Mercury sign French national team member Valeriane Ayayi, draft 2 international players

The Phoenix Mercury signed two players, including two-time Olympic medalist Valeriane Ayayi from France, and drafted another pair in the WNBA Draft on a busy Monday.

Phoenix signed Noemie Brochant from France to a training camp contract, drafted forward Ines Pitarch-Granel from France in the second round and later took guard Eszter Ratkai from Hungary in the third round.

The Mercury did not have a first-round pick, as they traded it to the Chicago Sky in the blockbuster deal for Kahleah Copper two years ago.

Phoenix has spent the past few days bringing back core members of the 2025 WNBA Finals team, including Copper, Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Sami Whitcomb, although Satou Sabally departed for the New York Liberty.

Ayayi is a 6-foot-1 forward who played with Thomas for ZVVZ USK Praha (Czech Republic) in EuroLeague competition for several years.

The 31-year-old played 16 WNBA games in 2015 for the San Antonio Stars at 21 years old and has since carved out a decorated career in Europe.

She made the All-Defensive Team and All-EuroLeague Third Team in 2025 for ZVVZ USK Praha.

Ayayi is a three-time Olympian, having won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics. France lost the 2024 gold medal game to the United States, 67-66, a game in which Ayayi started and played 26 minutes, having to guard some of the best players from the WNBA.

The 3x Olympian from Bordeaux, France is heading to The Valley! pic.twitter.com/gi4C4E80vP

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) April 13, 2026

Brochant is a 27-year-old, 5-foot-11 forward playing for Charleville-Mezieres in France. She played for the French National Team alongside Ayayi during the 2025 EuroBasket competition.

What did the Mercury do in the 2026 WNBA Draft?

Pitarch-Granel (27th pick) will turn 20 in May and competed in the FIBA U19 World Cup last year for France.

From ESPN’s Charlie Creme:

The numbers (5.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG) look modest, but Pitarch-Granel plays for Tango Bourges Basket, one of the top club teams in France, and is getting regular rotation minutes among a core of veterans. Her size (6-foot), age (20) and shooting ability (38.1% on 3-pointers) make her a potential contributor in a few years.

Ratkai (42nd pick) is a 5-foot-9 guard playing professionally in Hungary.

She won a gold medal at the 2025 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket Division B.

From Creme:

The second of the Mercury’s international draft picks, Ratkai looks like another future asset. She was a regular on the Hungarian youth national teams for the past four years and has played both backcourt spots but projects as a point guard at 5-foot-9.

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