With a cast that included hall-of-famer Nancy Lieberman, and possible future hall-of-famers Michele Timms of Australia, and Jennifer Gillom, hyper-active star Bridget Pettis, and outspoken coach Cheryl Miller, the Mercury quickly established itself as a major franchise.<br />In the very first WNBA season, the Mercury posted a 16-12 record and reached the first WNBA playoffs.<br />The Mercury lost to the New York Liberty, though, in those playoffs.<br />In 1998, the Mercury again qualified for the playoffs, posting a 19-11 record.<br />The Mercury defeated the Cleveland Rockers to reach the WNBA Finals for the first time.<br />In a hard fought series, the Mercury fell 2 games to 1 to the defending champion Houston Comets. (*)