WNBA Player News

A two-time All-ACC selection who helped lead the Wolfpack to the program’s first Final Four during the 2023-24 season, James averaged a career-best 17.9 points per game as a senior. In 35 games, the 5-foot-9 guard also contributed 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.2 three-pointers in 31.1 minutes, shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 75 percent from the foul line. In addition to being a first-team All-ACC selection for the second straight season, James was an honorable mention All-American this season. James joins a backcourt rotation with veteran Arike Ogunbowale and first overall pick Paige Bueckers. James’ improvement as a scorer throughout her college career bodes well for her WNBA prospects, especially when sharing the floor with prolific scorers who will demand a lot of defensive attention.

In the Lynx’s first loss of the 2025 season, Collier shot 39% from the field, her second lowest clip of the season since the Lynx also faced the Storm in their 82-77 win over Seattle last month. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Collier had a less efficient than usual outing when Seattle has a WNBA All-Defensive front court anchored by Ezi Magbegor and Nneka Ogwumike. While it wasn’t Collier’s best performance, she made some history on Wednesday night. She surpassed 3,000 career points and in addition to passing Katie Smith for fourth on the Lynx’s all-time assist lists with 497.

Limited to 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting in Los Angeles’s May 30 loss to the Aces, Hamby was much better Wednesday night. The veteran forward was efficient offensively and finished one blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Hamby is averaging 34.7 fantasy points per game in ESPN leagues, which ranks fifth among frontcourt players. Managers in standard leagues expected second-round value based on her ADP (9.1), and Hamby has delivered thus far.

Laksa provided the Mercury a huge boost off the bench on Wednesday, where she set a career-high in three-pointers and finished as one of Phoenix’s top scorers. The sharp-shooting rookie’s hot night from beyond the arc marked the fourth time this season she’s drained at least three triples in a game and the eighth time she’s made multiple threes. Her style of play has fit in perfectly thus far with the Phoenix offense that loves to run and shoot a lot of threes. Laksa could become a legitimate game-changer for the Mercury should she sustain this level of shooting moving forward.

Stevens got off to a rough start Wednesday night, picking up two fouls in the game’s first 51 seconds. However, the Sparks forward/center was significantly better in the second quarter, scoring 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting as Los Angeles took a nine-point lead into the break. Stevens, who scored six points or less in two of her three prior outings, finished the victory with her fourth double-double of the season. That matches her tally from the entire 2024 campaign. In ESPN fantasy leagues, Stevens is a top 10 frontcourt player in fantasy points per game.

Thomas put forth another balanced performance in her return from injury, needing just 24 minutes of game action to post her third double-double in six games. The veteran forward had missed the previous five games before returning on Wednesday to help Phoenix get back in the win column. She showed little signs of rust and came out of the win healthy, which is a positive for both the Mercury and fantasy managers alike. Thomas may see her minutes limited momentarily as she works her way back from the calf injury. Nonetheless, her performance on Wednesday was encouraging and a welcome sight for Phoenix.

Sabally led the Mercury in scoring thanks to an efficient shooting performance that saw her drain a season-high four three-pointers against her former team. Potentially lost in the sauce, however, was the veteran forward’s effort on the glass — she was the only player in this matchup to reach double figures in rebounding. Sabally also set a season-high in turnovers, but that stat is irrelevant when it comes to fantasy basketball. Between her scoring, rebounding and three-point shooting, she recorded yet another strong performance and remains one of the top-ranked players in fantasy this season.

After totaling 18 points in her first two games back from an absence for personal reasons, Jackson had the best night of her brief WNBA career. The second-year forward shot 4-of-5 from three and scored 14 points in the first quarter. Jackson would finish with her first 30-point game as a pro, and fantasy managers also benefited from the rebounding tally. While she’s unlikely to score 30 points consistently, there will be opportunities for Jackson to benefit from the attention opposing defenses pay Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby. That was the case on Wednesday, and Rickea took advantage.

Ogwumike began the first half steady scoring 11 first half points on 5-of-8 shooting, but her 10 point third quarter was what really pumped energy into the Storm, the team to give the Lynx their first loss of the season. Ogwumike didn’t miss a shot in that third quarter including a turnaround hook and-one she made off balance on a cut with Alanna Smith’s out stretched arms in Ogwumike’s field of view that tied the game at 62 with 2:51 left in the third. This was all part of a 19-5 run Storm run throughout the final six minutes of the third quarter. Ogwumike felt especially comfortable in the pick-and-roll alongside teammate Skylar Diggins. The two connected on three field goals including a 28-foot three during that third quarter run.

Wilson was forced to exit Wednesday’s game with just over one minute remaining in the third quarter with a head injury. The three-time MVP took an inadvertent shot to the nose from Sparks forward Dearica Hamby during the period. While Wilson did get some cotton in her right nostril to deal with the bleeding, she remained in the game for a few minutes before exiting. Before the injury, she struggled, with the foul shooting boosting her final point total. Las Vegas hosts Dallas on Friday in another Commissioner’s Cup matchup, and Aaliyah Nye may see more action as part of a smaller rotation if Wilson cannot play.

The German Basketball Federation announced on Wednesday that one of their stars Nyara Sabally won’t participate in the EuroBasket qualifying tournament, a tournament that Germany is hosting for the first time this year in Hamberg. This comes a day after Sabally made her return to the court after missing two and a half weeks with soreness in her right knee. In the German Federation’s press release, Sabally explained that she made the decision not to play so that she can prioritize her health, and the intense EuroBasket schedule and tight WNBA schedule would be difficult to manage after coming off a knee injury. “Especially with Jonquel Jones still rehabbing from a sprained ankle, New York will be able to continue to build on Sabally’s minutes as they go into their final two commissioner’s Cup games. It initially seemed that Isabelle Harrison would see more opportunities with Sabally overseas, but that’s now uncertain with Sabally remaining in New York.