.2
|
0.0
|
2.8
|
Tia Jackson
|
26
|
6
|
12.3
|
.342
|
.375
|
.840
|
2.2
|
1.0
|
0.9
|
0.3
|
2.8
|
Nancy Lieberman
|
25
|
0
|
11.2
|
.325
|
.231
|
.800
|
1.3
|
1.6
|
0.6
|
0.1
|
2.6
|
Ryneldi Becenti
|
1
|
0
|
8.0
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
Tara Williams
|
12
|
0
|
7.0
|
.410
|
.455
|
N/A
|
0.7
|
0.3
|
0.3
|
0.0
|
3.1
|
Monique Ambers
|
19
|
0
|
4.5
|
.444
|
N/A
|
.400
|
1.1
|
0.2
|
0.0
|
0.1
|
0.7
|
Molly Tuter
|
3
|
0
|
1.0
|
.000
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
‡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.
Awards and honors[edit]
- 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
References[edit]
External links[edit]