Phoenix Mercury center Natasha Mack may not be a household name across the WNBA, but that doesn’t mean that she hasn’t made an instant impact on the Mercury since signing in the offseason.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Starter out the gate, Mack fitting right in with Mercury
With Brittney Griner out with a toe fracture to her left foot to begin the season, Phoenix had to contemplate their options of what to do. Following the conclusion of the preseason, the Mercury waived Bella Murekatete and had just Mack as the team’s only healthy center before the season started.
While Liz Dixon has been serviceable since she signed with Phoenix, it was Mack who stepped in as one of the main contributors in the first 10 games of the season. Starting in all 10, she established a defensive presence in the paint that can collect rebounds with ease and be open for lobs offensively.
After a 3-1 start to the season, the Mercury would then go 1-5 in their next six which prompted questions about what was going on with the team. Missing a star like Griner was going to be evident since she is a key cog in how Phoenix normally operates, and the team has needed time to adjust to coach Nate Tibbetts’ systems.
Griner eventually came back and the Mercury is 3-1 since then, sitting at 7-7 on the year.
No matter if she is now backing up and getting fewer minutes than before, Mack has enjoyed learning from a fellow Texas native like Griner, someone who she thinks is a helpful teammate and resource to learn from.
“I am always in here like ‘What can I do better?’ Mack said after a practice in May. “Can I do this or that? She is like ‘Do this or that.’ I appreciate it. It’s amazing to have this opportunity to be coached by her with the helpful hints.”
"It's amazing to have this opportunity to be coached by her with the helpful hints… I appreciate it."
Our @AlecCipollini asked Phoenix Mercury C/F Natasha Mack about how it has been being mentored by #WNBA superstar Brittney Griner. #ValleyTogether @brittneygriner pic.twitter.com/qermr4qHOh
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) May 17, 2024
Reliability going a long way in recent success
This season, Mack is averaging career highs in points (4.1), rebounds (6.1) and assists (1.6) in 14 games thus far. She has already doubled the amount of games she has played in the WNBA prior to joining Phoenix (seven).
After playing overseas in New Zealand, Turkey, and Poland during the past two seasons, Mack has been seen with a bright smile on her face around her Mercury teammates, taking in what it means to be back in the WNBA. In her first and only year in the WNBA before becoming a Mercury, the Oklahoma State product played three games for the Chicago Sky and one with the Minnesota Lynx in 2021.
Finding her role and taking advantage of her opportunities when she gets them has been crucial for the recent turnaround Phoenix is in the middle of. Even though she is receiving less playing time, the 6-foot-3 center pitches in with much-need scoring and remains effective on defense no matter what the circumstances are.
When reflecting on how important Mack has been for the Mercury so far, Tibbetts is proud of what she has done to this point, noting that she has adjusted accordingly since Griner came back.
“I feel bad I can’t give her more minutes,” Tibbetts said. “To be me, she is backing up one of the greatest centers of all time [Brittney Griner] and that’s what happens when you are a backup to a great player, you don’t get a lot of minutes. BG is going to be in there and when she is not, Mack needs to be ready and she has done that.”
As she notes her recent rise and success, Mack believes it is a testament to her teammates who keep believing in her, and therefore, this increases her own self-belief.
“My teammates encouraged me like ‘Yeah Mack, let’s get it, you are doing good,’ Mack said in May. “[Them] believing in me – even through the little mistakes – they are bringing life to me and I love it.”
Kahleah Copper secures 5th 30-point game of the season against Seattle, most in WNBA
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
