The Phoenix Mercury acquired two big fish this offseason: the attackers Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas. In addition to turning the Kahleah Copper stars, a promising new nucleus had emerged in the Western Conference.
But a list is made up of 12 players, not three years, and Phoenix did not have a multitude of proven players to surround Sabally and Thomas.
To make things more complicated, they did not have a single choice in the draft of the WNBA 2025.
In addition to that, copper has missed all season until now after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in the spring, and Thomas has missed the last weeks with a calf strain.
So you imagine that Phoenix fought with power given their lack of depth and major injuries. Instead, they are 6-3 so far this season.
Unclaffed recruits propelled mercury to win after winning
Four unlikely recruits – The Monique Akoa Makan guards, Lexi Held and Kitija Laksa, and striker Kathryn Westbeld – made all the difference.
Westbeld and Akoa Makani have started every game so far this season. Westbeld, a 29 -year -old goalkeeper who spent most of his career abroad, is on average 7.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. On Sunday, she exploded for 15 points on 5-10 shot, helping to carry out a team from Phoenix in digital disadvantage to a victory over the Sparks.
Akoa Makani, a 24 -year -old recruit from Cameroon, is on average 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 1 vol. She hit the two -digit score numbers five times this season, establishing herself as a strong guard at both ends.
Then there is Lexi Held, who is Mercury’s third scorer with 8.9 points, 1.4 seats and 1.7 interceptions per game. Held, who played in Australia, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Sweden after a collegial career in Depaul, came out of the bench in every game this season. Lately, she started finding a particularly coherent offensive pace.
During Tuesday’s defeat against Minnesota Lynx, she collected 16 points, 3 assists and 3 interceptions. She followed this with an explosion of 24 points on Thursday, reaching 4 of the 9 three points against the Golden State Valkyries.
Kitija Laksa was the subject of the starting range in the absence of Thomas and is on average 8.5 points per game. Her best match came last month against Chicago’s sky, in which she posted 18 points out of 6-9.
In addition to these four, the mercury has signed two other unspecified recruits which have not yet had much impact; Goalkeeper Megan McConnell, who made his WNBA debut earlier this week before getting injured on the knee, and the center of Murjanatu Musa, who has an average of 10.4 minutes per match in five competitions.
It is unusual that a list is made up of so many unlikely recruits, but the mercury made it work. And, although it was without two of their best players during most of the season, they managed to publish the fourth best record in the League (on a par with the ACE).
Has Phoenix did this off-season with the abroad?
Has chief coach Nate Tibbets simply built a system that allows any solid player to prosper?
Whatever they arrived here, Mercury has managed to build a competition list using players whose most fans have never heard. And, with copper and Thomas who should come back later this season, the ceiling of this team has not yet been explored.
