Nogić returns to Mercury starting lineup, sets WNBA undrafted rookie record with 27 points

Jovana Nogić yo-yoing back into the Phoenix Mercury starting lineup Friday wasn’t much of a surprise.

Nate Tibbetts even took himself a bit to task for not starting Nogić, who goes by Yoyo, in the Mercury’s home opener Tuesday after she averaged 17.5 points in her first two WNBA games, at Las Vegas and Golden State.

“Three games in four nights, she had two big games, she’s on the scouting report, her coach didn’t start her,” Tibbetts said Thursday in explaining Nogić’s drop-off to two points, on free throws, against Minnesota. “You can go down the line and pick one. 

“There’s going to be nights where people get after her and challenge her and try to beat her up. Just the comfortability of everything – our terminology, what we’re possession to possession – these are the (practice) days she needs.”

On his 49th birthday Friday, Tibbetts followed up on his hint by starting Nogić again vs. Chicago. She responded with a record-setting 27 points – most ever by an undrafted WNBA rookie – in an important early-season 91-83 win.

The Mercury (2-2) broke a two-game losing streak and evened their record at Mortgage Matchup Center with two home games remaining before returning to the road May 24. 

Nogić, averaging 16 points, reinforced her claim on a starting job even when the Mercury are at full strength with the return of Monique Akoa Makani from international play and Sami Whitcomb from injury.

“I keep repeating myself, but I just feel so grateful and so much joy,” Nogić said of being in the WNBA for the first time at 28. She is a Serbian native who grew up in Portugal, played in college at Providence (2015-19) and most recently was Russian SuperCup MVP for champion UMMC Ekaterinburg.

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Listen up! YOYO ON THE MIC 🎤✨ pic.twitter.com/edpwXDRrdp

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) May 16, 2026

The Russian league finals ended April 27 and Nogić was in Phoenix by May 5 only to face a visa hurdle that required traveling to Vancouver to clear. “That’s why I couldn’t practice with the team as much,” she said. “When I got back from Vancouver, we were flying to Vegas for the first game.”

The 6-1 guard still scored 19 points in her WNBA debut, a stunning 33-point win over the defending champion Aces, and 16 the next night vs. Golden State. In her only game so far off the bench, she was 0-of-6 from the floor vs. Minnesota before her 27-point explosion including 5-of-8 from 3-point vs. Chicago. 

“It’s in the past,” Nogić said of the Lynx game. “All you’ve got to focus on is the next one whether the past was a good one or a bad one. That’s the good thing with this league is you have so many games and not a lot of time to think about the past.”

The Mercury led 23-9 late in the first quarter thanks to 11 points from Nogić. The Sky rallied to tie at 28 before an 11-0 Mercury run led to a 45-35 halftime edge with Nogić up to 17 points.

Phoenix built a 17-point lead (65-48) late in the third quarter that completely disappeared. The Sky took their only leads (75-73 and 80-79) before a 12-3 Mercury closing run led by Alyssa Thomas with seven of her 17 points. 

Nogić made 1-of-2 free throws and rebounded the miss off a fortunate bounce in the closing seconds, finishing the evening equally as excited as the 11,094 paying customers. 

“I don’t think we expected this,” Tibbetts said of another elite Mercury international scouting gem. “I also didn’t expect Sami to be out so she’s getting great opportunities.

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Jovana Nogic is in ELITE company 🤩

In Phoenix’s win over Chicago, Jovana Nogic became the first Mercury rookie to record 25+ PTS and 5 3-PT FG since Diana Taurasi did in 2004 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bWSjxCoY00

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) May 16, 2026

“I was really pleased with her defense tonight. We all love shooting, but the step she made defensively is what I’m most proud of for competing at that end. She’s probably guarding more pick-and-rolls than she’s ever guarded and she did a better job of getting into the ball.”

French forward Valériane Ayayi, who started against Minnesota in her first Mercury game, had eight points in 12 minutes off the bench. Nogić played 31 minutes, was a team-high plus 23 and for now seems like the better starting fit. 

Much is still to be determined, though, in a 44-game season that continue next week against expansion Toronto on Tuesday and Los Angeles on Thursday. 

“Our identity is going to be our defense and toughness,” Tibbetts said. “How we play offensively is going to evolve especially as we add Mo and Sami back, just understanding the movement and shooting we’re missing with them.”

Akoa Makani will play for Bourges in the last game of the French league finals Sunday before returning for her second WNBA season.