All-Time Merc: Candice Dupree, No. 4

By Ben York, PhoenixMercury.com
Posted: Jan. 17, 2013

As voted by you, the X-Factor, we�re counting down your top 10 All-Time Favorite Mercury players in franchise history.

Starting December 6, we�ll reveal the results of the nearly 2,000 votes we received on a weekly basis every Thursday.


No. 4: Candice Dupree
Years with the Mercury: 2010 - present
Total Percentage of Votes: 30.2%


Remember that shot?

If you�re a Mercury fan, it�s one of the most unforgettable moments in team history.

Game 3 of the 2011 Western Conference semifinals. Playing the defending WNBA Champion Seattle Storm. Down by 18 points on the road. In Key Arena where, at the time, the team hadn�t won in nearly two years. Not to mention, with Diana Taurasi fouled out of the game.

After an amazing comeback, and with just 1.9 seconds left on the clock, the Mercury�s Candice Dupree sank a six-footer to help the team advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Based on the situation and context, that victory could very well go down as one of the greatest games in Mercury history.

However, the rare display of euphoric emotion from Dupree after she hit that shot is what I�ll always remember about that game.

It was the perfect example of how much the normally stoic Dupree wants to win. Make no mistake about it � her desire has always been present, but it�s typically held back a bit.

Guarded. Reserved. Ready to be unleashed at the right time, enhancing the chemistry of a team diverse in personalities.

Perhaps the most endearing part of Dupree�s game is how she can seemingly rack up amazing stats and figures in the �background� based on what the team needs. If the team needs her to be more aggressive on the boards, she�ll attack the glass. If they need her to score the ball, she�ll put up 20 points per game.

Maybe she�ll put up those numbers in a �quiet� manner (comparatively speaking), but you can always count on Candice Dupree to have an immensely positive impact on the game.

The �smooth� way in which she plays is virtually unmatched in women�s basketball; she makes the game look effortless. Almost tranquil. In fact, very rarely is a play specifically drawn up for Dupree, but she routinely finds a way to make her presence felt on both ends of the floor.

In three seasons with Phoenix, Dupree has stamped herself in the Mercury record books with the two best rebounding seasons in franchise history, the top three rebounding games in franchise history and the most double-doubles in franchise history.

She also holds the highest field goal percentage in a Mercury career, shooting 59.3 percent from the field since joining Phoenix prior to the 2010 season. Her 2010 mark of 66.4 percent (231-of-348) shooting was just two made field goals off the best single-season mark in WNBA history.


All-Time Favorite Mercury

  • No. 5, Bridget Pettis
  • No. 6, Michele Timms
  • No. 7, Jennifer Gillom
  • No. 8, Cappie Pondexter
  • No. 9, Sammy Prahalis
  • No. 10, Tangela Smith
  • Be sure to visit PhoenixMercury.com next week on Thursday, January 24 to see who you voted as No. 3 on the All-Time Favorite Mercury poll.