The Phoenix Mercury have been the worst team in the WNBA with a league-worst record of 2-10. They've lost five games in a row. Help is on the horizon for them though as they received some good news on Saturday. Both Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi have missed the past several games for the Mercury due to injury but the team announced that they were both expected back in the lineup. As a result, the Mercury were forced to cut Sam Thomas who had been signed to a hardship contract in the absence of both Griner and Taurasi.

When WNBA teams drop below ten available players, they are allowed to sign a replacement player to a hardship contract. Once a player returns to the lineup and brings the active roster back up to at least ten players, the hardship contract is then immediately terminated. That was the situation Sam Thomas found herself in this week. In addition to Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi being out for the Mercury due to injury, they have also been without Skylar Diggins-Smith who is out on maternity.

Thomas was a rookie last season with the Mercury so they had already been familiar with her game. She played in 24 games last season and although her numbers didn't exactly jump off the stat sheet at 0.4 points per game and 0.2 rebounds, her value lies beyond statistics. Thomas is a very good defensive player and brings a high motor/energy to the court. She had been in training camp with the Mercury this season but was one of their final roster cuts.