Leilani Mitchell signs with Phoenix Mercury

Leilani Mitchell signed a contract with the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday. She was an unrestricted free agent and was one of the more sought-after point guards in free agency. In Phoenix, Mitchell will already have some familiarity with their roster because she played one season there in 2015.

Mitchell played the last 10 games of the Mystics’ 2016 season after playing for the Australian national team. She also served as a de-facto replacement for Bria Hartley, who sat out the rest of the season due to pregnancy. Mitchell averaged 5.9 points and 1.9 assists last season.

This is a loss for the Mystics, but her production as an assister and as a shooter is replaceable.

They signed unrestricted free agent Kristi Toliver, who was a more sought after player than Mitchell because of her shooting ability. In addition, the Mystics have more sharpshooters in Elena Delle Donne and Elena Meesseman, who make up three of the four most efficient long range shooters in the WNBA. Tayler Hill has also been a consistent shooter over the years.

Finally, Toliver, Delle Donne, Meesseman, and Hill have shown their ability to pass the ball to others over the years to keep plays moving. Therefore, I don’t think there’s much to fear with one player who took her talents out west.