WNBA Player News

Jensen, who was signed to a training camp deal on May 8, faced long odds to make Washington’s final roster. That can also be said for Prechtel and Cave, despite being part of the Mystics’ training camp from the start. While Prechtel was the 34th overall pick in the 2023 draft, she has yet to appear in an official WNBA game. Once they clear waivers, Prechtel, Jensen and Cave will be unrestricted free agents.

Smith left the game with 7:54 left in the third quarter after blocking a shot previously by Valkyries center Temi Fágbénlé. Smith had been roughed up earlier in the game, taking a shoulder to the face from wing Kayla Thornton along with rolling an ankle. If Smith doesn’t return, expect Lynx forward Jessica Shepard to play the brunt of her minutes alongside Napheesa Collier.

Leite has missed Golden State’s last three games with a back injury, and Saturday will extend the unfortunate streak to four. Starters Veronica Burton and Tiffany Hayes have seen their minutes increase, and this will remain the case on Saturday. While Kaitlyn Chen may pick up rotation minutes off the bench, she is not worth the risk in fantasy leagues.

Thornton injured her neck during the third quarter of Golden State’s June 29 game against the Storm. The Valkyries have not played since, giving the forward valuable time to recover. Her absence from the injury means Thornton will again play a pivotal role for Golden State on both ends of the floor. Also helping the Valkyries will be the return of Janelle Salaün and Cecilia Zandalasini from EuroBasket.

Samuelson was injured during the second quarter of Minnesota’s June 29 win over the Sun. While the Lynx did not provide specifics regarding the guard’s injury, the team announced that she will undergo season-ending surgery. In 16 games, Samuelson averaged 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.8 three-pointers in 14.3 minutes. Fellow reserve Natisha Hiedeman will pick up additional minutes in Samuelson’s absence.

While Clark has been able to do some 3-on-3 work, she still has not reached the point where she’s a full go in practice. Saturday’s game will be the fifth the Fever star has missed since injuring her groin, and Clark does not have a concrete timeline for her return. Aari McDonald will remain in the starting lineup, and Sydney Colson will pick up additional minutes off the bench.

For the sixth time this season, Thomas has reached double figures in assists, with five of those games coming after she returned from a calf strain on June 11. The Mercury forward failed to hit double digits in points for the first time this season, but Thomas is productive enough to still provide solid fantasy value. She’ll look for revenge on Monday when the Wings visit Phoenix.

Akoa Makani, who finished Thursday’s defeat a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line, has been a solid addition to the Mercury lineup this season. While Dallas’ JJ Quinerly outclassed the rookie guard on Thursday, Akoa Makani reached double figures in scoring for the fifth time this season. She is not a must-roster player in standard leagues, especially with a healthy Kahleah Copper in the lineup, but Akoa Makani is worth a look in deeper formats.

Sabally’s point total and final stat line were solid, but the former was boosted by an 8-of-9 night at the foul line. The Mercury forward shot 30 percent (3-of-10) from inside the arc, weighing down her overall percentage. The good news for fantasy managers who have Sabally rostered was that field goal percentage is not a scoring category in standard ESPN leagues, and she did a little bit of everything in the defeat. Unsurprisingly, Sabally has been one of the most valuable frontcourt players in fantasy basketball, and that should not change anytime soon.

While it happened in a losing effort, Copper looking like her usual self was a positive for the Mercury. Since returning from preseason knee surgery, the Mercury guard shot less than 50 percent from the field in her five appearances before Thursday. Shooting efficiency was not a problem for Copper against the Wings, with the 33 points being the most she’s scored in a game since she dropped 36 on July 12, 2024, against the Fever. She and the Mercury will look to even the score when they host Dallas on Monday.

While Li did not shoot the ball well from the field, she made up for it with a busy night at the foul line. Dallas’ superior size was an issue for the visiting Mercury, with the Wings finishing Thursday’s win with an offensive rebounding percentage of 29.6 percent and a defensive rebounding percentage of 81.1 percent. Li, who recorded her second double-double of the season, was one of the catalysts on the glass for the Wings, who have won two straight and three of their last four games. Li played 24 minutes on Thursday with Teaira McCowan serving as her backup; that’s enough time for the starter to provide solid fantasy value.