Fate, as it often does in sports, has a cruel way of flipping the script. Just a few weeks ago, Lexi Held was being celebrated. Her name was etched proudly on a wall inside DePaul University’s athletic department in Chicago. It was a nod to the legacy she built there. Now, the same rookie sensation finds her season hanging by a thread. For those who followed her from her high school heroics to her college dominance, it’s no surprise every WNBA scout had her circled. But the unforgiving nature of pro basketball has already crept in. Lexi’s rookie campaign is suddenly in jeopardy, and while fans and teammates alike hold their breath, it’s a cruel reminder of how quickly fortunes shift in this game.Lexi Held’s story was built for big stages. A standout at Cooper High School in Union, Kentucky, she left with an eye-popping 2,430 points, 604 rebounds, 341 steals, 315 assists, and 97 blocks, numbers that truly looked promising. And when she made the leap to college ball, Held didn’t flinch. In her freshman season at DePaul, she logged 32 games, averaging a solid 15.3 minutes a night. But it was her sophomore year when she truly arrived. Held started all 32 games, ramped up to 27.3 minutes per contest, and scored in double figures 25 times. She cracked 20-plus points on nine separate nights and finished second in the Big East for three-pointers made.Then came the 2020 Big East Tournament, where Lexi detonated for a career-high 31 points in the title game against Marquette. And thus earning tournament MVP honors and building her reputation as a pressure player. That performance, and the string of clutch moments that followed, caught the eye of the Phoenix Mercury. They saw not just a scorer, but a future franchise piece. Now, a sudden medical setback is circling around Held’s rookie season. What exactly happened to Lexi Held? Well, let’s find out!What Happened to Lexi Held?It’s the kind of moment no athlete prepares for – one hustle play that changes everything. On Thursday night, during Phoenix’s hard-fought 89-81 win over the defending champion New York Liberty, Lexi Held dove for a loose ball in the third quarter. It was a classic move, as you could see, all grit, zero hesitation. But this time, it came at a heavy price.She left the court with assistance, visibly in pain. Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts told reporters afterward she was “in a lot of pain”. And, at the time, it was only described as a rib injury. But by Friday, the real story surfaced. Lexi Held had suffered a partially collapsed lung, medically known as a pneumothorax.The timing couldn’t be crueler. Held was quietly one of the league’s sharpest rookie performers this month, scoring in double figures in five of the Phoenix Mercury’s first seven June games. On June 5, she dropped a season-high 24 points. And it was the highest single-game total by a rookie in the 2025 WNBA season at that point. Losing her now isn’t just a blow for Held personally, it’s a serious dent to the Mercury’s second-unit firepower.Because of the delicate nature of her injury, Held wasn’t cleared to fly. Instead, in a uniquely grueling twist, she endured a three-day train ride from New York back to Phoenix. Mercury’s physical therapist, Ashley Lea, traveled alongside her for constant care. It’s a brutal chapter for a rookie whose career was just heating up. Having said that, but knowing Held’s history, this won’t be the final word on her.Could Lexi Held be parting ways with the Phoenix Mercury midseason?Averaging over 21 minutes off the bench, Lexi Held carved out a reliable role in the roster. Even with Phoenix leaning on seasoned stars like Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper, and Alyssa Thomas, and getting breakout rookie years from Monique Akoa Makani, Kathryn Westbeld, and Kitija Laksa. Held’s consistency off the bench gave the Mercury rare, dependable depth.In a league where reliable second-unit scoring is a premium, Held is a gem. Heading into that Liberty game, she was posting 8.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.5 steals a night. And don’t overlook this stat. Because Phoenix currently has nine players averaging 20-plus minutes per game. That balance, that depth, was part of what made this team so dangerous.Now, with her partially collapsed lung sidelining her indefinitely, the Mercury faces a tough reality. Though the team announced she’s “making good progress in her recovery,” there’s no return timeline. And while it’s not an official split, Held and Phoenix have parted ways for now in the most practical sense. Lexi Held (lung) without timetable for return.— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) June 26, 2025But anyone who’s followed Held’s journey knows she’s built for comebacks. From going undrafted to grinding overseas, to becoming one of the W’s rookie feel-good stories, she’s turned setbacks into fuel before. And you’d be foolish to bet against her doing it again. Let’s hope the sideline stint is short. Because the league and this Mercury roster are better with Lexi Held in the mix.The post What Happened to Lexi Held? Is She Leaving Phoenix Mercury Midseason? appeared first on EssentiallySports.