WNBA Player News

While Collier was on the court to begin the third quarter of Tuesday’s game, she exited with just under eight minutes remaining with an apparent lower back injury. The Lynx announced early in the fourth quarter that the MVP candidate won’t return, ending her night after 19 minutes. Collier finished with seven points, six rebounds and one assist. Her exit resulted in more playing time for Natisha Hiedeman, with Bridget Carleton shifting to the four.

Sheldon was one of only two Connecticut players to score in double figures on Sunday. Her 29 minutes were second on the team, which she used to nail a pair of three-point shots and dish a couple of assists. Sheldon’s performance on Sunday, while not spectacular, gave her a third straight game of double-digit scoring and marked her fourth such game over the past five. Connecticut now holds a 2-12 record and has a lot to figure out as the season progresses, but Sheldon has proven recently to be a reliable scoring presence, despite the team’s struggles.

After scoring in double figures in consecutive games, the rookie forward found her way into the Sun’s starting lineup on Sunday. She tallied another double-digit scoring performance, although the blowout loss likely played a part in her receiving just 16 minutes of game action, which prevented her from even more production. It should be noted that Morrow’s first start coincided with Marina Mabrey’s first missed game of the season (knee). It’ll be interesting to see what happens to Morrow’s spot in the starting unit once Mabrey ultimately returns to the rotation.

A blowout loss limited Charles’ minutes Sunday and prevented her from scoring in double digits for the third time this season. The Sun was outscored by 24 points in the second quarter to expand their deficit to 27 points at halftime. From there, Charles logged only five more minutes the rest of the way. Still, she finished as one of Connecticut’s two leading rebounders and managed to secure a couple of blocked shots in her limited action. The Sun will likely need to play in more competitive games for the veteran center to provide fantasy managers with value.

In her fourth game of the season, Amihere came off the bench to log her first-career double-double. The strong production came in 23 minutes, and the rebounds she accumulated against the Sun were a career-high. She did tally six turnovers, which are arguably the only negative worth pointing out. Nevertheless, a performance like Sunday’s had to feel good for Amihere, who was waived by this same Golden State organization during the preseason before being brought back to the team earlier in June. She’s now scored in double figures in three straight games.

Hayes has made her way back to the starting lineup now that she’s got a couple of games under her belt following a nose injury that had forced her to miss some time. Her return to the starting unit was a successful one, as she scored seven points in each of the first two quarters to grow Golden State’s lead to 27 at the break. Not much production was needed from that point on from the reigning Sixth Player of the Year. She scored in double figures for a third consecutive game and appears to be a significant part of the Valkyries’ rotation going forward.

Behind Thornton’s offensive production, Golden State made quick work of Connecticut on Sunday, leading by 27 points at the half before ultimately finishing with a 24-point win. The veteran forward needed just 22 minutes of action to surpass the 20-point mark, and nearly grabbed enough rebounds to secure a double-double in the process. Thornton was recently named the WNBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week for her recent performances. She’ll look to keep up the production on Wednesday when hosting New York.

The third-year guard logged her first start on Sunday since her rookie season, replacing Kennedy Burke in the starting unit. In her minutes, Gardner played the role of a 3-and-D guard, using her quickness as an on-ball defender while taking advantage of open three-point looks when given the opportunities. Her scoring output and contributions from beyond the arc on Sunday were season highs. Her status in the Liberty’s rotation will likely depend on the team’s health moving forward. Nevertheless, Gardner had a fine game against the Storm.

Johannes logged her first start of the season in place of the injured Sabrina Ionescu (neck). In the start, she did her best Ionescu impression by providing New York with scoring by way of the three-point shot, which included her signature one-legged shot from beyond the arc. Johannes has spent time in New York’s starting lineup in previous seasons. Should she be called upon for additional starts and minutes, she should be seen as a worthwhile roster addition in fantasy leagues.

While she failed to extend her streak of twenty-point games to four on Sunday, Stewart led the undermanned Liberty in scoring in a game that wasn’t decided until the final handful of possessions. Stewart, a former two-time champion with the Storm, shot the ball efficiently but was equally impressive as a rebounder and passer. Her contributions across the board left her on the fringes of her first triple-double of the season. The banged-up Liberty have now lost three of four games and will hope to get back in the win column on Wednesday against Golden State.

Ogwumike led Seattle in scoring and, once again, used extreme shooting efficiency to make her way past 20 points for the third consecutive game. Ogwumike’s productive night as a scorer was underscored by a couple of late buckets to give Seattle some breathing room, including a three-pointer from the top of the arc to essentially serve as the dagger. The veteran forward added a couple of blocks and steals to top off what was another exceptional game for her.