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From 2021-2023, Natasha Mack played for AZS UMCS Lublin in Poland. In 2023, Mack helped the team win their first ever Polish Championship. (Photo courtesy of Phoenix Mercury)<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2013 It felt like a storybook ending \u2013 selected 16th by the Chicago Sky in the 2021 WNBA Draft after a long, winding journey and an unlikely return to basketball. But for Phoenix Mercury forward Natasha Mack, that moment was just the start of another uncertain road.<\/p>\n
A few years earlier, Mack had walked away from the sport entirely and taken a job in a poultry plant. Even as a highly touted high school recruit out of Texas, she was discouraged from chasing her dream \u2013 and she let those negative voices get in her head.<\/p>\n
Mack thought she was done. But she came back through junior college, led the nation in blocks at Oklahoma State and was the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. A version of her story had already been told, one of triumph and redemption.<\/p>\n
But then, days before the start of her rookie season with the Sky, she was cut.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just remember not being good enough,\u201d Mack said. \u201cNot being ready, not being able to come in pro ready. It\u2019s a short training camp. You have to be able to have it, or learn really fast. My ability to adapt was not the best at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can make it, but you have to stay\u201d<\/p>\n
Mack looks back on that draft night with mixed feelings, remembering the sense of excitement and pride that she felt.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the moment, I just felt like \u2018Wow, I made it,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cBut everybody kept telling me, \u2018You can make it, but you have to stay.\u2019 I didn\u2019t realize what they were saying until I went into training camp. Then all I could say was \u2018Damn.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Mercury\u2019s Natasha Mack has established herself as a premier shot blocker. So far this season, she\u2019s seventh in the league in blocks per game, playing just 15.6 minutes per night. (Photo courtesy of Phoenix Mercury)<\/p>\n
Like many WNBA hopefuls, Mack was caught between the celebration of being drafted and the brutal math of making a roster. WNBA teams only have a maximum of 12 roster spots, and at the time the league had 12 teams. Because so few spots exist, most draft picks don\u2019t make opening day rosters.<\/p>\n
Mack didn\u2019t last long in Chicago. For a moment, her story had made headlines \u2013 a source of inspiration. Just as quickly, the league moved on without her.<\/p>\n
Afterward, Mack went overseas and spent years out of sight for most U.S. fans, removed from the conversation. In truth, she had let go of her dream of playing in the WNBA.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I was going to be done with the W after 2021,\u201d Mack said. \u201cAt the time, I felt like it was politics and they were going to pick and choose who they want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Between 2021 and 2024, Mack primarily played in Poland and Turkey. There were language barriers, no translators \u2014 but she found ways to connect by learning parts of Polish and Turkish, to adjust, to anchor defenses without needing to reinvent herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never really been offense-focused; I mostly leave that to the four players around me,\u201d Mack said. \u201cI hold the anchor on defense. That\u2019s where I hang my hat. Scoring is cool and all, but can you score on me? I\u2019m going to make it super hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
The door cracks open again<\/p>\n
By 2024, she\u2019d found a rhythm overseas \u2014 and stopped thinking much about the WNBA.<\/p>\n
Her second chance came quietly. Her agent mentioned Phoenix. The Mercury were rebuilding their roster and had open spots. Mack didn\u2019t expect anything. <\/p>\n
She was still unsure whether to give it another shot until her girlfriend urged her to try one more time. Just go, she told her. See what happens.<\/p>\n
So Mack showed up to training camp tired from her overseas season, not fully prepared and ready to just enjoy the experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went in thinking, \u2018Well, I know how the last training camp went. If I don\u2019t make it, I\u2019m taking all the gear,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI need the bras, the socks, the jersey. I\u2019m going to have the best two weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole two weeks I was dying. You can ask coach. I was like, \u2018I don\u2019t think I\u2019m going to be able to make it, I\u2019m about to die, I\u2019m about to pass out, I\u2019m about to get cut.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
But then: She did make it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I got the news \u2013 \u2018I made it\u2019 \u2013 I was shook,\u201d Mack said. \u201cLike, wow, OK. Now I have to prove myself for real.\u201d<\/p>\n
A defensive anchor<\/p>\n
On June 19, on the second night of a back-to-back and without Kahleah Copper, the Mercury visited the 10\u20131 defending champion Liberty, looking for a jolt.<\/p>\n
On one possession, Phoenix closed in too aggressively on Liberty star guard Sabrina Ionescu at the 3-point line, seemingly giving her an open path to the rim. As she strolled in for an unassuming finger roll, Mack came from behind, sending the shot into the stands. <\/p>\n
Later, just 20 seconds after she blocked Liberty forward Nyara Sabally, Mack was there again, this time lurking in the paint. Sabrina Ionescu pulled up for a jumper instead of challenging Mack at the rim \u2014 a clear business decision. It didn\u2019t matter. Mack swatted that, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust her rim presence, her pop. She\u2019s just got a knack for the ball,\u201d Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t care if she plays eight minutes, 15 minutes, 20, 22. She\u2019s the ultimate team player. She\u2019s about the right stuff, and that\u2019s why we love her.\u201d<\/p>\n
On a Phoenix team that has progressively relied on her more, Mack has become one of the league\u2019s most effective shot blockers and a nightly defensive menace. In 2024, she was 11th in the league in blocks per game with 1.2 in 15.5 minutes of nightly relief for Brittney Griner. Now, 2025 presents greater possibilities. <\/p>\n
After returning from a back injury that sidelined her early in the season, Mack has become a key spark off the bench. Her return, alongside Copper, coincided with the Mercury\u2019s six-game win streak, helping them surge to the second best record in the league at 12-5. In 15.6 minutes off the bench, Mack is seventh in the league in blocks at 1.3 (among players with at least five games played), and has added 1.3 steals per game for good measure. <\/p>\n
Her defensive mentality is built on more than effort. It\u2019s instinct, timing, craft. She studies pump fakes, body positioning and angles. And when the moment comes, the outcome seems inevitable.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you get in the air, I\u2019m going to send the shot back or you\u2019re going to the free throw line,\u201d Mack said. \u201cThat\u2019s the only choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among Mack\u2019s teammates, her impact hasn\u2019t gone unnoticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMack has been massive,\u201d forward Kathryn Westbeld said. \u201cShe\u2019s athletic, she\u2019s long. You can pretty much throw the ball anywhere and she\u2019ll get it. \u2026 She makes my guarding skills look better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Copper added that \u201cshe\u2019s just put her head down and been in the gym. She\u2019s made a jump. That\u2019s exactly what you want to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Belief, returned<\/p>\n
Mack\u2019s renewed WNBA life didn\u2019t come easily. But when she couldn\u2019t believe in herself, others did.<\/p>\n
\u201cShoutout to my woman, my parents, my brother, my sister,\u201d she said. \u201cThey believed in me when I didn\u2019t believe in myself. They said, \u2018Your time is coming,\u2019 and I thought they were just talking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, she showed up, tired, unsure \u2013 but grounded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a little more mature, older, and have better professional habits,\u201d Mack said. \u201cSo it makes it easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
This time, she stayed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From 2021-2023, Natasha Mack played for AZS UMCS Lublin in Poland. In 2023, Mack helped the team win…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":31165,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,1339,1512,20022,26399,1520,19712,26400,1589,1502,15534,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,232,21829],"class_list":{"0":"post-31164","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-phoenix","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-arizona","10":"tag-az","11":"tag-basketball","12":"tag-brittney-griner","13":"tag-kahleah-copper","14":"tag-natasha-mack","15":"tag-new-york-liberty","16":"tag-nyara-sabally","17":"tag-oklahoma-state-basketball","18":"tag-phoenix","19":"tag-phoenix-mercury","20":"tag-sabrina-ionescu","21":"tag-united-states","22":"tag-united-states-of-america","23":"tag-unitedstates","24":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","25":"tag-us","26":"tag-usa","27":"tag-wnba","28":"tag-wnba-draft"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114780721912141518","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31164"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31164\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}