Phoenix Mercury sign veteran guard in full-circle moment

Alexis Prince was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in the third round in 2017, after a successful collegiate career at Baylor University.

But, like most third-round picks in the WNBA, Prince wasn’t able to find a long-term home in the league. She appeared nearly half of the Mercury’s games in her rookie season, averaging 7.2 minutes a night, then in a pair of games for the Atlanta Dream the following year, and then went overseas before returning to the WNBA in 2020, where she signed with the Chicago Sky.

Now 31 years old, Prince has played for numerous overseas teams, including the French club Tarbes Gespe Bigorre (2018-19), the Turkish club Hatayspor (2020-23), the Spanish club CB Avenida (2023-24), and the Israeli club Elitzur Ramla (2024).

On Thursday, the Mercury announced Prince had signed a training camp contract with the team, meaning that the former Baylor standout is giving the WNBA another go. It’s been 5 years since she last appeared in a WNBA game — a 9-minute outing in a Sky game in 2020 — and a training camp contact is no guarantee. But, it signals the guard’s unwavering desire to try to find a spot in the women’s basketball’s most competitive league.

At 6’2, Prince is a bucket-getter who has been very efficient in Israel this winter. Prince is averaging 19.3 points per game on 52.4% shooting. She’s also averaged 8.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1 block while shooting 36.9% from three.

The Mercury currently have 16 players under contract for training camp, so at least 4 will be cut before the season’s tip-off. If Prince can show that she can score at a high level and consistently defend the way she did in college, she could find herself earning one of those spots.

The Mercury will be centered around their new trio of Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper, and Satou Sabally next season. All three players can score at a high level and, at their best, should be able to form a formidable lineup that can compete with the best of them.

But, basketball is a 5-on-5 game, and around Thomas, Copper, and Sabally, Phoenix will need to rely on a lengthy list of bench players. Some — like former Dallas Wings center Kalani Brown, Turkish guard Sevgi Uzun, and Australian guard Sami Whitcomb — already have proven WNBA experience.

But, for many, training camp will be an opportunity to showcase that they have what it takes to compete in the best league in women’s basketball for a team that hopes to contend for a championship. Prince, who began her pro career nearly a decade ago in Phoenix, will hope to show she has what it takes.