Vanessa Nygaard has been named as the new head coach of the Phoenix Mercury.

In a press conference late Monday afternoon, Nygaard referenced the Mercury’s standout guard Diana Taurasi.

“I’ve always wanted to be a coach in the WNBA, and the opportunity to coach one of the most storied franchise and to coach the greatest player of all time, as well as other outstanding players, is something that I couldn’t even dream of,” said Nygaard.

The Mercury missed the WNBA championship in 2021 by only two wins. This season the league is expanding the number of games to 36.

Their first tip off of the 2022 season is May 6 against the Las Vegas Aces.