The WNBA's inaugural season was in 1997 and it really did not take long for one of the league's winningest franchises to begin making Phoenix Mercury radiated in their very first period, leading the Western Meeting with 16 success and turning into one of the 4 preliminary teams to make the playoffs. While they were inevitably beat by the New York Liberty in the Semifinals, they showed early on that this was not a group to be taken the league expanded to more teams and consisted of two added games the list below period, the Mercury were once again in the quest for a championship. Phoenix got in the playoffs as the third seed with a 19-11 record as they tipped-off against the Cleveland Rockers in the playoff style was encompassed a best-of-three series after a winner-take-all format during the inaugural season. This played in the Mercury's support as they beat in the Rockers in Game 3 to clinch their first-ever WNBA Finals legend Jennifer Gillom made her name recognized amongst the X-Factor for her late video game heroics in Game 1 of the 1998 WNBA Finals versus the Houston against Organization MVP Cynthia Cooper as well as First-Team All-WNBA selections in Sheryl Swoopers and Tina Thompson was quite an intimidating task, but Gillom and the remainder of the Mercury were up for the stepped up defensively and blocked Kim Perrot's shot near in the final min to give the Mercury a chance to swipe Video game 1 Mercury Store. This established up her own go-ahead pail, knocking down a shot in the lane with 8. 9 seconds staying as the Mercury eventually took place to beat the Comets 54-51. This was just the Comets 4th loss all season, with half of them coming against the Mercury. While the Comets may have had the better document during the normal season, the Mercury had managed the upset and remained in setting to bring home their very first partnership with the Mercury's unique broadcast companion, FOX Sports Arizona, witness Gillom's double-double as the Video game 1 success will be re-aired on June 26 at 5 p. m Mercury Jersey. PT.