On Friday against the Indiana Fever, the Phoenix Mercury entered Gainbridge Fieldhouse rather depleted. Phoenix missed the services of Diana Taurasi (left lower leg), Sug Sutton (right hamstring), and Charisma Osborne (left lower leg), and suddenly lost Natasha Cloud (left knee) just over an hour before tip-off.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Cloud wouldn’t be the last domino to fall for an already depleted Mercury, as Brittney Griner went down after colliding with Indiana guard Lexie Hull in the second quarter. Griner played 11 minutes before going down.
The injury bug has hit the Mercury and then some throughout the season, and it seems as if this bug has reached the peak of its powers. Phoenix went without three starters and two bench players, trickling the available roster down to just six players.
Injury update: Brittney Griner will not return to the game after a right hip injury in the second quarter.
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) July 13, 2024
Although still uncertain, Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts provided the media with the best update he could give following Friday’s affair:
“What I’ve been told was a strained groin, so we’ll see,” said Tibbetts. “She was out for the game. It look like she kind of extended, I don’t know, I’ll have to look at it. The medical staff decided to hold her out.”
Griner has seen action in 13 of 23 games this season. She missed the first ten games with a left toe fracture, and has been a revelation for Phoenix ever since. The 6-foot-9 big is averaging 18.5 points and 6.2 rebounds in 2024, and yet another injury could serve as a detriment heading into Griner’s third Olympics.
Phoenix has prided itself on its next-player-up mentality since the start of the season, and that becomes no different given the recent circumstances.
Fever cruise early, hold on to 95-86 victory over severely depleted Mercury
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Justin LaCertosa covers Phoenix Sports News for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @LaCertosaSports
