Alysha

Clark

Clark is replacing Jade Melbourne in the starting lineup on Saturday, as the veteran forward makes her first start for Washington since being acquired at the trade deadline. Clark is averaging just over 5.0 points per game in her seven appearances this season with the Mystics. As the team looks to end a two-game losing streak, the veteran will likely be depended on for defense and floor spacing. Meanwhile, Melbourne will join Lucy Olsen, Stefanie Dolson and Emily Engstler on the bench to form a strong Mystics reserve unit.

Sutton created a lot of her own offense. She succeeded making a bunch of difficult shots including four mid-range long twos. With over a minute left in regulation and the Mystics up just three points, Sutton came off a dribble handoff with Kiki Iriafen and hit a 11-foot pullup over Odyssey Sims to put the Mystics up by two scores with less than a minute left in the game. In addition to shot making, Sutton also created offense as a facilitator. She found four different teammates for scores including three-point makes from Stefanie Dolson, Sonia Citron and Alysha Clark. Sutton also found Iriafen cutting off the ball for a score midway through the second quarter.

Clark racked up her third double-digit scoring outing of the season on Friday. She hit three three-pointers, two coming on passes from Jade Melbourne where Clark didn’t have a defender anywhere near her, in addition to a three-point make that was set up on a screening action from guard Sug Sutton. Clark’s only other made field goal came on a driving floater that came off her own paint penetration where she was able to back down Sophie Cunningham and then take her off the dribble.

Ranked 12th out of 13 teams in bench scoring, the Storm desperately needed reinforcements ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. Adding Sykes will help, with Seattle parting ways with two rotation players in Clark and Cooke, and a 2026 first-round pick. Clark began the season as a starter but was eventually replaced in the lineup by Erica Wheeler, with the veteran forward providing limited offensive production. In 27 games this season, Clark has averaged 3.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.7 steals in 18.0 minutes. With Washington’s focus on its young building blocks, Clark will be counted on to provide leadership within the locker room.

After shooting 2-of-6 from the field in the first three quarters of Tuesday’s game, Wheeler got untracked in the fourth. The Storm guard shot 4-of-7 from the field in the final period, scoring 14 points, with each of the makes coming from beyond the arc. Finishing with her third 20-point game of the season, Wheeler has hit double figures in four of seven games since moving into the starting lineup on June 7 against the Mercury. Seattle is 5-2 since Storm coach Noelle Quinn inserted Wheeler in the starting lineup, which pushed Alysha Clark (two points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 18 minutes on Tuesday) to the bench.

Storm head coach Noelle Quinn decided to move Wheeler into the starting lineup ahead of Seattle’s June 7 win over the Mercury, and the change has paid dividends. Wheeler has scored in double figures in three of five games, and Seattle is 4-1 since the lineup change. While Alysha Clark (two points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in 27 minutes) cooled off on Friday against her former team, the move to the bench has removed some of the pressure that she was under. Wheeler’s status as a starter appears to be secure, and she should be rostered in more than 44.6 percent of ESPN leagues as she currently is.

After totaling five points in her first two games coming off the bench, Clark has found her groove. She scored 11 points in Saturday’s loss to the Valkyries and was even better Tuesday night. The veteran wing shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, establishing season-highs in points and three-pointers. Over her last two games, Clark is 7-of-10 from deep. Erica Wheeler (15/3/2/1 with three three-pointers) remains the starter and has done nothing to merit being returned to the bench. That limits Clark’s fantasy ceiling, but nights like Tuesday are a reminder of what she can provide the Storm.

While Clark did enter Saturday’s game shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc, her limited offensive production ultimately prompted Storm head coach Noelle Quinn to move the veteran wing to the bench. Saturday’s performance was Clark’s best of the season, as she was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and hit double figures for the first time. Erica Wheeler, who replaced Clark in the starting lineup on June 7, finished Saturday’s defeat with six points (3-of-11 FGs), two rebounds, five assists and one steal in 27 minutes. Regardless of where they are in the rotation, the Storm will need consistent production from Clark and Wheeler if they’re to be a serious factor.

Williams was everywhere on both ends of the floor and her activity in conjunction with her playmaking earned her a +17, the highest on the Storm. While Williams didn’t knock down a three-pointer on Wednesday night, she instead reached her 400 career assists. Three of her four steals came at critical moments in the fourth quarter when two of those steals turned into scores at the other end. Her playmaking mostly consisted of a couple of drives and kick threes for Erica Wheeler, a pick-and-roll action for Alysha Clark and some dives to the basket from Nneka Ogwumike and rookie Dominque Malonga.

Used in a reserve role in seven of Seattle’s first eight games, Wheeler moved into the starting lineup Saturday night. With veteran Alysha Clark mired in a shooting slump, the hope was that Wheeler could continue to provide offense in an expanded role. Having reached double figures in four of her previous five appearances, Wheeler finished one point shy on Saturday but shot 50 percent from the field and contributed on the boards. She offers a higher upside than Clark, who shot 1-of-3 from the field and finished with three points and one three-pointer in 16 minutes. Given Seattle’s need for consistent perimeter scoring, it would make sense for Wheeler to retain the starting role.