![]() It never felt like from my side she’s coming home tomorrow.” “We were constantly getting updates and hearing bits and pieces. “There’s an endless amount of work to do to plan and she wasn’t free,” Nygaard said. Nygaard took all of a week off in late August before beginning planning for a 2023 season that at the time did not include Griner, sentenced earlier in that month to nine years in a Russian prison for drug smuggling. That was rewarding.”Īnswering call supporting Brittney Griner “But I’m proud of the work and the effort and especially where we were at the very end before we had some injuries but also how those players fought to the very end. “With a team that had been in the Finals the year before, that didn’t feel like what as a group collectively, myself included, we wanted to accomplish,” Nygaard said. Still in context of unprecedented scrutiny based on international attention regarding Griner alone, extending their league best current playoff streak even given a two-game exit to eventual champion Las Vegas is a valid consolation prize. It’s a modest accomplishment for a franchise with three championships and reached the playoffs final four from 2013-18 then the WNBA Finals in 2021. Diggins-Smith was instrumental, making All-WNBA first team. Somewhat miraculously, the Mercury reached the playoffs for a 10th consecutive season even with a less than glittering 15-21 record. To still be able to make the playoffs, I was pretty proud of that accomplishment.” We had so many things that just didn’t go our way last year. “There is zero chance that you can plan for all of the distractions and situations that happened during the last 12 months,” Pitman said. Mercury general manager Jim Pitman could have endlessly interviewed Nygaard and never have hit on the right questions for what she faced in her rookie season. The Mercury signed more than 30 players to fill an 11-player roster over a 36-game regular season. ![]() Plus numerous injuries including to Kia Nurse who never made it back from an ACL tear in the 2021 playoffs and Shey Peddy (Achilles tendon rupture) in the 2022 postseason. Everything is something you can learn from.”īeyond Griner, Nygaard navigated a contract separation in late June with Charles and strained relationship with Skylar Diggins-Smith presumed at the time to be a reason for her departure in August (she announced she was pregnant in October). “I didn’t sleep very well most of that year just because there were so many things in my head. “It was meant to be me I guess,” says Nygaard, who previously had not been a head coach above the high school level. 8, missing all of a 2022 season that became the most tumultuous in the WNBA’s 26-year existence. She would not be released from custody until Dec. Less than two weeks after the Charles’ signing, Mercury center Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia on drug possession charges. ![]() The perceived super team never came to be. Tokyo Olympians gold medalists that added a fourth in early February by signing Tina Charles, 2021 WNBA scoring leader. Hired in late January 2022, Nygaard inherited a Phoenix Mercury team coming off a WNBA runner-up finish with three U.S. This graph may help predict future Phoenix Mercury games.įor today’s basketball games and results visit our basketball live score page.Vanessa Nygaard was never going to ease into her first season as a WNBA head coach. Phoenix Mercury performance and form graph is a Sofascore unique algorithm that we are generating from the team's last 10 matches, statistics, detailed analysis and our own knowledge. Unknown: Brittney Griner, Michaela Onyenwere, Moriah Jefferson, Megan Gustafson, Destiny Harden, Jennie Simms, Kadiatou Sissoko, Liz Dixon, Sam Thomas, Essence Booker, Destiny Slocum Guard: Diana Taurasi, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Sophie Cunningham, Shey Peddy, Sug Sutton The current Phoenix Mercury roster, stats and player performance can be found on this page. There are also all Phoenix Mercury scheduled matches that they are going to play in the future. Phoenix Mercury matches tab is showing the last 100 basketball games with statistics and win/lose icons. Phoenix Mercury previous game was against Las Vegas Aces in WNBA, game ended with result 117 - 80 (Las Vegas Aces won the game). Statistics and standings are updated at the end of the game. We may have video highlights with points and news for some Phoenix Mercury games, but only if they play their game in one of the most popular basketball leagues. When the match starts, you will be able to follow Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury live score, updated point-by-point. Phoenix Mercury will play the next match on May 9, 2023, 2:00:00 AM UTC against Seattle Storm in WNBA Preseason. Phoenix Mercury live score, standings, schedule and results from all basketball tournaments that Phoenix Mercury played.
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