Who is trending up in fantasy women's basketball? Which rotations are changing? What's the latest with the notable injuries around the WNBA?
Here's a look around the league at the most fantasy-relevant news and notes for all 12 teams.
Rhyne Howard is having an epic rookie season. The impressive stats include 16.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG and 0.8 BPG. When Rhyne scores 15 points or more, the Dream are 6-1, but when she scores fewer, they are 1-4. Atlanta's defense has also improved dramatically from last year. The Dream's defensive rating is 91.1, which leads the league.
Courtney Vandersloot had her best fantasy performance of the season on Sunday against the Liberty. She scored 42 fantasy points. Vandersloot now has at least 20 points and 10 assists for the ninth time in her career, overtaking Diana Taurasi for the most in league history. In addition, she had her 72nd game with at least 10 assists, increasing her lead for most in WNBA history.
The only team that has a higher offensive rating than the Sun (108.3) is the Aces (108.5). Natisha Hiedeman is available in 88.4% of leagues if you want exposure to this offense. Due to Jasmine Thomas' torn ACL, she has been given additional minutes. Over the last nine games, Hiedeman has averaged 8.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 2.9 APG and 0.9 SPG in 23.4 MPG. DiJonai Carrington is also a good streaming option. She averaged 18 fantasy points and 20.3 minutes per game in the last three games, and is available in 94.5% of leagues.
Over the last four games, Kayla Thornton has been very active on the glass for the Wings, who rank third in offensive rating (102.4). During that span, she's averaged 19.7 fantasy points and 28.5 MPG. Thornton is available in 75.9% of leagues.
The young Fever team hasn't been strong offensively thus far, ranking 10th in offensive rating (96.7). However, against the Lynx on Sunday, they had four players with 15 or more points. The last time this happened was against the Mercury on July 29, 2020. NaLyssa Smith scored a career high 21 points and a season high 47 fantasy points. Also of note, Emily Engstler, who is available in 62.6% of leagues, has only averaged 14 MPG over the last two because of a rib injury. It is worth mentioing that she exceeded 20 minutes in her previous six games. Engstler averaged 17 fantasy points per game during that period.
Looking back, selecting Kelsey Plum at her average draft position could end up becoming a league-winning decision for fantasy managers. A'ja Wilson (34.9) is the only other Aces player who averages more fantasy points per game than Plum (34.3). On Saturday against the Sparks, Plum became the fifth player in franchise history to record 500 assists. As far as strength of schedule is concerned, the Aces have the easiest schedule remaining. Please do not trade away your Las Vegas players. For those looking to gain exposure to the Aces offense, Riquna Williams is available in 86.1% of leagues. Her foot injury has healed and she should be able to return soon.
Liz Cambage's statistical production has fluctuated all season. Over the last two games, she has struggled offensively, resulting in 22 and 19 fantasy points, respectively. Considering Cambage's average draft position (18.4) prior to the season, this is not what fantasy managers are looking for. However, it allows fantasy managers to buy low. With Sparks general manager and head coach Derek Fisher having been relieved of his duties, it's imperative that Cambage finish the season strong since a new regime will be in place in the near future.
A cartilage injury to Sylvia Fowles' right knee is devastating for the Lynx. This season she has averaged 33 fantasy points per game. Jessica Shepard and Damiris Dantas are expected to fill the void for Minnesota. Dantas made her season debut on June 10 against the Mystics, so don't read too much into her statistics. She is available in 65% of leagues. Dantas should remain in the starting lineup going forward.
It is likely that you won your matchup last week if you had Sabrina Ionescu on your fantasy roster. Ionescu has been excellent this season, but she has been even more impressive in her last four games. During that time, she averaged 42.7 fantasy points per game. Candace Parker and Ionescu both have triple-doubles this season, making it the first time in league history that multiple triple-doubles have been recorded.
Despite mentioning Shey Peddy numerous times in our columns, she is still available in 93% of leagues. She is one of the best streamers for the Mercury. Over her last five games, Peddy has scored 15 or more fantasy points in four of them. As a reminder, the Aces are the only other team with an easier remaining schedule than the Mercury.
Ezi Magbegor is one of the league's most feared defenders inside the arc. This season, she has put up career-high averages in all categories. In the last five games since returning from the league's COVID-19 protocols, Magbegor has scored 29.6 fantasy points per game. She may end up being the top waiver wire pickup for fantasy managers this season.
Alysha Clark is playing very well on both ends of the court right now. Over the last five games, she's averaged 22.2 fantasy points per game. Four of those five games have seen Clark play over 20 minutes. She's still available in 62.9% of leagues.