Ketia Swanier on the rise in Phoenix

The reigning WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury open their season with a celebration when they receive their rings before Saturday’s opener against the Los Angeles Sparks. However, for head coach Corey Gaines and Mercury veterans, any leftover audaciousness of last year’s dominance going into the 2010 season ended long ago.

“I have veteran players who know that what you did last year means nothing,” said Gaines in a media teleconference. “It’s a new year. That’s over….we want to come out again, come out hungry. I don’t really have to rah-rah them up any bit because they’re veteran players and they know what needs to be done.”

Two-year veteran guard Ketia Swanier, agrees with Gaines.

“Coach Gaines is right,” she said.  “We can’t focus on the past.  It’s a new season and teams have made a few off season changes to make their teams better.”

As champions, the Mercury are obviously not underdogs but targets says Swanier. She feels the team is prepared for the challenge of being high on the radar of other squads.

“Everyone is gunning for us. We have new players and our team will show a few more things in the offense this year.  We’re all excited and can’t wait for the season to start.”

Swanier, who served as a backup point guard to Temeka Johnson last season, has a chance to expand her role with the Mercury and showcase more of her offensive skills this year. Her play during training camp reflected an increase in the two year veteran’s self-assurance.

“A major thing that has changed since last preseason is my confidence,” she said.  “My first season in the WNBA was about adjusting and I was on a team where I didn’t receive a lot of minutes and at times I would ask myself ‘why am I here?’.  I had to remember how and why I made it to the WNBA.”

A University of Connecticut graduate, Swanier joined the league as the 12th overall pick by the Connecticut Sun in the 2008 WNBA Draft. The Sun waived Swanier on June 1, 2009 but the Mercury scooped her up soon after and she began training with them on June 3, 2009.

“I was impressed by Ketia last season in her ability to push the ball up the court,” said Gaines when he signed Swanier in 2009. “She came from a great collegiate program, and her style of play fits our system well.”

This past offseason she worked with a personal trainer on her offense and overall conditioning.

“I worked a lot on my shot, decision-making and getting to the hole,” she said of her preparation for the upcoming season. “Most of all just getting that focus back.”

Even though Pondexter’s non-acrimonious exit may end up being a plus for Swanier on the court, she and other teammates began reminiscing about the absence of a former face of the Mercury before the season began.

“It’s so hard to lose a player like Capp because she’s an amazing basketball player and she was a leader for our team,” said Swanier. “I learned a lot from her and wish her the best in New York.  We understand things like this happen and we have to move on.”

However, she is excited about the addition of forward Candice Dupree who came to the Mercury from the Chicago Sky as a part of the deal that sent Pondexter to the Liberty.

“Candice has been a great addition.  Having another all-star player in the post is always a great thing to have as a point guard.”

Swanier comes from a military background, both of her parents are veterans, and she respects the human rights of citizens and non-citizens alike in this country. After the Arizona governor recently signed a controversial immigration law that allows law enforcement officers to stop anyone they suspect of being an undocumented immigrant, the Phoenix Suns wore their “Los Suns” jerseys during a game in protest of the legislation.

Ketia’s reaction to the Suns’ gesture?

“I think it’s great,” she said. “I was hoping we could get some Las Mercury jerseys made!  Right is right and wrong is wrong and discrimination is wrong.  I’m behind the Los Suns rally 100 percent.”

The Mercury take on the Sparks at 2 p.m. ET at US Airways Center. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and available on ESPN3.com.

• Born Naketia Marie Swanier
• Daughter of Cornell and Rosie Swanier
• Majored in sociology at UCONN
• Averaged 23.2 points, 8.5 steals, 6.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds as a junior while leading Columbus High to a 23-5 record
• 2004 Georgia AAAA Player of the Year
• Founder: Ketia 4 Kidz Foundation
• On July 18, 2009 vs. Detroit, recorded a career-high 13 points on 4-of-5 (.800) shooting and grabbed a career-best five rebounds. Went a career-high 3-for-3 from long range in that game.

Ketia Swanier Career Stats

Year	Team	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	TO	PF	PPG
2008	CON	25	6	9.2	0.277	0.233	0.800	0.2	1.0	1.2	1.0	0.6	0.80	0.70	1.6
2009	PHO	33	0	11.8	0.375	0.333	0.889	0.2	1.4	1.6	1.6	0.4	1.39	1.00	2.8
Career	—	58	6	10.7	0.341	0.286	0.857	0.2	1.2	1.4	1.4	0.5	1.14	0.90	2.3