WNBA Player News

While fellow Mystics rookie Sonia Citron recorded season-highs in points and rebounds on Sunday, Iriafen did so in assists and steals. Having recorded no more than two assists in any of the previous 13 appearances, she tripled that number against the Wings. As for the steals, Iriafen entered Sunday with a total of five, which she matched in the overtime victory. Given the numbers before Sunday, the assists are a more realistic tally for Iriafen than the steals. That said, she’s been productive enough as a scorer and rebounder to merit being rostered in most fantasy leagues.

The Storm were hoping that Sykes’s addition to the roster would provide a spark, but that has not been the case. Seattle has lost six straight, the last three with Sykes on the roster. After scoring 27 points against the Sparks on Sunday, Sykes’s production dropped significantly against the Dream, as she shot 2-of-10 from the field. Sykes did play 33 minutes on Wednesday, and the playing time makes were a player worth holding onto. However, Erica Wheeler’s playing time has taken a significant hit, as she played 15 minutes against Atlanta. Wheeler finished with six points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and two three-pointers. Fantasy managers who can find an alternative to Wheeler on the waiver wire should not hesitate to switch.

Williams started slowly, shooting 1-of-3 from the field in the first half. She was more active offensively after halftime, and the Storm wing finished with a complete stat line. While she isn’t the most prolific scorer, Williams’s abilities as a playmaker and defender make her a reliable fantasy asset. However, the Storm have lost six straight games and are in dire need of a momentum shift. Williams will look to serve as a catalyst when Seattle faces Atlanta on Friday in Vancouver.

While Ogwumike did her usual handiwork, once again shooting over 50 percent from the field, the other Storm players who saw action combined to shoot 18-of-51 against the Dream. Ogwumike finished the defeat one blocked shot shy of a complete stat line, and the 29 points were the most she’s scored in a game since August 1 against the Sparks. Counting Wednesday, Nneka’s scored 25 points or more in six games this season, triple her tally in 2024. While she may not be mentioned much in the Most Valuable Player chatter, Ogwumike has played like an All-WNBA player this season.

Gray did not lead the Dream in scoring on Wednesday, but she had another good shooting night and recorded her second double-double of the season. The Dream guard has scored 22 points or more in four of her last five games, with Sunday’s win over the Mercury being the exception. While Gray was an All-Star in 2023 and 2024, first-year head coach Karl Smesko’s offensive system has been an excellent fit for her. Gray’s scoring average has increased by more than three points per game, and she also boasts superior averages in rebounds, assists and three-pointers compared to last season.

Jordin Canada’s absence due to a hamstring injury opened up a space within the Dream starting lineup, and Caldwell was the choice to fill the void. She provided solid value against the Storm, shooting 80 percent from the field and grabbing seven rebounds. Rookie Te-Hina Paopao (two points, one assist and one blocked shot) only played seven minutes off the bench, with Caldwell’s play likely being a factor. As a spot starter, Caldwell is worth a look in deeper fantasy leagues for managers needing additional guard depth.

After coming off the bench in her first game back from a knee injury that sidelined her for nearly a month, Howard returned to the starting lineup on Wednesday. And there were no restrictions, as she played 38 of a possible 40 minutes. Howard’s end to the third quarter shifted momentum in Atlanta’s direction for good. She made three three-pointers in the final 30 seconds, including one as time expired, to give Atlanta a 14-point lead heading into the fourth. With Jordin Canada (hamstring) out at least two weeks, Howard’s ability to make plays for others will be as important as her scoring.

Aces head coach Becky Hammon made a defensively motivated change to her team’s starting lineup on Wednesday, replacing Kierstan Bell with Evans. Evans hit two three-pointers and scored eight points while providing solid defense when she was on the floor. However, this wouldn’t be a spot where great streaming value could be had with Jewell Loyd coming off the bench. As for Bell, she only played eight minutes off the bench, going scoreless with four rebounds and one assist. Whether it’s Bell or Evans starting future games, there isn’t a need to consider streaming either, with Loyd coming off the bench.

The decision to move Loyd to the bench may be viewed as the turning point in the Aces’ season. Since the “Gold Mamba” took on a reserve role on July 27, Las Vegas has gone 7-1, including a season-best five-game win streak. Loyd has scored 20 points or more in three of those eight games, including Wednesday’s win over the Liberty. And while her playing time has taken a hit, Loyd has been a safe bet to reach 25 minutes. And with her explosive scoring ability, that’s all the time she needs to make an impact.

While Young did not shoot the ball as well as she could, the Aces guard provided a complete stat line in Wednesday’s victory over the reigning champion Liberty. The seven rebounds were the most in a game for Young since July 29, when she posted her first triple-double in a win over the Sparks. Backcourt partner Chelsea Gray was also solid against New York, finishing with 13 points, one rebound, five assists, two steals, one block and one three-pointer. Gray, Young and A’ja Wilson all played at least 34 minutes on Wednesday, underlining the importance of the game. Las Vegas may be rounding into form at the right time, as they’ve won a season-best five consecutive games.

Wilson had a rough night shooting the basketball, at least during live play, only making three of her 14 field-goal attempts. However, the three-time MVP was perfect from the foul line, boosting her point tally. Add in the elite rebounding and all-around production, and Wilson did what needed to be done to extend Las Vegas’ win streak to a season-best five games. One game removed from the most outstanding individual performance in WNBA history, the first 30/20 game, Wilson was bound to cool off some, especially with the reigning champs being the opposition. But that did not prevent her from impacting the game in multiple ways, as she usually does.