Marta Suárez signs developmental deal with Phoenix Mercury

Four days after Golden State waived her, Marta Suárez has a job. The Mercury signed the rookie forward to a developmental contract Wednesday, giving her a soft landing after one of the more confusing weeks of the WNBA cut cycle.

Quick refresher: Suárez was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2026 draft, taken by Seattle and immediately flipped to Golden State on draft night in the deal that sent Flau'jae Johnson to the Storm. The Valkyries gave up the eighth-rounder Johnson to acquire Suárez plus a 2028 second. Then Sunday they waived her. Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin admitted Tuesday the Johnson trade was made for cap room — not because they preferred Suárez.

Under the new CBA, developmental contracts let teams carry two extra players who can practice and appear in up to 12 regular-season games. For the TCU product, that's a foot in the door with a contender. For the Valkyries, it's a draft asset that returned almost nothing in five days.