PHOENIX — Lexi Held rejoined the Phoenix Mercury in June 2026 after being waived by the Toronto Tempo. The move came shortly after the Tempo signed guard Tima Pouye, a 27-year-old French rookie, which led to Held’s release following eight appearances with the expansion team.
Held had been selected by Toronto with the 10th overall pick in the WNBA expansion draft after the Mercury left her unprotected. During her brief stint with the Tempo, she averaged 7.5 minutes per game and shot 30% from the field. Her return to Phoenix marked a reunion with the team where she played her rookie season, during which she averaged 5.3 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. She also had a six-game stretch in which she averaged nearly 14 points per game.
"This is a special place to me," Lexi Held said before her season debut back with the Mercury. "Last year was amazing — just the way everybody here poured into me and believed in me last formulate year. Super special, I’m really happy to be back in this environment with everyone." She added, "It means everything" to be back with the Phoenix Mercury.
In her return game on June 1, 2026, Held played 15 minutes and scored 5 points on 1-of-3 shooting. The Mercury lost that game to the Minnesota Lynx by 34 points, the second-largest home defeat in franchise history. At the time, Phoenix held a 2–8 record, having lost six straight games while being outscored by an average of 4.9 points per game. The team was allowing 87.9 points per game, the fifth-worst defensive mark in the WNBA.
"I think I can just contribute, similar to last year, just a tenacity on defense, a lot of activity," Held said. "I can shoot the ball well offensively, space the floor, make good decisions. Just really willing to do the dirty work, play really hard."