Former Maryland Guard Saylor Poffenbarger Signs With Phoenix Mercury
Former Maryland women’s basketball standout and Middletown, Maryland native Saylor Poffenbarger is getting another opportunity in the WNBA.
The Phoenix Mercury signed Poffenbarger to a seven-day contract Tuesday, Aug. 25, continuing an eventful rookie season for the 6-foot-2 guard.
Poffenbarger went undrafted in the 2026 WNBA Draft but has continued working her way into professional opportunities after completing her collegiate career at Maryland.
The 23-year-old previously spent time with the Minnesota Lynx during training camp and appeared in five regular-season games with the Chicago Sky.
Now Phoenix will get a look at one of the most versatile guards to come through Maryland in recent seasons.
Another WNBA Opportunity
Poffenbarger’s road to Phoenix has required persistence.
After going undrafted, she signed a training camp contract with the Minnesota Lynx.
Poffenbarger made a strong impression during the preseason, averaging 5.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks over three games.
Her preseason debut was particularly impressive.
Poffenbarger recorded nine points and 13 rebounds, showing the rebounding ability that became one of the trademarks of her college career.
Minnesota ultimately did not keep her on its regular-season roster, but she did not have to wait long for another opportunity.
The Chicago Sky signed Poffenbarger to a hardship contract on May 27.
She appeared in five games for Chicago before being waived June 23.
Poffenbarger averaged only 5.2 minutes during those appearances, but simply getting regular-season WNBA experience was another significant step for an undrafted rookie.
Now she gets another chance with Phoenix.
Phoenix Gives Poffenbarger a Seven-Day Look
The Mercury signed Poffenbarger after a roster spot became available following DeWanna Bonner’s departure from Phoenix.
The contract is only for seven days, meaning Poffenbarger will have a limited window to make an impression.
That can be difficult for any young player.
Players joining teams during the middle or later portion of a WNBA season have little time to learn a new system, develop chemistry with teammates and earn the coaching staff’s trust.
Poffenbarger’s versatility could help.
At 6-foot-2, she brings unusual size to the guard position.
She can rebound, defend multiple positions, handle the basketball and contribute without needing to be the primary scorer.
Those are valuable traits for a player trying to earn minutes on a short-term deal.
Phoenix listed Poffenbarger as No. 6 after the signing.
She was with the Mercury for Tuesday night’s game against the Washington Mystics but did not see game action in Phoenix’s 94-84 loss.
Her next opportunity could come quickly as the Mercury continue through the final portion of their season.
Strong Final Season at Maryland
Poffenbarger finished her collegiate career with two seasons at Maryland after previously playing at UConn and Arkansas.
Her final year in College Park was arguably her most complete.
Poffenbarger started all 31 games for Maryland during the 2025-26 season and averaged 9.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals.
She led Maryland in rebounding while ranking second on the team in assists and steals.
Those numbers demonstrate exactly what makes Poffenbarger different.
For a guard, 7.2 rebounds per game is outstanding production.
She did not need to score 20 points every night to influence a game.
Poffenbarger could grab a defensive rebound, push the ball in transition, find an open teammate and then defend on the other end.
She scored in double figures 14 times during her senior season and recorded five double-doubles.
Career Night Against Minnesota
One of the signature performances of Poffenbarger’s Maryland career came Dec. 12, 2025 against Minnesota.
Poffenbarger played an incredible 48 minutes in the double-overtime game.
She scored a career-high 30 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and eventually scored the game-winning layup.
It was also the night Poffenbarger reached 1,000 career points.
Later in the season, she reached another major milestone by collecting her 1,000th career rebound against Northwestern.
Finishing a collegiate career with more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds is particularly impressive for a guard.
Poffenbarger also recorded double-doubles against Penn State, Ohio State and Murray State during her final season.
Her double-double against Murray State came in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
A Maryland Homecoming
Poffenbarger’s time at Maryland carried additional meaning because College Park was a program she grew up watching.
She is from Middletown in Frederick County and attended Maryland basketball camps when she was younger.
Poffenbarger eventually began her college career at UConn before transferring to Arkansas.
She returned home when she transferred to Maryland before the 2024-25 season.
The move allowed Poffenbarger to play Big Ten basketball while having friends and family much closer to College Park.
She immediately became an important part of Brenda Frese’s rotation.
During her first season as a Terp, Poffenbarger produced 12 double-digit scoring performances and five double-doubles.
She grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds against USC and scored a team-high 18 points against No. 1 UCLA.
Poffenbarger continued developing during her final season and became one of Maryland’s most versatile players.
Standout Career at Arkansas
Before Maryland, Poffenbarger spent two seasons at Arkansas.
Her rebounding ability truly emerged with the Razorbacks.
During the 2023-24 season, she averaged 10.2 points and 11.2 rebounds while starting 30 games.
Poffenbarger set an Arkansas single-season record for defensive rebounds and finished the year with nine double-doubles.
During her first full season at Arkansas, she earned 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team honors and was named SEC Freshman of the Week five times.
She also led Arkansas in rebounding and blocks during that season.
Her performance in the SEC helped transform Poffenbarger from a highly regarded prospect into a proven major-conference player.
From UConn to Arkansas to Maryland
Poffenbarger’s college career took an unusual path.
She originally enrolled early at UConn in January 2021.
Poffenbarger appeared in 12 games during her first season with the Huskies before eventually transferring.
She later found a significant role at Arkansas and then returned home to Maryland.
Across each stop, Poffenbarger continued expanding her game.
By the time she finished at Maryland, she had developed into an experienced guard capable of rebounding like a forward while also contributing as a passer and perimeter defender.
That versatility has continued to generate professional opportunities despite Poffenbarger not hearing her name called during the WNBA Draft.
Middletown Star Reaches the WNBA
Poffenbarger’s story has deep Maryland roots.
She starred at Middletown High School and became one of the state’s top basketball prospects.
Poffenbarger was ranked as the No. 30 overall player in her recruiting class.
She earned first-team all-state honors and was named Maryland Ms. Basketball in 2020.
Poffenbarger also represented the United States internationally.
She helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
That journey has now taken her from Frederick County to UConn, Arkansas, Maryland and into the WNBA.
Seven Days Could Lead to Something Bigger
The immediate challenge is making the most of a very short opportunity.
A seven-day contract provides no long-term guarantees.
But Poffenbarger has already shown this year that teams around the WNBA are interested in what she can provide.
Minnesota gave her a training camp opportunity.
Chicago brought her in during the regular season.
Phoenix is now giving her another chance.
That is significant for an undrafted rookie.
Poffenbarger does not necessarily need a huge scoring performance to make an impression.
Her best path toward sticking in the league may be doing many of the same things she did at Maryland: rebound, defend, move the basketball, play with energy and take advantage of open scoring opportunities.
For Poffenbarger, every day on a WNBA roster is another chance to prove that she belongs.
MSB Take
This is a great Maryland basketball story.
Poffenbarger’s path has not been easy, but she keeps getting opportunities because she has a skill set that is difficult to ignore.
A 6-foot-2 guard who can rebound at a high level is valuable. Poffenbarger proved that at Arkansas, proved it again at Maryland and showed it during Minnesota’s preseason.
Going undrafted could have been the end of the road.
Instead, she made Minnesota’s training camp roster, earned a regular-season opportunity with Chicago and now has another chance with Phoenix.
Three WNBA organizations giving an undrafted rookie a look in the same year tells you teams see something there.
The seven-day contract obviously does not guarantee anything. Poffenbarger will have to earn every minute and probably will not have much time to do it.
But this is another opportunity to get WNBA film on tape and show teams that her rebounding, size, defense and versatility can translate to the professional level.
For Maryland fans, there is also something pretty cool about watching a player from Middletown who grew up wanting to be a Terp eventually play for Maryland and now fight for a permanent place in the WNBA.
Poffenbarger has already shown plenty of persistence.
Now she gets another seven days to show Phoenix what she can do.
