Sug Sutton ‘put in the work’ to combat adversity, get to where she is at today with Mercury

The talk surrounding the reshaped Phoenix Mercury this season has been around the stars Natasha Cloud, Kahleah Copper, Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, but not enough of the spotlight has been shined on the rest of the team.

Rebecca Allen arguably gels the team together with her underrated impact offensively and defensively, Natasha Mack and Liz Dixon both stepped up while Griner missed the first quarter of the season with an injury and Sophie Cunningham has made clutch shot after clutch shot when coming off the bench.

While the players named above can all make a difference in any given game, one under-the-radar player who can do anything asked of her and do it well is guard Sug Sutton.

Making a Difference One Game at a Time

Along her journey to where she is today, Sutton went through a heap of adversity early when turning pro.

The Washington Mystics drafted her with the No. 36 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Sutton would then be waived during the early stages of the 2020 season, re-signed in August that year and was waived again before the following season.

Without a team or a contract, the Texas product did not play in the WNBA for two seasons before signing a training camp deal before last season began with Phoenix. The Missouri native played in all 40 games last year, averaging 8.2 points, 4.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game before becoming a starter for the Mercury.

Signed to another training camp deal in February, Sutton is now in her second year in Phoenix and has been a reliable piece to her team ever since. With her coming off the bench due to Cloud joining the team as a free agent, Sutton is averaging 3.5 points, 2.6 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game. The remarkable part of her this season compared to last has been her defense as she is averaging a steal a game, snatching the ball when the opposition forgo possession.

Even though some players may put their heads down because of a lesser role, Sutton was grateful for the opportunity Phoenix had given her and would take full advantage of it no matter what.

“I am keeping my confidence and I had a really good year last year and I am just building off of that,” Sutton said during training camp. “We have some really great players and some vets that have come in, so I have to kind of switch my role and I am super thankful to be able to learn from them.”

Respecting the Hustle

The Mercury are currently 6-6 on the season after going 9-31 last year, a huge step in the right direction.

Some may point out that half of the team’s wins are by one possession or being last-minute, but a win is a win and that is what’s important at the end of the day.

Needing a full team effort from everyone down the roster, Sutton plays her role of being plugged into any situation and does a commendable job whenever needed.

Seeing and understanding how difficult it is to play in the WNBA and have longevity, Griner credited Sutton for persevering through the struggles she had gone through before and fighting for her position every time she plays and even practices.

“Sug is amazing,” Griner said after the Mercury beat the Dallas Wings on Sunday. “On and off the court, she is a great kid. I know she put in the work. A lot of players, they are not willing to put in the work to be in the league, to do what it takes especially when it doesn’t go the way you want it to go right off the bat. She is a testament to never let ‘No’ be the closed door, she kept going. Sug is amazing, and glad she is one of my teammates.”

From being a third-round pick at the tail end of her draft to being one of the first players head coach Nate Tibbetts goes to off the bench, Sutton has been determined to secure a position on the Mercury and will take it as far as she goes, knowing that she has the full support of her teammates.