2023 Phoenix Mercury season

The 2023 Phoenix Mercury season was the 26th season for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the second season under head coach Vanessa Nygaard.

In October 2022, Skylar Diggins-Smith announced on Instagram that she was pregnant with her second child.^[1]

On December 8, 2022, Brittney Griner was successfully returned to the United States of America after the Brittney Griner–Viktor Bout prisoner exchange went through without issues. By extension, Griner returned to action with the Mercury and the WNBA after missing the entire 2022 WNBA season due to her being arrested and imprisoned in Russia (a place she had previously played in for years during the WNBA's offseasons by playing with the UMMC Ekaterinburg without prior issue) for medical cannabis, which is considered an illegal substance there. The Mercury later re-signed Griner to a new deal on February 17, 2023.

On December 20, 2022, Mercury team owner Robert Sarver agreed to a deal made by a new ownership group led by United Wholesale Mortgage's CEO Mat Ishbia and his older brother Justin Ishbia where Sarver would sell his majority shares of both the Mercury and Phoenix Suns to them under a joint deal worth a record-high $4 billion.^[2] This transition into new ownership was made during the month of September 2022 after an independent investigation led by the National Basketball Association revealed some ugly, disgusting behaviors he had throughout his ownership periods with both the Suns and Mercury, though primarily with the Suns.^[3][4] The NBA approved of the sale to the Ishbia brothers on February 6, 2023,^[5] with Sarver's transition out of ownership of both franchises being made official on February 7, 2023.^[6][7][8] Despite his removal from ownership, Sarver still had to serve his suspension for the 2023 WNBA season until September 13, 2023; he had since disputed that suspension claim during that season because of his lack of team ownership.

The Mercury began the season with two losses, but won their third game to finish 1–2 in May. The team continued with its sluggish start losing their first three games in June. After a single win, the team went on a six game losing streak and finishing the month with a 2–9 record Their only two wins in the month came against Indiana. In July the team fared slightly better, losing three straight games before winning three of four. However, the team lost its final three games of the month to finish 3–7. The Mercury showed improvement in August winning three of their first five games. However, that improvement didn't last, as they lost seven straight games to end the month. During their seven game losing streak, a 77–74 loss to the Dallas Wings eliminated the Mercury from playoff contention for the first time since 2012, and ended the longest active playoff streak in the WNBA at 10 straight years. Their losing streak continued as the Mercury lost all four games in September to finish 9–31 and ended the season on an eleven game losing streak. This was only the third season in Mercury history where they finished with single-digit wins, and their .225 winning percentage was the second lowest in franchise history. Their 31 losses were the most in a season in franchise history, though it was the first season the WNBA used a forty game schedule. During this season, it was announced that long-time general manager Jim Pitman (who held his position with the Mercury since October 2013 following Jason Rowley's brief stint there) would resign from his position following the end of this season, being replaced by former Golden State Warriors special assistant and executive Nick U'Ren entering the next season.