Phoenix Mercury Announces 2008 Official Roster
The 2007 WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury announces its 2008 official roster today. Four of the five 2007 Mercury starters return to defend their title. Please see the 2008 roster attached.
New Head Coach Corey Gaines, a pupil of former head coach and offensive guru Paul Westhead, looks to pick up where Westhead left off, building onto a fast-paced offense known for scoring with quick shots and three-point plays.
Led by 2007 All-Stars Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter, the 2008 squad looks to reach new heights in scoring for the third straight season. In 2006 and 2007 the Mercury not only led the league in scoring, but also set new WNBA records for scoring average in both seasons (87.1 in 2006, 89.0 in 2007).
Featured on ABC, the 2007 WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury will tip-off its 2008 season at US Airways Center with Championship Saturday on May 17 at 12:30 p.m. Pregame will begin at noon and will include a celebration surrounding the championship ring ceremony and banner unveiling. Courtesy of Arizona Lottery, 5,000 fans will receive a championship replica ring upon entry.
2008 MERCURY ROSTER
| Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Birthdate | College/Team | Yrs |
| Willnett Crockett | F | 6-2 | 215 | 07/05/84 | Connecticut 06 | R |
| Jen Derevjanik | G | 5-10 | 140 | 03/29/82 | George Mason 04 | 4 |
| Barbara Farris | F/C | 6-3 | 200 | 09/10/76 | Tulane 98 | 8 |
| Kelly Mazzante | G | 6-0 | 155 | 02/02/82 | Penn State 04 | 4 |
| Kelly Miller | G | 5-10 | 140 | 09/06/78 | Georgia 01 | 7 |
| Yuko Oga | G | 5-6 | 140 | 10/17/82 | Japan | R |
| Cappie Pondexter | G | 5-9 | 160 | 01/07/83 | Rutgers 06 | 2 |
| LaToya Pringle | F/C | 6-3 | 162 | 09/11/86 | North Carolina 08 | R |
| Allie Quigley | G | 5-10 | 140 | 06/20/86 | DePaul 08 | R |
| Brooke Smith | F/C | 6-3 | 195 | 04/30/84 | Stanford 07 | R |
| Tangela Smith | F/C | 6-4 | 160 | 04/01/77 | Iowa 98 | 10 |
| Diana Taurasi | G | 6-0 | 172 | 06/11/82 | Connecticut 04 | 4 |
| Lecoe Willingham | F | 6-0 | 200 | 02/10/81 | Auburn 04 | 4 |
HEAD COACH: Corey Gaines (Loyola Marymount 88)
ASSISTANT COACHES: Julie Brase-Hairgrove (Arizona 03), Bridget Pettis (Florida 93)
HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER: Tamara Poole (Cal. State-Dominguez Hills 95)
STRENGTH-AND-CONDITIONING COACH: Ben Hadley
EQUIPMENT MANAGER: Tiffany Yallup
