PHOENIX – The three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury today acquired
guard/forward Monique Currie in a trade with the San Antonio Stars. In exchange,
the Mercury sent guard Shay Murphy, forward Sophie Brunner (BROON-er) and the
Mercury’s 2018 third-round pick to the Stars.
“We are very excited to bring Mo back to the Mercury family,” said General
Manager Jim Pitman. “She is a known commodity in this league, a proven scorer
who can contribute right away. We know how she fits in Sandy Brondello’s system,
we know the kind of player she is in the locker room, and we know her will to
win.”
“We thank Shay and Sophie for their contributions, and for being great teammates
and people during their time with us this season.”
A 12-year WNBA veteran, Currie spent the 2015 season in Phoenix as a starter on
the Mercury team that won 20 games and advanced to the Western Conference Finals
despite playing without Diana Taurasi. This season, Currie is averaging 11.8
points, her highest scoring average since 2012, and shooting 43.4 percent from
the field, including 35.9 percent from three-point range. Currie, who can create
her own shot, is expected to help spread the floor for Taurasi and Brittney
Griner, and bolster a Mercury bench which currently has just one player shooting
better than 35 percent from three-point range (Leilani Mitchell).
Currie has shown tremendous scoring pop this season, and has three games of 20
or more points, including a 29-point effort just a week ago against Dallas (June
21) and a career-high 31-point effort the second game of the season (May 14). In
games in which she has played 25 minutes or more this season, Currie is
averaging 17.0 points on 50.6 percent shooting (42-of-83). With Currie,
Phoenix’s roster now features three players (Currie-1, Griner-2, Taurasi-1) who
have accounted for four of the seven 30-point efforts in the WNBA this season,
including four of the five best scoring nights overall (Griner-38, Taurasi-37,
Griner-32, Currie-31).
Currie holds career averages of 10.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 357
career games. The Duke University product spent the bulk of her career with the
Washington Mystics before arriving in Phoenix for the first time in 2015. Currie
earned WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week honors in the final week of
the 2015 regular season with the Mercury after averaging 24.0 points in two
games.
Murphy appeared in nine game for Phoenix this season where she averaged 3.2
points and 2.4 rebounds. Murphy returned to the Mercury this season after
missing the last two summers with a knee injury. She was a member of Phoenix’s
2014 WNBA Championship team.
Brunner earned a spot on the Mercury’s 12-player opening-day roster after going
undrafted in the 2017 WNBA Draft and signing a training camp contract with the
Mercury on April 19. She appeared in three of the Mercury’s first 12 games of
the season.
