Are the Phoenix Mercury contenders or a lottery team? After opening the 2024 WNBA season with a loss against the Las Vegas Aces, Nate Tibbetts and the Phoenix Mercury seemed to have found their groove. This was to the point that they won 3 games in a row. They even got their revenge on the back-to-back champions. However, Brittney Griner’s absence has impacted the team as the physical 6-ft-9 center remains on the bench due to an injury. After the Mercury’s third consecutive loss, head coach Tibbets shared some thoughts about his team.

Talking in his pre-game press conference, Nate Tibbetts shared the concerning status of the team trying to cope with the difficulties. He said, “We’ve faced some adversities and injuries already, which is a good and bad thing. We had high expectations for BG. She had them for herself. Unfortunately, an unexpected injury kind of forced our hand to play smaller at times.”

The new coach who often relies on the team’s GOAT and the all-time leading scorer of the WNBA, Diana Taurasi has also played Sophie Cunnigham as their center. Tibbetts commented on the strategy, “It’s something that we eventually wanted to get to.” He added to Griner’s injury impacting them.

“I think offensively it has kind of forced our hands a little bit. It’s probably hurt us more on the defensive end just not having BG back there. We’ve maybe had to switch a little bit more. We felt like, with BG, we were going to be undersized a little bit, just the other four,” stated Tibbets.

Despite the sequence of defeats, Tibbetts is proud of his team. The competitive spirit of the Phoenix guards has surely played a huge role in mixing up the positions to bag a few wins for the team. But adding to the injury list is Rebecca Allen, who has been out for some time now due to a concussion she faced vs the Dallas Wings. With so much trouble lingering over the team, how does Brittney Griner’s update keep Nate Tibbetts in a positive light?

Will Brittney Griner soon wear the Phoenix jersey?

The 9x WNBA All-Star has been on the sidelines ever since their preseason loss to the Seattle Storm. However, Tibbetts confirmed that she may be back on the court sooner than later. Talking about the 2013 first-overall pick, he said, “Well, it is good to see her without the boot, so we are heading in the right direction. I think it has been good for her mentally to get out of the boot. Every day, we are getting closer. I know she can’t wait, and we can’t wait.”

Although the 2x Olympic gold medalist has taken off her walking shoes, she is yet to be re-evaluated. According to Desert Wave Media Reports, she might not return until at least early next month. In her absence, the team has won 3 games but also lost 3. Hence, they could use the towering center to overpower the countering team.

Until she is back, Mercury’s latest additions, Kahleah Copper and Natasha Cloud, are holding the ranks for the team. It will be interesting to see if they can bounce off of the losing streak and take over the Minnesota Lynx in their first matchup. Until then, follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.