WNBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 7/3

Jul 3rd 2024J.J. Calle

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

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__WNBA for notifications.

Dallas Wings News

Confirmed Lineup: Odyssey Sims, Jacy Sheldon, Arike Ogunbowale, Natasha Howard, Teaira McCowan

  • Satou Sabally (shoulder) — Injured

  • Maddy Siegrist (finger) — Injured

  • Jaelyn Brown (illness) — Out

Phoenix Mercury News

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.