Big News for Kiana Williams & Phoenix Mercury

Kiana Williams is back with the Phoenix Mercury on a second 7-day contract, to help provide much-needed depth for a team dealing with injuries.

Jul 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kiana Williams (23) against the Minnesota Lynx at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Phoenix may be getting three of their most important players back from injury, as Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper, and Lexi Held are no longer on the injury report, but their injury woes are not completely behind them. Starting point guard Monique Akoa Makani is still recovering from a concussion, leaving the Mercury in need of guard depth. Veteran guard Kiana Williams, previously signed to a 7-day contract to help ease the very same issue, has been signed to a second 7-day deal, according to a post on the team's X account.

The 26-year-old guard has been with a few WNBA franchises before landing in Phoenix. She previously spent short stints with the Seattle Storm, who drafted her in the second round in 2021, and the Connecticut Sun. She has also spent time playing overseas in China, Australia, and Turkey. Though this season marks the first time she has suited up for the Mercury, she actually had a training camp invite with Phoenix back in 2022, but did not make the final roster. Yesterday's signing is the third time the Mercury have signed her this season.

The former Stanford star has appeared in five games for Phoenix so far this season, and has put up six points per game on 50% shooting from the field and 35.7% shooting from deep, while chipping in with 1.4 assists a night and just 0.2 turnovers per game. They're pretty strong contributions on just under 14 minutes a game, and she even put up a season (and career) high in a blowout win over the Dallas Wings on July 7th, with 17 points on just eight shot attempts, in only 21 minutes. She went 3-for-4 from three that night with four assists.

They'll be counting on her to fill in off the bench, and she's shown that she can play multiple backcourt positions. It's unclear when Akoa Makani will be ready to go again, and it's not yet certain how much game time returning starters Copper and Sabally will get, as well as how much Held can play in her first game back from a partially collapsed lung.

Williams has shown flashes of outside shooting ability, a must for a Mercury team that always features a five-out or at least four-out lineup and loves to push the tempo. She's small at 5'7" but has the quickness to capably defend opposing point guards, an area where Akoa Makani excels.

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