Why Phoenix's Centers Slowed Down Teams

Phoenix played well on the offensive end, and defensively, the team held its own as well. The Mercury were in the top 10 in points per game, and they averaged 81.5. Teams like the Las Vegas Aces, the New York Liberty, the Indiana Fever and others were ahead of them.

As far as the defensive end, the Mercury were third in blocks. They averaged 4.7, and two of the team's bigs helped them reach that point. Brittney Griner was the team's leader when it came to blocks, and she averaged 1.5. Phoenix had another player who averaged more than one block, as Natasha Mack, a new addition, averaged 1.2.

Griner was in the top five in blocks per game that year. She was fourth, and the only players ahead of her were A'ja Wilson, Cameron Brink and Ezi Magbegor. Wilson averaged 2.6 blocks, Brink averaged 2.3 and Magbegor averaged 2.2.

Mack was right outside the top 10. Aliyah Boston was ahead of her, but their averages were extremely close. The Mercury center prove that she can make an impact on that end of the floor, and the following year, she averaged even more blocks.

Mack climbs franchise lists

This year, she averaged 1.5, and she was in the top five. The Mercury have had some great shot-blocking centers, and Griner was their best. She remains the franchise leader, as she had a total of 812 in her time in Phoenix. As far as the playoffs, she had a total of 104.

Mack is making a name for herself, and she is now on the franchise's list. She has a total of 99 blocks in the regular season, and in the postseason, she has nine.

Defense plays an important role in a team's success, and in 2024, Phoenix's centers were blocking everything in sight.