Why Mercury are parting ways with Shay Ciezki despite 22.8 PPG Indiana season

Why Mercury are parting ways with Shay Ciezki despite 22.8 PPG Indiana season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Shay Ciezki did everything she could in her college career to earn a shot in the WNBA.

Despite that, the Phoenix Mercury waived her on Monday, according to the league's official transaction log.

Ciezki will likely clear waivers, at which point she'd be free to sign with any team in the league.

The 5-foot-7 guard originally from Lancaster, N.Y. began her college career at Penn State and finished it with the Indiana Hoosers.

At IU in 2025-26, Ciezki was an All-Big Ten player with huge numbers -- she averaged 22.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. She shot 52.6% from the floor, 44.6% from 3-point range and 90.8% from the foul line.

Those were some of the most efficient offensive numbers in the country, particularly at the guard spot.

Why did Mercury not keep Shay Ciezki?

Two things were working against Ciezki here: physical size and roster size.

At 5-foot-7, it's hard for guards to stick around a WNBA that's getting longer, taller and more athletic.

A player of Ciezki's ability can pull it off, but they don't often get the benefit of the doubt.

Roster size is the bigger factor. The WNBA is still a relatively small league compared to other professional sports in the U.S., and that means less available roster spots, particularly for undrafted players like Ciezki.