There’s no getting around the fact that the defending champs won’t be at full strength heading into the 2015 WNBA season.

Most notably, 2014 WNBA Finals MVP Diana Taurasi is sitting out the 2015 season, while reigning Defensive Player of the Year Brittney Griner is suspended for the first seven games.

But the show must go on, and the flip side of those losses is that the Mercury have a major challenge that they can embrace this summer after a historic campaign last year.

Here’s what to watch for in Phoenix this season:

The title defense

Watching a juggernaut click on all cylinders is one of the thrills of sports. Watching a former juggernaut try to adapt as it loses strength can be just as fascinating.

This will be the storyline that follows the Mercury all season long. How do they make up for the absence of an all-time great? How strongly do they defend their title amid adversity?

Griner’s time to shine

The spotlight on Griner will only intensify upon her return, and her role on the team will undoubtedly expand.

In her second season, Griner grew into the two-way force she was expected to be as the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft. She will play her third season as the go-to superstar for the first time, like Shaq without Kobe.

The league will be waiting to see how the 24-year-old elevates her game to follow up a season in which she set the single-game and single-season blocks records while also averaging 15.6 points on 58 percent shooting.

Sidekicks become stars

On a team as deep as the Mercury, it can be easy to forget how talented the individual players are. Vets DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree in particular have sacrificed flashy numbers in favor of efficiency and filling in where the team needs them.

This season, particularly in the first seven games without Griner, the onus is back on these two proven commodities to take on a larger role in the Phoenix offense. Both are accomplished in their own rights — Bonner a three-time Sixth Woman of the Year, Dupree a four-time All-Star — and both could be primed for a career year.

Fresh faces

Phoenix brought five new additions into the mix via free agency, giving the team a multitude of options as far as style of play.

Point guard Leilani Mitchell, wings Monique Currie and Noelle Quinn, forward Shameka Christon and center Cayla Francis will round out the Mercury rotation and potentially make for a more versatile team.

Style change?

In her first season as head coach, Sandy Brondello led the Mercury to a record-setting season that included an all-time WNBA high 29 wins. Reaching that level requires elite play on both ends of the floor, and Phoenix did just that with the league’s top-ranked offense and defense and a +9.4 average scoring margin.

The 2015 edition is expected to take a more defensive-oriented approach with a more Griner-centric offense, surrounding the center with perhaps more shooters than they’ve ever had before. Like her roster, Brondello faces a challenge she appears to be embracing following a dominant, historic run.