Natasha Mack Explained

Natasha Mack
Number:4
League:WNBA
Team:Phoenix Mercury
Height In:4
Height Ft:6
Weight Lb:180
Position:Forward
Birth Place:Lufkin, Texas
Birth Date:3 November 1997
Nationality:American / Montenegrin
High School:Lufkin (Lufkin, Texas)
College:
Draft League:WNBA
Draft Year:2021
Draft Round:2
Draft Pick:16
Draft Team:Chicago Sky
Career Start:2021
Team1:Chicago Sky
Team2:Minnesota Lynx
Years3:2021–2023
Team3:AZS UMCS Lublin
Years4:2023
Team4:Mainland Pouākai
Years5:2023–2024
Team5:Botaş SK
Years6:–present
Team6:Phoenix Mercury
Highlights:

Natasha Mack (born November 3, 1997)[1] is an American-Montenegrin[2] basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played for Oklahoma State University and Angelina College in her native Lufkin, Texas before being drafted by the Chicago Sky in the 2021 WNBA draft.

Early life

Mack was born in Lufkin, Texas.[3] She played for Lufkin High School's basketball team. She was ranked as a four-star prospect after high school and was recruited to play at the University of Houston. However, she left the university shortly afterwards, after feeling burnout, a lack of fit with the team, and tensions at home.[4] She returned to Lufkin and worked at a poultry plant, "shearing the wings off of chicken."[5]

College career

A year after graduating from high school and leaving Houston, Mack was recruited by Randy McKelvey, an assistant basketball coach at Angelina College, a local community college in Lufkin. She was initially reluctant to return to basketball, but agreed to do so a few days later. She was selected to a junior-college all-star event after her first season and was named a junior-college All-American and won the NJCAA Player of the Year Award after her sophomore season.

After her senior season, she was selected to the Big-12 All-Defensive Team First-Team and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and WBCA Defensive Player of the Year.[6] [7] [8]

College Statistics

Source[9]

YearTeamGPPointsFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2017–18Angelina College31682.580.333.66212.91.51.75.122.0
2018-19Angelina College33791.591.229.64511.62.31.65.524.0
2019–20Oklahoma State27476.516.125.67712.50.91.53.617.6
2020–21Oklahoma State28554.529.000.63412.41.82.04.019.8
Career (Division I Totals)551,030.523.111.65312.41.41.93.818.7

WNBA

Chicago Sky (2021)

Mack was drafted in the second round of the 2021 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky. She was waived by the Sky on May 13, 2021,[10] but was re-signed by the team shortly afterwards on May 18.[11] Mack went back and forth with signing Hardship Contracts with the Sky until ultimately being let go for the last time in June 2021.[12]

Minnesota Lynx (2021)

Mack signed a 7-Day contract with the Lynx on July 6, 2021.[13]

Phoenix Mercury (2024)

After two years playing overseas in Poland, New Zealand and Turkey, Mack signed with the Phoenix Mercury for the 2024 WNBA season. On May 14, 2024, she earned her first WNBA career start in Mercury's opening loss at the Las Vegas Aces.[14]

WNBA career statistics

Regular season

|-| align="left" | 2021| align="left" | Chicago| 3 || 0 || 5.3 || .667 || .000 || 1.000 || 1.3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.7 || 2.0|-| align="left" | 2021| align="left" | Minnesota| 1 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0|-| align="left" | Career| align="left" | 1 year, 2 teams| 4 || 0 || 4.5 || .667 || .000 || 1.000 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.5 || 1.5

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Natasha Mack. 2021-04-16. WNBA.com. en.
  2. Web site: Muniowski . Łukasz . 2023-12-12 . Montenegro national team coach Jelena Škerović talks coaching philosophy, working with American-born players and more . 2024-07-22 . Swish Appeal . en.
  3. Web site: Beames. Caleb. 2021-04-15. Lufkin native Natasha Mack picked by Chicago Sky in WNBA draft. 2021-04-16. KTRE. en-US.
  4. Web site: Gentry. Dorothy. 2021-04-13. Natasha Mack has one of the most unique stories of any WNBA Draft prospect. 2021-04-16. The Athletic.
  5. Web site: Wright. Scott. March 11, 2021. 'Can't be cutting chicken wings': How Oklahoma State's Natasha Mack became a WNBA prospect. 2021-04-16. The Oklahoman. en-US.
  6. Web site: Wisniewski. Lindsey. 2021-04-15. Natasha Mack could fill Storm's void left behind by Natasha Howard. 2021-04-16. NBC Sports Northwest. en.
  7. Web site: Natasha Mack - 2020-21 - Women's Basketball. 2021-04-16. Oklahoma State University Athletics. en.
  8. Web site: 2021-04-01. Oklahoma State's Natasha Mack named 2021 WBCA NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year. 2021-04-16. Women's Basketball Coaches Association. en.
  9. Web site: Natasha Mack, 6-4, F, Oklahoma State. aces.wnba.com. 2021-07-07.
  10. Web site: 2021-05-13. Chicago Sky Waive Brittany Boyd-Jones, Alexis Prince, Lexie Brown, Kobi Thornton and Natasha Mack. 2021-05-19. Chicago Sky. en.
  11. Web site: 2021-05-18. Sky Re-Sign Natasha Mack. 2021-05-19. Chicago Sky. en.
  12. Web site: Zimmerman . Kurtis . The Chicago Sky have waived Natasha Mack. Sierra Campisano has cleared waivers after being waived Tuesday. . Twitter.com . Twitter . 7 July 2021.
  13. Web site: Minnesota Lynx Sign Rookie Forward Natasha Mack . lynx.wnba.com . WNBA . 7 July 2021.
  14. Web site: Reid . Tia . 2024-05-28 . How Natasha Mack is thriving in her second chance in the WNBA . 2024-07-22 . The Next . en-US.