Marta Suarez and the Phoenix Mercury lost to Olivia Miles and the Minnesota Lynx, 104-100, on Monday. Miles scored a game-high 33 points on 5-for-8 shooting from 3-point range while dishing a team-high eight assists. Phoenix forwards Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner both had game highs, with the former tallying 12 assists and the latter grabbing nine rebounds.
Suarez finished the game playing only five minutes, with the Institut Joaquim Blume graduate scoring two points and grabbing one rebound. The 6-foot-3 forward was originally drafted by the Seattle Storm in the second round of the 2026 WNBA Draft with the No. 16 overall pick.
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The Spain native never appeared for the Storm, as she was traded to the Golden State Valkyries for the No. 8 overall pick and former LSU Tigers star Flau'jae Johnson. The 24-year-old played in one preseason game for Golden State before being waived and picked up by Phoenix. On Thursday, the Mercury front office made a decision on the rookie forward.
Suarez was signed by Phoenix at first on a developmental contract on May 6 before being signed to a seven-day hardship contract on July 9. The seven-day contracts, colloquially known as hardship exceptions, allow teams to temporarily go over their standard roster limit to replace an injured player. With Mercury forward Natasha Mack's foot injury, the front office opened up a temporary roster spot.
Suarez appeared in 10 games for Phoenix during the WNBA's 30th anniversary season, averaging 3.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 9.7 minutes per game. The former TCU Horned Frogs star averaged 0.4 3-pointers per game on 40.0% shooting while shooting 50.0% from the field.
Despite the potential Suarez showed, Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia and general manager Nick U'Ren have decided to move on from the 2026 first-team All-Big 12 forward. On Thursday, Underdog WNBA reported on X that the Mercury reportedly have released Suarez.
"Marta Suarez has been released by the Mercury," Underdog WNBA wrote on X.
Phoenix will host the Connecticut Sun at the Mortgage Matchup Center on Friday at 10 p.m. ET.
