Jovana Nogić had never stepped on a WNBA court before last Saturday, then walked into the Phoenix Mercury’s nationally televised season opener and helped carry them through the noise. The Serbian guard started against the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces and was used as a primary ball handler almost immediately after Phoenix won the jump ball.
Through her first three career games, Nogić has become one of Phoenix’s most productive and exciting players. That rise has come despite a visa issue that sharply limited her practice time with the team, which made her opening-night role all the more striking. Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts said he expected her to be an off-ball 3-point specialist, but the way she handled Las Vegas pressure without wavering, made smart passes with conviction and shot without hesitation showed a broader game than the Mercury may have first planned.
The early returns mattered because Phoenix entered that opener thin in the backcourt. Monique Akoa Makani, Sami Whitcomb and Valériane Ayayi were all out because of injury or international contract issues, leaving the Mercury to improvise. Nogić did more than fill space. She worked as a screener in Phoenix’s inverted pick-and-roll action, a wrinkle that proved especially effective, and fit in seamlessly on defense.
Her chemistry with Alyssa Thomas was immediate. The two assisted each other four times, and Thomas said after Nogić’s first game that she was “the ultimate pro.” Thomas added that she had long known Nogić from her work with the Serbian national team and overseas, and said the Mercury were excited to have her because she came in with the utmost confidence. That confidence matched the moment. Thirty minutes before tip-off, Phoenix was still sorting through a roster short on guards; by the end of the night, Nogić was one of the reasons the game had a rhythm at all.
The fit also reflects how Phoenix has gone about building. Before the 2026 season, the team’s front office had talked about Nogić for the last couple of years, and Tibbetts said the club’s system is designed to identify overlooked talent and put players in positions to thrive. He said he thought some European players have stayed away because the move has not always seemed worth it financially, and added that Nogić had an awesome start. That is not just coach speak in this case. It is the explanation for how a player who had never taken a WNBA floor until last Saturday ended up looking comfortable from the opening tip against the league’s best.
The question now is not whether Nogić belongs in the rotation. It is how much more Phoenix can ask of her once the roster is whole, because she has already shown the Mercury a version of themselves that was harder to see before she arrived.
