Is Lexi Held Back in the Rotation?

Though the Mercury have gone with an eight-player rotation lately, Lexi Held has been back on the court during the team's last four games.

Jul 27, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Lexi Held (1) controls the ball in the first half against the Washington Mystics at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images / Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

Early in the season, Lexi Held was a key bench contributor for an injury-riddled Phoenix Mercury team, providing shooting, playmaking, and defense for a team exceeded expectations despite not playing with all three of their big stars. She averaged more than 20 minutes a night off the bench.

Partway through the season, she suffered an unfortunate injury, a partially collapsed lung, an injury severe enough that she had to take a three-day train ride across the country to rejoin the Mercury back in Phoenix. Before that injury, which knocked her out of a game against the New York Liberty, she was on a hot streak, with double-digit points in five of her last six outings, including a 24-point outburst against the Golden State Valkyries where she went 4-for-9 from beyond the arc.

The injury knocked her out for more than a month, and she had to be eased back into the lineup when she returned. Her minutes dropped significantly as she looked to regain her fitness and her rhythm. Unfortunately for her, the rotation also changed soon after her return. Head coach Nate Tibbetts elected to go with an eight-player rotation to prepare for the postseason, but Held has found herself back in the lineup lately after not touching the court for a few games.

Aug 3, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith (2) defends against Phoenix Mercury guard Lexi Held (1) during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

She saw playing time in a game that starting point guard Monique Akoa Makani missed, which is to be expected, but also came off the bench in each of Phoenix's last two games, and they had a full lineup for both.

"She was playing at an extremely high level and then she got hurt. Then, as she was coming back, I kind of changed the rotation, so I'm trying to reward her a little bit for playing so well early," said Tibbetts. "She's still trying to find her way. I think she can continue to play better." She averaged just a bit under eight minutes in those two games.

Tibbetts also said that their schedule was part of the reason he extended the rotation. Phoenix just played five games in eight nights and ended that stretch on a back-to-back, so Held coming back into the lineup could help keep the starters fresh. Even if she doesn't permanently rejoin the rotation, she seems to be the guard most trusted to step in in the event of an injury.

"We're gonna need these players that aren't playing to stay ready," Tibbetts said. "You never know what happens."

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