Phoenix Mercury gaining momentum from breakout stretch by French star

Valeriane Ayayi’s comeback to the WNBA didn’t go as planned at first. 

The 32-year-old signed with the Phoenix Mercury in the offseason, marking 11 years since she debuted with the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2015. 

Ayayi’s stacked international resume earned her a guaranteed contract, but her impact wasn’t immediate.  

The French forward missed the first two games due to FIBA clearance issues, but started on May 12 against the Minnesota Lynx. Her start looked promising before three fouls limited her to six points in 17 minutes.  

From there, her minutes dwindled and she lost her spot in the starting rotation.  

“I’ve played already 15 years professionally, so for me, that was the first time being in that situation in my career,” Ayayi said. “But also, I’ve been through a lot. For me, it was just one step that I had to reach and just to keep working and be confident.” 

Her mindset helped focus her work on defense and trust her shooting ability. 

Ayayi has played in many high-pressure situations, including the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she captained the French squad to a silver medal. 

As hard as seeing her minutes go down was, Ayayi stayed ready for her next moment. 

With several key players going down with injuries, including French forward Noemie Brochant, the Mercury needed Ayayi to step up.

“My teammates help me up a lot," Ayayi said. "I wasn’t going to say that was easy because times were tough, and we were losing, but the opportunity will come and I just need to be ready.” 

While the Mercury’s postseason chances looked bleak early, Ayayi’s breakout has given Phoenix a second wind.  

Ayayi became one of the top performers in the Mercury’s 20-point rout over the Seattle Storm on June 20, posting a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.  

Three games later, Ayayi posted her career-high of 20 points as the team rallied with only nine players available in the wake of Alyssa Thomas’ suspension against the Toronto Tempo on June 27.  

“We are spending more time together because we have more time to spend together,” Ayayi said. “But also, you know, when you are facing a lot of outside things, you just have to regroup and stay together, and I think that was good for us.” 

The Mercury won four of five games — Phoenix's best stretch yet this season — entering the matchup Tuesday, July 7, with Chicago. And in that stretch, Ayayi averaged 16.8 points, second behind Kahleah Copper’s 24.4 points. Phoenix is 4-0 when Ayayi scores 15 or more points. 

“We needed time to find our rhythm and now that we are starting to get into it, it’s good to just keep working and keep doing the same things we did to find this rhythm,” Ayayi said. 

Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X. 

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Mercury gaining momentum from breakout stretch by French star