WNBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 5/16

May 16th 2024

Ryan Schwepfinger

Each day, this column will provide live updates for all WNBA news. Enjoy up-to-the-minute alerts for injuries and lineup confirmations. The Key News to Watch section will highlight notable injuries to monitor for the current WNBA slate.

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__WNBA for notifications.

New York Liberty News

Confirmed Lineup: Courtney Vandersloot, Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones

Despite being double-digit favorites, the Liberty needed a big fourth quarter to come back and defeat the Mystics in their season opener. They outscored Washington 26-13 in the final frame to win by five. It was an uncharacteristically quiet game from Stewart, who scored just eight points on nine shots. Jones led the way with a monster 25-point, eight-rebound game, with Laney-Hamilton adding 20 points of her own as well as a game-high +16 rating.

Indiana Fever News

Confirmed Lineup: Erica Wheeler, Caitlin Clark, Katie Lou Samuelson, Nalyssa Smith, Aliyah Boston

  • Damiris Dantas (knee) — Injured

All eyes will be on Clark as she makes her WNBA home debut for the Fever. She had a "welcome to the pros" moment in her season debut Tuesday at Connecticut, recording 10 turnovers and going 5-15 from the field in a loss to the Sun. The 10 turnovers set the all-time record for the most by a WNBA player in her debut. Still, Clark led the Fever with 20 points, getting there on volume as she took 11 threes, making four.

Mitchell was originally listed doubtful for Tuesday's game with an ankle injury, but ended up being available and playing 17 minutes off the bench. She is not listed on the injury report for this contest. Assuming progression of her health, she could rejoin the starting lineup at any time. If she is not yet ready to start, Erica Wheeler could receive another nod in the first five at point guard.