Phoenix Mercury big Natasha Mack has proven herself as a hidden gem this season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Mack, 26, spent time with the Minnesota Lynx and Chicago Sky in 2021 for a total of four games. Mack didn’t receive an opportunity from a single team following that, so she spent time overseas looking to refine her skills.
With a mass amount of uncertainty surrounding whether she’d make her way back to the WNBA, she received a call while playing in Turkey to join the Mercury from training camp. A great first impression and overall training camp earned her a spot with the Mercury this season, and she’s been a revelation ever since.
Mack, after playing just 18 minutes in the WNBA three-years prior, was instantly inserted into a starting role. She filled in for Brittney Griner for the first 10 games of the season, as Griner was sidelined with a left toe fracture.
Griner is back in the lineup, and Mack has been forced to play a lesser role with her on the floor. However, she’s appreciative for any opportunity she gets.
“It’s just an honor to learn behind her.”
Phoenix Mercury center Natasha Mack talked to our @AlecCipollini about how she has adapted to her new role since Brittney Griner returned.#ValleyTogether #WNBA pic.twitter.com/tPZdNgNPr4
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) June 20, 2024
“It’s business,” Mack said on Thursday regarding being moved back to the bench in favor of Griner. “At the end of the day, this is Brittney [Griner’s] spot, I just happened to get lucky that day. It was a surprise to me. But it’s an honor to come here and learn behind her, even if I get 30 seconds [of play]. That’s something.”
“I feel bad that I’m not getting her more minutes, but obviously, she’s backing up one of the greatest centers of all time,” said Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts. “That’s what happens when you’re a backup to a great player, there’s not a lot of minutes to be had. BG’s going to be in there, and when she’s not in there, Mack needs to be ready and she’s done that.”
Tibbetts has taken a chance on Mack, and she’s delivered no matter the role. She was elated when she heard how high Tibbetts thought of her.
“I was like what, me?”, Mack said regarding Nate Tibbetts’ high praise for her. “It made my heart happy.”
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Justin LaCertosa covers Phoenix Sports News for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @LaCertosaSports
