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Phoenix Mercury Share Concerning Update on Standout Rookie Before Liberty Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 2:20 PM ET

Phoenix Mercury head into Friday’s rematch with the New York Liberty on a five-game win streak and boasting an 11-4 record, good for third in the WNBA standings.

Now playing at home in PHX Arena, the Mercury will look to repeat a closely contested 89-81 road victory they claimed at Barclays Center on June 19.

While the game itself was largely a success, celebration paused in the third quarter when rookie guard Lexi Held, diving for a loose ball, suffered a right-rib injury.

She exited with some assistance but visibly in pain, and head coach Nate Tibbetts confirmed postgame that she was "in a lot of pain" and under further evaluation.

The Mercury issued an official medical update on Thursday, revealing that Held has been diagnosed with a right-sided pneumothorax.

While the precise return timetable remains undetermined, team sources report that she is making encouraging progress under the care of Phoenix’s medical staff.

Inbox: Phoenix Mercury guard Lexi Held has been diagnosed with a pneumothorax (right lung)

She's "making good progress in her recovery and an update on her timeline for return will be shared once determined."
— Stephen PridGeon-Garner (@StephenPG3) June 26, 2025

Phoenix’s season has been led by veteran performances from veterans Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas, alongside breakout seasons from rookies Monique Akoa Makani, Kathryn Westbeld and Kitija Laksa.

Together, they’ve formed a deep, versatile unit that ranks sixth in the league in scoring (82.3 points per game) and fourth in defense (78.2 opponent points per game).

Amid this collective surge, rookie guard Held has emerged as one of the season’s feel-good stories.

The 25-year-old DePaul product signed a training-camp contract on March 5 before cracking Phoenix’s final roster on May 15.

In 14 games this season, Held has averaged 8.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.4 assists in 20.7 minutes per contest, performing as one of the Mercury's key contributors off the bench.

Prior to the WNBA, she spent four seasons with the Blue Demons, where she was a two-time All-Big East selection and led DePaul to three Big East tournaments (2018-2020).

Undrafted in 2022, Held made stops overseas in Australia, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Sweden before returning stateside for training camp.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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