Two Cowgirls are making noise in Phoenix — and the Mercury are better for it.
Oklahoma State alumnae Shay Ciezki and Natasha Mack shared the floor for a pivotal stretch run in the WNBA's final weeks, with Ciezki delivering a breakout moment and Mack providing the kind of dependable frontcourt production that playoff-hopeful teams lean on when things get tight.
Ciezki's Career Night Sparks a Comeback
The biggest OSU headline of the week came Thursday in Portland, where Mercury rookie Shay Ciezki turned in a career night to help Phoenix rally past the Portland Fire at Moda Center. Details of the exact stat line weren't disclosed in the brief, but the result spoke for itself: a comeback win, a celebration on the court, and a young guard cementing herself as a legitimate factor in Phoenix's rotation. Ciezki, in her first WNBA season, is doing what promising rookies dream of — coming through in a meaningful game when the moment is biggest.
The image of Ciezki (No. 5) and Mack (No. 4) celebrating together after the final buzzer was the kind of scene that makes alumni offices want to send a press release: two products of Stillwater, Oklahoma, making plays on a national stage, together.
Mack Delivers Across Back-to-Back Games
While Ciezki got the headlines Thursday, Mack quietly put together one of the more productive two-game stretches of her week. On Friday against Portland — a tight 94–91 Phoenix win — Mack posted 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. The steal total is a standout figure; for a frontcourt player to rack up three steals in a single game signals active, disruptive defense that goes well beyond what the box score suggests.
She followed that up Saturday against Dallas in a narrow 82–87 loss, bumping her scoring to 16 points to go with 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal. Back-to-back games totaling 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks is the kind of output that keeps a big on the floor in crunch time — even if the Mercury couldn't close out the Mavs.
Mack's plus/minus ran negative in both games (–5 Friday, –3 Saturday), a reminder that even strong individual performances don't always translate to team outcomes. But the raw production was unambiguous: she was one of Phoenix's most active players across a crucial back-to-back.
The Bigger Picture
With Ciezki emerging as a reliable piece and Mack logging heavy minutes in the frontcourt, Oklahoma State has quietly built a meaningful two-player presence on the Mercury roster. For OSU alumni tracking the program's WNBA footprint, this was a week that delivered — a comeback win, a career moment, and two Cowgirls in each other's corner when it counted.
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