WNBA Player News

Iriafen struggled early while trying to score from the block on post ups rather than face ups or on cuts in transition to the basket. But when the rookie was primarily guarded by stretch four Damiris Dantas rather than Aliyah Boston or Natasha Howard was when Iriafien could use her speed and strength to her advantage. The rookie made three straight shots in a two-minute stretch in the middle of the fourth quarter to help the Mystics jump out to a commanding 10-point lead over the Fever. Like her teammate and fellow rookie Sonia Citron, Iriafen’s performance was her sixth straight double-digit scoring performance as a pro.

Despite Golden State’s two-game winning streak coming to an end on Wednesday, Burton recorded another solid performance as the team’s lead ball-handler. Her biggest impact came as a facilitator, where she registered double-digit assists for the second time this season. Poor shooting limited her to a single-digit scoring performance and prevented a second double-double of the season. And although shooting inefficiency has held her back as a scorer all season long, Burton is quietly performing as a top-10 passer in the league in what’s been her breakout season as a professional.

Hayes led all Golden State starters in scoring against New York and scored in double digits for the fourth game in a row. The veteran guard has seen her scoring and rebounding continue to increase with each passing game, and even made her way to a season-high 34 minutes on Wednesday, which is a great sign for fantasy managers. Although the shooting efficiency has not been there of late, it appears as though the reigning Sixth Player of the Year is trending in the right direction. She’ll have a chance to remain on the upward trajectory against the Sky on Friday.

Martin had a career-best night on Wednesday. Off the bench, she surpassed the 20-point mark for the first time in her career to lead the Valkyries in scoring, while dialing up a career-high four three-pointers. Each of Martin’s threes came in the fourth quarter, where she tallied 14 of the team’s 17 points and nearly single-handedly willed Golden State to victory. The sophomore guard has had a nice month, as she’s scored in double figures on three separate occasions. She’ll have a chance to achieve a fourth on Friday against Chicago.

Sabrina Ionescu’s return to the lineup sent Johannes back to a reserve role after scoring 17 points in her lone start of the season. Yet, the relegation to the bench didn’t stop the veteran guard from having a huge impact on Wednesday’s game. In only 18 minutes of action, Johannes drilled three big three-pointers and finished as a plus-12, which was the highest on the team. Although she’s one of the more fun players in the league to watch on the offensive end, she’s not much more than a streaming option in fantasy leagues.

A consecutive cold-shooting night for Ionescu zapped what had the makings of a productive night as far as fantasy basketball is concerned. High volume from the free-throw line ultimately led her to score in double figures, with her contributions on the glass and as a passer helping drown out the inefficient shooting. The veteran guard’s one made field goal served as the lowest amount in any game this season. She’s now shooting only 4-of-27 from the field over her last two games, on the heels of shooting 23-of-40 in the two games prior. Fantasy managers should expect that Ionescu will round back into form sometime soon to continue having a stellar season.

Burke’s season-high in points served as a massive boost for the Liberty as they ended a two-game losing streak on Wednesday. The veteran forward logged a season-high 30 minutes against the Valkyries and displayed fantastic three-point shooting and efficiency throughout the contest. Her contributions off the bench, along with Marine Johannes’, were arguably more impactful than any starter’s, aside from Breanna Stewart. Burke’s performance on Wednesday was just the latest highlight in what’s been a career-best season for her.

Stewart delivered for the Liberty to help end the team’s two-game losing streak on Wednesday. The two-time MVP made an impact in several areas, with her work on the glass and as a scorer leading her to her second double-double of the season. Stewart also drained a pair of three-pointers and now has six makes over her last four games, which is a step forward from the four she’d made over the first 10 games of the season. With Sabrina Ionescu in a two-game shooting slump and Jonquel Jones sidelined with an ankle injury, the Liberty will need Stewart to carry them on most nights, as she did on against the Valkyries.

Rivers found her way to double figures as a scorer on Wednesday, but perhaps more impressively, continued to flash her potential as a legitimate difference-maker on the defensive end. The rookie guard registered her third straight game with at least two steals and two blocks, which is something she’s accomplished five times this season. She’ll grow as an offensive player over time, but it’s clear she’s already polished on the defensive end. Rivers has a ton of upside as a fantasy basketball player.

Nelson-Ododa returned to the starting lineup on Wednesday in place of rookie Aneesah Morrow. She finished as one of three Sun players to score in double figures, while her contributions on the glass were the most of any starter. The one negative worth noting was how insecure the fourth-year center was with the ball — she led the Sun in turnovers, with her total setting a new season-high. It’s unknown what amount of playing time Nelson-Ododa could expect on a nightly basis, given the inconsistency with her minutes of late. Still, she’s a decent streaming option in fantasy basketball leagues.

Charles led the Sun in scoring on Wednesday as they dropped their seventh game in a row. Connecticut continues to struggle, but that hasn’t stopped the former league MVP from putting up high-scoring performances on a nightly basis. The veteran center now has 10 games this season of at least 15 points and is currently averaging her most points per game since her lone season with the Mercury in 2022. While the scoring is up, the rebounding is at a career low, and the three-point shot has been nearly non-existent. Fantasy managers are essentially relying on Charles to have high-scoring games for quality fantasy production out of her.