Making a WNBA roster is never easy. Even top draft picks sometimes get cut or are out of the league after just a few seasons. For women’s basketball players in the U.S., the limited number of roster spots in the WNBA are one of the biggest obstacles they must overcome. While it sometimes takes a bit longer to do that, it is not impossible.
The Phoenix Mercury’s current rookie class is proving that there is more than one way to WNBA success. Despite missing All-Stars Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas for quite some time, the Mercury currently have the third-best record in the WNBA. The reasons for that success have been Satou Sabally and four surprising rookies, who stepped up in big ways.
Kitija Laksa, Lexie Held, Monique Akoa Makani, and Kathryn Westbeld are all in their first WNBA season, but quickly dispelled the concern that the Mercury didn’t have a good enough supporting cast around their three stars. None of them were expected to have such a massive impact.
The Mercury’s rookies didn’t have an easy road to the WNBA
Phoenix is well represented on the list of top-scoring rookies. Kitija Laksa, Lexie Held, and Monique Akoa Makani rank sixth, seventh, and eighth in scoring among all rookies. Kathryn Westbeld is twelfth. Makani also ranks fourth in assists per game among rookies. Held and Westbeld are making an impact defensively, too. The latter leads all rookies in blocks per game and Held ranks second in steals per game.
And yet, none of the Mercury’s four rookies entered the 2025 season as high-profile players. Laksa, who made a name for herself as a sharpshooter in Europe after being drafted with the eleventh overall pick in 2020, probably had the most pedigree. The Mercury even offered her a guaranteed contract without ever seeing her play in the WNBA.
None of the Mercury’s other top rookies were drafted. Westbeld went undrafted after helping Notre Dame to an NCAA Championship and also didn’t make the Sparks’ roster after signing a training camp deal with them in 2018. So, Westbeld played in Australia and Europe, working her way towards a starting spot with the Mercury.
Held’s journey is similar. She played at DePaul from 2018 to 2022, went undrafted, and didn’t make a WNBA roster. Now, she is the Mercury’s sixth-leading scorer and put the league on notice with a big 24-point performance in a win over the Golden State Valkyries.
Monique Akoa Makani is the youngest member of this group. Despite playing well in France, she went undrafted. Nevertheless, the Mercury gave her a chance, and she has made the most of it. As a full-time starter, Makani averages 8.4 points on very efficient shooting, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. She just played the best game of her career when she recorded 21 points and six assists in a win over the Liberty.
Phoenix’s rookies are proof that being cut from a roster doesn’t have to be the end
None of these players had an easy road to the WNBA, but they have found success as rookies. Their stories should give hope to young players who weren’t drafted or were cut from their teams. Sometimes, it just takes a while for players to claim a spot in the league.
Limited roster spots have long been an issue for WNBA players. Nevertheless, there are many different paths to securing a role in the league and being cut once doesn’t have to mean the end.