PHOENIX MERCURY
Mercury re-sign 3, add Phoenix native Sydney Wiese
Los Angeles Sparks guard Sydney Wiese, left, and Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner battle for a loose ball during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Ellenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
The Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday made progress filling in the depth of their roster by re-signing three players and adding another in free agency.
Phoenix re-signed center Megan Gustafson, guard Jennie Simms and forward Sam Thomas before inking free-agent guard Sydney Wiese.
Wiese, a 2017 first-round pick, attended Pinnacle High School in Phoenix before a career at Oregon State that saw her finish as the school’s career assist and three-point makes leader.
She has averages of 4.0 points and 1.1 assists in the WNBA, which include a four-year stretch with the Los Angeles Sparks (2017-20) and a one-year run with the Washington Mystics (2021).
Gustafson, a national college player of the year at Iowa in 2019, made 33 appearances off the bench last season for the Mercury, averaging 3.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in 9.6 minutes.
Thomas, an Arizona Wildcat product, made 24 limited appearances last year as a rookie, while Simms appeared in 23 games with four starts, averaging 3.4 points in 13.2 minutes played.
The Mercury in 2022 return All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith and forward Diamond DeShields.
Phoenix so far this offseason re-signed shooter Sophie Cunningham but lost guard Kia Nurse in free agency. Nurse did not play last year while recovering from a torn ACL.
The Mercury now look to re-sign its core members who remain free agents in Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. Taurasi, 40, has said she will return for another WNBA season.
Griner in a public social media post said she wants to play this year for Phoenix after missing 2022 while imprisoned in Russia on drug charges in what became a high-profile, international story.
