| 1998Phoenix Mercury season | |
|---|---|
| Coach | Cheryl Miller |
| Arena | America West Arena |
| Attendance | 13,765 per game |
| Results | |
| Record | 19–11 (.633) |
| Place | 2nd(Western) |
| Playoff finish | Lost WNBA Finals (2-1) to Houston Comets |
The1998 WNBA season was the second season for the Phoenix Mercury. The Mercury reached their first WNBA Finals, but championship hopes were denied when they lost to theHouston Comets in three games.
The following player was selected in theDetroit Shock expansion draft from the Phoenix Mercury:
| Player | Nationality | School/Team/Country |
|---|---|---|
| Tara Williams |  United States | Auburn |
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School/Team/Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Maria Stepanova |  Soviet Union | CSKA Moscow (Russia) |
| 2 | 18 | Andrea Kuklová |  Czechoslovakia | Pays d'Aix Basket 13 (France) |
| 3 | 28 | Brandy Reed | United States | Southern Miss |
| 4 | 38 | Karen Wilkins | United States | Howard |
| Date | Transaction | |
|---|---|---|
| February 18, 1998 | LostTara Williams to theDetroit Shock in the WNBA expansion draft.[1] | |
| April 29, 1998 | DraftedMaria Stepanova,Andrea Kuklová,Brandy Reed and Karen Wilkins in the1998 WNBA draft[1] | |
| May 29, 1998 | WaivedMonique Ambers[1] | |
| May 30, 1998 | Waived Karen Wilkins[1] | |
| June 4, 1998 | WaivedTawona Alhaleem[1] | |
| June 10, 1998 | WaivedTia Jackson[1] | |
| July 6, 1998 | Traded Pauline Jordan to theSacramento Monarchs in exchange forTiffani Johnson[1] | |
| July 31, 1998 | WaivedMikiko Hagiwara[1] | |
| 1998Phoenix Mercury roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1998 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Semifinal vs. Cleveland Rockers Won Series: 2–1
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Championship vs. Houston Comets Lost Series: 1–2
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| 1998 playoff schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | W | L | PCT | Conf. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Cometsx | 27 | 3 | .900 | 15–1 | – |
| Phoenix Mercuryx | 19 | 11 | .633 | 10–6 | 8.0 |
| Los Angeles Sparkso | 12 | 18 | .400 | 6–10 | 15.0 |
| Sacramento Monarchso | 8 | 22 | .267 | 5–11 | 19.0 |
| Utah Starzzo | 8 | 22 | .267 | 4–12 | 19.0 |
| Legend | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage | TO | Turnovers per game |
| PF | Fouls per game | Team leader | League leader | ||||
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Gillom | 30 | 30 | 32.1 | .465 | .378 | .703 | 7.3 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 20.9 |
| Michele Timms | 30 | 30 | 31.1 | .318 | .298 | .694 | 2.5 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 6.9 |
| Bridget Pettis | 30 | 28 | 28.3 | .377 | .285 | .865 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 11.3 |
| Umeki Webb | 30 | 30 | 28.2 | .363 | .286 | .661 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 5.3 |
| Michelle Brogan | 30 | 25 | 26.0 | .505 | .478 | .796 | 4.4 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 9.2 |
| Toni Foster | 16 | 5 | 13.6 | .467 | N/A | .767 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 4.9 |
| Marlies Askamp | 26 | 0 | 12.3 | .471 | N/A | .661 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 5.3 |
| Kristi Harrower | 30 | 0 | 11.8 | .365 | .344 | .750 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 2.3 |
| Andrea Kuklová | 29 | 2 | 11.7 | .400 | .143 | .556 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 3.3 |
| Brandy Reed | 24 | 0 | 10.6 | .526 | .250 | .710 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 5.2 |
| Maria Stepanova | 20 | 0 | 6.5 | .426 | N/A | .636 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 3.3 |
| Mikiko Hagiwara | 10 | 0 | 5.9 | .381 | .333 | .667 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.2 |
| Pauline Jordan | 6 | 0 | 5.0 | .625 | N/A | .714 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.5 |
‡Waived/Released during the season
†Traded during the season
≠Acquired during the season
