One day after meeting the media, the Phoenix Mercury were introduced to their staff at an all-employee meeting at America West Arena Tuesday and were treated to a surprise guest in newly re-signed All-Star forward Adrian Williams.

“A-Dub” jokingly refused General Manager Seth Sulka’s high-five when introduced, but was clearly pleased to have the contract negotiation process over with and is looking forward to getting back to basketball business after working out all winter in preparation for the upcoming season.

“I’m just excited to get on the court now,” the fifth-year veteran said. “It was really tough, but it’s business. All of that is over.

“I’m just ready to get out there and play. Basketball’s something I love and now it’s time to get down and dirty."

Williams has been an integral part of the Mercury ever since coming to Phoenix in 2000 after a stellar career at USC. She averaged a career-high 9.8 points and 7.4 rebounds last season, and scored nine points in last year’s All-Star game as a Western Conference reserve.

“It’s super exciting,” Sulka said. “She’s been a big part of what we’ve done here the last four years and we want her to be a part of what we’re doing moving forward.

“It’s part of the business. Our league’s growing up and there’s the business side we have to deal with now. But she was great throughout the whole process. She was always very reasonable. It was a pleasure to work with her and her agent. We got it done.”

Chandler's Taylor Coming Home

When longtime Mercury fans Anne Mariucci and Kathy Munro acquired ownership interest in the franchise in February, they may have started a trend within the organization that rookie Lindsay Taylor is thrilled to continue.

An Arizona native who led Chandler High School to two regional championships and the Arizona State Championships her senior year, Taylor was acquired by Phoenix in a draft day trade after being selected by Houston.

“Look at my smile,” Taylor beamed. “I’m so fortunate to be back in my hometown and play here in Phoenix. I’ve always been a fan of the Mercury ever since they opened up in 1997. Coming to the games and just watching the franchise grow, I just feel fortunate to be here and be part of the community again.”

Just being drafted was a thrill for the 6-8 center, but when she got the word from former UCSB teammate Kayte Christensen that they would be playing together again, and for the team she grew up watching, that was the icing on the cake.

“I was on a train (during the draft), so I had people calling me,” Taylor said. “My dad and coach called me to tell me I was drafted by Houston. Then Kayte called me and said I had a good chance of coming here in a trade. I was praying it would happen and thankfully it did.”

Like most rookies, Taylor is unconcerned with the role new Head Coach Carrie Graf will have for her and is just happy to have landed with the Mercury.

“I’d rather be a role player here than be a star elsewhere,” Taylor said.

DeForge’s Most Valuable Offseason

In what she hopes is a tune-up for Phoenix’s first WNBA Championship, Mercury sharpshooter Anna DeForge spent her offseason winning a National Women’s Basketball League (NWBL) title with the Dallas Fury. DeForge was the league’s MVP and led the Fury with 19 points in the championship game over the Colorado Chill.

“I had a great time,” she said. “Nancy Lieberman was our coach. I got to work out with some great talent and some great coaches who have a lot of knowledge.”

DeForge teamed with hoops legend Sheryl Swoopes and new Mercury teammate Sheila Lambert to lead the Fury to the NWBL title in their first season in Dallas after the franchise moved from Tennessee.

Israeli Connection

While they came up just short of a championship, Edwina Brown and Plenette Pierson had great success in playing for Maccabi Ramat Hen in the Israeli league during the offseason.

Brown was chosen for the all-league first team in averaging 16.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and a league-leading 2.9 steals, after leading the Israeli league in scoring last year for Maccabi Raanana. Despite playing in the title game with a 103-degree fever and losing the title to Elizur Ramla, the 5-9 guard relished the experience of playing in a championship atmosphere.

“I loved it,” she said. “The season was good. We came up short. We lost in the Finals in four games. But I worked on a lot of things, so hopefully I can be a good contribution this year for the Mercury.”

Pierson averaged 19 points and 7.2 rebounds a game and was selected to the all-league’s second team.

“It was a great season for us,” the 6-2 forward said. “We accomplished a lot of things and I think I got a lot better. I got more confidence in my shooting, my ball handling and knowing that if I put my mind to anything, I can do it.”

Mercury guard Edniesha Curry also played in the Israeli league and averaged 16.9 points and 4.2 assists for Maccabi Raanana.

Familiar Faces

With so many new faces in the Mercury locker room this season, any familiarity is welcome to help speed up the formation of chemistry on the court. Rookies Diana Taurasi, Ashley Robinson and Erika Valek played with or against each other during their AAU days in high school and feel that will help them make the transition to their new team.

“Diana, Erika and I were close all through high school, so this is really fun,” said Robinson. “Who would have thought that playing all those summers in AAU together, going to All-American camps together, that we would all be here together? We really feel lucky.”

“I grew up with Diana and Ashley, so it’s pretty neat to be back again,” Valek agreed.