WNBA Trade: Phoenix brings back Monique Currie

PHOENIX, AZ – As of today, former San Antonio Stars guard/forward Monique Currie will be sporting a new jersey. The 6-foot guard/forward has been traded to the three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury the team announced.

In exchange for Currie, the Mercury sent guard Shay Murphy, forward Sophie Brunner and the Mercury’s 2018 third-round pick to the Stars.

Currie, a 12-year WNBA veteran, spent the 2015 season in Phoenix as a starter. She played a key role for the team, which went on to win 20 games and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

“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.”

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 has been on a hot streak, proving she’s still got the spark. The powerful scorer nailed three games of 20 or more points, including a 29-point effort last week against Dallas, plus she set a career-high 31 back in May in the Star’ second game of the season.

With Currie, Phoenix’s roster now boasts three players (Currie-1, Brittney Griner-2, Diana 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).

Murphy, who was a member of Phoenix’s 2014 WNBA Championship team, is also making her return to the court after missing the last two summers with a knee injury. She appeared in nine games for Phoenix this season where she averaged 3.2 points and 2.4 rebounds.

This was Brunner’s first season with the Mercury; she has played in three games this year for Phoenix.