Not as much action as usual has transpired since our last Heat Check. There have been several off-days with no games to account for the highly anticipated WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship. Still, we’ve got enough data to update our weekly discourse around which players are trending in the right or wrong directions.
Let’s take a look.
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▶ HEATING UP 🔥
Kelsey Mitchell, G, Fever
There’s hardly ever a doubt that Kelsey Mitchell is going to put the ball in the basket more than most players whenever she takes the floor. No matter the role or which teammates are sharing the floor with her, the lefty bucket-getter rarely disappoints. She’s been red-hot from beyond the arc of late, which has led to her scoring 20 or more points in five of her last six appearances, including a 30-point outing in a win over the Mercury. The veteran guard is currently being tasked with doing a bit more of the heavy lifting for the offense, as Caitlin Clark has missed a couple of games with a back injury. Regardless of when Clark returns, it wouldn’t be surprising for Mitchell to continue scoring at a high level. She’s averaging 21.6 points per game on the season, which ranks second in the league.
Sydney Taylor, G, Sky
If you’re at least a casual WNBA follower, you’ve probably caught wind of the new go-to scorer that is emerging over in Chicago. Taylor, the undrafted rookie guard, burst onto the scene with a 27-point game against the Tempo on May 27. She was fairly quiet for the next couple of weeks, but then logged a 30-point game against the Fever and remained a double-digit scorer in the six games that followed. The three-point shot has been key for Taylor over the recent scoring outburst. She’s now earned her way into a prominent role and has transitioned into being a full-time starter. It’s rational to expect her to continue progressing as she logs more reps — the scoring upside is there.
Carla Leite, G, Fire
One of the most fun stories in the league thus far has been the development of second-year guard Carla Leite. She showed flashes of strong play as a rookie in Golden State’s inaugural season, but has upped her level in Portland’s first season back in the league — especially recently. Leite is coming off a career-high 32-point performance in the quadruple-overtime loss to the Mystics, and, including that contest, is posting averages of 20.0 points and 7.3 assists. She’s been one of the best passers in the league up to this point in the season, and her upward trend has her currently playing at as high a level as some of the league’s most recognizable guards.
CARLA. LEITE. YET. AGAIN. 🔥🔥
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 28, 2026
She gets it tied up (99 a piece) with 18.3 left in OT! https://t.co/PVo1pwCVKf pic.twitter.com/vfQcwkctUt
▶ COOLING DOWN ❄️
Courtney Williams, G, Lynx
Although the Lynx continue to stack wins, the production they’ve gotten from Williams hasn’t been quite to the level they’ve grown accustomed to. She’s averaging 10.0 points per game over the past three contests, with inefficient shooting being the primary reason for the slippage. The veteran is shooting 12-of-40 over that stretch and has connected on just two of her 10 three-point attempts. The subpar shooting hasn’t stopped Williams from being active with her hands to collect steals on the defensive end, nor has it stopped her from doing some solid secondary playmaking. Surely she’ll return to form. But for now, she’s in a bit of a cold streak that she’ll have to shoot her way out of.
Gabriela Jaquez, G, Sky
While her fellow rookie teammate, Sydney Taylor, is ascending, Jaquez hasn’t been as fortunate in recent weeks, given her inability to recapture her early-season form since returning from a left knee injury. She’s had moments, scoring 22 points in a one-point loss to the Liberty, but has scored in double figures just once in the five games since then, averaging 5.4 points and on 34.5/0.0/77.8 shooting splits. The recent production is vastly different from the five-game stretch she had at the beginning of her WNBA career, when she averaged 12.4 points on much better 48.8/37.5/86.4 splits. The minutes have mostly remained the same aside from the most recent 12 minutes logged against the Aces, indicating that she’ll have opportunities to get back on track.
Arike Ogunbowale, G, Wings
It’s been another tough stretch of games for Ogunbowale, who has made exactly one field goal in each of her last three appearances. The ice-cold shooting has limited her to no more than five points in either of those contests, with her struggles coming from everywhere on the court — both inside and outside the arc. The sudden inefficiency comes as a surprise; in the four games prior, she averaged 19.3 points on 24-of-54 shooting, including a stretch of three straight 20-point games. Two of the three recent below-standard performances have come in Dallas losses — the Wings certainly would benefit from an uptick in production from their most tenured players.
