Phoenix Mercury unveil their 2023 business plan: Blame, badger and scold the fans

Before the start of the next WNBA season, perhaps the Phoenix Mercury could fill their greatest need:

A team economist.

In fact, not even an economist. That’s too extravagant.

They could fill the need with a freshman business major from Arizona State University.

Because business acumen is the gaping hole in the Mercury lineup, as the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury demonstrated on Friday.

Mercury coach annoyed by turnout in LA

Coach Vanessa Nygaard made that clear when she used the postgame interview not to rebuild her team’s confidence after a 23-point blowout, but to lecture and scold the 10 million people of greater Los Angeles area for not buying tickets to the WNBA opener.

This contest marked the return of Brittney Griner, the Mercury’s star center who had spent the last season in a Russian prison cell.

More than 10,000 fans were on hand to welcome Griner, among them luminaries Magic Johnson and Billie Jean King.

They were joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham.

Sorry, not good enough.

You see, the Los Angeles spectators had filled the first level of seating at Crypto.com arena, but beyond that the crowd was pretty sparse.

Imagine a CEO ranting against consumers

In her post-game remarks, Nygaard, the Mercury’s head coach, was visibly annoyed.

“I mean, it was great. But like honestly, c’mon now, LA. We didn’t sell out the arena for BG?” she said. “Like, I expected more, you know, to be honest. Right, it was great, it was loud. But how was it not a sellout? How was it not a sellout?”

Let’s try to imagine this in another business context.

The CEO of, say, PepsiCo, has just run a special on Pepsi Cola. The first question from the media is how did it go? He frowns and says:

“I mean, it was great. But like honestly, c’mon, America. We didn’t sell out? Like, I expected more, you know, to be honest. Right, it was great, but how was it not a sellout? How was it not a sellout?

“You imbeciles. You ingrates.”

Yeah, that’s probably not going to work.

Scolding does not sell products

The first rule in business is the customer is always right. And when the WNBA tells its paying customer they are wrong, it comes off as, well, smug and entitled.

No, it is not good business strategy to tell women basketball fans they should be grateful for the honor of handing you their hard-earned cash.

Which they won’t be, as any first-year ASU business major could tell you.

Those same college kids taking Economics 100 would further explain you’ve just hung a lantern on your business model, telling the world you’re incapable of selling your product even under the most ideal circumstances — the dramatic return of your now biggest star.

Perhaps Nygaard is unfulfilled coaching professional sports, because she is using her platform often to play the hectoring scold.

And it gets her in trouble.

Nygaard has a habit of post-game lecture

As it did last year when she ripped the people who chose the WNBA All-Star Game lineup for leaving the Mercury’s Diana Taurasi off the roster.

Well, who chooses the WNBA All-Star roster?

That would begin with the WNBA fans, who vote their favorites into the All-Star Game.

“I reiterate that she (Diana Taurasi) should be an All-Star,” Nygaard said. “There will be a game in Chicago, but it will not be an All-Star game because Diana Taurasi’s not playing.”

Not an All-Star game?

That didn’t sit well with fellow Mercury player Skylar Diggins-Smith, whom fans had voted onto the All-Star lineup.

Her coach was telling the world she wouldn’t be playing in a true All-Star game.

Diggins-Smith retweeted video of her coach’s comments with a clown emoji.

If Brittney were LeBron, things would be different

Also last year, Nygaard was once again employing the blame game.

Her Highness said Brittney Griner was still in captivity because Americans and our government are racist, sexist and homophobic.

“If it was LeBron, he’d be home, right?” Nygaard asked. “It’s a statement about the value of women. It’s a statement about the value of a Black person. It’s a statement about the value of a gay person. All of those things. We know it, and so that’s what hurts a little more.”

How it was “a statement about the value of a Black person” is a bit puzzling given that both James and Griner are African American.

But beyond that, if she was saying brand “LeBron James” carries more weight in this culture than brand “Brittney Griner,” she’s darn right.

If not for Griner, we'd never know Paul Whelan

No WNBA star can come anywhere close to the superstar wattage of LeBron James. He’s probably among the top five most famous people on Earth.

And yes, that no doubt matters in bringing prisoners home.

As did Brittney Griner’s well-earned celebrity.

Being an NCAA, Olympic and WNBA champion gave her clout that an average, boring white guy named Paul Whelan didn’t have. He was taken prisoner long before Griner and still remains in a Russian prison, because he is not a household name.

I don’t begrudge that fact.

At home: Mercury center Brittney Griner selling Phoenix house

I wouldn’t even know the name Paul Whelan if it weren’t for Brittney Griner.

He owes her a debt of gratitude for putting his name and situation in the spotlight, and for not forgetting him when she was finally set free.

She still implores Americans not to forget him and others in Russian captivity.

The truth is that Nygaard knows better

The pity of all this is that Nygaard knows better.

There is no purer form of meritocracy than collegiate and professional sports. If you don’t cut it there, it’s not because of the fans. It’s not because Americans don't like gay people or women or people of color.

Nygaard would never coach her team the way she wields her politics, the incessant blame game, the excuses, the hunt for scapegoats.

That won’t cut in sports — not at the high level Nygaard has achieved. In sports, the reason you’re losing is painfully clear.

Nygaard was no loser.

She was a star at NCAA powerhouse Stanford University, where she was one of the greatest 3-point shooters in school and NCAA history.

During her time there, The Cardinal went 113-14. She made it into the WNBA and played six years before turning to coaching, where she has been stellar.

She is where she is today, because she worked like hell to get there.

Nygaard needs to stop blaming the fans and Americans and the government and start applying the lessons that have shaped her successful life and career.

Phil Boas is an editorial columnist for The Arizona Republic. He can be reached at phil.boas@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mercury coach was wrong to blame fans after Brittney Griner's return