WNBA Player News

Cunningham was in the rotation on Thursday after missing two games with a sprained ankle, and she provided solid contributions off the bench. The former Mercury guard finished one steal shy of a complete stat line and shot 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. With Lexie Hull (10 points, four assists, two steals and two three-pointers) also playing well, Fever coach Stephanie White was able to trim starter Kelsey Mitchell’s workload. After playing 33 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to Atlanta, Mitchell played 28 on Thursday. The Fever head home to host the champion Liberty on Saturday.

Friday’s game will be the second missed by Clark, who was also held out of Thursday’s loss to the Sparks. Veteran guard Sydney Colson has been her replacement in the starting lineup, but Aari McDonald has been more productive in both stints with the Fever. McDonald would be the superior choice for deep-league managers seeking a streamer with Clark out.

Olsen had the hot hand on Thursday and was rewarded with a career-high 37 minutes of game action. Along with the career-high in minutes, the rookie set new highs for points and three-point makes. She started the second half in place of Jade Melbourne, who injured her mouth and did not return. Depending on Melbourne’s status moving forward, as well as Brittney Sykes’ status (leg), Olsen could be in a position to build off of her career-best performance when the Mystics face the Wings on Saturday.

Austin recorded her second double-double of the season on Thursday as she resumed with what’s been a dominant stretch of basketball over the past week. After a slower start to the season, the fourth-year forward is averaging 20.3 points and 9.5 rebounds over her last four games. Her production has brought tremendous value to the team, which has contributed to wins along the way. Austin is 78.6 percent rostered in ESPN fantasy leagues, so there’s a chance she could be available in some situations — if that’s the case, she is a must-add.

Sutton’s season-high in points on Thursday led her to double figures for the third game in a row, and also helped the Mystics to a third straight win. The third quarter is primarily where the fourth-year guard’s scoring production came from, where she netted eight points to play a key role in expanding Washington’s lead to 18 points going into the fourth quarter. Sutton has found a nice rhythm of late and doesn’t appear to be leaving the starting unit any time soon, given Washington’s success this season. She’ll look to put together another strong game on Saturday against Dallas.

On Thursday, the rookie found a way to score in double figures after failing to do so on Tuesday against Minnesota for the first time in her career. She used efficient shooting and pinpoint accuracy from beyond the arc to make her way past the 20-point mark for the second time this season. Citron has put together a stunningly consistent first quarter of the season and is putting together a Rookie of the Year-type season thus far. She’s been a steal in fantasy leagues.

Evans needed just 18 minutes to record a season-high in points against the Mystics. Nine of Evans’s 12 points came in the third quarter, which kept the Aces from falling behind by even more than the 18-point deficit they attained by the quarter’s end. Yet, the veteran guard only logged 3:34 in the fourth quarter as head coach Becky Hammon rolled mostly with the starters in hopes of securing a comeback win. Evans’s big night might earn her a few more minutes and opportunities in the immediate future, but not enough to make her a worthwhile roster addition in fantasy leagues.

Young had a fascinating performance on Thursday. She tallied 13 points, all of which came in the first quarter, where she made 6-of-8 field goals and appeared on her way to a big game. Yet, the former Most Improved Player took just four shots the rest of the way and didn’t score a single point after the opening quarter. It’s worth mentioning that Young logged 28 minutes and had a solid impact on the glass, as well as a notable impact as a playmaker. Still, her lack of scoring production and aggression after the first quarter made a very ordinary line feel noteworthy.

Wilson had another productive night on Thursday despite the Aces’ fourth loss in the last six games. She tallied at least 20 points for the fourth game in a row and finished as the team’s leading scorer. The reigning MVP started the game off strong as a scorer, tallying 14 points in the first half. But a quiet two-point third quarter was one of the reasons the Aces’ halftime deficit grew from nine points to 18 going into the final frame. The large deficit didn’t prevent her from competing, though. Wilson went on to block three shots in the quarter as Las Vegas trimmed the deficit to single digits, but ultimately fell short. She’ll look to get the Aces back on track against the Mercury on Sunday.

McDonald scored in double figures for the third time this season, using high volume from the free throw line to accomplish the feat. Her scoring production off the bench served as a nice boost for Indiana’s backcourt in Caitlin Clark’s absence. The fifth-year guard was re-signed by the Fever earlier this week, and with her production for the team through four games, she’s making the case for a regular spot in the nightly rotation. While McDonald’s box score won’t bring forth massive production in fantasy leagues, her impact for Indiana on Thursday can’t be overlooked.

Boston’s scoring production took a bit of a hit on Thursday compared to her previous two games. She shot inefficiently from the field and scored three of her four made baskets in the first half. The former first-overall pick did make contributions elsewhere, however — she reached double figures in rebounds for the seventh time this season, and collected a season-high in steals. Boston still had a solid night of fantasy production, but more efficient shooting could lead to bigger and better performances going forward.