The 1997 WNBA season was the first for the Phoenix Mercury.
Transactions
WNBA allocation draft Player Nationality School/Team/Country Jennifer Gillom Ole Miss Michele Timms WTV Wuppertal (Germany)
WNBA elite draft
Round Pick Player Nationality School/Team/Country 1 7 Bridget Pettis Florida 2 15 Nancy Lieberman-Cline Old Dominion
WNBA draft
Round Pick Player Nationality School/Team/Country 1 8 Toni Foster Iowa 2 9 Tia Jackson Iowa324Umeki WebbNC State425Monique AmbersArizona State
Transactions DateTransaction January 22, 1997 Drafted Jennifer Gillom and Michele Timms in the 1997 WNBA Allocation Draft January 27, 1997 Hired Cheryl Miller as Head Coach February 27, 1997 Drafted Bridget Pettis and Nancy Lieberman-Cline in the 1997 WNBA Elite Draft April 28, 1997 Drafted Toni Foster, Tia Jackson, Umeki Webb and Monique Ambers in the 1997 WNBA draftMay 22, 1997Signed Marlies Askamp and Tara WilliamsJune 20, 1997Waived Ryneldi BecentiJuly 22, 1997Waived Molly TuterSigned Ryneldi BecentiJuly 31, 1997Traded future considerations to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Mikiko Hagiwara
Roster
Schedule
Regular season
| 1 | June 22 | Charlotte | W 76–59 | Bridget Pettis (17) | Toni Foster (8) | Michele Timms (6) | America West Arena | 1–0 |- | 2 | June 24 | @ Houston | L 55–72 | Toni Foster (13) | Askamp Foster Webb (5) | Umeki Webb (4) | The Summit | 1–1 |- | 3 | June 26 | @ Cleveland | W 68–63 | Gillom Pettis (14) | Foster Webb (7) | Michele Timms (4) | Gund Arena | 2–1 |- | 4 | June 29 | @ New York | L 57–65 | Jennifer Gillom (23) | Gillom Webb (10) | Michele Timms (5) | Madison Square Garden | 2–2
| 5 | July 3 | @ Utah | W 77–55 | Jennifer Gillom (21) | Toni Foster (9) | Michele Timms (9) | Delta Center | 3–2 |- | 6 | July 7 | New York | W 69–50 | Bridget Pettis (25) | Jennifer Gillom (13) | Michele Timms (9) | America West Arena | 4–2 |- | 7 | July 9 | Houston | W 66–53 | Jennifer Gillom (20) | Marlies Askamp (10) | Umeki Webb (7) | America West Arena | 5–2 |- | 8 | July 12 | @ Utah | L 51–52 | Toni Foster (14) | Toni Foster (7) | Umeki Webb (3) | Delta Center | 5–3 |- | 9 | July 13 | @ Los Angeles | W 57–56 | Michele Timms (17) | Umeki Webb (6) | Michele Timms (3) | Great Western Forum | 6–3 |- | 10 | July 16 | Sacramento | W 84–67 | Jennifer Gillom (19) | Bridget Pettis (7) | Michele Timms (5) | America West Arena | 7–3 |- | 11 | July 21 | @ Sacramento | W 70–57 | Jennifer Gillom (19) | Toni Foster (11) | Michele Timms (7) | ARCO Arena | 8–3 |- | 12 | July 22 | Houston | L 69–77 | Michele Timms (24) | Bridget Pettis (7) | Bridget Pettis (4) | America West Arena | 8–4 |- | 13 | July 17 | Los Angeles | L 83–86 (OT) | Gillom Pettis (17) | Jennifer Gillom (9) | Michele Timms (9) | America West Arena | 8–5 |- | 14 | July 28 | Cleveland | L 64–76 | Jennifer Gillom (19) | Marlies Askamp (8) | Tia Jackson (4) | America West Arena | 8–6 |- | 15 | July 30 | @ Charlotte | L 67–68 | Jennifer Gillom (16) | Marlies Askamp (6) | Michele Timms (4) | Charlotte Coliseum | 8–7 |- | 16 | July 31 | @ Cleveland | L 67–79 | Askamp Gillom (12) | Tia Jackson (8) | Nancy Lieberman-Cline (4) | Gund Arena | 8–8
| 17 | August 2 | @ New York | L 70–80 | Michele Timms (20) | Jennifer Gillom (9) | Michele Timms (6) | Madison Square Garden | 8–9 |- | 18 | August 4 | Sacramento | W 83–60 | Bridget Pettis (23) | Toni Foster (8) | Askamp Foster Pettis Timms (3) | America West Arena | 9–9 |- | 19 | August 6 | Utah | W 78–46 | Michele Timms (18) | Askamp Webb (9) | Michele Timms (7) | America West Arena | 10–9 |- | 20 | August 7 | @ Houston | L 70–74 | Michele Timms (24) | Foster Timms (6) | Michele Timms (4) | The Summit | 10–10 |- | 21 | August 9 | @ Charlotte | L 59–79 | Bridget Pettis (14) | Toni Foster (7) | Bridget Pettis (3) | Charlotte Coliseum | 10–11 |- | 22 | August 12 | New York | W 77–67 | Jennifer Gillom (23) | Jennifer Gillom (8) | Michele Timms (7) | America West Arena | 11–11 |- | 23 | August 14 | Cleveland | W 61–55 | Jennifer Gillom (19) | Foster Timms (7) | Michele Timms (6) | America West Arena | 12–11 |- style="background:#bbffbb" | 24 | August 17 | Utah | W 71–63 | Jennifer Gillom (15) | Gillom Timms (7) | Michele Timms (5) | America West Arena | 13–11 |- | 25 | August 18 | @ Los Angeles | L 66–75 | Jennifer Gillom (18) | Marlies Askamp (9) | Michele Timms (4) | Great Western Forum | 13–12 |- | 26 | August 20 | @ Sacramento | W 69–54 | Bridget Pettis (18) | Toni Foster (11) | Umeki Webb (4) | ARCO Arena | 14–12 |- | 27 | August 22 | Charlotte | W 78–63 | Bridget Pettis (27) | Jennifer Gillom (5) | Michele Timms (8) | America West Arena | 15–12 |- | 28 | August 24 | Los Angeles | W 73–68 (OT) | Jennifer Gillom (29) | Askamp Pettis (9) | Michele Timms (7) | America West Arena | 16–12
Playoffs
| 1 | August 28 | New York | L 41–59 | Askamp Gillom (9) | Jennifer Gillom (7) | Pettis Webb (2) | America West Arena | 0–1
Season standings
Statistics
Regular season 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-Cline 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 3.1Monique Ambers1904.5.444N/A.4001.10.20.00.10.7Molly Tuter301.0.000N/AN/A0.00.00.00.00.0 ‡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 Jennifer Gillom, Center, All-WNBA Second Team Bridget Pettis: Led WNBA, Free Throw Percentage, .898 Michele Timms: Third in WNBA, 3-Pt Field Goals, 49
References
External links Mercury on Basketball Reference