Lexi Held, due to injury, will miss the nationally broadcasted WNBA game in Chicago this Saturday
Lexi Held, the rookie guard for the Phoenix Mercury, is nearing the end of her recovery from a partially collapsed lung sustained in a June 19 game against the New York Liberty. The injury occurred after a collision with Breanna Stewart.
Held has resumed training recently after several weeks of rest and is gradually ramping up her activity. She feels physically good now, but as of late July, she had not officially resumed playing. The Mercury is focusing on a cautious, progressive re-integration of Held into the team's lineup.
The Mercury was not expecting Held to play in the July 23 game against the Atlanta Dream, and she had missed eight consecutive games by then. However, she has returned to practice and is aiming for a return soon, with some optimism for her availability in late July or early August. The Mercury will announce her availability closer to upcoming games.
Prior to the injury, Held was averaging more than 21 minutes of playing time off the bench for Phoenix. She is a 5-foot-10 rookie guard who played professional basketball in Europe before joining the Phoenix Mercury training camp in April.
In her senior season at Cooper High School, Held finished with the state's second-highest scoring average at 28.3 points per game. She graduated from Cooper High School in 2018 and scored more than 2,430 points during her varsity career.
Held's team, the Phoenix Mercury, has had a strong start to the season, with an 10-4 record in the WNBA. They will play a nationally televised game in Chicago at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Mercury will also visit the Chicago Sky once again on Aug. 3.
The Mercury's next game is scheduled against the Indiana Fever on July 30 in Indianapolis, which would give Held's family and friends in Northern Kentucky a chance to see her play at a WNBA venue.
Held's injury affected her season averages, which are now 8.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.5 steals. Despite the setback, Held has shown promise, scoring in double figures in five of the team's first seven games this month.
DePaul University in Chicago has added an action photo of Lexi Held to a wall in their athletic department that celebrates former players who made it to the Women's National Basketball Association. Held started 89 consecutive games over three seasons for the DePaul women's basketball team, helping them compile a 64-26 record.
In June, Held set a season-high of 24 points, the most by a rookie player at that point in the 2025 WNBA season. However, on June 5, she suffered a rib injury while diving for a loose ball during the third quarter of Phoenix's game against the New York Liberty. Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts stated that Held was "in a lot of pain" after the injury.
Held accepted a training camp contract from the Chicago Sky, the defending WNBA champions, after her final college season in 2022, but was later released prior to the start of the season. As a result of the injury, Held's playing time was limited to nine minutes in the game.
The Phoenix Mercury is off to its best start since 2018, with a current record of 10-4 in the WNBA this season. Fans are eagerly awaiting Held's return to the court and her contribution to the team's continued success.
- Despite being from Northern Kentucky, Lexi Held is currently a member of the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and has had a strong start to the season with an 10-4 record.
- While recovering from a partially collapsed lung sustained in a game against the New York Liberty, Lexi Held has been watching her team, the Phoenix Mercury, excel in sports, with a particular focus on basketball.
- After her return to practice, Lexi Held is aiming to make her comeback soon, which will provide an opportunity for her family and friends in Northern Kentucky to see her play basketball at a WNBA venue when the Mercury visits the Indiana Fever on July 30.
