The Pheonix Mercury have made waves in the WNBA by signing Latvia’s Kitija Laksa on a contract surpassing that of even the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, who is the reigning Rookie of the Year.
The 28-year-old joins from the Beretta Famila Schio in Italy, and posted impressive numbers during her time in the EuroLeague by collecting 15.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game before opting to head to the United States.
Penning a guaranteed contract at the Footprint Center, the forward will earn $80,000 in her one-year deal, eclipsing that of Clark who is on a $76,000 salary but makes a fortune through endorsements.
For example, the 22-year-old Iowa alumni signed a $28m contract with Nike shortly after being selected as the overall first pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, not long after becoming the NCAA Division I top scorer across men and women.
Clark also has deals with Gatorade, State Farm and Wilson, becoming the first basketball player since Michael Jordan to have a range of signature items, including limited edition basketballs, after signing on with the sports goods brand.
Laksa, however, is still a long way off the earnings of her teammate and the Mercury’s highest earner. Diana Taurasi, three-time WNBA champion and two-time Finals MVP, earned $234,936 in her 2024 year as she averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists at the age of 42.
Who do the Mercury play first in WNBA 2025?
The Mercury made it to the WNBA Playoffs in 2024 as the fourth seed out of the Western Conference with a .475 record (19 wins), but were quickly dumped out in the First Round by the Minnesota Lynx.
Kahleah Copper led the team in scoring with 21.1 points per game, whilst Brittney Griner and Natasha Cloud led the team in rebounds and assists respectively at 6.6 and 6.9 per game through 40 matches.
They will be on their home patch on opening night as they welcome the Seattle Storm to the Footprint Center in Arizona on Saturday, May 17. Tip-off will be at 16:00 ET/19:00 PT in the city of Pheonix.
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