Phoenix Mercury (1-1) will welcome Valeriane Ayayi for their third game of the 2026 WNBA season against Minnesota after FIBA clearance.
Phoenix Mercury are set to add a new piece to their rotation as Valeriane Ayayi has been cleared to join the team ahead of their third game of the 2026 WNBA season against the Minnesota Lynx.
The Mercury opened the year with a 1-1 record, and for this next matchup they are expected to finally have Ayayi available after her debut was delayed. The French forward’s entry into games had been held up because she required clearance from FIBA before she could officially suit up for Phoenix.
Ayayi had already made it through the team’s training camp and was on the roster heading into the season. She was also present for the franchise’s media day, even though she was not yet able to play in WNBA action. That gap between making the roster and being able to take the court is now closing.
This will mark Ayayi’s second season in the WNBA, and her return to the league after a long break. Her previous WNBA season was in 2015, when she entered the league as an undrafted player.
In 2015, Ayayi signed with the then San Antonio Stars, a franchise that has since evolved into the Las Vegas Aces. During that season, she appeared in 16 games, averaging a little over nine minutes per outing.
Her production in those limited minutes came off the bench, where she averaged 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds. Shooting splits from that year showed a field-goal percentage of 31.3%, a 19% mark from three-point range, and a 42.9% conversion rate at the free-throw line.
Outside the WNBA. Ayayi has built an extended professional career overseas. playing in both France and the Czech Republic during the years between her last appearance in the league and this 2026 return.. That international experience is one of the reasons her availability for Phoenix is being watched closely by the team’s fans and roster planners.
Ayayi also brings significant experience with the French national team. She was part of the bronze medal team at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and contributed to France’s silver medal run at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Her national-team involvement extends beyond the Olympics as well. She has earned multiple medals with France across various EuroBasket competitions dating back to 2013, reflecting a long stretch of high-level tournament action.
With Ayayi now cleared. the Mercury’s third game against Minnesota becomes a practical test of how quickly she can integrate after time away from WNBA games.. Clearance timing matters in-season. and in Ayayi’s case it explains why she was rostered and participating in team activities long before she could take her place on the floor.
For Phoenix. the decision to add a player with fresh overseas and international tournament experience comes at a moment when the team is still finding its rhythm after beginning 2026 at 1-1.. How Ayayi fits stylistically and rotation-wise in that game could have implications for how the Mercury manage minutes and matchups as the season continues.
And for Ayayi personally, it is a homecoming of sorts: after being undrafted in 2015 and returning to the WNBA pipeline later through international stints, her first opportunity to suit up again in league play arrives with a direct path to a high-profile opponent in the Lynx.
Phoenix Mercury Minnesota Lynx Valeriane Ayayi WNBA 2026 FIBA clearance Las Vegas Aces French national team