Mercury Player Profile: Kitija Laksa

Kitija Laksa has been one of the Phoenix Mercury's reliable bench players.

Jul 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Kitija Laksa (9) shoots in the second half against the Dallas Wings at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury's bench has been one of the highlights of their season. They are the best scoring bench in the league this season, and they have given Phoenix a big boost.

The Mercury have a strong starting unit, as their starting unit consists of Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas, Kathryn Westbeld, Monique Akoa Makani and Sami Whitcomb.

Whitcomb's situation is a bit different from the other starters, as she starts when Kahleah Copper is out. When Copper is available, Whitcomb is a part of the Mercury's deep bench.

Phoenix's bench has some talented players and Kitija Laksa is one of them.

Laksa is one of four Mercury rookies this season. She is joined by Westbeld, Akoa Makani and Lexi Held. She was drafted by the Seattle Storm back in 2020, but she did not play during that season. The Storm ended up waiving her in 2021.

The Dallas Wings signed her to a deal in 2023, but they waived her before the season. While Laksa was trying to get on a WNBA team, she spent time with teams like TTT Riga in Latvia and PF Schio in Italy.

The Mercury signed Laksa to a deal before the start of this season. Now, she is in the league and is getting playing time. She made her debut against the Los Angeles Sparks, and she finished with nine points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals. All of her points came from 3-pointers.

Laksa is contributing in her first year, and she has scored in double figures in eight games so far. Her best game was against the Chicago Sky. She scored 18 points against them and made three 3-pointers.

The Mercury's rookie is averaging 8.3 points and 1.4 rebounds. She can knock down shots, and in the minutes she has played this season, she is shooting well. She is shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from 3-point range. She has played in 19 games this season and started in five of them.

Phoenix's rookies are flourishing in their respective roles, and they could be what helps the Mercury win. Laksa has waited for this moment, and she has delivered. If she continues to play like this, she could be with the team for years to come.

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