The Phoenix Suns have reacquired full control of the Mercury, taking back what they sold to Anne Mariucci and Kathy Munro last year.

As the Republic reports this morning: "In just 11 months, Anne Mariucci and Kathy Munro have gone from pioneer sports executives to jilted investors in the Phoenix Mercury."

Seth Sulka is expected to remain as GM, which is good, but on the whole, this is a disappointing development. As someone who hope for greater independence from the NBA, I was excited to Anne and Kathy got their stake, and I was hopeful that they'd eventually have full control.

The Suns apparently see enough financial promise in the Merc that they want to own it, at least for awhile. You could call that a silver lining. But on the whole, this seems like a step backward for the franchise and the league.