
The Phoenix Mercury found hidden gems this year, as they added four rookies. The Mercury did not have any draft picks, but they brought in players who went undrafted and were playing overseas. Monique Akoa Makani was playing in France, Kitija Laksa played in places like Latvia and Italy, and Kathryn Westbeld played in Hungary.
The Mercury added another rookie, as they brought in Lexi Held. Held also played in Hungary, and before that, she attended DePaul. Held went undrafted in 2022, and after being overseas, she came to Phoenix.
Held had a nice season, and she is just getting started. She showed her abilities throughout the season, and she could become one of their best reserves. The rookie was praised during the season, and recently, the Mercury showed her love on a special day.
Drop all your birthday love for Lexi! pic.twitter.com/C6vqfRFvxJ
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) December 28, 2025
Phoenix's rookie recently celebrated her birthday, and the Mercury highlighted her on social media. Held made a name for herself during the season, and she deserves to be recognized for her efforts.
The 3-point threat had some notable performances, and the one that stands out the most is her game against the Golden State Valkyries. Held was the Mercury's leading scorer in that game, and she had 24 points. She also had two assists and a steal in that outing. She made four 3-pointers, which was the most she made in a game this season.
Held had five other games where she scored in double figures. Her next-best performance was against the Minnesota Lynx, and she had 16 points in that game. She also had three assists, three steals, a block and a rebound. The Mercury lost that game, as the Lynx beat them 88-65. That game was right before Held's big performance against the Valkyries.
After the game against Golden State, Held had 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in Phoenix's loss against the Seattle Storm.
Held also had two 11-point games at different points of the season, and the first was in her debut. The Mercury started the season with a blowout win over the Storm, as they beat them 81-59. On top of her 11 points, Held had three assists, two rebounds and two steals. The other game happened in June, and Held had an assist as well.
The Mercury rookie played well this year, and she will continue to grow.
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