Marta Suárez

Marta Suárez
No. 77 – Phoenix Mercury
PositionForward
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (2002-05-07) May 7, 2002
Oviedo, Spain
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Career information
High schoolInstitut Joaquim Blume
(Barcelona, Spain)
CollegeTennessee (2020–2023)
California (2023–2025)
TCU (2025–2026)
WNBA draft2026: 2nd round, 16th overall pick
Drafted bySeattle Storm
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–2020Segle XXI
2026–presentPhoenix Mercury
Career highlights
  • First-team All-Big 12 (2026)
  • SEC All-Freshman team (2021)
Stats at Basketball Reference 
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing  Spain
FIBA U16 European Championship
Bronze medal – third place2018 LithuaniaTeam

Marta Suárez Rodríguez (born May 7, 2002) is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, California Golden Bears, and TCU Horned Frogs.

Early life

Suárez was born on May 7, 2002, in Oviedo, Spain, to Maximino Suárez Diaz and Marisa Rodríguez Medina. She attended Institut Joaquim Blume in Barcelona. In 2019–20, Suárez played with Segle XXI in the second-tier Liga Femenina 2 (LF2) and led her team with 12.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She was rated as a four-star recruit by Blue Star Europe and committed to playing college basketball at Tennessee over Duke and Washington.[1]

College career

Suárez began her college career with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). As a freshman in 2020–21, she started her first 14 games, but her season ended prematurely due to a lower leg injury. Suárez earned SEC All-Freshman honors after averaging 4.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. She subsequently redshirted in 2021–22 to rehab her leg. In her return to play in 2022–23, Suárez averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.[1] However, midway through the season, she announced that she would be stepping away from basketball for personal reasons, returning to Spain and continuing her studies online.[2]

Suárez transferred to California ahead of her junior season.[3] In 2023–24, she started all 34 games for the Golden Bears and averaged 11.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.[4] In 2024–25, Suárez improved her averages to 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game and helped California reach the 2025 NCAA tournament.[5] She earned second-team all-tournament honors at the 2025 ACC tournament.[4]

Professional career

WNBA

On April 13, 2026, Suárez was drafted in the second round, 16th overall, by the Seattle Storm in the 2026 WNBA draft. She was later traded to the Golden State Valkyries along with a 2028 second-round pick in exchange for Flau'jae Johnson (8th pick overall).[6][7] Suárez played in one preseason game with the Valkyries on April 25, recording 5 points and 3 rebounds against Seattle, before she was waived on May 2.[8][9] After clearing waivers on May 5, she was signed by the Phoenix Mercury on a developmental contract on May 6.[10] On July 9, 2026, Suárez was signed to a seven-day hardship contract with the Mercury.[11] She went on to sign two more seven-day contracts with the team before signing a rest-of-season contract on August 3.[12]

National team career

Suárez won a bronze medal with the Spain national under-16 team at the 2018 FIBA U16 Women's European Championship, averaging 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. She later played for the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup, averaging 6.7 points and 5.0 rebounds as Spain finished in seventh place.[1]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2020–21 Tennessee 221416.040.729.675.03.60.80.40.01.84.1
2021–22 Tennessee Did not play due to injury
2022–23 Tennessee 14012.537.518.877.43.00.40.20.21.64.9
2023–24 California 343428.140.229.674.36.91.60.80.53.111.9
2024–25 California 323229.145.831.582.07.22.40.80.44.212.9
2025–26 TCU 383831.445.337.089.27.42.31.40.23.217.1
Career 14011825.843.432.881.26.21.70.80.33.111.6
Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Marta Suárez". Tennessee Volunteers. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  2. ↑ Hall, Cora (January 4, 2023). "Lady Vols coach Kellie Harper announces Marta Suárez is stepping away from basketball". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Cal Signs Marta Suárez For 2023-24 Season". California Golden Bears. May 4, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Marta Suárez". California Golden Bears. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  5. ↑ Johnson, Steven (April 11, 2025). "TCU women's basketball adds another top transfer, Cal forward Marta Suarez". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  6. ↑ "WNBA Draft 2026 live updates: Azzi Fudd goes No. 1 overall, Flau'jae Johnson traded from Valkyries to Storm". The Athletic. 2026-04-13. Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  7. ↑ Allen, Percy (2026-04-13). "Storm make major trade for LSU star at WNBA draft". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  8. ↑ Northam, Mitchell (May 2, 2026). "Valkyries traded Flau'Jae Johnson for Marta Suarez, who's now been waived". USA Today. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  9. ↑ Canilao, Nathan (May 2, 2026). "Valkyries address cutting rookie Marta Suarez as her roster fate remains uncertain". The Press Democrat. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  10. ↑ Canilao, Nathan (May 6, 2026). "Marta Suarez signs with Mercury while Valkyries continue to sort out final roster spots". The Mercury News. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  11. ↑ "WNBA Player Movement & Transactions | WNBA". www.wnba.com. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  12. ↑ Burns, Heather (2026-08-03). "Phoenix Mercury sign rookie forward Marta Suarez for rest of season". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
  13. ↑ "Marta Suarez College Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
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