Phoenix Mercury eyeing Natasha Cloud, Bec Allen, Sophie Cunningham to be named WNBA All-Stars
The Phoenix Mercury have three WNBA All-Stars thanks to Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper and Brittney Griner's respective selection to Team USA.
The city of Phoenix will host the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. The game, which will have the United States women’s basketball team against WNBA All-Stars, will be played July 20.
Phoenix Mercury stars Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Kahleah Copper qualified for the Olympic team, so they will be in the game. The Mercury are also promoting the selections of Natasha Cloud, Sophie Cunningham and Bec Allen for the All-Star Game.
“Tash’s versatility, her vibe, her energy,” said coach Nate Tibbetts of Cloud, “defensively, we’ve asked her to play multiple positions … she’s having a great year.”
“Bec, I think for her, you’re going to continue to see her get more and more comfortable,” Tibbetts continued. “Her versatility, what she’s brought defensively and also just crashing the class. For me, Sophie’s had a hell of a year.
“She’s done everything we’ve asked. She’s one of those players to me, the numbers don’t jump out to a lot of people. She could easily be a starter on not only our team, but on a lot of teams. But she’s accepted kind of whatever the coaching staff has thrown at her, and I really appreciate that from her.”
Saturday was a “double-vote” day for All-Stars, as is June 27. Voting ends Saturday, June 29 at 8:59 p.m. PT.
Voting can be done here.
Which Mercury stars are All-Star candidates?
Bec Allen
Allen, who is averaging 7.5 points per game, is playing some of her best basketball lately for the Mercury.
On Tuesday, she had a season-high 17 points in the Mercury’s 99-93 win over the New York Liberty. Allen hit five 3-pointers in the win.
Saturday, Allen hit three of the Mercury’s seven 3-pointers made in their 73-60 loss on the road to the Minnesota Lynx.
“[Allen] doesn’t know but she is the X-factor to our team,” said Cloud. “She is the glue to our team in a lot of ways on both ends of the floor. Starting with her whether on the ball, on the perimeter, her extension on the floor at the 3-point line but also getting to the basket.
“She’s selfless in just her pursuit of making this team better every single night.”
Natasha Cloud
Cloud, who played for the Washington Mystics previously, has said repeatedly she is accepted by her new team.
“Being able to be myself in this organization, being accepted for who I am – the fiery player, the dog, the passionate leader – was immediately welcomed. Even in free agency, I felt pursued, I felt wanted, I felt appreciated for the player that I am.”
That freedom has showcased in Cloud’s statistics. She is second in the WNBA in assists (7.1) per game and is also averaging a career-high 4.4 rebounds per contest.
Without Cloud, the Mercury would be in a much different place.
“Of course Tash is an All-Star,” said Allen. “For me, it also goes beyond stats. There’s something about leadership that never goes noticed on the stat sheet. That person that brings everything together … for me, she’s an obvious All-Star.”
Even though Cloud has been selected as an all-defensive honoree (first-team in 2022 and second-team in 2019) and is a WNBA champion (2019), she is yet to receive an All-Star recognition.
Because of Cloud’s importance to her team and leadership, she is perhaps the most likely Mercury player outside of their three Olympians to be named an All-Star.
“We wanted Tash to come here and be exactly who she is,” Taurasi said. “There was no ‘fitting in.’ She came in and she does what she does, and we gave her the keys.”
Sophie Cunningham
The 27-year-old Cunningham considers herself to be one of the older veterans on the team. Even though she is not starting, Cunningham has performed like one in her sixth season with Phoenix.
Cunningham is averaging 7.9 points while shooting 37.9% from three, a mark that ranks No. 16 in the WNBA.
Taurasi, Griner and Cunningham were around for a 9-31 Mercury team that performed well below the franchise’s championship expectations. Cunningham indicated after the Liberty win that the team’s new culture with Tibbetts and majority owner Mat Ishbia has “been a breath of fresh air.”
“The ups and downs of previous years has been pretty exhausting,” said Cunningham. “But when I tell you our new ownership has been phenomenal, our new coaching staff has been phenomenal, the roster changes that we’ve brought in, it’s just been a great feeling.”
Cunningham is one of the most improved WNBA players over the last four years. A recognizable 3-point shooter, she is scrappy and previously tangled with former Chicago Sky and current Mercury forward Copper in the WNBA Finals.
Cunningham has said she wants aggressive play from women to not be harshly criticized but rather embraced.
"I would like to point out that it's competitive,” Cunningham said. “Our league is super competitive, and what happens on the court, it's fun...as females, we kind of get a bad rap that we can't compete and then be friends off the court. I think you guys will see that we're probably going to change the narrative around that."
Cunningham is averaging 1.3 steals, which ranks No. 23 in the league.