Jul 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kitija Laksa (9) brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Lynx in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Mercury's Laksa Takes Over, Shows Out In College

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Nov 30, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Kitija Laksa was one of the Phoenix Mercury's rookies this year, and she had her own journey. She was drafted by the Seattle Storm in 2020, and while she signed a contract with them, she did not suit up for them. She was later waived, and she played overseas before joining the Mercury.

Laksa averaged 5.9 points and 1.2 rebounds for Phoenix, and her best game was against the Chicago Sky. She had 18 points, an assist and a steal in her team's 94-89 win.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Mercury rookie showcased her talent throughout the season, and some of those performances were reminiscent of her college days. Laksa attended South Florida, and she had some huge games during that time.

Laksa leads South Florida in blowout win

While at South Florida, Laksa had a 41-point game. Her team faced Ohio State, and the Mercury reserve helped them get the 84-65 win. On top of her massive game scoring-wise, Laksa had two rebound, two assists and a steal. Another thing that stood out about her performance was that she knocked down eight 3-pointers. She was on fire, and in the end, that led to an excellent performance.

Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

South Florida had another player who scored in double figures, as Maria Jespersen had 20 points. She also had 14 rebounds and two assists. Both Laksa and Jespersen played well and helped their team get its 20th win.

This game was during Laksa's third season, which was also her best. She averaged 21.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

David Butler II-Imagn Images

Laksa had another 40-point game before that, and she did it against Southern. She had a great all-around performance, as she had six rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals. South Florida played well as a team, and outside of Laksa, there were four more players who scored in double figures.

Laia Flores had 14 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and a block. Alyssa Rader had 13 points, six rebounds and a block. Tamara Henshaw and Laura Ferrieira both had 10.

The Mercury rookie had some impressive performances in college, and on top of her 40-point games, there were times where she came close. She had 38 points against SMU, 37 against Tulsa and on top of those, she had eight more games of 30 or more points.

Laksa was a star in college, and now, she is trying to do great things in her WNBA career.

This article first appeared on Phoenix Mercury On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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