Last-place Mercury fire coach Vanessa Nygaard and replace her with assistant Nikki Blue
![](https://ktvz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ktvz-sports.png)
PHOENIX (AP) — The last-place Phoenix Mercury have fired coach Vanessa Nygaard and replaced her with assistant Nikki Blue for the remainder of the season. The Mercury have gotten off to a rough start, dropping 10 of their first 12 games, including a 97-74 loss in Seattle on Saturday night. Nygaard took over the team last season and went 17-31. It wasn’t an easy year-and-a-half for Nygaard, with star center Brittney Griner missing all of last season while she was detained in Russia. Blue joined the Mercury coaching staff last season and has 15 years of coaching experience in the WNBA and college.