Phoenix Mercury

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi will miss at least four weeks with a chest injury.

Taurasi was injured in a May 16 loss at the Connecticut Sun but played the team's next two games. A CT scan this week revealed a small fracture of her sternum.

Taurasi was averaging 15.8 points and 3.8 assists through four games.

Her absence will put pressure on a team that's looking to make its ninth straight postseason appearance. Phoenix has disappointed in back-to-back postseasons, failing to advance past the second round in either campaign. Taurasi missed most of the 2019 season with back and hamstring injuries.

The 38-year-old bounced back in the bubble last season to earn All-WNBA second team honors and looked as sharp as ever this season.

Skylar Diggins-Smith will play an even more integral role in the backcourt with Taurasi out, and Kia Nurse will also likely shift into a bigger role.

Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner said leaving the WNBA bubble in August did "wonders" for her mental health. 

Griner said Thursday, per Mechelle Voepel of ESPN:

"With everything that was going on, everything I was dealing with, I just needed to take that leave. I've never been shy [about] saying I definitely used counseling a lot when I left, and it's helped me out tremendously. I think more people should be open to talking about mental-health issues. Instead of holding in so much.

"It's done wonders for me. I'm in a place now where I feel amazing. I took that time to work on my body as well. The rehab on my knee and other parts of my body. I'm feeling good and ready to go now."

Griner participated in 12 games during the 2020 season before leaving the Mercury for personal reasons. She recently returned to the floor with UMMC Ekaterinburg, a Russian women's professional team with which she has played since 2014.

The six-time WNBA All-Star is back stateside for a USA Basketball training camp. She said speaking about her mental health difficulties has helped her:

"One, just owning up to it and saying it. We don't talk about things, and in certain communities we really don't talk about our feelings. It's just, 'Put it in a box and forget about it, push it to the back.' That's something I think has hurt us as a society. And it's something that's going to change with more athletes speaking up about it."

Griner is planning to play in the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, provided they move ahead as scheduled. 

Diana Taurasi will remain with the Phoenix Mercury after agreeing to a multiyear deal, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

The 38-year-old has spent her entire career with the Mercury since being selected No. 1 overall in the 2004 WNBA draft.

After a back injury cost her most of the 2019 season, she returned to average 18.7 points, 4.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game in 2020.

Her career includes nine All-Star selections, one MVP award and three WNBA titles, and she's the top scorer in league history with 8,931 career points.

Phoenix ensured she didn't leave in free agency, keeping its face of the franchise and a productive player who will continue to make an impact in 2021 and beyond.

"I'm not stopping; I don't feel like I should stop right now," Taurasi told Katie Barnes of ESPNW in December. "Who knows? In six months, it could be a different story. But right now, people ask me what I want to do after basketball. ... I'm doing basketball right now."

The WNBA's free-agency period has seen a flurry of notable moves. Candace Parker, Aerial Powers, Chelsea Gray and Kayla McBride are among those who've changed teams.

Phoenix avoided a significant loss by retaining Taurasi, potentially setting the team up for a deep run in 2021 with Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brittney Griner also among those set to return.

The Phoenix Mercury announced Brittney Griner has left the WNBA bubble in Bradenton, Florida. 

Per the team's official statement, Griner left for personal reasons, and players and coaches "will have no additional comment on the matter."

Griner has appeared in 12 of Phoenix's 13 games. She wasn't available for Friday's 90-80 loss to the Minnesota Lynx. 

Per ESPN's Mechelle Voepel, Griner would have to follow the league's medical protocol, including a seven-day quarantine, if she were to return to the bubble. The WNBA regular season runs through Sept. 12, with the start date of the postseason to be determined. 

The Mercury's 6-7 record ranks sixth in the WNBA with nine games remaining. The top eight teams in the league, regardless of conference affiliation, will make the postseason. 

Griner leads the Mercury in minutes (31.8 per game), scoring (17.7), rebounds (7.5) and blocks (1.8) this season.

Brittney Griner will remain with the Phoenix Mercury for the foreseeable future after the two sides agreed to a new contract. 

The Mercury announced Friday that Griner has signed a multiyear deal. 

Griner was not shy about wanting to remain with the organization she has played for since being drafted No. 1 overall out of Baylor in 2013. 

"Let me just say this and I mean this: If I don't play here, I won't play anywhere, and I mean that," Griner told reporters after the Mercury were eliminated from the playoffs. "I'm not playing for any other organization. I'm Phoenix Mercury until I'm done."

Coming off a 15-19 record in 2019, the Mercury have taken bold steps this week to get back among the Western Conference's elite teams. Re-signing Griner comes after they made separate trades to acquire DeWanna Bonner and Skylar Diggins-Smith. 

Last season marked the first time Phoenix hasn't advanced to the Western Conference semifinals since missing the playoffs in 2012 with a 7-27 record. 

A six-time All-Star, Griner led the WNBA in scoring with 20.7 points per game and ranked 13th with 7.2 rebounds per game. She has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of the past three seasons. 

The Phoenix Mercury announced Wednesday they have acquired Dallas Wings star Skylar Diggins-Smith.

The Wings will receive the Nos. 5 and 7 overall picks in the 2020 WNBA draft and a future first-rounder. Winsidr's Rachel Galligan first reported on the move. 

"I'm so excited to have Skylar joining our franchise in pursuit of another championship," Diana Taurasi said of the move in the Mercury's press release. "She has had an amazing career at all levels—college, the WNBA, and Team USA—and I know she'll continue to grow here in the Valley as one of the best players in the world."

The Wings used the core designation on Diggins-Smith to open the WNBA offseason, which allowed the team to have exclusive negotiating rights with the unrestricted free agent.

However, Diggins-Smith told the Associated Press' Doug Feinberg in January she no longer wanted to play for the Wings and wasn't planning to return to the team.

Diggins-Smith averaged 17.9 points and 6.2 assists in 2018. She only shot 29.7 percent from beyond the arc, which might have been partially down to the adjustments Dallas had to make for a returning Liz Cambage.

The 29-year-old was absent for 2019 following her pregnancy. She expressed her frustration last fall with what she felt was a lack of support from the Wings after she gave birth.

Diggins-Smith's 15.9 points per game over her career are tied for 16th-most in league history. The 29-year-old is a dynamic playmaker and scorer, making her a perfect fit for a franchise in win-now mode.

The Mercury completed a sign-and-trade that sent DeWanna Bonner to the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday. Phoenix received the Nos. 7 and 10 selections in the draft and Connecticut's first-rounder in 2021.

It seems as though the Mercury might use one or more of those picks to land a proven star. Taurasi turns 38 in June, and Brittney Griner was noncommittal about her future in the WNBA last year. The team isn't in a position where it should start building through the draft.

Although Diggins-Smith isn't a clear replacement for Bonner, she could help Phoenix mount a title challenge in the upcoming campaign.

The Los Angeles Sparks already strengthened by signing Kristi Toliver. The Sun not only added Bonner but also retained Jonquel Jones. The reigning Washington Mystics are still reeling from Toliver's departure but re-signed Elena Delle Donne. The Seattle Storm are also getting Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart back after they missed all of last year because of injury.

By adding the four-time All-Star, the Mercury would be keeping pace with their fellow contenders across the league.

The Wings, on the other hand, are looking toward the future. Dallas has the No. 2 overall pick in April and through this trade can continue adding to a young core that includes Arike Ogunbowale, Moriah Jefferson and Azura Stevens.

How the WNBA handles the punishments stemming from Saturday's scuffle during the Dallas Wings' 80-77 victory over the Phoenix Mercury will apparently play a role in how long Brittney Griner remains in the league.

"How they handle this will determine a lot about the future," Griner said, per Jeff Metcalfe of the Arizona Republic (h/t USA Today). "Because how can I fight for some league that doesn't even want to protect their players?"

Griner, who is in the final year of her contract with the Mercury, implied she may not have even played in the league this season if she were on another team: "They better hope our coaches and GM (Jim Pitman) don't go anywhere and DB (DeWanna Bonner) plays here forever. Because I'll be done in a heartbeat if I was anywhere else."

Metcalfe noted Griner makes approximately the league maximum of $115,000 this season in the NBA, which is notably less than the seven figures she makes on her Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg during the offseason.

"I'm not doing it for the money because we don't make enough and they want to fine me for every little thing," Griner said. "I'm getting techs for protecting myself in games and flagrants because they always only see me. They never see anything beforehand. I'm basically not getting paid this summer already (due to fines)."

The comments come after Griner was one of six players ejected during Saturday's matchup.

She threw punches toward Kristine Anigwe after they were tangled under the basket and then chased her around the court. Both were ejected along with Phoenix's Diana Taurasi and Briann January and Dallas' Kayla Thornton and Kaela Davis.

Griner suggested Thornton should face a longer suspension considering she ran after the Phoenix center after the play and attempted to hit her.

"Honestly Thornton should get the most because she wasn't involved," Griner said, per Metcalfe. "You weren't involved. You should have been like everybody else, trying to calm it down. Everybody that was just trying to calm it down, they got ejected. That should be their punishment. They shouldn't get any games. Because how are you going to let your teammate get jumped and go try to help cool it down?"

Griner is one of the WNBA's most notable players as a six-time All-Star and the league's leading scorer.

Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi is likely to miss 10 to 12 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a disc in her back, the team announced Thursday. 

"Diana began experiencing symptoms during offseason workouts, notified us, and in conjunction with our medical staff determined the right course of action," Mercury general manager Jim Pitman said. "We have confidence that this procedure will not only get her back on the court but ensure she can get back to chasing around her toddler son, Leo, as well."

The WNBA is down yet another one of its biggest names for a significant chunk of the 2019 season.

Maya Moore announced in February she was sitting out the entire year in order to give her body a rest after the constant grind of playing in the WNBA and overseas.

Reigning MVP Breanna Stewart ruptured her Achilles in the EuroLeague championship game and will be out of action until 2020.

And the status of Liz Cambage remains unclear. The Dallas Wings confirmed in January the Australian center requested a trade. Cambage didn't play in the WNBA from 2014 to 2017, leaving many to wonder whether she'll take another hiatus if the Wings fail to find a workable trade.

Taurasi's surgery is big because the Mercury are clear title contenders, especially since the defending champion Seattle Storm are without their best player. Phoenix pushed Seattle to five games in the 2018 semifinals.

Now, the Mercury are themselves down one of their top stars, which puts further strain on a roster that was extremely top-heavy toward the end of last year. Granted, injuries played a role, but Phoenix used just seven players in that decisive Game 5 against the Storm in the postseason. 

Despite turning 36 midway through the season, Taurasi continued to be a dynamic scorer in 2018. She averaged 20.7 points, shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from three-point range. The nine-time All-Star finished third in offensive win shares (4.8) and fifth in total win shares (5.6), per Basketball Reference.

The arrival of rookies Alanna Smith and Sophie Cunningham will help soften the blow of Taurasi's absence, but head coach Sandy Brondello can only ask so much of two first-year players.

Assuming Taurasi can return at some point late in the year, the Mercury are still a playoff team. But they're likely to finish outside of the top two, which would mean the prospect of at least one single-elimination game before the semifinals.

The domestic violence case against former Phoenix Mercury assistant coach Todd Troxel reportedly has been dismissed.

According to TMZ Sports, Troxel was charged with misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor disorderly conduct in November when he was still on the Mercury staff after allegedly attacking his fiancee. He allegedly punched through a glass window and severed two of his arteries during an argument with her. She suffered a hand injury.

However, TMZ noted the case was dismissed because his fiancee has decided not to speak with police further.

Troxel was fired in January after an investigation was opened up regarding the domestic violence allegations.

"My fiancee and I are thrilled to have this situation behind us and look forward to moving on with our lives." Troxel said in a statement, per TMZ. "I cannot thank her enough for her support, love and friendship always. ... I regret getting into an argument with my fiancee the night of the incident, but I never assaulted or hurt her in any way."

He was an assistant coach with the Mercury for five seasons prior to his firing.

According to ESPN.com, the team hired an outside firm to conduct its own independent investigation before proceeding with his termination.

"We have determined that Troxel's conduct on that night was unacceptable and does not represent our values as an organization, and we cannot continue his employment," the Mercury said, per ESPN.

The Phoenix Mercury fired assistant coach Todd Troxel, the team announced Tuesday. 

"After a media report alerted us to an incident involving Troxel and his fiancee, we immediately retained an outside firm to conduct an independent investigation that included interviews with both involved parties," the Mercury said in the statement. "We have determined that Troxel's conduct on that night was unacceptable and does not represent our values as an organization, and we cannot continue his employment."

Prosecutors in Paradise Valley, Arizona, charged Troxel with misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct in December.

TMZ Sports reported he had been taken to a local hospital after allegedly punching through a glass window and severing two arteries in his arm. He told authorities he had cut his arm while putting up Christmas lights, but his fiancee said the injury happened during a fight they were having.

Lt. Michael Cole, a spokesman for the Paradise Valley Police Department, told the Arizona Republic's Jeff Metcalfe and Uriel J. Garcia that Troxel and his fiancee had gotten into an argument during an Uber ride. The disagreement "turned into a physical altercation" when the two arrived home.

Troxel was a member of the Mercury staff for the past five seasons.