WNBA Player News

Zandalasini has yet to make her Valkyries debut, and her right foot injury limited the forward to individual work during Monday’s practice. She’ll remain sidelined for the first game of Golden State’s road trip, but this does not impact the team’s current rotation.

Howard played just 24 minutes on Sunday before exiting Sunday’s contest in the middle of the third quarter with an arm injury. She left the floor and headed to the locker room before eventually being ruled out and making her way back to the bench in a sling. Atlanta won’t play again until it hosts Seattle on Thursday, giving the dynamic guard a few days to recover. Should she be unavailable vs. the Storm, Te-Hina Paopao, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Nia Coffey could see more opportunities than usual.

Stevens had herself another balanced performance on Sunday, stuffing the stat sheet in just 26 minutes of game action. She nearly logged 20 points, secured a trio of blocks and three-pointers, and tied a season-high in assists along the way. Stevens finished with a game-worst minus-19, making her impact for the Sparks, at best, questionable. Nevertheless, her final stat line on Sunday was beneficial as it relates to fantasy basketball.

Despite an inefficient shooting performance, Plum used high free-throw volume to net at least 20 points for the fourth time in the last five games — her 12 free-throw attempts and makes were both season-highs. The former Sixth Player of the Year finished June having shot 45.0 percent or better from the field just once in nine games, which came on Thursday in a 21-point game against Indiana. Still, Plum’s workload and ability to pass, get to the charity stripe, and rebound have continued to lead her to strong performances from a fantasy basketball standpoint. She’s been one of the top guards in ESPN fantasy leagues this season.

Hamby reached the 20-point mark for the first time since June 9 in the Sparks’ loss on Sunday as she shot the ball efficiently from the field but continued to struggle from the free-throw line. The veteran forward’s performance on Sunday was not solely about her scoring, however. In securing double-digit rebounds, she tallied her fifth double-double of the season while making her usual impact as a passer and active defender. Hamby continues to have a great individual season despite the Sparks’ struggles.

Atkins had another solid performance against the Sparks on Sunday after a 13-point, five-assist outing against Los Angeles on Tuesday. She didn’t wow in any one area, but notably shot the ball efficiently this time around, as a late three-pointer served as the final blow to Los Angeles’ chances. Her contributions on the defensive end were also helpful to her fantasy production, in addition to her scoring. Although it wasn’t her most glamorous box score, it was enough to help the Sky to their second win in the last three games.

Williams earned her first start of the season and responded with a well-rounded performance against the Sparks. The veteran center logged season-highs in minutes, rebounds and steals while scoring in double-figures for the second time this year. Williams also made an impact with her shot blocking as she did her best to fill the void that starting center Kamilla Cardoso (national team commitment) has left behind. Given Williams’ production on Sunday, it’s likely she’ll retain her starting spot on July 6 when the Sky face the Lynx.

Reese was exceptional on Sunday, as has been the case for the last several games. The second-year forward tallied her second-most assists of the season and scored a season-high in points while her fourth straight 15-rebound double-double powered the Sky to its second win in the last three games. Reese closed out the month on a tear, averaging 17.3 points and 17.5 rebounds over the last four games. If she can carry this momentum into July, the Sky could find themselves in a position to collect more victories.

Ionescu’s shooting struggles continued on Sunday for a fourth-straight game. After shooting 33.0 percent from the field vs Atlanta, the former first overall pick has now shot a combined 11-of-51 from the field, though her 3-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc on Sunday is noteworthy. With Jonquel Jones (ankle) still sidelined and the Liberty having lost four of their last five games, the team desperately needs Ionescu to get back on track as a scorer. She’ll have a chance to break out of the slump on Thursday against the Sparks.

Cloud scored in double figures against the Dream on Sunday for the second game in a row, after being held in single digits in the 11 games prior. Sunday marked the most points the veteran had scored in a game since her debut with Liberty back on the opening day of the season. Cloud appears to be back on track as a scorer, which is good news for a New York team that has lost four of five games and is without the reigning Finals MVP. The Liberty will need her scoring and playmaking going forward.

With Jonquel Jones (ankle) still out and Sabrina Ionescu in the midst of a shooting slump, the scoring burden was on Stewart and she did her best to deliver. The two-time WNBA MVP led the team in field-goal attempts and points, while tallying her eighth straight game of at least 18 points. She also crashed the glass to lead the Liberty in rebounding and made her presence felt on the defensive end with active hands. Stewart is in an ideal spot from a fantasy basketball standpoint, as fantasy managers get to see Stewart heavily used in the offense while the Liberty deal with injuries and play competitive games.