Diamond

Miller

Initially ruled out for Thursday’s game due to a right knee injury, Jones has been upgraded to questionable after a two-game absence. Amy Okonkwo has been her replacement in the starting lineup, with Diamond Miller and recent signing Christyn Williams picking up rotation minutes off the bench.

The rookie forward will make her first-career WNBA start on Monday against the Lynx, replacing Diamond Miller in the opening unit. Okonkwo was originally signed to a 7-day contract in August by the Wings and has played well in her four appearances with the team. She’s posting averages of 11.3 points per game on efficient 53.1 percent shooting from the field. Dallas is riding a seven-game losing streak and is currently in last place in the WNBA standings.

Jones’ name was added to Dallas’ lengthy injury report following the team’s August 27 loss to the Sun. Monday’s game will be the second she’s missed with a right knee injury, which should result in Diamond Miller making another start. Miller played 21 minutes against Atlanta on August 29, with Christyn Williams logging 14 minutes off the bench.

Once ruled questionable, Wings center Li Yueru did not dress for their game against the Aces on Sunday afternoon. With Li out on Sunday, the Wings will struggle to find good frontcourt depth against A’ja Wilson. Undersized post Myisha Hines-Allen will be relied upon more while Diamond Miller, a larger 6'3 wing, will also be called upon for more minutes off the bench.

Li gave the Wings a huge lift off the bench and had a career night, scoring a career high on Tuesday night. She provided floor spacing, physicality and footwork that Fever center Aliyah Boston struggled to defend. She started the game by drawing Boston out of the paint and hitting two three-pointers that were wide open due to Boston’s slower rotation. The rest of her made field goals throughout the game were all within five feet of the rim. Teammates Diamond Miller and Myisha Hines-Allen fed Li in transition and when she had an advantageous seal in the paint.

With Arike Ogunbowale unavailable on Tuesday night due to right knee soreness, head coach Chris Koclanes decided to play a bit bigger and added forward Maddy Siegirst to the starting lineup. Tuesday’s game will be Siegrist’s fourth start this WNBA season and first since she returned from injury a week ago. With Siegrist starting, expect Myisha Hines-Allen to get substantial run coming off the bench in addition to new acquisition Dimond Miller. If Luisa Geiselsöder gets into early foul trouble guarding Aliyah Boston, Li Yueru should see some extended minutes as well.

Acquired from the Lynx on Sunday, Miller made her Wings debut Tuesday night. She missed both of her field goal attempts, and the playing time wasn’t sufficient for her to impact the action. Miller wasn’t a fantasy asset in Minnesota, and that’s unlikely to change immediately in her new situation. However, with the Wings now 8-22 on the season, the 2023 first-round pick is one of the players who should receive more opportunities down the stretch as Dallas builds for the future.

Hines-Allen played 18 minutes off the bench in Friday’s loss to the Fever before exiting with a left ankle injury. The good news is that she’s considered questionable for Tuesday, so the door remains open for her to play. With Maddy Siegrist returning from a leg injury that’s kept her out for over a month, the Wings will have the depth needed to compensate for Hines-Allen’s absence if she cannot play. Siegrist’s playing time will be limited in her first game back, while Diamond Miller will be available to make her Wings debut.

While Miller remained part of the Lynx rotation, her playing time dropped significantly during the 2024 and 2025 seasons after averaging 26.1 minutes per game as a rookie. Being traded to Dallas means she’ll likely miss out on the postseason, but the third-year forward should receive ample opportunities to show what she can do in an enhanced role. In 9.7 minutes per game, Miller has averaged 4.1 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists. Fantasy managers needing a boost at the forward position, especially in deeper leagues, should add Miller to their watch lists.

On a night when starters Bridget Carleton (five rebounds, two assists and one steal) and Alanna Smith (4/2/1/2/2) combined to shoot 2-of-11 from the field, Miller provided the Lynx with welcome production off the bench. Reaching double figures in scoring for the third time this season, Sunday’s effort was Miller’s best since Minnesota’s June 17 win over the Aces, a game in which she tallied 12 points. And she wasn’t focused solely on scoring, either, recording a complete stat line that included a season-high two blocked shots. With Karlie Samuelson (foot) done for the season, Minnesota will need more consistent production from Miller to supplement fellow reserve Natisha Hiedeman.