It’s been a year to forget for fans and players of the Phoenix Mercury, with the franchise limping towards their worst finish in more than a decade.
At 9-29, the Mercury’s .237-win percentage ranks as the third-worst in the franchise’s 20-plus year history. To get a sense of where the Mercury’s lost 2023 WNBA campaign ranks, BetArizona.com broke down the franchise’s worst runs, dating back to their first season in 1997.
The Mercury finish their season with two games against the Las Vegas Aces — one at 7 p.m. Friday at home and the season finale at noon Sunday in Vegas. Arizona sportsbooks list Phoenix as an 18.5-point underdog at home Friday night.
Phoenix Mercury’s Worst Records
Arizona betting apps list Las Vegas as the WNBA favorite with -155 championship odds. The New York Liberty are second at +140. No other team has better than +3000 odds to win the league championship.
Mercury Headed Toward Top Draft Pick
As of Thursday, the Mercury held the worst winning percentage in the 12-team league, putting Phoenix in position to land the league’s No. 1 pick for the first time since the 2013 WNBA Draft. That draft ultimately landed Phoenix the generational talents of forward Brittney Griner, who has gone on to be an eight-time All-Star and the WNBA’s all-time leader in blocked shots.
Multiple media sources list college players Caitlin Clark of Iowa and UConn’s Paige Bueckers as the top choices for whichever WNBA team lands the top pick. Caesars Sportsbook Arizona has Connecticut and Iowa both in the top three of national title odds. Defending champion LSU is first at +220, followed by UConn at +500. South Carolina and Iowa are tied for third at +1000.
Given Phoenix’s luck with the top pick in the league’s annual draft —landing WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi with the team’s other top pick in 2004 — it seems safe to say the Mercury have a great opportunity to land another future Hall of Famer in 2024.
