WNBA Player News

The second overall pick in Monday’s WNBA Draft, the 6-foot-6 Malonga, who is only 19 years old, possesses an incredibly high upside. However, she’ll finish her season with ASVEL Féminin in France before joining the Storm. ASVEL begins the quarterfinal round of its league tournament on Friday, and an early elimination would mean that Malonga would miss only a short period with the Storm. Training camp opens on April 27, and the regular season begins on May 16.

Diggins scored the ball both on and off of it on Wednesday night, something Seattle will need especially since Erica Wheeler has become a starter and both will have the ball in their hands. Diggins’ shot diet could play to the percentages a bit more. Like Wheeler, the Lynx caught her taking a lot of long twos, something that modern WNBA teams want to stay away from as much as possible. Also, Diggins reached 5,000 career points in the WNBA and became the fastest player to do so.

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.

An issue for the Storm so far this season has been involving Magbegor in their offense, a 25 year-old player who Seattle has claimed is their future. With Nneka Ogwumike acting as the Storm’s de facto number one option who is involved in the main actions with Skylar Diggins, it’s been difficult for Magbegor to find her offense. With the Lynx keying in on both Ogwumike and Diggins, Magbegor found her offense moving off the ball and cutting to the basket. She often got rewarded for her off-ball movement. Defensively Magbegor defended MVP front-runner Napheesa Collier as well as she could using her length to obstruct Collier’s view.

Smith efficiently scored the basketball especially running in transition and in the pick-and-roll with Courtney Williams. But Smith couldn’t deliver late in the fourth quarter when the Lynx needed her to score the most. With 32 seconds left in regulation and the Lynx down by just 4 points, Kayla McBride drove through the teeth of the defense and then dropped the ball off to a wide open Smith in the dunker spot without a Storm defender on her. Smith missed the wide open bunny and that led to the Lynx fouling and sending Erica Wheeler back to the free throw line which brought the Storm lead to 6 points with 25 seconds left.

McBride isn’t just a catch-and-shoot shooter and she proved that on Wednesday night during stretches when she had to carry her team. This happened mostly during the fourth quarter when she was responsible for 73.7% of the Lynx’s total fourth points off her 7 scored points and three assists. Napheesa Collier struggled to knock down shots down the stretch, shooting 3-for-7 from the field in the fourth. McBride’s individual scores in the fourth quarter were vital and came from putting pressure on the rim and scoring in the paint, something the Lynx struggled to do at a high clip against the Storm. Seattle outscored the Lynx in the paint 50-32.

Wheeler got her second start on Wednesday night and it would be shocking to see her leave the startling lineup anytime soon. Not only did she score, but facilitated at a high level alongside point-forward Gabby Williams. While Wheeler was Seattle’s second leading scorer, she took seven out of her 13 shots from the mid-range, not ideal for a team like Seattle that has difficulty with their floor spacing. But one of those six shots not from the midrange was her three-point dagger with 46 seconds remaining in regulation that sealed the win for the Storm.

Carrington’s five-game streak of scoring in double digits was snapped on Sunday against the Lynx, but she was able to make her way back to double figures against the Mercury on Wednesday. Her field goal attempts were down compared to the number she’d grown accustomed to taking in Paige Bueckers’ absence. Yet, she made 4-of-10 shots and found production at the free-throw line to finish with solid scoring production against Phoenix. The fifth-year guard continues to attack the glass and is currently facilitating as well as she has all season long. With her well-roundedness on both ends of the floor, Carrington provides a solid floor for fantasy managers on a nightly basis.

With A’ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd (seven points, one assist, one steal and one three-pointer) combining to shoot 5-of-21 from the field, Young did her best to pick up the slack. The Aces guard matched her career-high point total, and fantasy managers benefited from the rebounds, assists and steals as well. And this could have been an even better night for Young, as she shot 2-of-10 from beyond the arc. Wilson, who exited Wednesday’s game during the third quarter with a head injury, should be fine. However, Loyd’s continued struggles in her first season with the Aces make Young that much more important to a team that is now 4-4 on the season. Las Vegas will look to bounce back on Friday when it hosts the Mercury.

After recording 26 points on Sunday against the Lynx, Ogunbowale narrowly escaped single digits against the Mercury on Wednesday. The veteran guard failed to make a three-pointer for the fifth time this season, adding to what’s been a career-worst season in regards to shooting percentages. Ogunbowale’s inconsistent scoring has also caused her averages to take a drastic dip, as she’s now down from 22.2 points per game last season to 15.7 points per game through her first 11 appearances this year. She has the proven skill set to turn things around quickly, but her struggles through the first quarter of the season could be a cause for concern as it relates to fantasy basketball.

Gray was certainly effective as a scorer, establishing season-highs in points and three-pointers. The six triples also matched the veteran point guard’s career-high for most in a game, and Gray is 10-of-18 from beyond the arc in two games against the Sparks this season. However, her impact as a playmaker was minimal, especially with A’ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd shooting a combined 5-of-21 from the field. Gray only dished out one assist and committed five turnovers, one shy of her season-high. With Wilson potentially missing Friday’s game against the Wings with a head injury, the Aces will need Gray to be at her best as a shooter and distributor.