WNBA Player News

Without Napheesa Collier for the second straight game with a back injury, Smith had to step up and in the first half she did. Her Lynx teammates found her cutting to the basket for most of her scores. The Mystics defense lost sight of Smith on these cuts, keeping their attention glued to Lynx guards Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams. Smith hit 60 percent of her shots in the first half, but that changed in the second half where Smith was less efficient and her looks weren’t as easy. Shakira Austin was more keyed into Smith especially, contesting a lot of her jump shots.

Bueckers and James’ probable availability on Friday bodes well, with the former’s status being more impactful on fantasy basketball. Despite dealing with back issues recently, the Rookie of the Year favorite played 35 minutes in Tuesday’s win over the Fever. Look for Bueckers to take on a similar workload against the Sparks. James only played five minutes against Indiana and has logged 10 minutes or less in her last four appearances.

Friday’s game will be the second Ogubowale has missed due to a right knee injury. Maddy Siegrist started Tuesday’s win over the Wings and had her most productive outing of the season, tallying 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting. She should hold onto that starting role until Ogunbowale returns, and Siegrist is worth rostering in fantasy leagues.

Atkins and Van Lith are back on the injury report, but both are on track to play Friday night. The former only played nine minutes in Chicago’s most recent game, a loss to the Sun on Wednesday, as she was ejected for her role in a second-quarter altercation. Van Lith played 11 minutes off the bench and should take on a similar workload against the Valkyries.

Reese will remain out for another game, with Sky coach Tyler Marsh saying on Wednesday that the second-year forward does not have a timeline for return. Until Reese is healthy enough to play, Elizabeth Williams will have added fantasy value, especially in deeper leagues where there is a need for rebounds.

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.