Rookie Lexi Held lit up the court for the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night, scoring a career-high 24 points to lead her team to an 86-77 comeback win over the Golden State Valkyries. No other WNBA rookie has scored more in a single game this season—not even Paige Bueckers, who previously held the mark with 21 points.
Phoenix Mercury Close Strong With 18-1 Run
Phoenix trailed 76-68 with just over four minutes left in regulation. Held gave the Mercury the lead at 77-76 with a deep three-pointer at the 1:11 mark. Satou Sabally followed that with a three-point play and two clutch free throws to seal it. The Mercury closed the game on an 18-1 run, flipping the result in dramatic fashion.
Held shot 7-of-15 from the field and knocked down four of nine attempts from beyond the arc. She also went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Sabally added 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in the win, while Sami Whitcomb chipped in nine before fouling out.
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With the win, Phoenix improved to 6-3 overall and 1-1 in Commissioner’s Cup play. The Mercury are now 5-1 at home, marking the hottest home start in franchise history. The Valkyries, an expansion team in their inaugural season, fell to 2-5 overall and 0-1 in Cup play.
Golden State Valkyries’ Late Turnovers Prove Costly
Golden State hung around thanks to 16 points from Veronica Burton and a double-double from Temi Fagbenle, who finished with 12 points and 10 boards. Kayla Thornton, Cecilia Zandalasini, and Julie Vanloo each added 10 points. But two critical turnovers in the final 30 seconds doomed the Valkyries. Phoenix made them pay at the line with four straight free throws to ice the game.
Lexi Held’s Journey From DePaul to the WNBA
Held wrapped up her college career at DePaul University in 2022 after four seasons with the Blue Demons. She played in 121 games, starting 89, and scored 1,592 career points—16th in program history. She still ranks top five in school history for both three-pointers made (238) and attempted (651).
Her college résumé is packed with honors. Held was a three-time All-BIG EAST selection, a 2019 All-Freshman Team pick, and the 2021 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She helped DePaul win back-to-back conference tournament titles in 2019 and 2020, earning Most Outstanding Performer during that 2020 run.
22 POINTS. MOST BY A ROOKIE THIS SEASON.
Lexi Held is having herself a NIGHT! https://t.co/6oKitb1P3Y pic.twitter.com/QPAy6bznOF
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 6, 2025
Despite her impressive college career, Held went undrafted in 2022. She spent the next two years playing overseas in Australia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Sweden before signing a training camp contract with the Mercury in 2024. That journey has now turned into a breakthrough WNBA season.
Making the Most of Her Moment
Held dropped 16 points against the Minnesota Lynx earlier this week before erupting for a new high against Golden State. Her emergence comes at a perfect time for Phoenix, with star players Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas both sidelined due to injuries. Held has stepped up in their absence and helped keep the Mercury near the top of the standings.
Another rookie, Megan McConnell, was spotted on the Phoenix bench wearing her brother T.J. McConnell’s Indiana Pacers jersey. In a full-circle moment, T.J. was later seen arriving at an NBA Finals game sporting his sister’s Mercury jersey.
DePaul Roots Run Deep in the WNBA
Held is now one of four DePaul alumni currently playing in either the NBA or WNBA. She became the 10th Blue Demon to make an active WNBA roster and is the first since Allie Quigley wrapped up her final season in 2022. Held is also one of 18 former BIG EAST players currently on a WNBA roster.
From a standout college career to a hard-fought journey overseas, Held’s moment in the spotlight has been years in the making. And based on how she’s playing now, it looks like she’s just getting started.
