MercedesRussell

Position
Center
Height
6-6
Weight
195 lbs
Birthdate
Jul 27, 1995
College/Country
Tennessee/USA
Draft
2018 Rnd 2 Pick 22
EXP
6 years
21
Mercedes Russell headshot
PPG
5.2
RPG
4.3
APG
1.0

About Mercedes

HEIGHT: 6-6 WEIGHT: 195 lbs BIRTHDATE: July 27, 1995 BIRTHPLACE: Springfield, OR HOMETOWN: Springfield, OR COLLEGE: Tennessee HIGH SCHOOL: Springfield HS (OR) WNBA EXPERIENCE: 5 Seasons DRAFTED BY: New York, 2018, Second Round (#22) HOW ACQUIRED: Signed as free agent TWITTER: @MerSladezz INSTAGRAM: mersladezz

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 2x WNBA Champion (2018, 2020)
  • Made first career start on 6/4/19 with Seattle
  • Notched first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds on 6/14/19 at Washington
  • Scored career-high 19 points on 7/3/19 vs. New York
  • Drafted 22nd overall in the 2018 WNBA Draft by New York
  • An All-American center at Tennessee; almost averaging a double-double in her senior season (15.3 PPG and 9.2 RPG, shooting 58.3 percent from the field)
  • The fifth player in Tennessee history to surpass 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds
  • First Team All-SEC, Honorable Mention AP and WBCA All-American in 2017-18

2022 HIGHLIGHTS WITH SEATTLE:

  • Appeared in five games with the Storm, missing the first part of the season and the final stretch due to a non-basketball injury suffered prior to the start of the season

2021 HIGHLIGHTS WITH SEATTLE:

  • Appeared in 30 games, making 28 starts with the Storm
  • Averaged 7.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, shooting 61.7% from the field–the third-highest in franchise history (min. 100 FGA)
  • 61.7% FG% was 2nd-highest in WNBA, though Russell was 7 FGM shy of being among qualifiers
  • Scored season-high 14 points including a 14-point, 8-rebound performance in the regular-season finale vs Phoenix on Sept. 17, adding 3 assists and 3 steals on 7-of-9 shooting
  • Came close to a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists at Chicago on Aug. 15, scoring her 500th career point in the game.

2020 HIGHLIGHTS WITH SEATTLE:

  • Won second WNBA Championship
  • Played in all 22 games, starting the final two games of the regular season, stepping up in place of Breanna Stewart
  • Averaged 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game
  • Recorded a season-high 10 points vs. Phoenix on Sept. 11
  • Grabbed a career-high tying 11 rebounds vs. Las Vegas on Sept. 13, also recording a career-high 9 defensive rebounds

2019 HIGHLIGHTS WITH SEATTLE:

  • Made first career start on 6/4/19 vs. Minnesota… appeared in all 34 games (30 starts)
  • Locked in first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds on 6/14/19 at Washington
  • Scored career-high 19 points on 7/3/19 vs. New York
  • Dished out career-high 6 assists on 8/11/19 at New York
  • Shot 51.7% from the field

2018 HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Made her WNBA debut with New York on 5/20/19 vs. Phoenix, tallying 3 points, 1 rebound and 2 steals
  • Posted a career-high 8 points and career-high 9 rebounds 8/19/18 vs. Dallas

COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Named to the coaches All-SEC First Team and AP All-SEC Second Team
  • Sixth player in Tennessee history to record 1,500 points and 1,000 career-rebounds
  • Set the record for most single-season double-doubles for a junior (19) and senior (16)
  • Recorded 40+ career double-doubles, joining the ranks of Candice Parker and Chamique Holdsclaw
  • Ranked no. 3 in Tennessee history for career-rebounds (1,085)
  • Finished fifth all-time in blocked shots (195)
  • Concluded her career in the NCAA Second Round vs. Oregon State with 21 points and 14 rebounds

OVERSEAS COMPETITION:

  • 2019-20: Southside Flyers, WNBL
  • 2018-2019: Wisla Can Pack, Poland

USA BASKETBALL HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Lead in rebounding (6.3 RPG) with the USA U-23 team at the 2017 U-24 Four Nations Tournament in Tokyo, Japan
  • FIBA U-17 World Champion gold medalist in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 2012; averaging 8.9 PPG and 6.9 RPG and hitting 64.0 percent from the field
  • FIBA U-16 Americas Championship gold medalist in Merida, Mexico in 2011; set single-game records with 15 rebounds and five blocks and tournament records 11.4 RPG and 4 BPG

PERSONAL:

  • Parents are Tammy Hill and Lorenzo Russell.
  • Graduated in communications studies from the University of Tennessee
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