25
Apr
Training Camp
Shyla on 'Heals' of MVP Sami for Mercury backcourt
Australian point guard Shyla Heal starts WNBA training camp with the Phoenix Mercury on April 28, 2025. Photo: Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images
Aussies in the WNBA: Shyla Heal begins quest to become the 14th Australian in WNBA 2025
- WNBA Training Camp starts on April 28, 2025 (AEST)
- Australian guard Shyla Heal signed a training camp contract with the Phoenix Mercury
- WNBL MVP Sami Whitcomb signed with the Mercury as a free agent for $125,000 USD.
Australian scoring point guard Shyla Heal begins her quest to join WNBL MVP Sami Whitcomb in the Phoenix Mercury backcourt starts on Monday, April 28 (AEST) when the WNBA opens its training camp window in the United States.
Nine of the 19-player training squad are guards with just six players (below in bold) of 12 required on contracts for the 2025 season.
Heal, 24, is one of three guards on training camp contracts, two players heading into their second seasons and three rookies.
Whitcomb, 36, signed with the Mercury as a free agent from the Seattle Storm for $125,000 (USD).
Whitcomb is the only true guard contracted as Kahleah Copper, 30, is listed as a combo guard / forward.
"I'm really excited to have this opportunity with the Phoenix Mercury!" Heal said when the announcement was made she'd get her second WNBA opportunity.
"I am so much more experienced and ready now, than I was three years ago when I got drafted.
"So I’m ready to go in and show them what I’ve got!"
Non-contracted training camp players are paid $66,079 (USD).
Heal was drafted by the Chicago Sky with the eighth pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft, was traded to the Dallas Wings after four games and then waived.
2025 Phoenix Mercury Guards at Training Camp
2025 Phoenix Mercury Training Camp Roster
- Monique Akoa Makani
- Kalani Brown
- Kahleah Copper
- Shyla Heal
- Lexi Held
- Kitija Laksa
- Natasha Mack
- Anna Makurat
- Megan McConnell
- Murjanatu Musa
- Alexis Prince
- Temira Poindexter
- Helena Pueyo
- Satou Sabally
- Celeste Taylor
- Alyssa Thomas
- Sevgi Uzun
- Kathyrn Westbeld
- Sami Whitcomb
Coaching Staff
- Head Coach: Nate Tibbetts
- Associate Head Coach: Kristi Toliver
- Assistant Coaches: Michael Joiner, Megan Vogel
- Assistant/Player Development Coach: Chevy Saunsoci
- Assistant Coach/Head Video Coordinator: Ciara Carl
- Assistant Coach/Advance Scout: John McCullough
- Director of Health & Performance: Hannah Wengertsman
Heal tore it up for Turkish Women's Basketball Super League club Tarsus Belediyesi Mersin in season 2024-25 with an average 17.6 points per game, 3.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists while dropping the second most threes in one of Europe's toughest domestic leagues.
Heal, who won the 2023 WNBL championship with the Townsville Fire, is an elite scorer and pure shooter. She averaged 31.5 points per game, 4.1 assists and 6.9 rebounds for NBL1 East Conference club Sydney Comets last season before jetting to Turkey.
Heal's ability to score the ball were on full display for the Comets in 2024 — on the weekend of July 5 and 6, Heal dropped back-to-back 50s on the road, first at Penrith (51) then in Canberra against the Nationals (52). She went a combined 33-from-61 from the field, including 16-30 from three.
Key dates for Aussies in the WNBA:
- April 27 (US): Training camps commence, with Australian players such as Alanna Smith and Bec Allen joining their respective teams to prepare for the season ahead while Shyla Heal is competing for a spot on the Phoenix Mercury.
- May 16 (US): The regular season tips off, featuring the debut of the Golden State Valkyries, who have signed Australian forward Stephanie Talbot.
- June 1-17 (US): The Commissioner's Cup tournament takes place, offering players like Shaneice Swain of the Los Angeles Sparks an opportunity to showcase their skills on a prominent stage.
- July 19 (US): The All-Star Game provides a platform where standout performances could see Australian players earning selections.
- September 11 (US): The regular season concludes, with Australian athletes aiming to lead their teams into the playoffs, underscoring their integral roles throughout the season.
About the Author
Peter Brown is the head coach of the Sydney Comets Women’s Youth League team in the Waratah Basketball League in NSW. He is also the assistant coach for the Comets NBL1 women’s team in the NBL East Conference. Peter is a 30-year journalist, starting as a sports reporter at the NT News in the early 1990s. He played junior basketball for the Northern Territory at national championships from U16 to U20 and for the Territory’s senior men’s team at numerous international tournaments. Peter has been a basketball fan since the early 80s, especially the NBA. Basketball is his passion — and his opinions his own. Email peter.brown@basketball.com.au with feedback. Any email feedback on articles sent to Peter can be published on basketball.com.au for others to read.
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