The daily news and notes around the WNBA have actionable value when applied to fantasy women’s basketball. From lineup changes to hot streaks to injury news, check this page regularly for updates from ESPN’s fantasy analysts Eric Moody and André Snellings. It’s never too late to sign up for your own ESPN league. Create or join a league, and play for free today!
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June 15: Free-agent targets for the uneven week ahead
André Snellings: The WNBA Commissioner’s Cup is in full swing this week, which will lead to an uneven schedule of games. There are three games scheduled for Monday, then only one game on Tuesday and Thursday surrounding a jam-packed six-game slate on Wednesday.
After Thursday, the rest of the week settles out with three games each day. But be sure to keep the schedule in mind, particularly in daily transaction leagues where a pickup on one of the extra-light days could lead to a games advantage over your opponent.
Notes from around the league:
The Las Vegas Aces have won six straight games, including a 3-point win over the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday that vaulted them into a tie with the Lynx atop the standings. The Aces started the season relatively slow, like last season, but have caught fire earlier than they did a year ago and are currently in prime position as they try to defend their championship.
The Aces also sit atop the Commissioner’s Cup standings at 5-0, leading the Western Conference. The New York Liberty lead the Eastern Conference, also at 5-0. The Aces are followed by the Lynx (4-1) and a three-way tie between the Dallas Wings, Golden State Valkyries and Los Angeles Sparks at 3-2. In the East, the Liberty are followed by the Indiana Fever (4-1) and the Atlanta Dream (4-2).
As we do in this space, let’s take a closer look into the all of the action around the league and identify four players who fantasy managers might consider targeting if they are available in your leagues.
Four players to add
Leila Lacan, G, Connecticut Sun (rostered in 12.8% of ESPN leagues): Lacan wrapped up her overseas commitment in France late in May and made her WNBA season debut on May 30. She has started all six games she has played, scoring double-digits in four of them and dropping at least seven assists in three straight. In her last two games, she has averaged 17.5 PPG, 7.0 APG and 2.5 SPG.
Carla Leite, G, Portland Fire (32.1%): Leite is battling a quad contusion but is playing through it and maintaining a high level. In 10 games since moving into the starting lineup, she has averaged 13.7 PPG and 6.1 APG in 24.6 MPG.
Saniya Rivers, G, Sun (23.7%): Rivers has started the last seven games for the Sun and remained in the starting lineup when Lacan joined the team. In her seven starts, she has averaged 10.6 PPG, 3.6 APG, 1.1 BPG and 0.9 SPG in 27.9 MPG.
Michaela Onyenwere, F, Washington Mystics (13.5%): Onyenwere missed the first four games of the season and her production was up and down for her first five performances, but she has found a high-level steady state in the last week with three straight 17-point outings and averages of 17.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 2.0 3PG during that span.
June 12: Weekend preview and streaming picks
Eric Moody: We are a little over a month into the WNBA season, and it has already been historic. Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, and Paige Bueckers were the WNBA’s top four scorers on Thursday, marking the first time in league history that four former No. 1 overall picks each scored 30 points on the same day.
Wilson is also putting together another dominant season, averaging a league-best 26.4 PPG while leading the WNBA with 2.3 BPG. Scoring is up across the league, and that has carried over into fantasy. More points, more possessions and more viable contributors are creating more fantasy opportunities, making this an important weekend to stay active on the waiver wire.
Fantasy stream team
Let’s look at some streaming options rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues, with two games scheduled Friday, four more on Saturday and two on Sunday.
NaLyssa Smith, F/C, Las Vegas Aces (rostered in 38.2% of ESPN leagues)
It is easy to overlook Smith on an Aces team with so much talent, but she has averaged 22.9 fantasy points in 25.4 minutes per game over her last eight games. Chennedy Carter still appears to be bothered by her leg injury, so Smith could be leaned on even more. She provides fantasy managers with a high floor.
Awa Fam, F/C, Seattle Storm (36.9%)
Fam has been one of the few bright spots for a rebuilding Storm team that ranks among the youngest in the league and sits near the bottom of the standings. The rookie has averaged 30.6 MPG and 23.8 fantasy points per game over her past five games. Fam’s contributions across multiple statistical categories position her as an excellent streamer.
Sarah Ashlee Barker, G, Portland Fire (17.3%)
Barker has become a Fire fan favorite, and her fantasy production helps explain why. She has scored at least 20 fantasy points in four of her last five games and played at least 28 minutes in four of those contests. Most of her fantasy value comes from scoring, but she contributes enough across other categories to give managers a slight boost.
Laura Juskaite, F/C, Toronto Tempo (15.8%)
The rookie is shining in the Tempo’s starting lineup. Juskaite contributes on both ends of the floor and has scored at least 20 fantasy points in three of her past four games, including one 38-point performance. She has averaged 26 MPG over that stretch.
Leila Lacan, G, Connecticut Sun (10.8%)
Lacan missed time to begin the 2026 season while fulfilling an overseas obligation, but she posted a season-high 40 fantasy points in 32 minutes against the Tempo on Wednesday night. She has played just five games so far, but Lacan is starting to find a rhythm, making her a viable streaming option for Saturday’s matchup against the Indiana Fever.
Michaela Onyenwere, F/C, Washington Mystics (4.0%)
Onyenwere finished with 25 fantasy points in 24 minutes against the Fever on Monday night. Her increased production came after Kiki Iriafen exited in the second quarter with a right ankle sprain. If Iriafen is forced to miss time, Onyenwere could see an expanded role. Iriafen is listed as questionable for Friday night’s game, so monitor her status before deciding whether to stream Onyenwere.
June 11: Let’s see how offseason moves are looking
André Snellings: This was one of the biggest offseasons in WNBA history due to the signing of the groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement, and there was more player movement among veterans than we typically see. Coming into the season, we had expectations about how these players would produce in their new environment. A month into the season, let’s explore some of those big moves and revisit those expectations, tempered with what we’ve seen so far on the court.
Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream: Reese was traded to the Dream this offseason after playing her first two campaigns with the Chicago Sky. She was the dominant rebounder in the WNBA and an up-and-coming scorer with the Sky, but didn’t play with superstar teammates there like she would have in Atlanta with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. We expected Reese to have slightly attenuated numbers but remain a walking double-double, and that is what we’ve seen so far. Through 11 games, she has averaged 13.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG and 3.2 APG — all slightly down from last season but still enough for her to be ninth in the league with 33.7 fantasy points per game.
Skylar Diggins, Chicago Sky: Diggins has been solid but unspectacular in her first month with the Sky. Entering the season she was a borderline late second/early third round fantasy prospect who had top-10 upside if her minutes and production reached achievable levels of bounce-back on a team that didn’t have a lot of offense creators. To date, she has instead averaged just 27.4 FP/G — just under the 30.5 FP/G she was projected — to rank 30th in fantasy scoring average.
Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey, Toronto Tempo: Sykes and Mabrey were drafted by the expansion Tempo and immediately drew attention for their potential to outperform previous production with likely the largest roles of their careers. They have surpassed even those lofty expectations to date, with both Sykes (414 fantasy points, fourth) and Mabrey (377 fantasy points, eighth) ranking among the top-10 in the WNBA in total fantasy points. Sykes has five games of 25 or more points with three over 30 in her first 12 games, while Mabrey has five over 20 including one 30-spot herself. Both are, in fact, in the midst of career seasons.
Satou Sabally, New York Liberty: Sabally left a Phoenix Mercury team that made the WNBA Finals last season to join the 2024 WNBA Champion Liberty and their big three of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones. The question coming into the season was whether one team could support four fantasy superstars, but through the first month this question is largely unanswered with both Sabally and Ionescu battling through injury (Ionescu has still only played one game to date). Sabally has played in seven of the last eight games since missing the first four but started only three. She has played more than 20 minutes just twice this season and we haven’t seen her play at her typical level on a full-strength Liberty team to have a good idea what her fantasy production will be moving forward. To date, she ranks 90th with 14.7 FP/G and outside of the top 100 with 103 total fantasy points.
More: Awards tracker | Reese prevails in Chicago return
June 10: The 2026 rookie class is not waiting its turn
Eric Moody: This year’s WNBA rookie class is already proving to be a deep one, and the strong start goes beyond the marquee names. Top picks and international standouts are getting opportunities to make an impact, whether they are settling into rotation roles or filling the void for injured veterans. Entering Tuesday’s slate, eight rookies were averaging double-digit points, which would be the second most in a season in league history behind 14 in 1999, the league’s third season and one that also featured multiple expansion teams. Let’s take a closer look at the top fantasy basketball options from this class.
Olivia Miles, the No. 2 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, has been the clear standout. She leads all rookies in points, rebounds, assists, steals and fantasy points due to her ability to produce across the stat sheet. Only A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart have more fantasy points than Miles. She is just the sixth player in league history to average 15.0 PPG and 5.0 APG through her first 10 games, and the only one in that group to shoot 50% or better from the field. Miles also set the league rookie record for three-pointers in a game with eight last Thursday.
Around the league:
Flau’jae Johnson ranks second in fantasy points per game behind Miles. While she has struggled with efficiency, shooting 31.9% from the field, her ability to contribute across multiple categories has given her a useful fantasy floor on a young Seattle Storm roster.
Kiki Rice ranks third in FPPG at 23.1, but she is dealing with a Grade 2 left ankle sprain and is set to miss her second consecutive game. She has averaged 26.7 MPG for the expansion Toronto Tempo and remains a worthwhile stash if you have an open IR slot.
Pauline Astier is the final rookie averaging at least 20.0 FPPG. She has provided value across multiple categories while starting for the New York Liberty during Sabrina Ionescu’s early season injury issues, though her fantasy viability could change once Ionescu returns.
Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick, has shown flashes for the Dallas Wings, averaging 19.6 FPPG in 27.0 MPG across four starts. Her production could fluctuate in a rotation where Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale also command high usage rates.
Awa Fam and Gabriela Jaquez are also worth monitoring. Fam is rostered in just 29.7% of leagues despite scoring at least 21 fantasy points in three of her last four games. Jaquez recently returned from a knee injury and has averaged 21.0 FPPG in the six games in which she has played at least 23 minutes.
