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| FIBA.com photo/Armand Lenoir |
On Tuesday, the Phoenix Mercury announced that they have traded Isabelle Harrison and their fifth pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft to the San Antonio Stars.
In return, they will be receiving Danielle Robinson, one of the league's dynamic guards today.
Robinson missed the entire 2016 season due to an injury, but she is back in action in the 2016-17 EuroLeague Women season for Turkish club Mersin. Through four games, the guard is averaging 11.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.2 APG, and 1.8 SPG.
Given that Penny Taylor (career: 13 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, 38.2 percent 3-PT FGs), one of the best players to ever grace the WNBA hardwood, has already retired, the deal makes sense for Phoenix.
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| FIBA.com photo |
Robinson is one of the best guards in getting to the rim, and also one of the best in getting teammates involved. In her WNBA career, Robinson is averaging 10.2 PPG and 4.9 APG (30 percent AST rate). Like Taylor, Robinson can also get it done on the other end of the floor with her good defense.
The biggest difference though is that Robinson is a pure facilitator. She has not taken that many triples throughout her WNBA career, and that isn't about to change in Phoenix. But what the Mercury could do is to put Diana Taurasi in the two spot.
While their main franchise star is effective with the ball in her hands, she has also shown the ability to play off the ball and be a catch-and-shoot threat. For her club team UMMC Ekaterinburg, Taurasi has played the two spot for certain stretches as the squad also has point guards like Nika Baric and Kristi Toliver. Pairing her three-point prowess with Robinson's aggressiveness and knack for getting to the basket could make for a potent offense next season.
That way, and with forwards like Candice Dupree and DeWanna Bonner who can both hit from the perimeter and space the floor as well, the Mercury wouldn't be sacrificing that much space with the absence of Taylor.
Also, with Taurasi not getting any younger, this might be a win now move for Phoenix knowing that the window of opportunity of winning another title with their current core continues to get smaller. So they traded Harrison for someone with already years of WNBA experience.
For San Antonio, moving Robinson means more responsibility for Moriah Jefferson, who placed fifth overall last season in yotal assists and seventh overall in assists per game.
The team itself is already full of youngsters like Astou Ndour, and Dearica Hamby, which is reflective of the path GM Ruth Riley is trying to take for the squad.
It is clear the team will be led by veterans Monique Currie and Kayla McBride. A few more additions via the draft or via deals would make the Stars' roster a combination of young guns and veterans.
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