The first Heat Check of June is upon us. For the first time this season, we’ve got hot and cold players on the same team to break down. Let’s talk about it.
SCHEDULE: Check out the full WNBA on NBC, Peacock slate of games
▶ HEATING UP 🔥
Jessica Shepard, F, Wings
Shepard already earned a mention in my column earlier this week regarding her recent history-making 22-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against the defending champion Aces, but she’s deserving of at least a few more sentences based on what she’s consistently contributing nightly for the Wings. The veteran forward has functioned as one of the best facilitators in Dallas’ offense while contributing as a scorer and ranking among the league’s top rebounders. She’d produced five consecutive double-doubles up until the most recent win, which likely was due to a 23-point victory limiting her minutes. Shepard’s reliable play has led to career-best numbers across the board, validating the front office’s decision to invest in her during the offseason. She’s not only been a major reason for the Wings’ sudden upward trend following a rough start to the Jose Fernandez era, but she has also been one of the most impactful players in the W this season.
Courtney Williams, G, Lynx
When you’re playing as well as Minnesota is, multiple players earn praise — Natasha Howard in last week’s Heat Check, and now Courtney Williams. Whether as an instant-offense reserve or a lead guard on championship-contending teams, the veteran has often played a significant role during her long-tenured WNBA career. She spent the better part of the past two seasons enhancing her usefulness on the offensive end by starring as a playmaker, in addition to her already proven scoring. But rookie Olivia Miles’ inclusion as a high-level table setter has allowed Williams to tap back into her scoring ways, something she’s doing better than at any point in her career.
Utilizing outstanding shooting efficiency (50.0 percent overall), Williams is averaging a career-high 17.8 points per game thus far, with the recent 30-point masterpiece against Phoenix being her standout performance of the year — it displayed her efficiency and underscored how valuable the three-point shot has become for Williams. She’s made at least three in five games already. We should expect sustained offensive production from the veteran guard as the season progresses.
Rhyne Howard, G, Dream
The concussion protocol derailed a fun start to Howard’s fifth WNBA season, but her production in the five games since returning to the lineup has more than made up for the lost time. She led Atlanta with 25 points and eight assists in a beatdown of Dallas in her first game back, and more recently has done things such as score nine fourth-quarter points to help the Dream overcome a 12-point deficit to the Mercury in the final quarter, and tally 36 points and eight three-pointers in a win over Connecticut. Additionally, Howard’s shooting percentages, points, three-pointers, and steals per game are all at career-highs to this point in the season, while Atlanta has posted a 6-1 record when she has been active and in the lineup. She’s a major reason why the Dream have legitimate championship aspirations this season.
Jackie Powell’s looks at the Commissioner’s Cup in this week’s WNBA Notebook!
▶ COOLING DOWN ❄️
Caitlin Clark, G, Fever
Caitlin Clark is the only WNBA player scoring more than 20.0 points and dishing out more than 7.0 assists per game this season. She’s remained healthy and still showcases the ability to both heat up as a scorer and dominate as a passer better than most. That being said, it’s been a rough past week for the former No. 1 pick. Her shooting struggles returned toward the end of last week against Golden State after temporarily easing. She followed up a 3-of-12 shooting performance against those Valkyries with a six-point, 1-of-7 outing against the Fire a couple of days later. Clark’s on-court performances haven’t been close to her standard of late. And as a result, the Fever has lost back-to-back games. While we can rightfully assume she’ll get back on track in the near future, there’s no debating that she’s cooled down after a fast start to the season.
Arike Ogunbowale, G, Wings
At the moment, “cooling down” is a description that perfectly fits Ogunbowale, who’s scored 10 points on 2-of-17 from the floor over the Wings’ past two games, delivering a complete opposite exhibition of shooting efficiency and production from her 42 points and 50.0 percent shooting in Games 1 & 2 of the season. If you want a larger sample size than the two recent games, going back a couple more will show a 5-of-20 outing against the Liberty after shooting 1-of-11 against the Dream. Ogunbowale hasn’t proven to be nearly as inefficient a scorer as recently shown, suggesting the cold hand won’t likely sustain much longer.
Natasha Cloud, G, Sky
It’s been a rough stretch of basketball for the Sky, who most recently fell 90-72 on Tuesday against the Mystics to extend their losing streak to five games. The offense has struggled, failing to exceed 75 points in three of the five losses, with Cloud shooting inefficiently and scoring in single digits during those three specific games. She’s also totaled as many points as turnovers (six) over the past two ball games while being held without a point in the latest. The veteran guard signed with Chicago only four days before the start of the regular season. Consequently, she’s been inconsistent as she adapts to her new teammates.
