Phoenix picked to win WNBA title by annual survey of league GMs

The Phoenix Mercury – who have Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor back after both took the season off last year – has been picked to win the WNBA title in the 14^th annual WNBA.com GM survey.

The Mercury got seven of the 12 votes among team general managers. The Lynx came in second with two votes.

Chicago's Elena Delle Donne was picked to repeat as league MVP, getting six votes. Taurasi and Los Angles Sparks forward Candice Parker each got two votes. Taurasi was picked as the player the GMs would want taking a shot with the game on the line, getting five votes. Minnesota's Maya Moore finished second in that category (four votes). Taurasi was also voted as the league's best guard (nine votes), toughest player (four votes), best at creating her own shot (five votes) and the best pure shooter (four votes).

Here are some other categories:

--Indiana's Tamika Catchings, who is entering her 15^th and final season, was chosen as the top player at making her teammates better (six votes).

--Moore was named best finisher and the player GMs would select first if starting a franchise today (five votes).

--Seattle's Sue Bird was voted as the player would one day be the best head coach (five votes).

--Seattle's Breanna Stewart was picked to be rookie of the year (eight votes).

--Phoenix center Brittney Griner got 11 of 12 votes for best interior defensive player.

--Seattle was voted to be the team expected to be the most improved (six votes).