After a jam-packed WNBA All-Star Weekend, some players might still be , or checking to see if they were caught on the . As it is known to do when it comes to big events, Indianapolis showed the WNBA world a fun time. Meanwhile, the players showed the league that they mean business when it comes to CBA negotiations.
With the All-Star Game over, the WNBA’s calendar will now speed toward the postseason. Teams near the top of the rankings, like the Mercury, Lynx and Liberty, are jockeying for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Teams closer to the all-important eight spot are fighting to just make it in. The biggest factor for what these teams can do? Health.
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Injuries have been a huge story all season long, and they will undoubtedly affect which teams can make long postseason runs. Here are a few of the impact players dealing with injuries, when they might be back and how it might affect their teams.
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever have played 23 games this season, and Clark has missed 10, most recently due to ongoing issues with a groin pull on each side of her body. She’s set to miss her 11th on Tuesday against the Liberty. The worst part of Clark’s issues is that they’re complicated. Muscle pulls can be minor and fixed with rest, or they can be major and hang over the rest of Clark’s season.
The Fever are 12-11 on the season, but are 8-5 when Clark is on the court. Even when she’s struggled offensively, she still commands enough attention from defenses that she helps shooters on her team like Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull be more productive.
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Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty
In a loss to Phoenix on June 19, Jones left the game with an ankle injury and hasn’t been back on the court. She is slated to return Tuesday against the Fever, with matchups against the Mercury and Sparks up afterward. But in an interesting twist, the Liberty reportedly made a huge free agent signing on Monday, adding Emma Meesseman to the team.
Meesseman is a former WNBA champ and Finals MVP. She hasn’t played in the WNBA since 2022, as she has focused on the Belgian national team. Since then, she’s led Belgium to two EuroBasket titles and won three EuroLeague MVPs. She will not only add so much to the Liberty as they try to repeat, but she will also give Jones some breathing room if her ankle needs more time later in the season.
Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
Howard exited the Dream’s loss to Indiana on July 11 with a knee injury. The team announced she would be out at least for the month of July, and then her timeline will be reevaluated. With so much up in the air about her future, the Dream have to figure out how to replace her 16.5 points, five rebounds and 4.5 assists per night. Atlanta is in a battle with Seattle for the fourth spot in the playoff seedings, which guarantees a first-round home-court advantage. Without Howard, the Dream will not only need more scoring from their starters, but quality minutes from Maya Caldwell and Te-Hina Paopao.
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Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
The Mercury have put together an impressive season even as they’ve dealt with injuries to their stars. Sabally missed the All-Star Game because of an ankle injury, while Copper has played in only six of the Mercury’s 22 games as she tries to heal from a hamstring injury. The team has continued to win thanks to another incredible season from Alyssa Thomas and different role players stepping up, but that’s a tough way to string together wins in the home stretch of the season. They’ll have to hope either or both of their stars can come back to maintain their playoff positioning.
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Performer of the week: Skylar Diggins, Storm
The All-Star Game is a weekend for players to have fun, showcase their personalities and play a little basketball with their buddies. Still, Skylar Diggins found a way to make history during Saturday night’s win, scoring the first-ever triple-double in the All-Star Game, with 14 assists, 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Game of the week
Mercury vs. Liberty on Friday at 7:30 p.m. on League Pass: The Liberty have the second-best record in the league, with the Mercury just a half-game behind them. This contest will be intriguing because of the match-ups, like Breanna Stewart facing off with Alyssa Thomas in the post, but it could also play a big part in how these two teams will be seeded in the postseason.
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Yahoo Sports power poll
1. Minnesota Lynx (20-4)
2. Phoenix Mercury (15-7)
3. New York Liberty (15-7)
4. Seattle Storm (14-9)
5. Atlanta Dream (13-9)
6. Indiana Fever (12-11)
7. Washington Mystics (11-11)
8. Las Vegas Aces (11-11)
9. Golden State Valkyries (10-12)
10. Chicago Sky (7-15)
11. Los Angeles Sparks (8-14)
12. Dallas Wings (6-17)
13. Connecticut Sun (3-19)
