The final two games of the season will be missed by Diggins- Smith. Even if the Mercury make the playoffs she won't be back in 2022.
With five teams vying for the final two spots in the playoffs, Phoenix is in a four-way tie at 14-20. They will be eliminated with a loss. The Dallas Wings come to Phoenix on Friday and the Chicago Sky on Sunday. The Mercury haven't missed the playoffs since winning the second title.
The Mercury have had a difficult first year under first-year head coach. Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi had a confrontation on the bench in May, Tina Charles left the team in June, Diggins-Smith used a clown symbol on social media, and now D.
The Mercury have a chance to make the playoffs. What will it take for Phoenix to make the playoffs, and what will the future hold for the Mercury and Diggins- Smith? We are looking at it.
The Mercury have taken a lot of the hits. They won the game against the New York Liberty. It was thanks to an excellent defensive effort that held the Liberty to 62 points.
The Mercury got career highs in points from Shey Peddy and Megan Gustafson, but fell to Minnesota 86-77. The Mercury players continued to encourage each other after the game.
Both the Wings and Sky want to go into the playoffs with a bang. Dallas won five in a row, but fell to Liberty. The defending champion, Chicago, has been one of the best teams all season. The Mercury have lost to Dallas and the Sky this year.
One of the biggest threats in the league this season has been Diggins- Smith. She could be the difference between the Mercury going to the playoffs and not.
In a season in which so much has happened, the Mercury's Sophie Cunningham is a strong candidate for the league's most improved player award. Cunningham is a hard worker. She was aggressive in her play and not everyone in the league likes her. Cunningham is a person who is always going to give her all and never stop giving. If she hadn't made the strides she has this year, the Mercury wouldn't have a chance at the playoffs.
Cunningham was one of five players who started Wednesday's game who have played in 21 games this year. Yvonne Turner has played in seven games for the Mercury this season, after previously playing in the NBA. The 35-year-old guard played 10 minutes on Wednesday. The Mercury bench had a lot of successful players on it.
The Mercury are a patchwork quilt at the moment. When she was hired, she thought she would be coaching a team. The Mercury players know it's down to this group that is still standing, and they will be playing with a sense of desperation.
The Mercury do not have good odds to win either game. When a team is facing adversity, strange things can happen. Turner might find that in her in these closing games. It's possible that the Mercury get hot from the back. Her ability may allow her to take over. They lose two games, miss the playoffs, and then the postmortem on this season begins.
It would be a huge achievement to make the playoffs at this time. The Mercury probably won't go past the first round. They would have to play well on defense and get hot from the outside.
It has been obvious for a long time that Diggins-Smith and Nygaard don't work well together. It is almost certain that both will be in Phoenix next season. Neither will.
Sandy Brondello was let go by the Mercury after they lost in the finals. She got another job with New York because she is a reliable coach who can manage egos.
Prior to becoming a head coach, she was an assistant in the NBA. This season would have tested even a veteran head coach because of the amount of behind-the-scenes work. She has to be up to the task even though she got the job. In pro sports, that's how it is.
It has ended in a bad way for Diggins- Smith. She turned 32 earlier this month and seems to have a lot of good basketball in front of her. Diggins-Smith will be an unrestricted free agent in four years, according to Her Hoops Stats.
Diggins-Smith was the third pick in the draft. After nine games in 2015, she had an injury that ended her season. After the Wings moved to Dallas, she was a starter for three years. After giving birth to her son, she asked for a trade from Dallas.
Diggins- Smith talked about her battle with depression and was eager for a new start in Phoenix. In her three seasons with the Mercury, she has contributed a lot to the team. What does this mean for the Mercury and where does she go next?
The franchise's other star is imprisoned in Russia and the franchise's icon is 40 years old. The Mercury have a lot of issues to deal with in the coming months.
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