For the second week in a row, we have no games on Monday, which makes this another condensed week. However, that doesn’t mean Monday wasn’t a busy day at the W. There was already plenty of drama last weekend following Chennedy Carter’s heavy jab at Caitlin Clark, which sparked a lot of chatter on social media. Carter was called for a foul on the play, which was later elevated to flagrant. This still won’t result in a suspension or fine, but the league has a points system that could lead to an eventual suspension. The discourse that resulted from the play went off the walls, and the Monday morning talk shows made things even worse.
Everyone has an opinion (and, frankly, some of them have been completely wrong and inappropriate), but let’s focus on the good stuff: hoops. Feel free to chat about the physicality of the league on social media. Let’s talk about the game here.
Shout to the Sun! They are 8-0 and allow just 70.6 points per game this season, which is by far the best mark in the league. Alyssa Thomas (36.9 fantasy points per game) and DeWanna Bonner (31.5 fantasy points per game) have been the stars in fantasy hoops thus far, but it has taken a balanced team effort to get where they are. They only play two games this week, both at home. They face the 0-8 Mystics on Tuesday before facing Liberty on Saturday.
Week 4 Games Played:
4 games – WAS, NY
3 games – LV, DAL, LA, MIN, CHI, PHX, SEA
2 games – CONN, ATL
1 game- IND
After two consecutive weeks playing four games, the Fever will only perform on Friday, in Washington. They have played 11 games so far, which is at least two more than any other team in the league and five more than the defending champions in Las Vegas. They will have a few days to recover while the Mystics and Liberty take on their busy schedule. For New York, Kayla Thornton (6.7% of roster) has earned extra minutes recently, allowing her to average 27.5 fantasy points in her last two games. In Washington, rookie Julie Vanloo (18.2%) is averaging 19.1 fantasy points per game this season.
Light game days:
Wednesday: 2 games
Las Vegas @Dallas
Minnesota @ Los Angeles
Thursday: 2 games
Chicago@Washington
New York @ Atlanta
Saturday: 2 games
New York @ Connecticut
Atlanta@Chicago
The clear advantage here goes to Chicago and New York, as each plays on two lighter days. It’s a double advantage for the Liberty, as they play four games this week, while the Sky only play three. The aforementioned Thornton should be a solid streamer, while Chennedy Carter (11.4%) has been playing well for Chicago recently. She is averaging 19.4 fantasy points per game this season and had 31 fantasy points against the Fever last week.
Back to back:
Thursday to Friday: ERA
Saturday to Sunday: NY
The two teams playing four games each play back-to-back this week, which adds up. Both teams will play four games in six days and three games in four days, so fatigue is certainly a factor to take into account. Neither team has played back-to-back yet, but keep an eye on the status of Shakira Austin and Brittney Sykes. Austin has played in the last two games but has missed two of the last six with a hip issue. Sykes has played in just two games this season and missed Monday’s practice. If she returns before the back-to-back, the chances of her playing in both are low.
Headlines:
Temi Fagbenle out for 2-3 weeks
Fagbenle has already missed three games due to a foot injury suffered last Tuesday. Fortunately for the Fever, the 2022 second pick was able to join the starting unit. NaLyssa Smith started his last three games and averaged 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks, resulting in 36.0 fantasy points per game. Smith is lined up in most leagues and should continue to shine until Fagbenle returns.
Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston Step Out on Sunday Morning
During Indiana’s 104-68 loss to Liberty, both Clark (ear) and Boston (ankle) ended up leaving a little early. Hopefully this was just a precaution, as both players were in the game until midway through the fourth quarter. The Fever will only play one game next week, so we may not get many updates until closer to Friday.
Lexie Brown injures her ankle in Sunday’s loss
Injuries piled up across the league this weekend and Brown made the list. Brown has been a consistent starter for the Sparks this season, but has played less than 20 minutes in each of the last three games. Aari McDonald (6.7%) had 21 points against the Fever last week, but she hasn’t been as productive in the last two games despite still playing big minutes. McDonald will likely move into the starting unit if Brown is sidelined against the Lynx on Wednesday.
Newbie Watch:
Rickea Jackson started all three games LA played this week and averaged 10.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Layshia Clarendon missed the team’s last three games due to a concussion, which opened the door for Jackson to start. However, if Jackson is benched when Clarendon returns, she will still play a large backup role and provide plenty of buckets.
Cameron Brink continues to shine on the defensive end of the court and contributed five blocks and three steals this week. Unfortunately, after scoring 21 points in her final game last week, she has just 16 points in three games since. Brink fell to third in blocks per game (2.6), but that’s still impressive for a rookie. She is also averaging 24.6 fantasy points per game, second among rookies.
Camila Cardoso finally made his debut for Sky after missing the first ten games with a shoulder injury. The third overall pick came off the bench in his first game and finished with 11 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes. It will eventually switch to the home drive, which would likely result in Elizabeth Williams being transferred to the bank. Williams started all 47 games she played during her two years with the Sky, so they probably won’t be in a rush to bench her. However, the minutes were close to a split on Saturday (22/18), which will likely continue regardless of which center starts.
There haven’t been many rookies playing consistent minutes this season, but Sevgi Uzun (8.1%) has been a consistent part of the Wings’ rotation. In fact, she is second in minutes per game among rookies (32.0) and is averaging 7.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 triples, which resulted in 19.9 fantasy points per game. The 26-year-old Turkish point guard signed with Dallas in February and should continue to be an important part of the rotation.
