PHOENIX- Indiana Fever guard Shey Peddy is always known for staying in the moment when her name gets called up.
Peddy was drafted 23rd overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2012 WNBA Draft out of Temple and first appeared in the league for the Washington Mystics in 2019.
Known for making one of the most memorable plays in WNBA Playoff history in 2020 for the Phoenix Mercury, Peddy was part of the franchise for four seasons and was one of the key contributors to the team’s WNBA Finals run in 2021. She played alongside franchise legends such as Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner under head coach Sandy Brondello, who is now with the New York Liberty.
what a play from Shey Peddy 👀 https://t.co/WrZ625D4gk pic.twitter.com/6Qdd27aspk
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) August 22, 2025
Just three years ago, Peddy tore her right Achilles tendon in the first round of the 2022 WNBA Playoffs, during which the Phoenix Mercury were shorthanded all year and were swept by the Las Vegas Aces, the eventual WNBA Champion.
Less than nine months later, she made a miraculous return in June 2023 and appeared in 18 games that season for the Mercury, who went 9-31 and missed the playoffs.
In 2024, Peddy signed a training camp contract with the Connecticut Sun and was waived after camp, and didn’t play in a game that season. Earlier this year, she had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Sparks, in which she appeared in six games on a hardship contract before being waived in June.
Now, as a member of the Indiana Fever, Peddy stays prepared in the moment while the team copes with five season-ending injuries and four players on hardship contracts. In her first two games as a member of the team, she scored a combined 26 points and made six three-pointers.
Ballislife sat down with Peddy to talk about what she has learned over the last few years and what advice she has for players who are on hardship contracts.
Ballislife: What have you reflected on from the past three years when you tore your Achilles and where you are right now?
Peddy: “It was a lot of rehab, a lot of going through a mental process of trying to stay strong. It was really tough. I felt like I firmly found myself again, maybe the last year, maybe that it was a tough transition to get back into the flow of the game and staying healthy. But I’m here now, feeling good. I’m happy to be with Indiana, and I’m happy to be back here in the X-Factor.”
Ballislife: You made a 3-pointer against the Washington Mystics, the team that drafted you, in the 2020 WNBA Playoffs. How do you look back at this moment, and how do you look to inspire players who are looking to make an impact as players who are on hardship contracts?
Peddy: “It’s crazy that it’s been five years already, but for anybody out there, I know it’s kind of cliche at this point, but stay ready. That’s the only advice I can give people. You never know when your time’s gonna come.
“There was times that I wanted to quit. I didn’t think I would get another shot in the WNBA, especially this season, we’re not getting invited to training camp. But something in me just said, ‘Keep going. Keep going.’ If you truly love the game and have a passion for it, you’re gonna go until you feel like inside you’re done, and I don’t feel like I’m done playing yet. So stay ready.”
Ballislife: Now you are with the Indiana Fever, how comfortable are you feeling in Stephanie White’s system so far?
Peddy: “I’m feeling good. I’m still getting adjusted, but I’m learning every day. The girls (and) coaches have been very helpful. For me, I need to get out of my head and stop thinking and just play my game like I’m here for a reason. Maybe if my shots are falling or not falling, I can bring more to the game. I need to show that hopefully I can learn today.”
Ballislife: You, Odyssey Sims, and Aerial Powers joined the Fever through hardship contracts with season-ending injuries of Colson, Cunningham, and McDonald, and the uncertainty of whether Clark would return [she won’t]. What have you learned so far?
Peddy: “That any moment your number can be called, life is actually fast. It hurt us when they went down, but this Fever team has been super resilient all year. You know, the players that are here from the beginning, they stayed motivated, very encouraging, and they welcomed all three of us to come in and just play our games. And so far, it’s been an easy transition.”
Ballislife: As the Indiana Fever are one of the teams competing for final playoff spots while there’s ongoing CBA negotiations, how do you look to continue to stay in the moment?
what a play from Shey Peddy 👀 https://t.co/WrZ625D4gk pic.twitter.com/6Qdd27aspk
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) August 22, 2025
Peddy: “I mean, hopefully we can finish the season out strong and we can make it to the playoffs. You know, I think every little game people can see me play with help. Hopefully, I’m able to be on a WNBA roster next year. You know, that’s always a goal. I still want to play. So that will still be a goal of mine. And hopefully some teams like what they see, trust me and give me, give this, go ahead a chance.”
Ballislife: Reflecting on your time with the Phoenix Mercury for four seasons, what are your takeaways?
Peddy: “I’m just very appreciative of my time here (in Phoenix), the players I play with, the staff that I work with. I have great memories here. It feels so weird being back here. I feel like I’ve been seeing like some familiar fans, the staff give everybody a hug. So I really have nothing but good things to say about Phoenix, and I’m just glad that I spent the focus of my career here.”
Although Peddy has faced adversity over the past few years, she continues to share her story and inspire players on seven-day or hardship contracts to keep going, stay in the moment and young players to believe in themselves.
