Phoenix Mercury rookie Jovana Nogić will miss the remainder of the 2026 season because of personal reasons, the team announced Monday.
Nogić was the team's third-leading scorer, averaging 10.4 points and hitting 42.1% of her 3-point shots across 16 games.
Nogić's agent, Boris Lelchitski of Sports International Group, refuted an international report that Nogić is leaving Phoenix midseason to rest ahead of duties with UMMC Ekaterinburg and the Serbian national team.
Lelchitski told ESPN the goal is for Nogić to return to Phoenix in 2027.
"This was not an easy decision, I love Phoenix, our organization and our fans," Nogić said in a statement from the team. "The Mercury community made me feel welcome from day one, and I look forward to returning to Phoenix next season."
The 6-foot guard last played for the Mercury on June 17, and her contract was temporarily suspended a few days later.
"The well-being of our players is our top priority," general manager Nick U'Ren said in a statement. "We appreciate the hard work, commitment and joy she brought to Phoenix this season."
Nogić, 28, played for Providence College from 2015 to 2019 and competed extensively internationally before signing with Phoenix as an undrafted free agent ahead of this season.
"It's been something that I didn't know I wanted," Nogić previously told ESPN's Michael Voepel of playing in the WNBA. "It was always my dream, since I was a little girl, to play in EuroLeague. I didn't think [the] W was possible for me, so I guess I didn't even let myself dream of it.
"Then with more media coverage and attention to the W, at some point I was like, 'Damn, maybe, I do want to try the W.' But it was never rewarding enough to make us come. We always had better contracts in Europe. Until this point it was like, there's no point of going [financially]. Now, it just makes sense."
Nogić's departure from Phoenix is a huge blow for the Mercury, who after a surprise run to the 2025 WNBA Finals have fallen short of expectations with a 7-13 record in 2026.
They also will be without center Natasha Mack for the foreseeable future after she sustained a bone bruise in her left foot. Mack, who is averaging 9.2 points plus a team-best 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, will be re-evaluated in two to four weeks, according to the team.