The Phoenix Mercury have waived forward Amy Atwell, per the WNBA transactions page. Phoenix's roster move comes amid a busy offseason. The Mercury have already acquired stars such as Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas. However, they did lose Brittney Griner in free agency and rumors continue to swirl about Diana Taurasi's possible retirement.
Nevertheless, the Mercury have hopes of competing in 2025. Atwell was seemingly going to play a depth role for the Mercury, but Phoenix ultimately made the decision to move in a different direction. A reunion could come to fruition at some point down the road, but Atwell may draw interest from opposing teams as well.
She is only 26 years old and technically has two years of experience at the WNBA level. However, Atwell has only appeared in a total of 10 WNBA games.
Phoenix Mercury waive Amy Atwell
Atwell was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2022 WNBA Draft with the 27th overall pick. She ended up earning a roster spot but would appear in only four games with LA. During that time, Atwell saw only 8.0 minutes per outing.
The Sparks made the move to waive Atwell following her aforementioned four games played. She would not appear in another WNBA game until 2024.
Atwell landed an opportunity with the Mercury ahead of the '24 campaign. She ultimately appeared in six total games with the team, averaging 2.5 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
It seemed as if Atwell had an opportunity to make the Mercury's 2025 roster, but the team's decision to waive her suggests otherwise. Still, Atwell features a respectable ceiling and she may land a contract with another team before the 2025 WNBA campaign gets underway.
Mercury preparing for 2025 season
The Mercury, as mentioned, have new stars on the roster this year with Sabally and Thomas joining the team. Phoenix may have a different roster, but they still could make plenty of noise in the WNBA standings.
Competing for a championship will not be easy given the talent around the league, but the Mercury will proceed with confidence regardless of the circumstances.
The Mercury will certainly be a team to monitor as the WNBA offseason continues. Phoenix may look to make another addition or two ahead of the '25 season. They could benefit from some extra depth around their stars.