Ever since being selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft, Brittney Griner has made a name for herself as one of the best players to ever grace the WNBA since the inception of the league in 1997.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Despite her being listed as questionable and a game-time decision due to personal reasons on Wednesday, she ended up playing against the Dallas Wings and broke a record. Notching 550 career assists, she surpassed Hall of Famer and Mercury Ring of Honor member Michele Timms for the fourth most assists in franchise history, 550.
You’re familiar with her paint dominance. But she’s no stranger to dishing dimes. pic.twitter.com/5LuoMZKiva
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) July 4, 2024
Missing the first quarter of the season, Griner was out 10 games with a toe fracture to her left foot. During her absence, Natasha Mack started at center for the Mercury and began the season 3-1 before going on a 1-5 slide without Griner.
She eventually returned on June 7 and has been a game-changer ever since. Phoenix is 6-4 in its last 10 games and the soon-to-be ten-time All-Star is averaging 20.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Surpassing a Mercury icon like Timms in any stat is a huge feat in itself as she had a transcendent career in the WNBA. The former Australian superstar played 116 games (112 starts) through five seasons (1997-2001) in Phoenix. Timms averaged 7.5 points, 4.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.
With plenty of years left for Griner to move up the Mercury’s assist leaderboard, she will now eye just three players standing in her way of the No. 1 spot.
Leading the pack by an insurmountable number, Diana Taurasi is still racking up dimes in her 20th WNBA season at 42 years old as she has a whopping 2,320 assists as a Mercury.
While that total is going to be hard to beat, Taurasi’s wife and Mercury legend Penny Taylor sits at 861 for the No. 2 spot. Throughout her 10-year tenure in Phoenix, DeWanna Bonner finished with 705 assists before she was traded to the Connecticut Sun in 2020.
Since she came back, the overall offensive and defensive flow of the Mercury has been smoother as Griner’s 6-foot-9 presence in the paint towers over almost every opposing player. Her tenacity to rebound and defend has changed the complexion and outlook of Phoenix rather than if her injury were to have kept her out longer.
As she is still adapting to the new players on the Mercury and getting more comfortable on the court each game, Griner will keep powering through as long as she can to help her team moving forward.
Kahleah Copper shines with 34 points, Mercury prevail in 104-96 win over Wings
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HEREÂ to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
