It was the third quarter of the match between Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty on June 19, 2025. Following the free throw, Liberty was looking to make a break for it. But the ball went loose on the half court. Two players, Lexi Held and Breanna Stewart, rushed to collect it, both diving headfirst into a collision. Stewart successfully collected the ball and passed it to her teammate for an easy layup. But this collision marked the end of the game that night for Held.
The Phoenix Mercury guard, unfortunately, got struck by Stewart’s elbow during the collision. This led to a collapsed lung for the 25-year-old. She was held back in NY while her team went on to play another match. She has been recovering for a month from this dreadful injury. But now, Held is back at her fittest, and she has a heartfelt message for her team.
Giving a status report on her injury, the player said she is improving every day, but still keeps in mind to not overexecute or underperform each day. But one thing the Mercury player was grateful for was her organization, which stood by her through thick and thin. “If anything, I’m more grateful to be here because you really see an organization’s true colors when you’re hurt because you can’t be useful to them,” Lexi Held said.
Phoenix Mercury guard Lexi Held said her collapsed lung made her more grateful to be with the Mercury.
“You really see an organization’s true colors when you’re hurt … and nothing changed with the people here regarding how they treated me, how they viewed me.”#WNBA pic.twitter.com/kcCTmDAzSa
— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) July 21, 2025
Continuing her praises for the Phoenix Mercury, she said, “You really get a good idea about who they are and what they really are about, and nothing changed with the people here regarding how they treated me.” The player revealed that the staff did not show any discrimination towards her due to her injury. Held claims she felt no difference in interaction with the staff while injured, as when she was playing at her best. However, the 25-year-old did take some blows towards her past organizations.
Phoenix Mercury gave Lexi Held applaudable support during hardships
“I give huge credits to them [Mercury] cause I’ve been part of organizations where ‘Ahh, we’ll see you when you come back,’” she said, waving her arms to imply some organizations don’t look after players when injured. While Held is singing praises for the Phoenix Mercury staff, they indeed were with her through thick and thin.
After her injury, medical staff and the Mercury team took Held out of the game and sent her for further examination. Doctors later determined that she had suffered a pneumothorax, or a collapsed lung. However, another problem arose for her. Doctors did not clear her to fly in this state. You may wonder how she made it back home in this condition. Held took a longer but safer way, trains. Alongside Phoenix Mercury physical therapist Ashley Lea, the WNBA player embarked on a three-day journey to return to her hometown in Phoenix.
There at the train station was Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts and his daughters, alongside other staff, to welcome Held and Lea home. Furthermore, the staff was there for Held during recovery. She claims they kept her “motivated and happy”. The Mercury guard said the staff kept the vibes high even during dire situations. Now the 25-year-old is eyeing a return against Atlanta Dream on July 23, 2025. The Mercury is yet to announce the availability of Lexi Held.
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