WNBA Player News

While the Lynx continue to list Smith on their pregame injury reports, she has not missed a game since the season opener. The veteran forward’s playing time has increased, as she logged 29 minutes in Wednesday’s win over Dallas after playing 17 in her season debut. Reserve Jessica Shepard’s playing time decreased, as she logged 19 minutes against the Wings. Look for a similar minutes split on Friday.

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.

Despite Thursday’s game being her first since rejoining the Wings after playing in EuroBasket, Geiselsöder was immediately inserted into the starting lineup and played 33 minutes. While the rookie forward did not shoot the ball well from the field, missing all four of her three-point attempts, she was effective as a defender with four “stocks.” Dallas trading NaLyssa Smith to the Aces means Geiselsöder should remain a starter for the foreseeable future, raising her fantasy ceiling. Teaira McCowan also returned from EuroBasket, finishing Thursday’s win with nine points, three rebounds and two blocks in 16 minutes off the bench. Unlike Geiselsöder, McCowan is not a player who needs to be rostered in standard leagues.

Jones collected her eighth double-double of the season on Thursday and nearly tallied 20 points along the way. The former Most Improved Player made eight shots inside the paint and continued to dominate the interior, as she has all season long. She shot 4-of-4 in the fourth quarter and tried to will her team to victory, but a go-ahead Skylar Diggins layup in the closing moments of the game handed the Dream a crushing defeat. Jones and the Dream will face the Valkyries on Monday as they hope to get back in the win column.

Another game and another efficient performance from Bueckers, who has tallied 50 points on 17-of-29 shooting from the field in her last two outings. The rookie, who was named an All-Star Game starter over the weekend, has scored 20 points or more in five of her last six appearances, continuing to shoulder a heavy workload for the rebuilding Wings. Fellow rookies Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly also played well on Thursday, and this was an exciting night for the Wings franchise.

Gray tallied double-digit rebounds for the first time and drained at least two three-pointers for the 14th time this season. The defensive attention she received with Rhyne Howard (arm) missing Thursday’s game potentially played a role in her inefficient scoring. Regardless, the WNBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month for June competed in other areas to help finish with a decent night of fantasy production. She will look to shoot the ball better and have a more impactful offensive game on Monday against the Valkyries.

With Arike Ogunbowale unavailable due to injury, the Wings clearly needed a volume scorer next to Paige Bueckers. To say James was ready to answer the call would be an understatement. The rookie out of NC State posted 20 points, five assists and four three-pointers in the first half, setting the stage for Dallas’ biggest win of the season to date. James became the fifth rookie in WNBA history to tally at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and five three-pointers in a game. Like fellow rookie JJ Quinerly, James finished with season-highs in points and assists, and her five three-pointers were also a high. If Dallas is in a position later this season where improving their draft lottery odds becomes a priority, look out for James.