WNBA

Diggins’ playmaking and rim pressure came up in the clutch against the Wings in a game where the Storm let a 17 point lead shrivel down to a 3 point lead with 7:47 left in the fourth quarter. After Maddy Siegrist scored on a cutting layup, Seattle took a timeout. Following the timeout, Diggins responded by firing off passes to her bigs in Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor right at the rim. The Storm went on a 8-0 run as a result and stayed ahead until the end of regulation.

Bueckers looked more like the player fans have grown to love in her 37 minutes of play for the Wings on Monday night. Although at first she began the game hesitant trying to read and make decisions quickly out of the Storm’s traps on ball screens. But once Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes subbed Bueckers back in with 4:54 remaining in the first after a couple of minutes to take a breather, the No. 1 overall draft pick found her rhythm and flow within the Wings’ offense. Her efficient scoring and playmaking allowed the Wings to get within three points of the Storm with 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter after being down by as many as 17. Bueckers’ defensive effort was evident as well as she was either a roamer or was placed on Skylar Diggins. With 1:23 left in the fourth Bueckers picked Gabby Williams’ pocket and scored on the other end shaving the Storm’s lead down to five points.

While the Storm’s offense was erratic at times, Ogwumike was steady, efficient and dominant for Seattle. The first quarter was her strongest scoring the basketball where she tallied up eight points. What followed in the second was Ogwumike’s active quarter on the glass where she accounted for 60% of her team’s total rebounds in the quarter. Ogwumike made league history amassing 2,188 career defensive rebounds on Monday night, moving into ninth All-Time, and passing WNBA legend Tina Thompson. What sealed the win for the Storm was Ogwumike’s offensive rebound and put-back following an Alysha Clark miss to put the Storm in front by seven points with 29 seconds remaining in regulation.

Rivers recently rejoined the Suns after spending time away from the team following her mother’s passing in late April. The first-round pick out of NC State was on the bench for Sunday’s season-opening loss to the Mystics, and her absence from the injury report indicates that Rivers will be available on Tuesday. Those competing in fantasy leagues should not expect too much immediately regarding Rivers’ playing time, but she should figure prominently in head coach Rachid Meziane’s plans as the season progresses.

After spraining her right ankle during Indiana’s preseason finale on May 10, Cunningham did not play in Saturday’s rout of the Sky. Her return would likely expand the Fever rotation, with fellow guards Lexie Hull and Sydney Colson potentially playing fewer minutes. While Hull played 23 minutes on Saturday, Colson logged 11 as Caitlin Clark’s primary backup.

Center Murjanatu Musa, who was not with the Mercury for training camp as she satisfied her obligation to French club Targes Gespe Bigorre, has been activated. Due to this transaction, the Mercury needed to free up a roster spot, hence the decision to waive Prince. The veteran forward played 22 minutes in Phoenix’s season-opening win over Seattle, finishing with two points, eight rebounds and one assist. Phoenix plays its next game against the Sparks on Wednesday.

Already playing without Rae Burrell (leg), who will miss 6-8 weeks after going down during Friday’s season opener, the Sparks lost Jackson at the end of the third quarter on Sunday. The second-year forward took a shot to the mouth and remained prone on the court for a few minutes before walking back to the bench. Jackson did not return during the final period, with rookie Sarah Ashlee Barker (6/3/1/1/1 with one three-pointer in 24 minutes) taking on more minutes. The Sparks are off until Wednesday; hopefully, Jackson will be healthy enough to play. If not, Barker’s role will be significant to a team already down Burrell and Cameron Brink, who is still recovering from the knee injury that ended her rookie season early.

Having torched the Valkyries on Friday, Plum ran into more resistance as the Sparks hosted last season’s runners-up in Sunday’s home opener. While she did not have her best day shooting the basketball, fantasy managers with Plum rostered should not be concerned. Minnesota is once again one of the league’s best teams, so this was bound to be a challenging matchup. Plum will look to rebound on Wednesday when the Sparks begin a three-game week with a matchup against the Mercury.

Limited to 11 points in Friday’s season-opening win over the Valkyries, Stevens stepped things up offensively on Sunday. She made four of her seven three-point attempts against the Lynx, with the 21 points being the most the veteran center has scored in a game since July 16, 2024, when she scored 24 in a game against Seattle. Stevens averages 9.4 points per game for her career, so days like Sunday have not been the norm. However, the combination of this start and the Sparks playing three games next week will raise her fantasy profile.

Two games, two double-doubles for Hamby, who had another efficient effort on Sunday. She also made some personal history, passing Alana Beard to move into eighth on the Sparks’ all-time rebound list. While Hamby did not record any defensive stats against the Lynx, that should not be a common occurrence this season. The Sparks have one of the better schedules for next week, as they’ll play three games starting with the Mercury on Wednesday.