Phoenix Mercury training camp Day 3 observations: Natasha Mack on the attack
Phoenix Mercury forward Natasha Mack has grown a lot on and off the court since arriving in Phoenix and is the perfect player for Nate Tibbetts' uptempo offense.
PHOENIX — Natasha Mack is “fighting for her life” at training camp, but she’s having a blast while doing it.
The 27-year-old Mercury forward is back in Phoenix for her second season with the team and has demonstrated a sense of eagerness and hunger that comes with being only on a training camp contract.
“It’s very competitive because this is a brand new team, so there’s a lot of spots open,” Mack said on Tuesday. “But I’m having fun, so it’s a learning experience. I’m playing with some of the greatest people, hall of famers.”
The Mercury are currently carrying 19 players on their training camp roster. The team will have to dwindle that down to 11-12 players by May 15 at 2 p.m. MST.
But battling for a roster spot and having to prove her worth is nothing new for Mack. Last year, the 6-foot-4 forward made the team’s final roster after being away from the WNBA for two years.
“I’ve been through this before,” Mack added. “This is not my first rodeo. And so if they don’t believe in me, somebody out there believes in me, whether it’s in the (WNBA), overseas, somebody.”
Mack began her career in Chicago when she was drafted No. 16 overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Sky, but she did not make the team’s opening-night roster.
She later signed a hardship contact with the Sky but played limited minutes in just three games before being waived again.
Minnesota brought her in on a seven-day contract the following month, but she played just two minutes for the team, coming in for Napheesa Collier in a blowout win.
Mack then spent the next couple years playing in Poland, New Zealand and Turkey, not giving up on her dream of returning to the WNBA.
She made that dream a reality with her impressive play during the team’s training camp in San Diego last season, being named to the Mercury’s opening-night roster.
But she was unexpectedly thrust into Phoenix’s starting lineup when the team announced one day before the season began that Brittney Griner suffered a toe fracture.
The next night, Mack made her first career WNBA start against the then two-time defending champions and seized the moment. Despite being limited to 20 minutes, Mack had six rebounds, five assists, a steal, zero turnovers and three blocks, twice blocking MVP A’ja Wilson in the second half.
But it wasn’t just the first game that Mack showcased what she could bring to the league.
Mack joined Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie, Breanna Stewart and Elena Baranova as the only players in WNBA history to average at least 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals over the first eight games of a season.
And after Griner returned from injury, Mack continued to be consistent and productive on both ends of the floor.
Mack was one of two Phoenix players to play in all 40 games during the 2024 regular season (along with Sophie Cunningham). She was also second in the league in blocks per 40 minutes (3.0) and recorded at least one block in 28 games last season, tying the fifth-best mark in the league.
In addition, she led all Mercury reserves in games with at least seven rebounds (seven games) and averaged 5.0 rebounds per game, the second most on the Mercury.
The forward also finished second on the Mercury in field goal percentage last season at 57.3%.
Year 2 in Phoenix: Return of the Mack
Now without Griner in the fold for the Mercury, Mack looks poised to see heavy-rotation minutes this season.
On Day 3 of training camp, Mack participated on a team with Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, Sami Whitcomb, Anna Makurat, Shyla Heal and Megan McConnell.
This was the second of three days Mack was included in a group which included Copper, Thomas, Sabally and Whitcomb, four players whom are likely to start for Phoenix.
Mack’s inclusion with the presumed starters shouldn’t come as a surprise. She has worked hard to separate herself from the other players battling for a spot. With much of that work coming overseas.
“Compared to last year, it’s a lot faster,” Mack said of the pace Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts wants to play at. “But like I said, in Spain we play the same way he wants to play, up and down, up and down. Don’t talk plays unless you have to. Just run.”
Mack played in Spain for Spar Girona during the WNBA offseason, helping the Spanish club to a first-place finish in the Liga Femenina standings before making the tough decision to forgo the Spanish playoffs to report to Mercury camp.
“It’s really tough. That’s always a tough decision,” Mack said.
“You always want to help the team you were with to make it as far as possible, but it was something we worked out before I signed my contract. I mean it’s still tough at the end of the day.”
Not only did Mack grow accustomed to the uptempo style Tibbetts wants to play at, she was also able to improve her fitness while playing in Spain.
“Honestly, I’m more in shape. Spain helped me with that, running up and down the court,” Mack said. “Because pretty much what we do here, we do in Spain too, so I think that helped a lot."
“All gas, no brakes,” has been one of the Mercury’s mantras during training camp and many of the players are feeling the effects of the blistering pace.
On Monday during Day 2 of training camp, Kalani Brown said adjusting to Tibbetts’ offense and the pace he wants to play at is “very challenging and demanding.”
Brown also said Tibbetts’ offense has more of an “NBA feel” to it and is “not traditional at all.” She said she’s “traditional” and it’s been an adjustment for her.
While Brown is a WNBA veteran entering her sixth season in the league, Mack is able to move up and down the floor a lot better than Brown (and Griner from last season’s Mercury team), which makes Mack the perfect player for Tibbetts’ system.
In addition to playing in Spain, Mack also played for Montenegro during the WNBA offseason, helping the country she is a naturalized citizen of to Women’s EuroBasket 2025 qualification.
If she does play in the tournament that spans from June 18-29, Mack could miss a handful of games for the Mercury. During that stretch, the Mercury have games against the Aces, Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty and Chicago Sky, before additional games against the Liberty and Aces, respectively.
“Am I gonna play (for Montenegro)? I don’t know. It’s still being worked out,” Mack said on Tuesday.
Mack’s confidence is growing
While Mack’s hunger has remained a constant, one area she’s grown in this season is becoming more confident on and off the floor.
“I’m getting a little bit more confident in shooting my shots, finding my post up, my moves and all of that,” Mack said.
“It feels good. Especially when you have people like (Thomas) in Year 12 on your ass telling you, ‘C’mon Mack. Like this is what you do. I see you do this in Spain.’
“And so each day is getting better. She’s helping me out. Everybody’s believing in me. They’re expecting it out of me.”
Thanks David for writing about the Mack attack. I think she’s gonna dominate the inside like a baby Shaq .
Thanks for covering Mack! I think she’s going to have a great year.