Phoenix Mercury center Natasha Mack is playing some of the best basketball of her career. In the last two games against the Chicago Sky and New York Liberty, she's averaging 11.0 rebounds, 9.0 points, and 4.5 blocks.
Those numbers are mighty impressive for the second-year center. While Mack has enjoyed her clean-up role with the Mercury, teams have to pay more attention to her.
For instance, she's been effective as an offensive rebounder. For instance, she had more offensive rebounds (7) than the entire Liberty team on Saturday.
This might be a case of peaking at the right time, but for Mercury connoisseurs, this isn't a surprise. Ever since head coach Nate Tibbetts put Mack in the Mercury's starting lineup, just about everything has improved.
The defense has drastically improved, thanks to her elite shot-blocking and rebounding. The offense seems to have more fluidity, despite her not being a perimeter scorer.
She picks her spots in the paint and has improved in the short roll. Simply put, Mack has a knack for knowing where to be on the court. Still, Tibbetts is riding the momentum, and the center herself feels this was expected.
“I did what I was supposed to do,” Mack said after posting a 10-point and 12-rebound double-double on Thursday. “Just started having confidence and belief in myself, especially when I got the perfect girl telling me to get mad… yeah, I was good.”
Everyone on the Mercury believes in Natasha Mack
The belief has been there, but sometimes, it's been uncertain. Having someone like Kathryn Westbeld has the Mercury running a spread five-out offense.
With Mack, spacing is limited, but the upside is far too great to ignore. She's had an absurd 127.7 offensive rating on the floor to go along with a 92.8 defensive rating.
The numbers don't lie, but the statistics don't tell the full story… until now. Teams are daring Mack to make a play right now, and she's capitalizing on sending shots back.
“I think she just understands our system,” Tibbetts said after Thursday's win. “She's gotten great on the ball. Her conditioning is really high right now. You can see the activity.
“She looks super active and bouncy. She's extremely long. She's a good red protector, a good roller, and she does a good job playing with stars. You need players like that. She understands her role.”
More Mercury players loved Natasha Mack's performances
One of the teammates who understands playing a role better than anyone is DeWanna Bonner. She made a living off being the sixth player off the bench and capitalized on it.
After winning three Sixth Player of the Year awards and becoming a full-time starter, she knows all about changing minutes and having a different role.
Following Mack's dominant performance on Saturday, Bonner gave some words of encouragement.
“I'm just so proud of how she responded to each game,” Bonner said. “After she had her first double-double (against Chicago), I went to her, I hugged her, and I was like, ‘Congratulations. Great players do this consistently every single night,' and she showed up again tonight.”
Understanding a role will be pivotal for the Mercury in the playoffs
Just about every player understands their role on this Phoenix team. The stars like Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper, and Satou Sabally might get the limelight, but the other five players in the rotation fill in the gaps.
However, Mack fills more of the gap than her other teammates. That's not to be disrespectful; rather, that's highlighting her personal impact on the basketball court.
The remaining five games will be a good testament to whether Mack can keep up. If it's like her fellow Phoenix teammates, she could be peaking at the right time.
