WNBA News, Notes & Lineups 7/30

Jul 30th 2023

Cooper BoniJohn Raudebaugh

Minnesota Lynx at Connecticut Sun, 1pm ET

Lynx Injury Report: Emily Engstler (shoulder) is AVAILABLE. Napheesa Collier (ankle), Rachel Banham (thumb), Natalie Achonwa (maternity leave) are OUT.

Lynx Confirmed Lineup: Lindsay Allen, Kayla McBride, Diamond Miller, Nikolina Milic, Dorka Juhász

Sun Injury Report: Brionna Jones (Achilles), Bernadett Hatar (knee) are OUT.

Sun Confirmed Lineup: Natisha Hiedeman, Tiffany Hayes, Rebecca Allen, DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas

After a three-game losing streak, the Lynx have won three of their last four including an upset against the Liberty last game. Over that four-game span, their 103.0 offensive rating has been the league's fourth-best. Minnesota will need that offensive success to continue against the Sun, whose 97.3 defensive rating ranks second-best of any team this season. Over their last two contests, DeWanna Bonner has led the team with 26.0 points per game.

Washington Mystics at Atlanta Dream, 3pm ET

Mystics Injury Report: Queen Egbo (ankle) will play. Elena Delle Donne (ankle), Shakira Austin (hip), Ariel Atkins (ankle), Kristi Toliver (foot) are OUT.

Mystics Confirmed Lineup: Natasha Cloud, Brittney Sykes, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Myisha Hines-Allen, Tianna Hawkins

Dream Injury Report: None reported

Dream Confirmed Lineup: Danielle Robinson, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Nia Coffey, Cheyenne Parker

Washington's recent injuries have caused a major depth issue. They lost by 28 points to Dallas last game and scored just 62 points. Li Meng, who is averaging just 15.3 minutes per game, played 24 minutes in the contest. Players like Meng and Cyesha Goree will likely continue to see extended runs and will have to produce for the Mystics to compete in any matchup, including today's against the Dream. Atlanta has lost three of their last four games as their offense has sputtered. However, they've managed a top-four defensive rating (98.8) over that stretch.

Seattle Storm at Indiana Fever, 4pm ET

Storm Injury Report: None reported

Storm Confirmed Lineup: Sami Whitcomb, Jewell Loyd, Gabby Williams, Ezi Magbegor, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu

Fever Injury Report: NaLyssa Smith (foot) is OUT.

Fever Confirmed Lineup: Erica Wheeler, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Victoria Vivians, Aliyah Boston

Indiana has lost three straight, while Seattle snapped their 10-game losing streak last game. Both teams rank bottom four in defensive rating, and they both allow a league-high 85.7 points per game. Since NaLyssa Smith went down five games ago, Erica Wheeler has had a team-high 23.7% usage rate for Indiana, while Aliyah Boston has struggled in Smith's absence. Boston has averaged just 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during that span.

Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky, 4pm ET

Mercury Injury Report: Brittney Griner (mental health), Skylar Diggins-Smith (maternity leave) are OUT.

Mercury Confirmed Lineup: Diana Taurasi, Moriah Jefferson, Sophie Cunningham, Brianna Turner, Megan Gustafson

Sky Injury Report: Isabelle Harrison (knee), Rebekah Gardner (foot), Sika Koné (overseas) are OUT.

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

The Mercury recently won back-to-back games but have since lost two straight. Their -9.1 Net Rating is the worst in the league this season and they've rebounded worse than any other team. Luckily for Phoenix, they're set to face a Sky team that's lost six of its last seven games. Over that span, Chicago has ranked bottom-three in Net Rating (-9.3) and true shooting (51.0%). They've faced the Mercury twice this season and split those games. Kahleah Copper led the Sky in scoring in both contests.

New York Liberty at Los Angeles Sparks, 4pm ET

Liberty Injury Report: Stefanie Dolson (ankle), Han Xu (overseas) are OUT.

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

Sparks Injury Report: Lexie Brown (illness), Chiney Ogwumike (foot), Nia Clouden (knee) are OUT.

Sparks Confirmed Lineup: Jordin Canada, Zia Cooke, Layshia Clarendon, Nneka Ogwumike, Azurá Stevens

The Liberty are set to play their sixth game in 10 days. They've won four of their last five but showed some fatigue in their home loss to the Lynx on Friday. Sabrina Ionescu posted 31 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds. New York should have their way with Los Angeles despite them winning their last two games. The Sparks' back-to-back victories came against the Fever, and Nneka Ogwumike averaged 27.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in those contests. Even if she can repeat those performances, Los Angeles shouldn't have the firepower to compete with the Liberty, who they've yet to face this season.

Dallas Wings at Las Vegas Aces, 6pm ET

Wings Injury Report: Diamond DeShields (knee), Lou Lopez Sénéchal (knee) are OUT.

Wings Confirmed Lineup: Crystal Dangerfield, Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally, Natasha Howard, Teaira McCowan

Aces Injury Report: TBD

Aces Confirmed Lineup: Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, A'ja Wilson, Kiah Stokes

The Wings have won six of their last seven games, including a win against the Aces. Over that span, they've ranked top-two in field goal percentage, assists, and rebounds per game. Their +15.7 Net Rating has also been the second-best of any team. The Aces struggled in that last loss to Dallas, but have since won six straight games. A'ja Wilson leads the team in scoring (20.7 points per game), rebounding (9.5 per game), and blocks (2.2 per game). During the win streak, her 17.3% rebound percentage is the fourth-best in the league.