WNBA Player News

Carrington will miss a second straight game with a rib injury, leaving the Wings down a contributor on the perimeter. Rookie Aziaha James replaced Carrington in the starting lineup before the injury, so nothing will change there. More minutes are available to Kaila Charles, but James would be the player worth considering in deeper fantasy leagues.

Friday’s game will be the third Austin has missed with a left leg injury. While it is not believed to be a long-term issue, the Mystics have not offered a concrete timeline for return. Stefanie Dolson has been the replacement in the starting lineup, but reserve Emily Engstler has been more productive with Austin unavailable.

Sheldon appeared to tweak her right ankle during Wednesday’s loss to the Valkyries. While Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said after the game that he believed Sheldon was fine, the guard will not play on Friday. The Mystics signed Madison Scott to a 7-day contract on Thursday, and she may play rotation minutes off the bench in Sheldon’s absence.

Waived by the Wings just before the start of the season, Scott is back in the WNBA on a seven-day contract. A second-round pick in May’s draft, the former Ole Miss standout reunites with college teammate Shakira Austin in the nation’s capital. During her final season at Ole Miss, Scott averaged 11.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.

Decimated by injuries on the perimeter, the Fever have added another guard on a short-term contract. Lambert, who played collegiately at Duke and Texas, has played the entirety of her professional career in Europe. Playing for Olympiacos this past season, she averaged 15.1 points and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc. Lambert is the second guard Indiana has signed within the last week, with Odyssey Sims being the first.

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.