Mercury add two guards in third round of WNBA Draft
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Though all eyes were on stars like Caitlin Clark, the Phoenix Mercury were able to grab some backcourt help in the later round of the WNBA Draft.
The Mercury added two guards in the third round of Monday’s draft. They took UCLA point guard Charisma Osborne with the first pick of the third round, and four picks later they drafted Nebraska guard Jaz Shelley.
READ: Phoenix Mercury announce broadcast schedule for 2024 season
Osborne is a defensive-minded playmaker who improved her 3-point shooting in her final year at UCLA. She’s looking forward to playing behind some legends in the Valley.
“Diana Taurasi is like the GOAT of basketball, so to be able to learn from her is just gonna be so fun, and I can’t wait for that,” Osborne said. “Natasha Cloud – I love her energy, I love when she used to play for the Mystics and she was so much fun to watch, so it’s kind of unreal to say that I’m going to be teammates with Diana Taurasi and Natasha Cloud.”
Shelley is also a good passer, averaging 5.6 assists per game in three seasons at Nebraska, and was known to be a deep-ball threat.
The big names definitely were shining in the early rounds. In no surprise, the Indiana Fever used the first overall pick to select Iowa star Caitlin Clark, followed by the Los Angeles Sparks taking Cameron Brink out of Stanford. LSU star Angel Reese was drafted by the Chicago Sky with the seventh pick.
Mercury fans will be able to watch 28 games on 3TV and Arizona’s Family Sports, and 12 games will be broadcast nationally. The team will kick off its 2024 regular season with a home opener against the Atlanta Dream at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 18.
Last year’s Mercury broadcast partnership with Arizona’s Family had a 400% increase in viewership compared to 2022 and set a new ratings record for the Mercury.
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