Former Phoenix Mercury guard Kiana Williams’s second seven-day contract has expired and the team has opted to not bring her back on another deal for now. Williams filled in some valuable minutes for a Phoenix team that was besieged by midseason injuries, averaging 11 minutes a night with 50% shooting from the field and solid 35.7% shooting from three.
She scored a career-high 17 points in a blowout win over the Dallas Wings on July 7th. But the Mercury have opted to leave her off the roster for now.
According to a post on X from Desert Wave Media, the Mercury have opted to leave her off the team to maintain financial flexibility for the WNBA trade deadline, which is coming up on Thursday, August 7th, at 3:00 p.m. EST. While the Mercury, who have the league’s third-best record and a rotation full of positive contributors, may not appear to be a team in major need of a trade deadline move, it’s possible that the team’s recent play, with them losing four of their last five, could push the front office to make some tweaks.
It’s unlikely the Mercury will make a push for an earth-shattering trade for a superstar — their starting lineup already features two 2025 All-Stars and a former Finals MVP in Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas, and Kahleah Copper — it’s possible the Mercury could swing a deal to acquire another big with size (no Mercury starter is taller than 6’4″) or another guard who can create for herself and others.
Jun 6, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey (3) shoots the ball against Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner (42) in the second half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
Yahoo Sports has pitched the idea of a trade for Marina Mabrey, in exchange for starting center Natasha Mack, reserve guard Lexi Held, and up to two second-round picks, but it is a little hard to imagine Mack being traded right after being elevated into the starting lineup.
Still, there’s size elsewhere in the lineup (Kalani Brown, not currently in the rotation, is 6’7″) and as good as Held has been, Mabrey is a bigger talent, a player who scored just under 15 points a night last year while shooting an excellent 42.4% from deep. Mabrey can also provide some extra playmaking to help take pressure off of Thomas, who leads the team in assists by a considerable margin (they also have experience playing together in Connecticut).
There’s no way to be sure just what the front office has planned over the next week, but Williams not being re-signed seems to indicate that some sort of personnel change is on the way, with the team hoping to put themselves in a position to compete for a title.
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