Who is Jovana Nogic? Meet the Phoenix Mercury’s Serbian Rookie Guard

Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Who is Jovana Nogic? Meet the Phoenix Mercury’s Serbian Rookie Guard

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Yagya Bhargava | Last updated May 9, 2026 7:45 PM ET

The Phoenix Mercury didn't make much noise about signing Jovana Nogic before the season. They didn't need to. She handled the introduction herself.

Making her WNBA debut Saturday against the Las Vegas Aces on the road, the Serbian guard put up 19 points in the first half. He finished with the same points, four assists, and two steals in just over 21 minutes. She knocked down four three-pointers in the first half alone, matching the WNBA record for most threes made in a debut appearance.

For a player most fans hadn't heard of walking into the weekend, it was a statement night. Nogic either scored or assisted on 25 of Phoenix's 56 first-half points, accounting for 45% of the team's offense in that stretch, per ESPN. She was guarded by six different primary defenders and didn't flinch against any of them.

On open three-point looks, she went 4-for-5, finishing with 12 points from deep.

Australia guard Jade Melbourne dribbles the ball against Serbia small forward Jovana Nogic during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer GamesKyle Terada-Imagn Images

Jovana Nogic's Road to Phoenix

The "rookie" label doesn't tell the full story here. The Portuguese-Serbian basketball player is anything but inexperienced.

Born on December 17, 1997, in Belgrade, Serbia, the 6-foot-1 guard has spent years building one of the stronger international resumes in European basketball. She has played professionally in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, the United States and most recently with UMMC Yekaterinburg in Russia's PBL.

The accolades have followed her everywhere. In 2026, she helped win both the Russian National Championship and Russian National Cup while being named Serbia's best female player for 2025 by the Basketball Federation of Serbia.

The year before, she was appointed captain of the Serbian National Team, earned MVP honors in Russia's Supercup and guided her club to another championship and cup double. She also represented Serbia at both the European Championship and the Olympic Games during that stretch.

The Mercury front office went looking for versatility this offseason and Nogic fits that profile exactly. She played Saturday night with the composure of someone who has been doing this for years, because she has.

If her debut was any indication, Jovana Nogic isn't just filling a roster spot in Phoenix. She's a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate and the kind of player who could genuinely change what this Mercury team is capable of doing in 2026. The Mercury found something real and Saturday night was just the first look.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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