WNBA Player News

One night removed from scoring 27 points in a loss to the Fever, Bueckers will sit out the second game of Dallas’ back-to-back. According to the team, she’s dealing with a right knee injury. With DiJonai Carrington (ribs) unlikely to be available, Dallas will be down multiple rotation guards against the Mystics. Kaila Charles and JJ Quinerly will likely play heavy minutes out of necessity.

To consider the trade that sent Loyd to Las Vegas this past offseason a failure would be a bridge too far, but the results have been underwhelming. While the guard’s scoring output decreasing due to the move from Seattle to Las Vegas is unsurprising, few expected the drop to be as severe as it’s been. Loyd entered Friday averaging 10.9 points per game after putting up 19.7 with the Storm, and Friday’s game may have been rock bottom. She missed all 10 of her shot attempts, going scoreless for just the second time in her WNBA career (July 19, 2019, vs. Las Vegas). If the Aces, who are now 12-13, are to make any waves down the stretch and into the postseason, they’ll need a much-improved Loyd.

Young was one of two Aces to finish Friday’s 109-78 defeat in double figures, with A’ja Wilson’s 15 points leading the way. The 6-foot guard has reached double figures in three straight and seven of her last eight games, playing well enough to earn a fourth All-Star Game appearance earlier this month. However, Young and the Aces need more consistent production from fellow backcourt starters Chelsea Gray (nine points, two rebounds and one three-pointer) and Jewell Loyd, with the latter going scoreless in Friday’s defeat.

After already having lost all-star forward Kayla Thornton to a season-ending knee surgery earlier on Friday, the Vallkyries will be down another frontcourt member as Billings (ankle) is set to miss Friday’s contest against the Wings. Billings is averaging 7.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.5 assists over 20 games this season. With Golden State’s interior taking a hit, Laeticia Amihere and Cecilia Zandalasini should see a lot of the frontcourt minutes against Dallas.

Wilson’s streak of 20-point games ended at four, with the three-time MVP spending most of the fourth quarter on the bench due to things getting out of hand. Las Vegas lost by a 109-78 final score, and it’s become painfully evident that the Aces need to be more consistently productive around Wilson. The defeat dropped the Aces to 12-13, a disappointing record for a team many expected to be among the WNBA’s best before the season began. Even with a lingering right wrist injury, fantasy managers should expect Wilson to bounce back on Sunday when the Aces visit Dallas. But for Las Vegas to be a factor down the stretch, A’ja will need more help from her teammates.

Despite coming off the bench, Shepard recorded her third double-double in Friday’s 109-78 victory. Minnesota’s backup center has reached double digits in rebounds on six occasions this season, one fewer than her tally during the 2023 campaign (Shepard did not play in the WNBA in 2024). Starting center Alanna Smith (4/6/4/3/1) only played 19 minutes on Friday, due to a combination of the game’s flow and Shepard playing so well in her 20 minutes on the floor.

Williams was outstanding on Friday, missing just two shots on the night and recording her seventh 20-point game of the season. The Lynx guard scored as many points as Las Vegas’ starting perimeter trio of Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Jewell Loyd combined. Williams, who was fourth in last season’s Defensive Player of the Year voting, has been a more productive offensive player as both a scorer and playmaker. While Napheesa Collier leads the way, Williams is another reason the Lynx boasts the WNBA’s best record.

The Valkyries are rolling out a new starting lineup on Friday in response to their all-star forward, Kayla Thornton, undergoing season-ending knee surgery on Friday. Zandalasini will replace Thorthon in the opening unit to earn her third start of the season. A three-game losing streak has dropped the Valkyries to a 10-12 record on the season and out of playoff positioning. Zandalasini, Laeticia Amihere, and the rest of Golden State’s remaining frontcourt depth will have to rise to the occasion to replace Thornton’s production.

Facing three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, Collier put forth another effort that displayed why she’s the clear favorite to win the honor this season. In a physical game, the All-Star Game MVP attempted 13 free throws and shot over 50 percent from the field. Collier finished the 109-78 victory a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line, and she is second in the WNBA in fantasy points per game (ESPN leagues), trailing Wilson by three-tenths of a point. Collier and the Lynx end their week with a Sunday home game against the Dream.

Akoa Makani is available after missing two games due to a stint in the league’s concussion protocol. During his pregame availability, Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said the guard will not be under any restrictions, meaning she should play between 20 and 25 minutes. Sami Whitcomb’s streaming value will take a hit with Akoa Makani back in the lineup, but the veteran guard will play rotation minutes. Joining Akoa Makani in the starting lineup are Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and Natasha Mack.

Edwards is dealing with a right wrist injury, and there’s some doubt she’ll be available to play on Saturday. While her absence would impact Washington’s frontcourt depth, it would not significantly impact fantasy basketball. There may be rotation minutes available for Emily Engstler off the bench, but starter Kiki Iriafen will still play the lion’s share of the available minutes at power forward.