Interim coach Nikki Blue said she is ready to help turn around the season for the Phoenix Mercury, who are in last place in the WNBA.
Blue, a Mercury assistant, was elevated to the head coach position when Vanessa Nygaard was fired Sunday after Phoenix’s 2-10 start. Monday, Blue met with the media and said she’s hopeful of seeing an infusion of energy for the team, which has lost five games in a row.
“Our players just have had a renewed sense of confidence,” Blue said on a video call with media. “The way that they came in over the past 24 hours has been great, too. [Practice] was good. I didn’t know what to expect. I wanted us to just have tons of energy, and they exceeded my expectations.
“We are in a tough position. We are pretty banged-up. We have a couple of different circumstances going on. It’s going to take patience. So, we’re gonna come out and give it our all every chance we get. Vanessa is a friend, and she reiterated, ‘You’re ready Nikki, you’re going to do a great job.'”
Nygaard, 48, finished with a 17-31 record in regular-season play with the…
