The WNBA’s All-Star break has given teams a rare chance to recharge before resuming their regular seasons, and it also brought a new opportunity for University of South Carolina guard Kara Dunn. For the Phoenix Mercury, the break marked the beginning of a round of roster adjustments. Ahead of their next game, the team has reshuffled their guard room, adding a key developmental piece in Dunn. The team announced their move via social media.

“The Phoenix Mercury have signed forward Marta Suárez to a third 7-day contract,” their X post read. “The team has also released guard Sha Carter from her developmental contract and in a corresponding move, signed guard Kara Dunn to a developmental contract.”

Dunn’s arrival is an opportunity for the guard to prove she belongs at the WNBA level, despite going undrafted in the 2026 WNBA draft. She was a solid player in college, becoming the cornerstone player at Georgia Tech in her junior year after two years at the program. In her final year at Georgia, she led the team in points, averaging 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds.

She then transferred to USC, where she played second fiddle to Jazzy Davidson, showing her ability to fit in various systems. At USC, she started every game, recorded nine 20+ point performances, and earned All-Big 10 Second Team honors.

Despite these efforts, she went undrafted, but that doesn’t mean teams weren’t intrigued by her potential. Dunn had previously signed a training camp contract with the Phoenix Mercury, but was dropped before the season started. However, with experts pointing to her league-ready frame and physical style of play per Swish Appeal, as well as a solid perimeter shot, she could make contributions whenever required.

Now, thanks to the league’s developmental system, she has earned another chance to prove herself. The contract doesn’t count against the standard 12-player roster, and allows teams to develop players without committing to a full roster spot. Developmental players can gain professional experience and practice with the team, letting them acclimate to the league. And the Mercury are taking full advantage of this system, adding and removing players to test their capabilities and fit with the team.

Mercury stick with Marta Suárez and sign Kara Dunn while moving on from Sha Carter

Apart from signing Kara Dunn, Phoenix is also showing a growing confidence in Spanish forward Marta Suárez. She gained a third consecutive seven-day contract with the team, showing the coaching staff’s desire to keep her around to maintain frontcourt depth.

So far, she hasn’t played big minutes, but has shown herself to be a good role player in those spurts. While averaging under 10 minutes a night, she averages four points and 1.4 rebounds on superb efficiency: 50% from the floor, 40% from three.

Though her opportunity has been limited, if the team suffers injuries to their frontcourt, she is a serviceable option to fill minutes.

Unfortunately, this marked the end of Sha Carter’s time in Phoenix, as the signing of Dunn saw the team release her from the developmental contract. Carter was largely ineffective in her time with Phoenix, playing under seven minutes a night and logging just 1.2 points per game on just 16.7% from the field.

For now, the developmental contract is a second chance for Dunn to show Phoenix that her college production can translate to the WNBA, and maybe turn an unfortunate beginning into a long-term pro career.