Former NCAA Champion Released By WNBA Team After Five Games originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
As the Phoenix Mercury return to action following the WNBA All-Star break, the franchise will be without one of its newest signees.
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Through 22 games, the Mercury have posted a 15-7 record, placing them second in the Western Conference and third overall, behind only the Minnesota Lynx (20-4) and New York Liberty (15-6).
Under coach Nate Tibbetts, they rank fifth in the league in scoring (83.4 points per game) and second in steals (8.6), playing a balanced style with five players averaging double digits in scoring and nine averaging more than 20 minutes a night.
Firmly entrenched in the rotation up to this point has been fourth-year guard Kianna Williams.
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Unfortunately, on Tuesday, the Mercury announced that it had waived Williams, making the latest in a series of strategic moves ahead of the playoff stretch.
Selected 18th overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2021 WNBA Draft, Williams has since logged time with the Storm, the Connecticut Sun and internationally with Adelaide in the WNBL and Hefei in China.
A former three-time All-Pac 12 honoree, AP All-American and NCAA champion at Stanford, Williams signed a prorated rest-of-season contract with the Mercury on June 26 and later inked a seven-day deal on July 15.
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She made her debut in the Mercury’s 106-91 win over New York on June 27, then delivered a season-high 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting during the 102-72 rout of the Dallas Wings on July 7.
In five total appearances, she averaged 6.0 points. 1.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 13.8 minutes per game, shooting 50.0% from the field and 35.7% from beyond the arc.
For Williams, the door may not be closed, however. With ongoing injuries around the league, her proven shooting touch and court awareness could quickly attract interest from other contenders in need of backcourt depth.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
