WNBA Player News

Clark will make her highly anticipated return to the Fever’s starting lineup to play against the still undefeated New York Liberty in a Commissioner’s Cup game. While Clark was out for five games, back-up point guard Sydney Colson started in her place. Clark said pregame that she won’t be on a minutes restriction.

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.

On the heels of her best offensive performance of the season in Friday’s loss to Minnesota, Canada had arguably an even better performance on Sunday vs. the Liberty. The veteran guard set a season-high in points and tied a season-high in assists while shooting an efficient 60.0 percent from the field. Canada was seemingly under control throughout the game and used her speed to cause issues for the Liberty’s defense. She missed Atlanta’s first seven games of the season due to injury and is now playing her best basketball of the season after getting back in the flow.

Gray came dangerously close to recording her first double-double of the season on Sunday, falling just one rebound short of the feat. Nonetheless, the veteran guard had a very impactful performance, reaching the 20-point mark and shooting over 50.0 percent from the field for the first time since June 15, all while making contributions as a facilitator. She didn’t record a steal or a block for the third straight game, which is taking a bit away from her fantasy production. Still, she’s been productive all season, and fantasy managers will hope for a similar performance from Gray on Thursday when the Dream face the Storm.

Jones led the Dream in scoring and was one of five members of the team to score in double figures against the Liberty. The veteran center reached at least 20 points on Sunday for just the second time this season, and for the first time since June 10. She has been consistent on the offensive end thus far in her debut season with the Dream, scoring in double figures in 14 games already while dominating the offensive interior along the way. Jones rounded out her performance with activity on the defensive end, ultimately helping the Dream end a two-game losing streak.

Having been away from the Sparks for personal reasons, Sims is officially available for Sunday’s game. This will be her first game action since June 11. The player most impacted by Sims’ return is Shey Peddy, who has started alongside Kelsey Plum in recent games. Even if Peddy remains in the starting lineup for another game, her minutes will likely decrease.

Initially waived by the Sparks on May 12, King was re-signed just over a week later as the team was dealing with multiple injuries. The third-round pick out of Notre Dame appeared in 12 games, averaging 3.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 10.0 minutes. King being waived likely means Odyssey Sims will be available for Sunday’s game against the Sky. Away from the team for personal reasons, the veteran guard has not appeared in a game since June 11. Sims practiced on Saturday and is currently probable for Sunday.

With Teaira McCowan and Luise Geiselsöder returning from FIBA Women’s EuroBasket, the Wings needed to free up a roster spot. Unfortunately for Jones, that spelled an end to her time in Dallas. The former first-round pick appeared in two games for the Wings, most recently tallying eight points, seven rebounds and two assists in Saturday’s win over the Mystics.

While her production outside of points was limited, Austin continues to provide solid value as a scorer. She’s scored 13 points or more in five straight appearances. And over her last six games, all starts, Austin has averaged 18.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks. As expected, her rostered percentage has skyrocketed in ESPN leagues, up to 81.3 percent. Stefanie Dolson, who began the season as Washington’s starting center, only played five minutes off the bench against the Wings. If Austin happens to be on the waiver wire in your league, don’t hesitate to add her.