WNBA Player News

Copper underwent an arthroscopic procedure on her left knee earlier this week. While the procedure was successful, the Mercury star will miss at least four weeks. Sami Whitcomb was Copper’s replacement in the starting lineup for Phoenix’s preseason finale and should hold onto that role when the team begins its regular season Saturday night. She’s worth rostering while Copper sits, especially in deeper fantasy leagues.

Whitcomb had started the first 11 games of the season for the Mercury before Kahleah Copper’s season debut on Sunday moved her to the reserve unit. In that game, Whitcomb shined, scoring a season-high 18 points and cashing in on four three-point attempts in the process. The veteran guard is enjoying a nice start to her ninth WNBA campaign, but will be in street clothes Wednesday. Rookies Kitija Laksa and Lexi Held could be in line for more minutes in Whitcomb’s absence.

With Kelsey Plum (leg) joining Odyssey Sims (personal) on the Sparks’ list of absentees, Peddy was tabbed to make her first start in a WNBA game since August 14, 2022. The veteran guard, who missed the entire 2024 season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, did not provide much production in that role, but Tuesday’s matchup was not an easy one. In addition to Peddy starting, the absences led to rotation minutes for new signing Grace Berger, who logged 16 minutes and went scoreless with one rebound and one assist. If Plum and Sims remain out for Saturday’s game against the Lynx, Peddy and Berger will be asked to play rotation minutes once again.

After finishing Saturday’s loss to the Lynx with more turnovers (five) than shot attempts (two), Barker was far more active offensively in her second start for the absent Odyssey Sims (personal). The rookie guard established season-highs in points and field-goal attempts, scoring in double figures for the first time as a pro. With Kelsey Plum (knee) also out, there will continue to be additional opportunities for Barker to score. While she isn’t a must-add in standard fantasy leagues, managers in deeper formats should consider Barker ahead of Saturday’s game against the Lynx if the Sparks remain as shorthanded as they currently are.

On what was a rough night for Stevens and the Sparks, the forward/center recorded her fifth double-double of the season. However, since shooting 47.6 percent from three in her first six games, Stevens has hit a cold spell from deep. Over her last seven, she’s just 7-of-30 from deep, and that includes a 5-of-8 effort against the Wings on June 6. Stevens is a career 34 percent shooter from three, so she was likely due to cool off after a hot start to the season. However, with the Sparks currently without four rotation players, they need her to get back on track. And soon.

With the Sparks down four rotation players, Jackson figured more prominently in the offensive game plan Tuesday night. The second-year forward struggled to find clean looks against the Seattle defense, with the foul line boosting her point total. However, Jackson did finish a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line, and she’s scored 17 points or more in each of her last three appearances. The Sparks end their week with a game against the Lynx on Saturday.

After totaling five points in her first two games coming off the bench, Clark has found her groove. She scored 11 points in Saturday’s loss to the Valkyries and was even better Tuesday night. The veteran wing shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, establishing season-highs in points and three-pointers. Over her last two games, Clark is 7-of-10 from deep. Erica Wheeler (15/3/2/1 with three three-pointers) remains the starter and has done nothing to merit being returned to the bench. That limits Clark’s fantasy ceiling, but nights like Tuesday are a reminder of what she can provide the Storm.

Ogwumike did whatever she wanted on Tuesday, shooting 75 percent from the field and leading all scorers with 26 points. The point total was a season-high for the veteran forward, who had a streak of three consecutive 20-point games last month. Since then, Ogwumike had one 20-point game to her credit before Tuesday, Seattle’s win over the Lynx on June 11. She’ll look to build on Tuesday’s effort when the Storm visit Las Vegas on Friday.

Two weeks removed from blocking five shots in a win over the Wings, Magbegor established a new season-high on Tuesday. The six rejections were two shy of her career-high, making up for a quiet night offensively. Also, Magbegor matched her season-high with five assists. Her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring efforts ended at two, but the Storm center is relied on more for her defense due to the established scorers in the team’s rotation. Seattle continues its road trip with a game against the Aces on Friday.

Diggins notched a career milestone on Tuesday, passing Cappie Pondexter to move into tenth on the WNBA’s career assists list. The Storm point guard did not have to do as much scoring against the shorthanded Sparks, as four other Seattle players hit double figures. Diggins has dished out at least six assists in three of her last four outings, a stretch in which he’s amassed 23 assists and eight turnovers. Unsurprisingly, she’s ranked in the top-10 among guards in fantasy points per game by standard ESPN leagues scoring.

Typically, when a player puts on a show, it happens on the offensive end of the floor. That was not the case for Williams, who was stellar defensively in Seattle’s blowout of the Sparks. She matched her career-high for steals in a game, six, by halftime and finished with a franchise-record eight on the night. Also, Williams is the second player since 2006 to record at least eight steals in a game, with Napheesa Collier doing so last season. Williams may not record gaudy point totals consistently, but her all-around game makes the Storm forward one of the best players to have rostered in fantasy basketball at her position. The lone negative for Williams was the sprained ankle she suffered early in the fourth quarter, which may cast some doubt on her status for Friday’s game against the Aces.