WNBA News, Notes & Lineups 6/18

Jun 18th 2023

Cooper BoniJohn Raudebaugh

Phoenix Mercury at New York Liberty, 12pm ET

Mercury Injury Report: Brittney Griner (hip), Diana Taurasi (hamstring), Skylar Diggins-Smith (maternity leave) are OUT.

Mercury Confirmed Lineup: Sug Sutton, Moriah Jefferson, Sophie Cunningham, Michaela Onyenwere, Brianna Turner

Liberty Injury Report: Jonquel Jones (illness) is AVAILABLE. Sabrina Ionescu (hamstring), Han Xu (overseas) are OUT.

Liberty Confirmed Lineup: Courtney Vandersloot, Marine Johannès, Betnijah Laney, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones

After nine games, the Mercury sit at the bottom of the standings. They just can't seem to find a consistent flow on either end of the floor. Phoenix has the worst rebounding percentage (46.6%) in the league, and they're turning the ball over at an alarming rate. Their turnover percentage (22.0%) is higher than any other team.

The Liberty lost their last game, and are likely salivating at the opportunity to face the disappointing Mercury. New York's scoring the third-most points per game (85.2) in the league, and that can be attributed to their league-best three-point percentage (36.8%). Opposing teams are scoring 86.2 points per game against Phoenix, so the Liberty shouldn't have much of an issue offensively in this matchup.

Chicago Sky at Washington Mystics, 3pm ET

Sky Injury Report: Kahleah Copper (personal) is AVAILABLE. Morgan Bertsch (ankle) is AVAILABLE. Isabelle Harrison (knee), Rebekah Gardner (foot), Ruthy Hebard (maternity leave), Kristine Anigwe (overseas) are OUT.

Sky Confirmed Lineup: Marina Mabrey, Courtney Williams, Kahleah Copper, Alanna Smith, Elizabeth Williams

Mystics Injury Report: Shakira Austin (knee), Natasha Cloud (ankle), Brittney Sykes (eye) are AVAILABLE.

Mystics Confirmed Lineup: Natasha Cloud, Ariel Atkins, Brittney Sykes, Elena Delle Donne, Shakira Austin

The Sky have had a decent start to the season while battling quite a few injuries. One of the more noticeable things about Chicago is their inability to get to the free-throw line. They're attempting just 15.2 free throw attempts per game, the fewest of any team. They also have the league's third-lowest free throw percentage (76.0%).

With teams scoring a league-high 40.2 points in the paint per game against Chicago, the Mystics will likely look to utilize their bigs. Elena Delle Donne and Shakira Austin will have plenty of scoring opportunities, and the Mystics' guards should be able to find some driving lanes. However, Washington is scoring just 35.9% of their points in the paint this season, so it's not certain that they will dominate in that area.

Atlanta Dream at Indiana Fever, 4pm ET

Dream Injury Report: Aari McDonald (shoulder), Iliana Rupert (overseas) are OUT.

Dream Confirmed Lineup: Haley Jones, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Nia Coffey, Cheyenne Parker

Fever Injury Report: None reported

Fever Confirmed Lineup: Erica Wheeler, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, NaLyssa Smith, Aliyah Boston

The Dream and Fever are two of the most exciting teams in the WNBA. In their most recent outings, Atlanta took down two of the league's best teams. They play at a high pace (99.81) and with maximum effort in nearly every game.

Unlike Atlanta, the Fever tend to play slow. Their league-low 93.81 pace has proven to be difficult for opposing teams to deal with, so it's unclear how this game against the Dream will unravel. Indiana has played well offensively over their last two games as they've averaged 89.5 points per game over that span.

Connecticut Sun at Los Angeles Sparks, 7:30pm ET

Sun Injury Report: Natisha Hiedeman (ribs) is AVAILABLE.

Sun Confirmed Lineup: Natisha Hiedeman, Tiffany Hayes, DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones

Sparks Injury Report: Lexie Brown (illness), Layshia Clarendon (foot), Nia Clouden (foot) are OUT.

Sparks Confirmed Lineup: Jordin Canada, Zia Cooke, Dearica Hamby, Azurá Stevens, Nneka Ogwumike

Without Lexie Brown, Jordin Canada played all 40 minutes in Friday night's contest. With Destanni Henderson having a couple of days to get acclimated, it's likely she is more prepared to spell Canada in tonight's game. Nneka Ogwumike had a team-high 25.9% usage rate prior to Friday's game but logged just a 17.8% usage rate in 33 minutes. She will probably be more involved in this matchup, but it's worth monitoring with the Sparks' frontcourt getting healthier.

Minnesota Lynx at Las Vegas Aces, 9pm ET

Lynx Injury Report: Diamond Miller (ankle), Jessica Shepard (illness), Aerial Powers (ankle), Natalie Achonwa (maternity leave) are OUT.

Lynx Confirmed Lineup: Tiffany Mitchell, Kayla McBride, Bridget Carleton, Napheesa Collier, Dorka Juhász

Aces Injury Report: Riquna Williams (back) is OUT.

Aces Confirmed Lineup: Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Candace Parker, A'ja Wilson

The Lynx are 3-2 in June with two of those wins on the road. They lead the league with 22.6 free throw attempts per game and are committing just 15.6 personal fouls per game in that span. The Aces are heavy favorites in this game, and since their lone loss two games ago are averaging 94.5 points per game on 57% shooting. Jackie Young, A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, and Chelsea Gray are all averaging double-digit points per game this season, with Young leading the team with 20.5 points per game.