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.
Key WNBA News to Watch
Brittney Griner (personal) — In
Rebecca Allen (back) — In
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Confirmed Lineup: Odyssey Sims, Jacy Sheldon, Arike Ogunbowale, Natasha Howard, Teaira McCowan
Satou Sabally (shoulder) — Injured
Maddy Siegrist (finger) — Injured
Jaelyn Brown (illness) — Out
Confirmed Lineup: Natasha Cloud, Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper, Rebecca Allen, Brittney Griner
Diana Taurasi (back) — Not on injury report
Brittney Griner (personal) — In
Rebecca Allen (back) — In
Charisma Osborne (leg) — Out
Taurasi and Allen missed the second game of the back-to-back set on Monday, but Taurasi’s exclusion from the injury report indicates she’ll return. However, Griner’s potential absence is concerning. The Mercury went 4-6 without her to start the season and 5-4 since she debuted on June 7. However, they’ve lost three of their last four games as they’ve ranked in the bottom two in Offensive Rating (95.0), rebound rate (47.2%), and true shooting (50.2%) over that span.
Copper scored 32 and 29 points in the first two games against the Wings this season, and she ranks first in the league with a 31.6% usage rate. The Mercury were outrebounded in both games -- one with Griner and one without. Coach Tibbetts said after Griner grabbed a career-low two rebounds on Monday that the team needs her to grab more rebounds. Griner has posted a career-low 15.0% defensive rebound rate.