In case basketball fans are having hoops withdrawal after last night’s stellar Game 5 of the NBA Finals, look no further than the WNBA. With the Commissioner’s Cup underway, 12 of the WNBA’s 13 teams will be in action as part of tonight’s six-game slate.
The Commissioner’s Cup will continue throughout the early part of the summer, so the high-stakes, high-level basketball will continue even after the Finals conclude.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: WNBA $100K Fadeaway [$25K 1st]
Guard
Stud
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun, $12,000 – Clark’s return from a five-game absence was downright cathartic, as she hit a flurry of audacious threes that would be considered bad shots for anyone else on the planet not named Stephen Curry. When the dust settled, she had an impressive line of 32 points, eight boards, and nine assists on seven-for-14 shooting from deep (61.5 FPTS). Her salary is expensive, but Connecticut has been miserable this season, going just 2-8 and allowing the second-most points, third-most rebounds, and third-most assists per game. The Sun have been the league’s third-worst team at guarding opposing guards.
Value
Hailey Van Lith, Chicago Sky vs. Washington Mystics, $4,100 – Van Lith enjoyed her WNBA breakout performance on Sunday against Connecticut, dropping 16 points and five boards (25.75 FPTS) in 24 minutes off the bench, and she should continue to get more opportunities in the guard rotation since Courtney Vandersloot is out for the season. With Chicago just 3-7 and needing to figure out where Van Lith fits in alongside its young forward duo of Angel Reese ($11,000) and Kamilla Cardoso ($8,000), it might as well be patient with its rookie lottery pick. Washington has been mostly middle-of-the-pack overall and against opposing guards specifically, and even four-time All-Defensive honoree Brittney Sykes ($10,800) can’t do it all.
Forward
Stud
Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm at Los Angeles Sparks, $9,800 – Ogwumike was horrible in her most recent game, scoring six points with four fouls and five turnovers (16.75 FPTS) in just 26 minutes of action, but that broke a stretch of three very solid performances for the veteran. She torched the league-leading Minnesota Lynx for 21 points and 10 boards (45 FPTS) just last Wednesday and should have no problem against the Sparks, who have posted the league’s fourth-worst defensive rating this season and allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing forwards. Los Angeles has allowed the second-highest shooting percentage within eight feet, where Ogwumike attempts nearly half of her shots.
Value
Maria Kliundikova, Minnesota Lynx vs. Las Vegas Aces, $4,100 – Kliundikova has only appeared twice this season, but one of them came on Saturday against the Sparks, when she scored 11 points, snagged five rebounds, and recorded three combined steals/blocks (28.75 FPTS) in only 14 minutes of game time. In the Russian’s return to the WNBA after seven seasons in Yekaterinburg, she has proven herself capable of being a two-way threat. With Jessica Shepard out on duty with the Slovenian national team, Kliundikova should continue to receive regular game time, making her an interesting option against an Aces team that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing forwards.
