Congratulations to this week’s Athlete of the Week: Joan Mercado!

Joan Mercado, a junior point guard for the Lady Suns, has put together an outstanding season and continues to demonstrate exceptional leadership every time she steps on the floor. Now in her third consecutive year as the starting point guard, Joan’s growth and impact are evident throughout this season.

Long known for her toughness and defensive intensity, Joan has elevated her leadership to another level. While she is rarely called upon to score, she is consistently tasked with shutting down the opponent’s best offensive player—and she has embraced that role with great success.

Over the past three games, Joan rarely left the floor, played with a new level of physicality, and made each of her defensive assignments a non-factor. During this stretch, the Lady Suns earned victories over all three opponents, including a road win against Kamiakin—marking the Suns’ first win there since 2010. Although Joan did not score during those games, she averaged 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals per game, while committing just 1 turnover per game—an almost unheard-of stat line for a point guard.

Joan’s excellence extends beyond the court as well. She is a standout student, carrying a perfect 4.0 GPA into the semester.

The Lady Suns currently hold a 10–2 record, their best start in several years, and Joan and her teammates will look to continue that success as they take on Kennewick on the road this Friday.