Recently-waived WNBA guard has returned to her first home

Lexi Held had a strong rookie season for the Phoenix Mercury last season. Held averaged 5.3 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, and had a six-game stretch in which she averaged almost 14 points per game.

But, in the offseason, ahead of WNBA expansion, Held was left unprotected and was thus selected 10th overall by the Toronto Tempo. But Held’s time in Toronto was short-lived. She appeared in 8 games, but averaged just 7.5 minutes, shooting 30% from the field.

Last week, she was waived, as the Tempo instead signed guard Tima Pouye, a 27-year-old French rookie.

So, Held returned to where her career began, rejoining a Mercury team that had unexpectedly been one of the league’s worst this season. On Monday, she tallied 15 minutes, scoring 5 points on 1-3 shooting.

“This is a special place to me,” Held said before her Mercury season debut, per Shane Young. “Last year was amazing — just the way everybody here poured into me and believed in me last year. Super special, I’m really happy to be back in this environment with everyone.”

Now, she’ll look to provide a boost to a Phoenix team that has struggled immensely.

The Mercury have been among the league’s worst teams; they’re 2-8 and have been outscored by an average of 4.9 points per game. They’ve lost 6 straight, and are letting up 87.9 points per game, the fifth-worst mark in the WNBA.

“I think I can just contribute, similar to last year, just a tenacity on defense, a lot of activity,” Held said. “I can shoot the ball well offensively, space the floor, make good decisions. Just really willing to do the dirty work, play really hard.”

The Mercury will need more than just Held to turn things around. On Monday, they fell to the Minnesota Lynx by 34 points, their second-largest home defeat in franchise history. Kahleah Copper is averaging 18.5 points per game — and has led the team in scoring in 5 of 10 contests — but she’s shooting just 33.7% from the field and 19% from three.

Copper said the team needs to adhere to the standard of a championship team, per ClutchPoints’ Hayden Cilley.

“Everybody’s here for a reason, everybody has a job to do, and it’s like a puzzle. Everybody’s got to do what they bring to the team, whatever that is. You got to bring it every single night, so I think that’s where we are right now.”