Natasha Mack

Last updated
Natasha Mack
Natasha Mack 2024 (cropped).jpg
Mack with the Phoenix Mercury in 2024
No. 4–Phoenix Mercury
Position Forward
League WNBA
Personal information
Born (1997-11-03) November 3, 1997 (age 26)
Lufkin, Texas
NationalityAmerican / Montenegrin
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight182 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school Lufkin (Lufkin, Texas)
College
WNBA draft 2021: 2nd round, 16th overall pick
Selected by the Chicago Sky
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021 Chicago Sky
2021 Minnesota Lynx
2021–2023 AZS UMCS Lublin
2023Mainland Pouākai
2023–2024 Botaş SK
2024–present Phoenix Mercury
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball Reference  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

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.

Contents

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. [4] However, she left the university shortly afterwards, after feeling burnout, a lack of fit with the team, and tensions at home. [5] [4] She returned to Lufkin and worked at a poultry plant, "shearing the wings off of chicken." [5] [4]

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. [4] 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. [4] [3]

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]

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, [9] but was re-signed by the team shortly afterwards on May 18. [10] Mack went back and forth with signing Hardship Contracts with the Sky until ultimately being let go for the last time in June 2021. [11]

Minnesota Lynx (2021)

Mack signed a 7-Day contract with the Lynx on July 6, 2021. [12]

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. [13]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game FG%  Field goal percentage
 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game
 SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game TO  Turnovers per game PPG Points per game
 Bold Career highLed Division I ° Led the league

WNBA

Regular season

Stats current through end of 2024 season

WNBA regular season statistics [14]
YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2021 Chicago 305.3.667—1.0001.30.00.00.00.72.0
Minnesota 102.0———0.00.00.00.00.00.0
2022Did not play (waived)
2023Did not appear in league
2024 Phoenix 401115.5.573.000.5795.01.10.71.20.73.8
Career2 years, 3 teams441114.5.575.000.6194.61.00.61.10.73.6

Playoffs

WNBA playoff statistics
YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2024 Phoenix 2013.0.636—.0003.50.50.00.50.07.0
Career1 year, 1 team2013.0.636—.0003.50.50.00.50.07.0

College

College statistics [15]
YearTeamGPPointsFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2017–18 Angelina College 31682.580.333.66212.91.51.75.122.0
2018–19Angelina College33791.591.229.64511.62.31.65.524.0
2019–20 Oklahoma State 27476.516.125.67712.50.91.53.617.6
2020–21 Oklahoma State 28554.529.000.63412.41.82.04.019.8
Career551,030.523.111.65312.41.41.93.818.7

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References

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