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WNBA Fantasy: Your guide to success as the playoffs approach

AD Durr has been on a tear since getting traded to the Atlanta Dream earlier this month. (Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

We still haven’t quite hit the All-Star break in real life, but in WNBA fantasy world, the season is approaching crunch time. Just two weeks remain in the default regular season schedules, meaning playoff spots will be on the line in the coming days.

With that in mind, if you’re still in the mix for the playoffs, look no further for advice and notes to use to your advantage down the home stretch.

Risers

These are the top risers in fantasy ranking since our last update. We’ve only included players who were ranked at that time, meaning they had already played a game by then.

3. Alysha Clark: 35 spots (current 50th, previous 85th)

Understandably, it took Clark a bit of time to get back into her rhythm after returning from over a year off due to injury. Prior to our last fantasy piece, she had played in five games and hadn’t reached 23 minutes in any of them.

Since then, she’s surpassed that mark in eight of her nine games, including over 40 minutes in Washington’s overtime win over the Aces on Saturday. It’s safe to say she’s back.

2. Natalie Achonwa: 36 spots (current 99th, previous 135th)

There is a small sample size to consider here, since Achonwa’s previous rank was based on a mere two games before her injury in May. She’s also played only three games for the Lynx since returning, so take this as you will.

It is still worth noting that in those three recent games, she’s averaged 15.5 minutes, 9.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, after recording marks of 10.5, 2.5 and 1.0 in the same categories before that. Achonwa’s current role seems to be just big enough to be fantasy relevant.

1. AD Durr: 38 spots (current 102nd, previous 140th)

The last time we were here, AD was a member of the Liberty and was a fantasy afterthought even under the most generous projections. The next day, they were traded to the Dream, and the change of scenery has done wonders.

AD’s average of 22.8 fantasy points since then would be knocking on the door of the top 40 if it were a full-season mark, and their three 21-point games since June 15 trail only Arike Ogunbowale’s four in the entire league.

Fallers

On the flip side of the risers, you have the fallers — those players whose rank has dropped off since we last checked in.

3. Megan Gustafson: 23 spots (current 131st, previous 108th)

Gustafson was on the very edge of the fantasy radar anyway, so this drop probably isn’t of major significance for you unless you’re in a deep league.

It is possible, of course, that Gustafson’s fantasy stock reverses course in the coming days with Tina Charles now out of the picture. Phoenix’s first game post-Charles did nothing to give Gustafson owners hope, however, as Vanessa Nygaard opted for essentially a six-player rotation rather than upping Gustafson’s minutes.

2. Dana Evans: 27 spots (current 100th, previous 73rd)

Evans did an admirable job as Courtney Vandersloot’s backup for several weeks to start the season. Then Julie Allemand arrived.

Allemand’s role has been gradually increasing, and the point guard peaked on Sunday with season highs of 11 points and four assists off the bench in a win over Minnesota. As long as Allemand is around, Evans simply won’t get enough volume to help your team in fantasy.

1. Bria Hartley: 30 spots (current 133rd, previous 103rd)

Hartley, who didn’t play until June, is in a similar small sample size position as Achonwa — just in the opposite direction.

She was terrific in the 2020 bubble with Phoenix — good enough to earn a hefty contract with Indiana — but she hasn’t lived up to that deal in 2022. Given that it expires after this season, Hartley may find herself in the same boat as Tiffany Mitchell did: a playing time casualty of a youthful, rebuilding team.

Adds and Drops

One of the most important aspects of winning a fantasy title is attentiveness. If you want to have a shot, you’ve got to stay on top of the latest trends and news and make sure you’re fielding the best possible team at any given moment. What looked like the best combination of nine players a week or two ago may no longer be the case today.

Here, we give you the best widely-available players to consider picking up, as well as the players potentially worth cutting to free up that roster spot. Keep in mind, this may vary a little depending on your league size: A player worth rostering in a 10-team league isn’t necessarily viable in an eight-team league.

Adds

Marine Johannès

It’s understandable that Johannès wasn’t widely drafted, given her late arrival to the Liberty. What’s not understandable is why she’s not widely owned now.

Rebecca Allen’s injury has played a part to be sure, but Johannes was taking some of Allen’s minutes even before that. Her 25 fantasy points per game over the last week put her in the top 30, even ahead of players like Chelsea Gray and Sue Bird. Her ownership rate of 15.9 percent is far too low.

AD Durr

Nope, we weren’t done giving love to AD. It’s one thing to go on a run, and they’ve been on quite the run as detailed above. It’s another thing to do so precisely because of a situational change.

As opposed to a random hot streak in the former case, there’s a reason to point to in the latter, meaning you can expect the elevated production to sustain. The Atlanta version of AD is a borderline fantasy starter, and worth a bench spot at worst. You can still pick them up in over 92 percent of leagues, so it’s time.

Drops

Credit to all of you fantasy managers: There don’t seem to be any players currently rostered in over 50 percent of leagues that don’t deserve it. So instead, we’ll focus more on strategy here.

Given that there are only two weeks left of the fantasy regular season, strategy around who to drop, if anyone, centers on where you are in the standings. If you are on the playoff bubble and need wins in these final weeks, it’s definitely time to drop anyone with a remotely significant injury beyond whoever you’re keeping in your IR spot. That might mean cutting ties with someone like Erica Wheeler or Betnijah Laney.

If you have a playoff spot wrapped up, you may be in a position to pick up a player like that if someone else in your league has dropped them. You can afford a loss or two while you await their return, so it may be worth dropping an average player who is healthy in favor of a potential difference-maker in the fantasy playoffs.

Fantasy performances of the week

Elena Delle Donne, 44 fantasy points (June 25 vs. Las Vegas)

The extra five minutes helped, but it’s refreshing to see the two-time former MVP on this list after what she’s gone through over the last couple of seasons.

It wasn’t necessarily a vintage EDD game — she shot just 7-of-17 from the field and didn’t reach 20 points — but her 10 rebounds and five blocks catapulted her to an elite fantasy line while lifting her team to a signature road win in the process.

Arike Ogunbowale, 50 fantasy points (June 23 vs. Indiana)

This isn’t Ogunbowale’s first time on this list, and with the way ESPN’s scoring system values real-life scoring over peripheral stats, it won’t be her last.

To her credit, though, this 50-spot was much more well-rounded than her last, in which she poured in 37 points. In this one, she scored just 24 but dished out six assists and tied her career high with five steals.

Breanna Stewart, 50 fantasy points (June 25 vs. Los Angeles)

We couldn’t get through an entire fantasy recap without talking about arguably the fantasy GOAT. Another fixture on these leaderboards, Stewart hung 50 for the league-leading fourth time this year with a classic all-around performance.

She now owns four of the top 15 fantasy performances of the season, and her collection of 50-point fantasy games continues to climb the career ranks at remarkable speed. She currently sits in sixth at 31, and she needs just one to tie Maya Moore for fifth and two to tie Tamika Catchings for fourth. There’s really no one else who has been as consistent and reliable of a fantasy contributor since Stewart entered the league in 2016.

Miscellaneous fantasy stat of the week

While we’re talking all time greats, it seems worth taking a look at some career fantasy milestones — both recently achieved and upcoming.

Most notably, Sue Bird recorded her 13,705th career fantasy point against Connecticut one day after officially announcing her retirement. That number was significant in that it moved her ahead of Tina Thompson and into third place in WNBA history.

Another soon-to-be retired legend is within reach of some important marks. Sylvia Fowles needs 143 fantasy points to reach 13,000 for her career and another 166 to catch Lisa Leslie for sixth.

Tina Charles is not far behind Fowles, so if things work out in Seattle (Charles’ reported destination), we could see the 13,000 club grow from six to eight by season’s end.

Calvin Wetzel is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports, covering basketball and betting. He also contributes to Her Hoop Stats, CBS SportsLine and FiveThirtyEight. Follow him on Twitter at @cwetzel31.

Pro Women’s Lacrosse League Debuts at WLL Championship Series

A promotional graphic for the WLL Championship Series.
The WLL played its first-ever pro games at this week's Lexus Championship Series. (ESPN)

The brand-new professional Women's Lacrosse League (WLL) made its official debut this week just outside of Washington, DC, where its first-ever game saw the New York Charging take down the Maryland Charm 14-13 in the WLL Championship Series.

After the inaugural Tuesday result, the action continued on Wednesday, when the California Palms opened their WLL account by getting the better of the Boston Guard in a tight 16-15 matchup.

Founded and run by the Premier Lacrosse League, the WLL fosters top-level competition as the sport gears up for its 2028 Olympic return.

The four-team WLL Championship Series follows an Olympic-style "sixes" format. Unlike traditional lacrosse, which uses a larger pitch and 10 athletes per team, sixes employs a condensed field with six players per side.

In the Championship Series, teams are first competing in three round-robin games to determine semifinal seedings. The tournament will culminate with the knockout semifinal and final rounds on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

Team USA lacrosse star Charlotte North gestures during a 2022 World Championship game.
Team USA star Charlotte North competes for the WLL's Boston Guard. (Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)

WLL looks to level up lacrosse ahead of 2028 Olympics

Despite the competition's quick turnaround, the WLL represents a growing professionalization movement in women's lacrosse — with all involved betting big on the sport's Olympic success in LA.

When lacrosse steps back onto the Olympic stage in 2028, it will have been 80 years since its last 1948 outing — and even then, it was merely a demonstration event. The last time the sport earned medals was in 1908.

Furthermore, the sport's entire Olympic history rests in the men's game — 2028 will see women take the Olympic lacrosse pitch for the first time ever.

"We are honored to be a part of the WLL, and we couldn't be more excited to bring this game to the fans in new ways than ever before," said Boston Guard star Charlotte North in a league statement.

"We firmly believe that this is the beginning of what will be a monumental movement in the game of professional women's lacrosse, and for female athletes around the globe.... It's our time."

Former Northwestern lacrosse star Izzy Scane shoots the ball during an NCAA game.
Izzy Scane, the NCAA DI lacrosse career scoring leader, plays for the New York Charging. (Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

How to watch the WLL Championship Series

The tournament's round-robin play continues with the Maryland Charm facing off against the Boston guard at 9 PM ET on Thursday, before the California Palms contend with the New York Charging at 6 PM ET on Friday.

All WLL Championship Series games will stream live on ESPN+, with Sunday's and Monday's knockout rounds airing live on ESPN2.

Indiana Fever Rev Roster Ahead of 2025 WNBA Season

Fever forward Katie Lou Samuelson dribbles the ball during a 2024 WNBA game.
Indiana is buying out Katie Lou Samuelson's contract as the Fever reconfigures their roster. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever continued upending their roster this week, with the WNBA franchise announcing the departures of both forward Katie Lou Samuelson and guard Erica Wheeler.

First, the team agreed to a contract buyout with Samuelson on Monday. The 27-year-old was on track to enter the final season of her two-year contract with the Fever, on a guaranteed $180,250 salary for 2025.

Indiana reportedly acquiesced to a $106,419 buyout — allowing the franchise just enough leftover funds to sign one additional veteran to a minimum contract. At the same time, that buyout ensures that Samuelson — who will officially become a free agent next week after the requisite five days on the wire — will be made whole even if she inks a minimum contract elsewhere.

Then on Wednesday, the Fever cleared up more space on their roster as free agent Wheeler opted to join Seattle.

Indiana Fever players DeWanna Bonner, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, and Caitlin Clark attend an NBA game.
DeWanna Bonner, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, and Caitlin Clark are central to the 2025 Fever roster. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Fever aims for the ultimate WNBA prize with refreshed roster

Indiana as been cleaning house this offseason, from sending their 2022 No. 2 draft pick NaLyssa Smith to the Dallas Wings two weeks ago to this week's departures.

Exits aren't the only changes to the Fever's lineup, however. In the last few weeks, the team has successfully re-signed guard Kelsey Mitchell and traded for guard Sophie Cunningham while also stocking up on top veteran talent in free agents DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sydney Colson.

The moves are part of Indiana's plan to make a major playoff push in 2025, revamping their roster to build off their 2024 playoff appearance — the team's first since 2016.

With a pair of WNBA Rookies of the Year in Caitlin Clark (2024) and Aliyah Boston (2023) forming the team's young core, the Fever are building a tested veteran shield primed for the challenge of a deep postseason run — which can sometimes spell growing pains both on and off the court as fans and players alike grow accustomed to the rejiggered lineup.

That said, Clark is focusing on the fun part of smoothing out the Fever's new-look roster, saying "I think it will be a lot of fun to get in the gym and be with my teammates and just start putting the pieces together and see what works or what doesn't... I think that's what's super exciting."

"The next few years are gonna be amazing for this franchise and will continue to be for hopefully 10-plus years," she continued.

"Hopefully we win a few championships. They’re investing to help us be really good."

UCLA Faces USC in Big Ten Title Race Headliner

USC's JuJu Watkins lines up a free throw during a Big Ten basketball game.
Juju Watkins and the Trojans will play No. 1 UCLA twice in their final five regular season games. (John Fisher/Getty Images)

With less than three weeks left in NCAA basketball regular-season play, the final games will determine the winner of the Big Ten — a title that's increasingly likely to land in Los Angeles.

Already sitting atop their conference compatriots by at least two wins, No. 1 UCLA and No. 6 USC will meet for the first of two season clashes on Thursday, before closing out NCAA play against each other on March 1st.

The crosstown rivals are vying for a first-ever Big Ten regular-season title after joining the historically Midwest conference in 2024.

The games will feature two of the sport's biggest stars, as USC sophomore JuJu Watkins and UCLA junior Lauren Betts square off for the first time since their 2024 Pac-12 Tournament semifinal, when the eventual champion Trojans needed two overtime periods to outlast the Bruins.

This season, however, UCLA has an slight advantage over the Trojans. While the Bruins remain the only unbeaten Division I team left standing, USC has two defeats on their 2024/25 record, including a lone conference loss to unranked Iowa in early February.

That said, a Thursday home win would pull the Trojans even with UCLA at 11-1 on the Big Ten table, setting up a photo finish with the coveted No. 1 seed in March's conference tournament on the line.

"[UCLA is] a team that clearly has it clicking right now," USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb told ESPN. "We know there'll be a lot of pride on the line."

UCLA's Lauren Betts slaps her teammates hands as she enters the court for a Big Ten basketball game.
UCLA's Lauren Betts was named to both major NCAA Player of the Year Award lists. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

NCAA National Player of the Year race heats up

Watkins and Betts aren't just making moves on the court this week. Both stars also made the John R. Wooden Award's 20-player late midseason watch list, which spotlights the athletes on track to vie for this season's overall best college basketball player honor.

Along with the SoCal standouts, Tuesday's list included Notre Dame guards Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, Texas sophomore Madison Booker, LSU stars Aneesah Morrow and Flau'jae Johnson, and UConn senior Paige Bueckers, who became the award's first-ever freshman winner back in 2021.

Notably, a pair of true freshmen could follow in Bueckers' footsteps, with both fellow Husky Sarah Strong and Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes earning nods.

Though unlisted players remain eligible for the eventual 15-athlete ballot, these 20 represent the likeliest to follow in back-to-back Wooden winner Caitlin Clark's footsteps.

On the other hand, the Naismith Awards — the other leading NCAA honor — dropped its official positional shortlists last week, with 10 nominees in the running for each of the five awards. The 10-player lists will shrink to five finalists for each honor in March, and fans are currently eligible to vote on who makes that final cut.

Nearly all of the athletes on the Wooden Award's radar are also in the running for their respective Naismith honor.

Kentucky's Georgia Amoore dribbles the ball up the court during a game.
No. 8 Kentucky will look to bounce back against No. 3 Texas on Thursday night. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

How to watch Thursday's Top-10 NCAA basketball matchups

Players on both the Wooden and Naismith lists will feature in Thursday's top NCAA basketball matchups.

With Big Ten dominance on the line, Lauren Betts and No. 1 UCLA will visit JuJu Watkins and No. 6 USC at 10 PM ET, streaming exclusively on Peacock.

Meanwhile in the SEC, Madison Booker's No. 3 Texas squad will take on a No. 8 Kentucky team reeling from an upset loss to Ole Miss on Monday. Fellow Wooden watch list and Naismith nominee Georgia Amoore will try to lead the Wildcats past the Longhorns at 7 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

Nike Spotlights Global Women’s Soccer Stars in New United Pack Cleats

Nike United cleats pack promotional image showing headshots of women's soccer stars flanked by neon lights.
Nike tapped six international women's soccer stars for their latest cleats. (Nike Football)

Nike put global women's soccer stars in the spotlight last week, debuting their new Nike United Pack cleats collection.

For the first time ever, the apparel giant is bringing together six athletes to launch a series of performance cleats. The subsequent United Pack was developed collaboration with some of the sport's biggest international names.

The United Pack hit shelves last week with three styles of boots: Tiempo, Mercurial, and Phantom. Each boot is paired with two top international footballers, whose names are emblazoned on the heels of their cleats.

Of course, the United Pack collection is one part of a larger Nike initiative. In recent weeks, the brand has bet big on women's sports via everything from Super Bowl ads to signature shoes.

Three nike united pack women's soccer cleats hover against a purple background.
The purple and Volt United Pack lineup pairs players with updated Nike mainstays. (Nike Football)

Spain and USWNT get top Nike United Pack billing

Spain midfielder Patricia Guijarro and USWNT center back Naomi Girma are backing the Tiempos, while forwards Lauren James of England and Spain's 2023 World Cup champion Salma Paralluelo feature on the Mercurials. The Phantoms showcase USWNT attacker Sophia Wilson (née Smith) and her Portland Thorns teammate, Venezuela's Deyna Castellanos,.

The collection honors all six players by emblazoning their names onto the cleat's sock liner.

A purple and Volt colorway also links the line. As does the upper surface, which is designed to look like shattered glass in a nod to the "new generation of athletes breaking through to the next era in football."

"What I like the most about this boot is that it was created with six different players who come from different backgrounds and play for different teams, but we all came together to create something special that we can share with the world," said Wilson in a Nike's press release.

"Being a part of this boom and just making people respect women's sports is exciting," added Girma. "It's going to be even better for the next generation."

Where to buy Nike United Pack cleats

Fans can now purchase the Nike United Pack cleats online and at select retail locations.

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