WNBA Player News

Charles was at her most efficient in the first quarter, leading all scorers with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting which accounted for 61.5 percent of the Sun’s points in that first frame. But she struggled to score the basketball with efficiency in the final three quarters. While Charles is adept at creating her own offense with a slew of different hook shots, turnaround jumpers, floaters and fadeaways, she was hesitant facilitating with her only assist going to Jacy Sheldon in the left corner pocket for a wide open three with 1:28 left in the third quarter once the game was completely out of reach for the Sun. With Olivia Nelson- Ododa (left ankle) out for the Sun, Connecticut’s post scoring is limited.

Held did not travel with the Mercury to Chicago after injuring her rib in the middle of third quarter on Thursday night in New York against the Liberty. Held got injured fighting for the ball on the ground with Liberty forward Breanna Stewart. Held’s production will be supplemented by having Kahleah Copper back in the startling lineup along with more minutes from shooters in Kitija Laksa, Sami Whitcomb and Monique Akoa Makani.

Griner was questionable to play on Friday night due to an illness, but ended up playing anyway. She got on the boards leading the Dream with seven on an evening when crashing the glass was tough for the Dream to come by, as they got out-rebounded by the Mystics 33-24. Griner also hit double-digit scoring for the fifth time this season in 11 games. The 11-year veteran is still trying to figure out how to pick her spots on a team where the top options are the Dream’s perimeter players in Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. She is also figuring out sharing minutes at the center spot with Brionna Jones when head coach Karl Smesko opts to play with a smaller player at the power forward spot.

Dream head coach Karl Smesko has remarked all season long how instinctual, smart and selfless his front court players are. Jones’ performance on Friday night is a case in point. She made quick decisions on kick outs and dump downs that resulted in six total assists in addition to working with Allisha Gray in the two-person game in the second half to successfully to get her going. This season Jones is averaging 2.3 assists per game, her highest average since 2023.

Howard also struggled shooting accurately from the field but made sure that she still contributed. She led the Dream down the stretch scoring 7 of Atlanta’s 20 fourth quarter points. While Howard’s shooting efficiency wasn’t there on Friday night, her playmaking was. The majority of her six total assists were on drives-and-kicks to players wide open on the perimeter. It’s a point of growth for Howard who is looking to establish herself more as a driver and a downhill threat rather than just a perimeter shot creator.

While the Aces have gotten off to a disappointing start, with Friday’s defeat dropping their record to 5-7, Nye’s development has been a positive. The rookie wing matched her season-high point total on Friday, hitting double figures for the third time. And while Nye did not record a robust overall stat line against the Storm, her effort continues to grab the attention of Aces head coach Becky Hammon. “She gets minutes because she plays hard. Her effort is there every time,” Hammon said after Friday’s loss. “I can’t say the same down the line…the way you build trust with your coach…if I see you’re trying hard and the effort’s there, let me start with that.” Nye has played at least 15 minutes in six straight games, surpassing 20 minutes on four occasions. That isn’t enough to make her a factor in most fantasy leagues, but Nye should remain a fixture in the Aces rotation for the foreseeable future.

Citron has scored in double-digits for every game she’s played as a pro so far. On Friday night she scored efficiently, not taking shots that don’t lineup with the percentages, meaning either shots from deep or in the paint. She scored in transition at the rim, drove to the basket in half court sets and hit two timely threes to keep the Mystics in the game. Citron has proven she can be trusted in high pressure minutes for Washington as she played in her most minutes of the season on Friday night.

Loyd’s production was likely under increased scrutiny on Friday, and not only because she was facing her former team for the third time this season. With A’ja Wilson returning from a concussion that sidelined her for two games, Loyd would fall a spot in the Aces’ offensive pecking order. The good news is that her shot attempts held steady, making it four straight games with at least 11 attempts. The bad is that this did not get the Aces into the winner’s circle, and basketball fans have gotten used to a far more prolific “Gold Mamba” throughout her WNBA career. Given the Aces’ lack of consistent bench scorers, the starters will be required to do more if they’re to be a factor in the title chase.

While the Aces were let down by their defense on Friday, one positive for Becky Hammon’s team was Young snapping out of her mini-slump. After tallying 64 points on 19-of-40 shooting against the Sparks and Wings, she endured a two-game run in which she shot 7-of-27 and scored 24 points. So, getting untracked against the Storm undoubtedly qualifies as a step in the right direction for the Aces guard. Young has scored at least 20 points in five of her 12 games this season; she had 11 such games in 2024.

Back in the lineup after missing two games due to the league’s concussion protocols, Wilson made up for lost time with a robust stat line. All that was missing was a three-pointer, but with a career average of 0.3 triples per game, fantasy managers and WNBA fans understand that this is not part of Wilson’s repertoire. The seven turnovers committed against the Storm may have been a sign of A’ja being somewhat rusty in her first game back, but that isn’t a scoring category in standard ESPN leagues. Tiffany Mitchell, who started on Sunday against the Mercury, only played 10 minutes on Friday and was scoreless on two shot attempts.

Storm head coach Noelle Quinn decided to move Wheeler into the starting lineup ahead of Seattle’s June 7 win over the Mercury, and the change has paid dividends. Wheeler has scored in double figures in three of five games, and Seattle is 4-1 since the lineup change. While Alysha Clark (two points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in 27 minutes) cooled off on Friday against her former team, the move to the bench has removed some of the pressure that she was under. Wheeler’s status as a starter appears to be secure, and she should be rostered in more than 44.6 percent of ESPN leagues as she currently is.