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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 |
| Le’coe 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
