Early on into the 2024 season, the Phoenix Mercury have been forced to deal with the absence of starting center Brittney Griner. One of the more well-renowned defensive anchors in WNBA history, the loss of Griner due to a fractured toe on her left foot isn’t an easy hurdle to overcome. However, Phoenix has done all it can to mask the loss of its star player, and have started 2-1 on the young season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The dawn of a new culture for the Mercury has been one of the key storylines throughout the season. With a roster that is largely revamped from years past, a new culture is in the process of being built by first-year head coach Nate Tibbetts. Tibbetts has stressed the importance of his bench unit, looking to build camaraderie and trust within the second unit.
Tibbetts has also frequently emphasized the importance of culture. With Griner out, he’s been forced to resort to a ‘next woman up’ mentality, something that has positively rubbed off among the rest of the team.
"We've done a great job of having that next [woman] up mentality."@KahleahCopper spoke on the 'next woman up' mentality that defines the Phoenix Mercury, highlighting the emergence of Natasha Mack in Brittney Griner's absence.#ValleyTogether #WNBA pic.twitter.com/VXUXp9xiVB
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“[Natasha Mack] has done a good job of encouraging that next [woman] up mentality,” said Kahleah Copper. “This is her first year in the [WNBA] really playing, I think that we’ve done a great job of giving her that confidence. Letting her know that it’s okay, you can mess up…Really just giving her that confidence. When those vets give you that confidence, it’s like ‘okay I can do this’, on top of what you already know and your preparation…We’ve done a great job of having that next [woman] up mentality.” Mack has been Griner’s replacement, and has been a revelation in her first true season as a contributor.
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Justin LaCertosa covers Phoenix Sports News for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @LaCertosaSports
