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I don’t believe it is hyperbole to say this is the biggest offseason the WNBA has ever had. This offseason will feature: a new collective bargaining agreement that will pay the players more, a draft lottery featuring two playoff teams, an expansion draft featuring two teams, the second season of Unrivaled, a free agency in which all but two veterans are free agents, and potentially the deepest WNBA draft in years. Oh, and five teams need to hire a new head coach....Here is what you need to know heading into the WNBA offseason... October 16, 2025 WNBA Offseason Preview Steve Pimental I don’t believe it is hyperbole to say this is the biggest offseason the WNBA has ever had. This offseason will feature: a new collective bargaining agreement that will pay the players more, a draft lottery featuring two playoff teams, an expansion draft featuring two teams, the second season of Unrivaled, a free agency in which all but two veterans are free agents, and potentially the deepest WNBA draft in years. Oh, and five teams need to hire a new head coach. That is a lot, especially considering we don’t know when any of it is actually going to happen. Here is what you need to know heading into the WNBA offseason. The current collective bargaining agreement expires on October 31, and all reporting seems to indicate that the league and the Players’ Association will not reach a new deal by that deadline. There seems to be some cautious optimism that they could agree to an extension, which would give them more time to hammer out a deal. If that doesn’t happen, the league will head to a lockout. While a lockout sounds bad, there would still be plenty of time for a new CBA before May, when games are set to start. One advantage of the WNBA having such a long offseason is that even if an agreement isn’t reached right away, they could still have plenty of time for everything that needs to happen this offseason. I believe the WNBA is making too much money for either side to risk a work stoppage that eats into the season. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has already stated publicly that she wants the players to get paid more; the only question now is how much more. In most American sports leagues, players collectively receive roughly half of the income for that sport. WNBA Players currently receive 9.3 percent of the league’s income. We’ll see where the new figure comes in, but my guess is the new agreement will see the players come close to 50 percent of basketball-related income, though it may be gradual. Either way, it will be interesting to see when a deal gets done and what the new player salaries look like. Cathay Engelbert has said that the draft lottery and the expansion draft will not be scheduled until after the new CBA is agreed to, and I cannot wait for those dates to be set. This draft may not have an obvious franchise-saver like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers the last two seasons, but there is plenty of talent at the top. The Minnesota Lynx fell short in the playoffs this season, but the team with the best record in the regular season has a 25 percent chance to add the number one overall pick thanks to two trades with the Chicago Sky. If the Lynx can convince Napheesa Collier to return in free agency and add someone like Lauren Betts or Azzi Fudd, they could be the title favorites next season. Seattle is the other playoff team with a lottery pick, thanks to the 2024 trade that sent the Sparks the pick that became Rickea Jackson. I don’t know if any of Seattle’s veterans will be back, but adding a lottery pick to the 2025 second overall pick, Dominique Malonga, should give Seattle a strong base to build from. Dallas has the best lottery odds at 40 percent. The most fun pick for Dallas would be Azzi Fudd, but any of the top picks would fit well with Paige Bueckers and the slew of interesting young talent Dallas has under contract. Washington only has an 11 percent chance at the top pick but with two rookie All-Stars this season and three first-round picks, plus Georgia Amoore returning from her ACL injury, Washington should have an interesting young team, even if they’re not particularly aggressive in free agency. The team that most needs to win the lottery has the lowest odds, as Chicago has a seven percent chance, thanks to the midseason trade that sent Marina Mabrey to Connecticut in 2024. Presumably, after the lottery, Toronto and Portland will add the first players to their rosters via the expansion draft. We don’t yet know what the rules will be for the expansion draft, though they probably won’t look too drastically different from last year’s, when teams could protect six players and the Valkyries could take one player from each team. With so few players under contract around the league, I’m interested to see if the rules will change. I also want to see if the expansion teams deploy different strategies. I was surprised Golden State didn’t make any trades with teams to protect certain players. We don’t know if that was because the Valkyries wanted to make all their picks, or if there wasn’t an appetite around the league to surrender assets to keep someone who wasn’t a top-six player on their roster. Given the Valkyries’ success in year one, Toronto and Portland may opt to make all of their picks as well. Of course, having an extra team in the mix could change things. It may also be that with the league’s talent pool diluting, there just aren’t as many quality rotation players available in this expansion draft. I am fascinated to see how the expansion draft plays out. The first dominoes of the offseason will likely be the new coaching hires. Former Liberty and Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello will almost certainly have one of those jobs if she wants, and I have to wonder if her surprise dismissal led to the Wings firing Chris Koclanes a week later. The league does not have any Black female head coaches following Seattle’s firing of Noelle Quinn, but hopefully that changes this offseason. Breanna Stewart has already stated her intention to return to the New York Liberty, which automatically makes that the best job opening of the five. Dallas and Seattle both have young stars and another lottery pick incoming, but Dallas has more intriguing young players under contract, and I believe in Executive Vice President and General Manager Curt Miller. Toronto and Portland are both blank slates, which is intriguing. Those coaches could benefit from lower expectations in their inaugural seasons, especially if their teams take a more future-focused approach than Golden State did this season. I don’t really know what to make of free agency. Sportsbooks seem to believe most of the stars will return to their teams based on the current championship odds. It is certainly hard to believe A’Ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier or Alyssa Thomas would leave their current teams after the success they enjoyed in 2025, but just about anything is on the table at this point. I wonder if Toronto and Portland might try to make a bigger splash in free agency than Golden State did. Golden State had some very shrewd signings in the 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year Tiffany Hayes, Monique Billings, Janelle Salaun, and Chloe Bibby, but they didn’t chase any big stars via free agency or trade. I wonder if this season’s expansion teams will be as patient, especially considering the league’s landscape is different. No matter when these big offseason events take place, or what shape they take, we will be with you the entire way to break down what it all means for your favorite teams, players, and the league at large. All we know for certain is that change is coming, and nobody really knows what this league will look like when the dust settles. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepard mix, Hootie.

With five tournaments left in the Season, Thitikul has all but sown up the Race to CME Globe, Rolex Player of the Year and Aon Risk Reward Challenge. Even so, there is still plenty to play for down the stretch, and plenty of statistics Jeeno doesn’t lead in. So, let’s take one last look at some notable statistics around the LPGA Tour ahead of the last two months of the season. October 14, 2025 Seven LPGA Stats to Know Steve Pimental The only surprise was that it took so long. Jeeno Thitikul won the Buick LPGA Shanghai Sunday, coming from four shots behind with five holes remaining to force a playoff with Minami Katsu. With that win, Thitikul became the first player to win multiple tournaments, ending a run of 26 distinct winners. Jeeno was one of six players to win multiple times last season and despite just the one win and a disappointing record in the majors, she has been one of the best players on Tour all season. Jeeno Thitikul leads the LPGA Tour in several categories, including Total Strokes Gained, Putts Per GIR Average, Scoring Average, Birdie Percentage, Bogey Avoidance, Par 3 Scoring and Par 4 Scoring. With five tournaments left in the Season, Thitikul has all but sown up the Race to CME Globe, Rolex Player of the Year and Aon Risk Reward Challenge. Even so, there is still plenty to play for down the stretch, and plenty of statistics Jeeno doesn’t lead in. So, let’s take one last look at some notable statistics around the LPGA Tour ahead of the last two months of the season. 16 - Top-25 Finishes for Minjee Lee Lee is actually still leading the LPGA in Official Money despite now trailing Jeeno Thitkul by one win. Lee is tied for fourth in Top-10 Finishes and tied for fifth in cuts made, but of those 18 made cuts in 19 events, she has failed to finishe top-25 just twice. I wrote above that Jeeno Thitikul basically has Player of the Year won, but if Minjee Lee picks up another win, she will at least make it close. 8 - Top-10 Finishes Without a Win for Nelly Korda With 26 different winners on the LPGA Tour this season, you might think everyone who is anyone has picked up a win, but that isn’t the case. The top seven in Top-10 Finishes Without a Win features three Hall-of-Famers, and you have to scroll past the top 15 before you find players who aren’t household names even among casual fans. Women’s golf has never been this strong worldwide, and it shows. Even with 26 different winners, a lot of really good players haven’t found the winners’ circle. We need one more distinct winner to break the record set in 1995 and matched in 2018 and 2022. With such a star-studded leaderboard of players who still haven’t won this season, I’ll be shocked if we don’t get there. By anyone else’s standards, Nelly Korda has had a fine season. She is third on Tour in top-10s, Total Strokes Gained, Rounds in the 60s, Par 4 Scoring average and Scoring Average Per Round. Korda is second in Birdie or Better Percentage, first in Par 5 Scoring Average sixth in CME Points. In any discussion of the best player in the world, she ranks no lower than second. And yet, on the heels of her historic 2024 season in which she won seven times, this season has to be considered a disappointment. Korda ranks 57th in Round 4 Scoring Average, which accounts for some of her near misses. Korda had 15 wins from 2021 to 2025, and she will almost certainly start racking up wins again in 2026, if not sooner. 24 - Cuts made by Mao Saigo Saigo leads the Tour in Cuts Made, but her 29 total starts is nearly as impressive. Saigo is tied for second with Chanettee Wannasaen in total starts, trailing only Jasmine Suwannapura’s 30 starts this season. Saigo isn’t just squeaking in under the cutline, earning six top-10s, including a win at the Chevron Championship. Saigo was the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year in 2024 thanks to seven top-10s and 24 top-40s, and in 2025 she basically repeated that performance and added a major win. It can be easy to overlook Saigo among all the emerging young talent on the LPGA, especially coming from Japan, but she is fourth in the Player of the Year standings and it won’t surprise me if she wins one sooner than later. 6 - Wins by LPGA Rookies this season After no rookies won in 2024, the rookie class announced its presence with authority in 2025. Twins Chisato Iwai and Akie Iwai were two of the rookies from Japan to win, along with Miyu Yamashita and Rio Takeda. Yamashita is second on Tour with 10 top-10 finishes. She has a top-10 in 50 percent of her starts, which is good for third. And she might not even be the most impressive rookie this season. Lottie Woad won on the European Tour as an amateur before winning her professional debut at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open. She had two top-10s at Majors this season and finished in the top 10 in 60 percent of her starts, second only to Jeeno Thitikul. I picked Woad to be the first multi-time winner on the Tour this season and while that was incorrect, I like her chances to win at least twice next season. 76.56% - Greens in Regulation Percentage of Rio Takeda Takeda is a rookie this season but she is actually the defending champion at the upcoming TOTO Japan Classic, which she won last year as a non-Tour member and finished T8 in 2023. Takeda is a prototypical outstanding ballstriker who struggles on the greens. Takeda ranks 139 in strokes gained putting this season. She is just 22 years old and if she ever figures out her putter, she could start ripping off a bunch of wins. 28.57 - Average Putts Per Round for Minami Katsu Katsu couldn’t hold off Jeeno Thitkul Sunday to keep the unique winners streak alive, but that doesn’t do much to diminish a very solid season. Exactly half of Katsu’s 1.04 Total Strokes Gained comes with her putter, where she ranks 28th. Katsu has six top-10s this season, more than her first two LPGA seasons combined. I think Katsu needs to improve her ballstriking if she is going to start contending in majors, but I expect she’ll continue to do well in weaker fields. 67.13 - Scrambling Percentage of Hyo Joo Kim I tend to think of scrambling percentage in particular, and around-the-green stats in general, as not very predictive. Often if you get up-and-down consistently within a round or a tournament you will have very good results, but trying to predict that from week-to-week can be a fool’s errand. I may have to rethink that based on Hyo Joo Kim’s results. She has ranked in the top-10 in Strokes Gained Around the Green in four consecutive seasons, finishing in the top two in three of those. She is an average driver and ranks 116th in Green Hit percentage from the fairway, but her touch around the greens is unmatched. Kim is capable of having a good week every time out, but I will be especially interested to play her for fantasy on courses featuring small greens. If a lot of people are missing the greens, that plays right into her hands. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepard mix, Hootie.

Top tennis stars clash at the 2025 Ningbo Open & Japan Open. Discover title contenders & dark horses as they battle for glory on outdoor hard courts! Women's main draw play at the 2025 Ningbo Open 2025 Japan Open will begin Monday, Oct. 13. Ningbo is a WTA 500 level event, while the Japan Open is a WTA 250 event. These outdoor hard-court tournaments both have 32-player draws (28 for Ningbo with byes for the top four seeds) and feature numerous women's tennis stars, with eight top-20 players in the Ningbo Open draw and two playing in the Japan Open. Below are the top title contenders and dark horses for the 2025 Ningbo Open and Japan Open October 12, 2025 WTA Ningbo Open and Japan Open Previews Sasha Yodashkin Favorite to Win the 2025 Ningbo Open Mirra Andreeva : The top-seeded Russian has had an underwhelming Asian swing, but Andreeva is the world No. 5 for a reason. The talented 18-year-old has won two hard-court WTA 1000 events in 2025, and she has a favorable draw in the same half as No. 4 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova while the two other main Ningbo Open title contenders landed in the other half. After a bye into the Round of 16, Andreeva could face Emma Raducanu in her first match, with seventh-seeded doubles partner Diana Shnaider representing Mirra's chalk quarterfinal opponent. Andreeva's mix of variety and athleticism is arguably unmatched on the WTA Tour, but she's still learning how to cut out distractions and avoid rough patches in matches, which is why she isn't a significant favorite in a talented Ningbo Open field. In the Mix to Win the 2025 Ningbo Open Jasmine Paolini : Paolini's coming off a strong performance at the Wuhan Open, where she defeated Iga Swiatek en route to the semifinals. The No. 2 seed at the Ningbo Open has a clear path to the semifinals, with No. 6 seed Belinda Bencic as Paolini's toughest potential obstacle. Things get much tougher after that, though, as Paolini could face a pair of fellow top-10 players back-to-back in Elena Rybakina and Andreeva. Despite Rybakina being the far bigger hitter, Paolini has enjoyed a 3-2 edge in their head-to-head, including 2-0 on hard courts. Elena Rybakina : Rybakina has by far the toughest path of the three top contenders. She could face Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko in the Round of 16, and chalk quarterfinal opponent Clara Tauson defeated Rybakina at Wimbledon this year. The big-serving Rybakina can beat anyone when she's on her game, but she lacks alternative options besides the Plan A of attempting to overpower opponents. She's 2-3 against Paolini and 1-2 against Andreeva, both of whom have more variety. Sleepers to Win the 2025 Ningbo Open Marketa Vondrousova : Vondrousova's set for her first tournament action since the U.S. Open, where she was playing fantastic tennis prior to withdrawing due to a knee injury ahead of a quarterfinal matchup against Aryna Sabalenka . Vondrousova beat both Paolini and Rybakina in New York, but she lands on the opposite half of the draw from them. The crafty Czech will need to shake off the rust quickly given her tough first-round draw against compatriot Karolina Muchova , but if Vondrousova can find her pre-injury form, she's capable of taking out Andreeva in the quarterfinals and flourishing from there. Victoria Mboko : Mboko showcased her high ceiling at the Canadian Open, where the athletic 19-year-old rode the crowd support to a hard-court WTA 1000 title. She has dropped three straight matches since then but has a nice opportunity to regain her confidence here. If Mboko gets past error-prone Dayana Yastremska in the first round, the 24th-ranked Canadian would face Rybakina, whom Mboko defeated in Montreal. Favorite to Win the 2025 Japan Open Naomi Osaka : Osaka has played some strong tennis down the stretch in 2025 under new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, reaching the Canadian Open final and U.S. Open semifinals. She'll be highly motivated to win as the clear title favorite in her home country, and this tournament is on Osaka's best surface, as all four of her career Grand Slam titles have come on hard courts. Osaka's the No. 1 seed at the Japan Open by virtue of her No. 16 ranking. She's one of the best servers on the WTA Tour and has tremendous power off the ground to back it up. There are only two other top-25 players in the Japan Open draw, Elise Mertens and Linda Noskova , whom Osaka could face in the semifinals and final, respectively. In the Mix to Win the 2025 Japan Open Linda Noskova : Noskova's ranked No. 17, just one spot behind Osaka. The 20-year-old Czech has plenty of power off the ground and can go toe to toe with anyone on her best days but could stand to improve her consistency from match to match. She could face a first-round test against big-hitting Brit Katie Boulter , but Noskova's draw otherwise looks decent, as she should be comfortably favored in every match prior to the final. The other seeds in her half of the draw are No. 4 seed Leylah Fernandez , fifth-seeded potential quarterfinal opponent Marie Bouzkova , and No. 7 seed Ann Li . Elise Mertens : Mertens rarely loses to players she should beat but struggles to hang with the game's elites. Luckily for the third-seeded Belgian, there aren't really any players that outclass her in a Japan Open draw without a top-15 player. Mertens is a respectable 3-4 against Osaka and has never faced Noskova. As long as Mertens has recovered from the back injury that forced her to withdraw during the Wuhan Open, the 21st-ranked Belgian could make a push for her third singles title of 2025 while utilizing her well-rounded game and excellent feel at net. Sleepers to Win the 2025 Japan Open Jessica Bouzas Maneiro : Bouzas Maneiro has quietly played at a borderline top-20 level since May. The 23-year-old Spaniard has won multiple matches in six of her last 10 tournaments while reaching the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open and Round of 16 at both Wimbledon and Cincinnati over that span. She snuck into the seeded range at the Japan Open, simplifying Bouzas Maneiro's early draw, but the No. 8 seed projects to meet Osaka in the quarterfinals. That would be an interesting clash of styles between Osaka's power and Bouzas Maneiro's consistency off the ground. Alexandra Eala : Like many young players, Eala's still trying to improve the consistency of her results. The 20-year-old Filipina has demonstrated a high ceiling when her game is clicking this year, making a run to the Miami Open semifinals, reaching a WTA 250 final in Eastbourne and taking home a WTA 125 title in Guadalajara. Two of those three results have come on hard courts, which have been Eala's best surface in her young career. Eala has proven capable of catching fire, but she'll need to get hot early to make a deep run at the Japan Open, with Mertens looming in the second round. Those looking for more tennis coverage can check out RotoWire's latest tennis news , Tennis Injury Report , Tennis Events page , and Tennis Player Comparison tool . SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Sasha has been contributing NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and Tennis content to RotoWire since 2015, with an emphasis on DFS. He is a huge New York sports fan who has been playing fantasy sports since middle school.

Elevated scoring might just be what the doctor ordered for Alyssa Thomas. She averaging 13.0 PPG, a bit below her season average and certainly below the semifinal series vs Minnesota (20.3 PPG). Yes, she’s a triple-double threat every single night, but Phoenix must tilt the offense to the paint & start getting her touches inside. She is arguably the most physical and strongest player in the league. Let her operate around the rim. October 10, 2025 Keys to a Phoenix Comeback EJ Arocho Lock Down The Paint Force A’ja to take tough shots! So far, she’s been able to do whatever she wants, averaging nearly 28.0 PPG & 13.0 RPG in these Finals. Single coverage has not & will not work… and double-teaming her hasn’t been done effectively enough! Phoenix’s bigs have to be much more physical & limit her ability to pound the paint and take open mid-range jumpers. The help defense must be top tier! More Touches for Thomas Elevated scoring might just be what the doctor ordered for Alyssa Thomas. She averaging 13.0 PPG, a bit below her season average and certainly below the semifinal series vs Minnesota (20.3 PPG). Yes, she’s a triple-double threat every single night, but Phoenix must tilt the offense to the paint & start getting her touches inside. She is arguably the most physical and strongest player in the league. Let her operate around the rim. She’s a problem for any defender & can easily power her way for easy 2’s and possible and-1 plays. She also a master at dime-dishing, so forcing the defense to collapse could create opportunities for lurking perimeter threats in Kahleah Copper, Sami Whitcomb & Satou Sabally. Improve Offensive Consistency Phoenix is a 3-point heavy team. At home, their percentage tends to be better. If their outside shooters get in rhythm early, it could certainly result in a dub. Whitcomb has to get back to her vintage self. DeWanna Bonner is a matchup nightmare and is tough to close out on. Monique Akoa Makani is an emerging 3-point specialist. Sabally & Copper have to improve efficiency because when those two get clicking, it can really rain 3’s. Control the Tempo Phoenix likes to play fast. But so does Vegas. Sometimes, the two don’t mix well and it makes for very frenetic stretches. Turnovers start to pile up, the lid closes on the basket and frustration boils over. Cold stretches have plagued this team in Games 1-3 so far. If Phoenix can slow the game down, make Vegas earn each possession, it may reduce the number of possessions where Vegas’s stars can take over. Use the mid-range and inside-out sets rather than always pushing the pace. Reserves & Role Players Must Step Up If Sabally is out for Game 4 (and possibly any after), Phoenix will need contributions from role players (Copper & Makani) and their bench (Bonner & Whitcomb) to help carry the scoring and defensive load. Emotional & Psychological Edge They must use the momentum of the comeback in Game 3 – even though they lost, rallying from large deficits shows toughness & fight. No quit in their game! Home Court Energy It’s win or go home in Game 4. And speaking of “home,” the Mercury must use the crowd — the X FACTOR. Lean on the home crowd and the comfort of being in Phoenix (sleep routine, less travel, familiarity). Tactical Adjustments & Scouting Tweaks If the Aces respond to certain sets, Phoenix must have counters ready. Perhaps try mixed defenses (zone, trap, switching) to confuse their offensive rhythm and get them out of sorts. A comfortable Vegas is a dangerous Vegas. Adjust matchups — sometimes mismatches can be exploited! SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author EJ Arocho is Mr. Women’s Basketball and lives in New Jersey. Lives by the shore but looking to make waves everywhere!

Despite yet another furious comeback in these playoffs, Phoenix fell just short and now it would take a truly historic turnaround to overcome their 3-0 deficit. If I were to be skeptical I would say the Aces shot the lights out and received a favorable whistle through three quarters and they didn’t in the fourth quarter, which explains their big lead and Phoenix’s comeback. That’s probably not fair to the Aces, who are one win away from their third WNBA title in four seasons. Let’s take a look at how they got there. October 9, 2025 The Aces Are 1 Game Away from the Championship. How Did They Get Here? Steve Pimental My Preview of Game 3 of the first-ever best-of-seven WNBA Finals focused primarily on what Phoenix needed to do to win that game and get back in the series. Because Phoenix played so poorly in Game 2, I thought the onus was on them to up their level and take Game 3 from the Las Vegas Aces. Despite yet another furious comeback in these playoffs, Phoenix fell just short and now it would take a truly historic turnaround to overcome their 3-0 deficit. If I were to be skeptical I would say the Aces shot the lights out and received a favorable whistle through three quarters and they didn’t in the fourth quarter, which explains their big lead and Phoenix’s comeback. That’s probably not fair to the Aces, who are one win away from their third WNBA title in four seasons. Let’s take a look at how they got there. A’Ja Wilson Leaves No Doubt I don’t want to be one of those people who uses the postseason as a referendum on a regular-season award. A’ja Wilson was a deserving MVP, even if I’m still not certainly I wouldn’t have voted for Napheesa Collier. In any case, Phoenix needed their own MVP candidate, Alyssa Thomas, to at least play Wilson to a draw to have any chance in this series. You could argue that was the case in Game 1, but Wilson has been much better the last two games. She already has the most points in a WNBA Finals, thanks in part to her 34-point effort on Wednesday. With Las Vegas making nearly all of their threes in the first three quarters, Phoenix was forced to mostly defend Wilson one-on-one. That was mostly a disaster, especially with Alyssa Thomas spending so much time defending Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. Wilson was just as impactful on the defensive end. Kahleah Copper got her a couple of times on switches but Wilson finished with three blocks and 11 defensive rebounds. Very little came easily for Phoenix on the offensive end, and Wilson played the biggest part in that. Taking Care of the Basketball The Aces had eight turnovers as a team, the same number as Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally combined. More importantly, I can’t recall a single bad shot Las Vegas took in the entire game. I’m sure there were some, but I thought they basically got a good look every time down the floor, despite shooting just 42.6 percent from the field. If it wasn’t Wilson one-on-one in the paint, it was Jewell Loyd or Dana Evans knocking down open threes, or Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young going towards the basket. It stood in stark contrast to Phoenix’s struggles on the other end. If the Aces take care of the basketball and are patient enough to get good shots, they are extremely tough to beat. Attack the Offensive Glass As someone who was hoping for a long series, it was extremely frustrating to see the Aces grab 14 offensive rebounds. One of the reasons the Aces were able to pull away in the second quarter is that every time Phoenix got a stop, there would be a long rebound without a single Mercury player anywhere to be found. I give Phoenix a lot of credit for sticking together and making their comeback, because the lack of defensive rebounding was quite demoralizing. Make their Free Throws I can quibble with how often they got to the line, but at the end of the day, the Aces shot six fewer free throws than Phoenix but made the same amount. A’Ja Wilson alone was 11-for-12 from the line, and as a team, they made 23 of their 25 free throws. Like so much of the Aces’ game, making free throws isn’t flashy, but it very well made the difference in a game they won by just two points. Making Phoenix Work Offensively I really thought Phoenix would be able to take advantage of NaLyssa Smith, Dana Evans and Megan Gustafson defensively. They finally got the better of Gustafson a few times in the fourth quarter, though she stood up Alyssa Thomas to give A’Ja Wilson the chance to win it with 0.1 seconds remaining. Smith and Evans combined to commit 11 fouls in 32 minutes, but at least they were working hard and weren’t giving up easy baskets. Smith was a team-best +16 in this game, and you could argue her foul trouble is a big reason why the Mercury were able to come back at all. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

On some level, it is too soon for Phoenix to panic. They are going back home for the next two games of this seven-game series, and if they just can just defend their home court, they can even this series. On the other hand, they need to win four of the next five games to give Alyssa Thomas her first WNBA championship. To get there, they will have to play much better than they did in Las Vegas. So, let’s take a look at what they need to do to get there. October 7, 2025 How Can Phoenix Get Back in the Series? Steve Pimental Less than a week ago, I predicted a close WNBA Finals series. The Aces had barely escaped both of their playoff series with wins, while Phoenix had dispatched last season’s Finals teams in consecutive series. Through two games, that close series has only materialized in the first half. The Aces have managed to pull away in the second half of both home games, and if that trend continues, Phoenix will be going home in short order. On some level, it is too soon for Phoenix to panic. They are going back home for the next two games of this seven-game series, and if they just can just defend their home court, they can even this series. On the other hand, they need to win four of the next five games to give Alyssa Thomas her first WNBA championship. To get there, they will have to play much better than they did in Las Vegas. So, let’s take a look at what they need to do to get there. Lean on their defensive lineups. This might be a little counterintuitive. If anything, Phoenix’s problems have been more on the offensive end than the defensive end. That being said, Natasha Mack is the only Mercury player with a positive +/- in both games, and Monique Akoa Makani is third in +/- in the series, behind Satou Sabally. You could argue that Mack especially is more effective in fewer minutes, but considering both players are starters, it's not like they’re feasting on bench units. Akoa Makani might be Phoenix’s only two-way player outside of the big three, and I think she needs more than the 26 minutes she played in the first two games. Another reason to lean on Phoenix’s defenders is that the offensive players have been ineffective. Sami Whitcomb, Kathryn Westbeld and DeWanna Bonner are a combined 7-for-34 from the field through two games. There is a strong possibility they will shoot better at home the next two games, but if the offense is going to struggle anyway, they can at least make Las Vegas work more on the other end. Push the pace. Phoenix was third in the league in pace in the regular season, and first among the eight playoff teams. They didn’t get very many easy looks in game two, but what few they got came in transition or semi-transition. Even when Phoenix doesn’t force a turnover, I think they need to play faster to try to open up more advantages. If the Mercury can set their defense and get the matchups they want, they have shown they can make things very difficult for Phoenix’s offense. Attack mismatches. I lost track of how many times Alyssa Thomas got matched on Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray or Jewell Loyd and passed out of it rather than try to attack the basket or draw a double-team. Las Vegas’s guards did do a good job of attacking the dribbles of Thomas and Satou Sabally and forcing some turnovers, but Phoenix has to find a better way of turning those situations in their favor. Utilize the Thomas-Sabally two-man game. Sabally got floater in the lane at the end of the third quarter following a dribble-handoff with Alyssa Thomas. It probably helped that both forwards were defended by guards on that possession, but that is kind of the point. One or both of them are getting matched up with a guard a ton, and rather than trying to dribble-drive or throw the ball into the post, this gives Phoenix another way to attack that doesn’t just involve going one-on-one. This could be a way to get DeWanna Bonner going as well. Maybe use her as a screener for Thomas and force the defense to make some difficult decisions. Put Alyssa Thomas on Jackie Young The problem with this approach is that it takes Thomas off A’Ja Wilson, and unlike Thomas, Wilson had no problem in that game punishing weaker defenders. That being said, Natasha Mack and/or Satou Sabally can probably steal a few possessions on Wilson here and there. I noted two possessions in the second half when Thomas defended Young. They might have been the only two possessions Young didn’t score on in the second half. Thomas can play off Young a little bit and try to bait her into pull-up threes, like she did at the end of the third quarter. I don’t think they can play that way all the time, but I like it as a changeup, especially when Monique Akoa Makani is on the bench. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

RotoWire expert Joe Mayo picks his top risers and fallers for the WNBA Finals, including Jackie Young, who has been instrumental for the Las Vegas Aces in their first two games against the Phoenix Mercury. The Aces secured a 2-0 series lead Sunday, and the Finals now shift to Phoenix as the Mercury attempt to spark a comeback on their home court. October 6, 2025 Fantasy WNBA: Top Risers and Fallers for the WNBA Finals (Part 2) Joe Mayo Top Fantasy WNBA Risers for the Finals A'ja Wilson , Las Vegas Aces: Wilson has been nothing short of amazing in the postseason, continuing to reach new heights with the Aces now two wins away from their third WNBA championship in the last four seasons. The four-time MVP has scored at least 21 points in four straight outings, averaging 52.8 ESPN fantasy points per game during that span. Through two games in the Finals, the 29-year-old has logged a pair of double-doubles while shooting 51.3 percent from the field, averaging 24.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks across 35.0 minutes per game. After sweeping their two-game homestand, the Aces will look to carry their momentum into Phoenix, where they'll need their stars at their best to fend off a potential Mercury comeback. Jackie Young , Las Vegas Aces: Aside from a 10-point performance in Game 1 of the Finals, Young has continued to deliver throughout the playoffs. The star guard has tallied at least 32 points in two of her last three appearances and was instrumental in Las Vegas securing a 2-0 series lead in Sunday's 91-78 victory. Young has produced at least 34 ESPN fantasy points in four of her last five outings, shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from beyond the arc during that span. As the series shifts to Phoenix, the Aces will again lean on their stars to prevent a Mercury rally. Young will look to build on her impressive postseason, having averaged 20.6 points, 4.9 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals across 34.6 minutes per game in 10 playoff appearances so far. Kahleah Copper , Phoenix Mercury: Copper averaged 15.0 points on 43.0 percent shooting from the field across the first two rounds of the playoffs. However, she has elevated her play in the Finals, averaging 22.0 points while shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from beyond the arc. With the Mercury facing a 2-0 deficit, Copper will be key in helping the team turn the tide. Additionally, Satou Sabally sustained an ankle injury during Game 2, and Sami Whitcomb hyperextended her knee in Game 1. While it appears likely both will play in Wednesday's pivotal Game 3, Copper could continue to see an increased role in the offense. It also wouldn't be surprising if the Mercury shortened their rotation moving forward, which could result in Copper seeing a slight uptick in minutes. Key Fantasy WNBA Fallers to Avoid This Week NaLyssa Smith , Las Vegas Aces: Smith continues to take limited shot attempts and has scored single-digit points in four consecutive appearances, averaging 5.0 points and 3.5 rebounds across 21.3 minutes per game during that span. While the 25-year-old forward has shot an efficient 56.3 percent from the field in those four outings, she has struggled from the charity stripe, going 1-for-6 from the free-throw line in the Finals. Smith will likely continue to see meaningful minutes in a starting role, but surrounded by star power, she remains largely reliant on her rebounding for fantasy production. Sami Whitcomb , Phoenix Mercury: Whitcomb hyperextended her knee in Game 1 of the Finals and logged only 14 minutes in Game 2, finishing scoreless (0-3 FG, 0-2 3Pt) with two assists and one steal. The 37-year-old guard is expected to suit up for the remainder of the series barring any setbacks, though she isn't guaranteed 20-plus minutes per game with the Mercury trailing 2-0 in the series. Whitcomb has scored six or fewer points in four consecutive outings, averaging 4.0 points and 2.3 assists while shooting an abysmal 23.1 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from beyond the arc over that span. Kathryn Westbeld , Phoenix Mercury: Westbeld has been held scoreless in back-to-back outings during the Finals, going 0-for-5 from the field during that span. The 29-year-old forward logged double-digit minutes in all four semifinal matchups, but she saw just five minutes in Game 1 of the Finals and 17 in Game 2 -- including four minutes in garbage time with the game seemingly out of reach. With the Mercury facing a 2-0 deficit as the series shifts to Phoenix, they'll lean on their stars to spark a comeback. Westbeld has contributed single-digit ESPN fantasy points in four consecutive appearances and isn't expected to play a major role the rest of the series as Phoenix fights to keep its title hopes alive DeWanna Bonner , Phoenix Mercury: While Bonner struggled mightily in Game 2, she has still recorded at least 24 ESPN fantasy points in two of her last three appearances. During that span, she's averaged 9.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks across 25.0 minutes per game. The veteran forward continues to see meaningful minutes off the bench, and the Mercury will likely need her to provide a spark during their two-game homestand after dropping the first two matchups of the WNBA Finals. Additionally, with Sami Whitcomb dealing with a hyperextended knee and struggling of late, Bonner's production off the bench could prove even more important. Those looking for up-to-the-minute fantasy WNBA news can check out RotoWire's WNBA Injury Report and WNBA Lineups . RotoWire also features Top WNBA Picks and Player Props on a daily basis to help find the best betting lines for each night's slate. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

Discover the top contenders and sleepers at the 2025 Wuhan Open, where Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek headline a star-studded field on China’s hard courts. Women's main draw play at the 2025 Wuhan Open will begin Monday, Oct. 6. This outdoor hard-court WTA 1000 event serves as one of the final major stops before the WTA Finals and features eight of the top-10 players in the world. Below are the top title contenders and dark horses for the 2025 Wuhan Open. October 5, 2025 Women's Wuhan Open 2025 Preview D.J. Trainor Favorite to Win the 2025 Wuhan Open Aryna Sabalenka : The world No. 1 and top seed headlines the field in Wuhan, where her explosive power and aggressive baseline play are ideally suited for the fast hard courts. Sabalenka has already captured four titles in 2025 and remains the tour's most consistent performer on this surface. She took home the Wuhan title last year and should again be favored deep into the draw, with no major threats until a potential quarterfinal clash against No. 8 seed Elena Rybakina . In the Mix to Win the 2025 Wuhan Open Iga Swiatek : Swiatek enters Wuhan as the No. 2 seed and would normally be considered a clear co-favorite alongside Sabalenka, if not for stumbling last week in Beijing by failing to reach the quarterfinals. Otherwise, the world No. 2 continues to dominate from the baseline with her heavy topspin and elite movement. A projected final meeting with Sabalenka could provide an early preview of the WTA Finals showdown fans are hoping to see later this fall. Coco Gauff : The 2025 French Open champion remains one of the toughest outs on tour thanks to her reliable defensive play, but inconsistency on hard courts this season (15–8 record) has limited her title haul to just one across all of 2025. A strong showing in Wuhan could reassert her position among the top contenders heading into the year-end championships. She's projected to face Swiatek (3-11 H2H) in the semifinals, a matchup heavily tilted towards Swiatek to date. Jessica Pegula : The steady American has quietly posted another strong hard-court season with a record of 28-12 so far in 2025. Pegula's tactical precision and flat hitting translate well to Wuhan's quick surface, and her section of the draw appears favorable for another deep run. A potential quarterfinal match against Amanda Anisimova will be a notable hurdle despite a 3-0 overall record against her fellow countrywoman. Sleepers to Win the 2025 Wuhan Open Jelena Ostapenko : The 2017 French Open champion's fearless and first-strike style always makes her a dangerous floater in the draw. She notably owns 2025 wins over Sabalenka, Swiatek (twice), and Jasmine Paolini . Belinda Bencic : The Swiss star hasn't had the most consistent 2025 season but remains one of the tour's most polished hard-court players when healthy. Bencic's compact strokes and sharp return game can bother more powerful opponents, and with a manageable early path, she's a legitimate sleeper threat to make the semifinals or better in Wuhan. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

I can say with confidence that Chelsea Gray is the clutchest player in the league. The difficulty in which she makes some of her biggest, toughest buckets is actually unreal! She's well-known as THE dime dropper with her flashy assists, but her shot-making ability is the most underrated part of her game in my eyes. She's not a high volume scorer by any means, but thrives in crunch time. She knows how to maneuver around the defense and escape traps, creating space to operate freely. October 3, 2025 WNBA Finals: Keys to Victory in Games 1-3 EJ Arocho LAS VEGAS ACES Jackie Young's Court Vision Dishing out a postseason career-high 5.3 APG, Jackie's been dropping dimes at a furious pace! This has been a crucial part of Vegas's victories, especially the Game 5 OT dub over Vegas. She's finding A'ja inside, Jewell & Chelsea around the perimeter and keeping the turnovers low. The Aces and the Mercury were two of the Top 3 leaders in assists this regular season, so expect both teams to bring it! And like league leader Alyssa Thomas, Jackie is also capable of going off for double-digit assists, something she's done four times this year! Big Shot Chels I can say with confidence that Chelsea Gray is the clutchest player in the league. The difficulty in which she makes some of her biggest, toughest buckets is actually unreal! She's well-known as THE dime dropper with her flashy assists, but her shot-making ability is the most underrated part of her game in my eyes. She's not a high volume scorer by any means, but thrives in crunch time. She knows how to maneuver around the defense and escape traps, creating space to operate freely. MV'4 Vegas has A'ja and you don't, it's plain and simple. She's in her prime and has single-handedly turned this team's season around. She's averaging a career-high 26.0 PPG in these playoffs and is playing like a woman possessed! Enough said! She Shows Speed When the Aces need to change the pace of the game and get the opponent out of sorts, they bring Dana Evans off the bench. One of the quickest players in the league, she's their energizer and an instant spark. Her defense to offense conversion will be crucial against a very defensive-minded Phoenix team who also loves to run. I believe she deserves a starting role in place of KB in this series. PHOENIX MERCURY Electricity and Experience Besides Indiana's Kelsey Mitchell, there might not be a more electric player in the league than Kahleah Copper. A one-woman show in transition, she knows how to get to the basket by any means necessary. The former Finals MVP knows what it takes to snatch the title and leave a lasting impression. Her no-nonsense, hard-nosed style of play is a tough assignment for anybody. Stopping her once she turns on the jets is a task for Vegas all on its own! Swiss-Army Knife off the Bench DeWanna Bonner is dangerous, plain and simple. The 6'4" Forward has come off the bench and given New York and Minnesota fits in these playoffs! Her championship pedigree and 3x 6POY resume is something that could get Phoenix through some close games this week. She does it all and does it well. A total matchup nightmare! The Ultimate X-Factor They don't call the Mercury fans "the X-Factor" for nothing! One of the most raucous crowds in all of women's basketball, they create a very hostile environment for the away team. Going up against a loaded Phoenix squad is already an arduous task, but when you throw in the loudest crowd in the WNBA too?? Whew!! I don't think Phoenix loses a home game in these Finals. So far this postseason, they're 3-1. Expect noise. Lots and lots of noise. AT Scary Hours Ahead Alyssa Thomas is the league's most dangerous player across the board. She will likely face pressure she hasn't felt yet this season, because Vegas is undoubtedly going to come hard. However, she's a master at dishing dimes, so we could see record assists in these Finals from AT if/when the doubles and traps are effective and looks at the basket are limited. Vegas is well aware that single coverage just won't work on her, so look for the double on nearly every touch. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author EJ Arocho is Mr. Women’s Basketball and lives in New Jersey. Lives by the shore but looking to make waves everywhere!

I’m still not over the fact that the Minnesota Lynx aren’t in the Finals, but we have two excellent teams in the Finals, and it should be a great matchup. The Aces have history on their side, as they ended the regular season on a 16-game winning streak, tied for second-longest in WNBA history. Only three other teams have had winning streaks of at least 15 games, and all three of those teams won the WNBA title. Phoenix is trying to get Alyssa Thomas the first WNBA title of her 12-year WNBA career. There is a lot to love about this matchup, so let’s break it down. October 2, 2025 WNBA Finals Preview Steve Pimental I’m still not over the fact that the Minnesota Lynx aren’t in the Finals, but we have two excellent teams in the Finals, and it should be a great matchup. The Aces have history on their side, as they ended the regular season on a 16-game winning streak, tied for second-longest in WNBA history. Only three other teams have had winning streaks of at least 15 games, and all three of those teams won the WNBA title. Phoenix is trying to get Alyssa Thomas the first WNBA title of her 12-year WNBA career. There is a lot to love about this matchup, so let’s break it down. The Aces went 3-1 against Phoenix in the regular season, including two wins during the Aces 16-game winning streak. The first three games were decided by six points or fewer, though Las Vegas won the last game by 22 points. I feel like this series could come down to which team does a better job of hunting mismatches. Both teams have defenders who can be attacked, especially off the bench. In watching the tape, I was surprised at how often both teams seemed not to recognize when they had a mismatch, especially on a switch or in transition. Satou Sabally, on the other hand, is a walking mismatch. Las Vegas often defended her with smaller guards, and I think she needs to do a better job in those situations of getting into the paint. Sabally has a smooth jump shot, but when she’s pulling up against Jewell Loyd, that is a win for Las Vegas. I wonder if Phoenix will give Sabally more time at the 4 to match her up with NaLyssa Smith, so she can use her speed and shooting to her advantage. I think we could see more Kierstan Bell minutes in this series, as she has the size to give Sabally trouble while chasing her around the perimeter. Both coaches will have difficult decisions to make regarding their rotations in this series. By my count, both teams have four or five two-way players. I think both teams could go with more defensive-minded options like Bell, Natasha Mack, and Monique Akoa Makani, trusting their stars to make plays on the other end. Speaking of the stars, I think Phoenix has an advantage because they have more bodies they can throw at A’Ja Wilson. Wilson and Alyssa Thomas will primarily guard each other, but Phoenix can go with Natasha Mack, Satou Sabally, or even DeWanna Bonner at times. Las Vegas will try to steal some possessions with a guard on Thomas, but those require instant double-teams. I’ll also be interested to see if Las Vegas takes a page out of Minnesota’s book and defends Thomas higher up the floor. I think they want A’ja Wilson closer to the paint, but they should definitely change it up more often. I think this series might come down to the play of Las Vegas’s three All-Star guards. If Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Jewell Loyd can play Kahleah Copper, Satou Sabally, and DeWanna Bonner to a draw, they will have an excellent chance of winning this game. Loyd and, to a lesser extent, Gray both struggled against Indiana. Loyd will spend plenty of time defended by former teammate Sami Whitcomb, and Loyd needs to take advantage of that matchup. She should have the speed advantage, and I would love to see her get more opportunities in the pick-and-roll. Gray did a good job of picking her spots against Indiana in Game 7, going 7-for-12 from the field. She played well against Phoenix in the regular season, and I love it when they use her as a screener. She might have to be even more aggressive in hunting her own shot in this series. On the surface, Phoenix had the more difficult road to get here. They eliminated both Finals teams from last season despite losing Game 1 in both series. Of course, Phoenix benefitted from injuries to Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. There is a decent chance those series end differently, or the Minnesota series at least goes to five games, without those injuries. The Aces, meanwhile, were pushed to the brink by a mediocre Seattle team and an undermanned Fever squad. For the first time, the WNBA Finals is a best-of-seven series. Both teams are guaranteed to host two games, with the Aces also hosting games 5 and 7, if necessary. I have been skeptical of Las Vegas all season, and for the last two months, that has left me looking exceptionally silly. I just think Phoenix has the more complete team, and so long as A’Ja Wilson doesn’t completely outplay Alyssa Thomas, I don’t know how the Aces deal with Phoenix’s depth. I’ll pick Mercury in seven. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

For the third week in a row, we had an excellent slate of WNBA games on Sunday. We were a few minutes away from getting two Game 5s, but instead, we got Alyssa Thomas making the WNBA Finals for the first time in her 12-year career. So how did we get here? Let’s take a look back at what we learned from those Game 4s. Then, on Thursday, we can look ahead to our WNBA Finals matchup. September 30, 2025 What We Learned From Big Wins For Fever, Mercury In Game 4 Steve Pimental For the third week in a row, we had an excellent slate of WNBA games on Sunday. We were a few minutes away from getting two Game 5s, but instead, we got Alyssa Thomas making the WNBA Finals for the first time in her 12-year career. So how did we get here? Let’s take a look back at what we learned from those Game 4s. Then, on Thursday, we can look ahead to our WNBA Finals matchup. The Mercury did a great job running the Lynx off the three-point line. The Lynx were 0-5 on threes in the first half after shooting a league-best 37.8 percent on 25.4 attempts per game in the regular season. I thought the Lynx actually could have done more to generate pick-and-pop threes for Alanna Smith and Bridget Carleton, but give Phoenix credit for taking away Minnesota’s biggest weapon. The Lynx did a good job in the first quarter of taking what the defense was giving them by consistently driving and cutting to the basket, but that is not this team’s forte with Napheesa Collier out, and eventually those looks dried up. Alyssa Thomas played like an MVP. I’m disappointed we didn’t get to see a full-strength Lynx team back in the WNBA Finals, but it's hard not to be happy for Alyssa Thomas, who has finally gotten over one hump after coming very close with some very good Connecticut teams. Outside of Satou Sabally and DeWanna Bonner knocking down some timely threes, it's hard to point to much that was working for Phoenix offensively outside of Thomas. Thomas finished two rebounds shy of a double-double while shooting 61.1 percent from the field. Perhaps more importantly, she put Minnesota’s thin frontcourt in consistent foul trouble. After watching her match up with Napheesa Collier for most of this series, we will get another fun matchup with Thomas and either Aliyah Boston or A’ja Wilson. Minnesota needed one more offensive creator. The Lynx had a legit chance to force a Game 5 like Indiana did, but at the end of the day, Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride are not offensive engines like Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. McBride made a valiant effort to get to the rim in the first half even though that isn’t her strength, and things might have looked different if a couple of calls had gone her way. But in the fourth quarter, Minnesota did not have anyone they could throw the ball to who would go and get a good shot, and Phoenix had four of those players. That was the biggest difference in this game. Phoenix’s depth has turned into a strength. No matter who they play in the Finals, Phoenix will have the deeper team. This wasn’t a great matchup for Natasha Mack and Monique Akoa Makani, but I think they will be more important in the next series. It was clear they were able to wear out the Lynx in Game 4, which I believe played a huge role in the fourth-quarter comeback. The Lynx ran out of gas. No team outside of Indiana is going to survive the absence of two of their top rotation players, but the Lynx pretty clearly ran out of gas with their five-player rotation. Jessica Shepard was outstanding in the first half, but she played more minutes in that half than she had played in all of Game 3. I thought Associate Head Coach Eric Thibault could have maybe snuck a few more minutes of rest for Courtney Williams and/or Kayla MBride at the end of the third quarter, but they had a hard enough time scoring with both of their All-Stars on the court. Las Vegas needs to help on Aliyah Boston. You might think that the four-time MVP and reigning co-Defensive Player of the Year shouldn’t need help guarding anyone, and there is some merit to that. That being said, Boston was very good against Wilson on Sunday. That was helped by Indiana playing four-out and Las Vegas sticking to Boston’s teammates. Helping off of Lexie Hull or Kelsey Mitchell is death, but I think Las Vegas needs to take advantage of Indiana’s injury-riddled roster by helping off of everyone else. Megan Gustafson was called for defensive three-seconds in the fourth quarter for trying to hedge off of Natasha Howard and getting caught in no-man’s land. I think she should have just double-teamed Boston and made Natasha Howard beat them from the elbow. Brianna Turner and Makayla Timpson basically don’t need to get guarded, but Las Vegas is letting Indiana get away with playing multiple players who contribute very little on offense. Where is Cheyenne Parker-Tyus? Megan Gustafson plays hard and is skilled offensively, but the Aces desperately need another big who can play on both ends of the floor. She hasn’t played since Game 2, and I know she hasn’t been great in her limited action, but I think Becky Hammon needs to just throw her out there and hope for the best. If there’s even a chance you can get two-way play off the bench, you should take it. Is NaLyssa Smith a starter in this league? I picked Smith to win Most Improved at the start of the season, believing a change of scenery would be good for her. Instead, she has been underwhelming on offense and bad on defense for two different teams. I don’t think Las Vegas is desperate enough (or has good enough options) to take her out of the starting lineup at this juncture, but I will be extremely interested to see what her free agent market looks like after the season. Lexie Hull is a winning basketball player. I’m not sure Hull got the credit she deserved, especially from me, or how well she has played this season. A lot has been made of her similarities to Sophie Cunningham on and off the court, but there is no doubt the Fever would be vacationing right now if not for Hull’s efforts in Game 4. She grabbed seven defensive rebounds, and it seemed like all of them were huge plays in traffic. She’ll never have the foot speed to be an elite three-and-D wing, but she works exceptionally hard on that end and is a pest who drives opposing fans crazy. Hull missed several open shots in this game that she normally makes, but she was relentless in 38 minutes. She deserves a lot of credit for the Fever making it this far. The Aces need to figure out a way to get Chelsea Gray and/or Jewell Loyd going. They shot a combined 6-for-21 in this game, including 1-for-7 on two-pointers. I know they’re not the athletes they once were but they need to find a way to get into the paint, if not all the way to the basket. I thought Gray settled for mid-range shots when she might have gotten layups, and that is a problem for this offense. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepard mix, Hootie.

RotoWire expert Joe Mayo breaks down his top risers and fallers for the WNBA Finals, including Jewell Loyd, who is a player to watch despite her bench role. With a trip to the WNBA Finals on the line in Tuesday's Game 5, the Aces and Fever are still vying for the chance to face the Mercury on the league's biggest stage. September 29, 2025 Fantasy WNBA: Top Risers and Fallers for the WNBA Finals Joe Mayo Top Fantasy WNBA Risers for the Finals Satou Sabally , Phoenix Mercury: After a lackluster Game 1 performance in the semifinals against the Lynx in which Sabally shot 3-for-11 from the field with 10 points, the star forward recorded three consecutive outings with at least 21 points. During that three-game span, she averaged 22.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting an impressive 45.5 percent from beyond the arc in 34.7 minutes per game. The 27-year-old was crucial in the Mercury's 3-1 victory over Minnesota in the second round. Regardless of the opponent, Sabally will need to continue having a strong impact for the Mercury to capture their first championship since 2014. Lexie Hull , Indiana Fever: Hull struggled in the first-round series win over Atlanta, averaging 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 30.8 percent from the field across 30.3 minutes per game in three outings. Her efficiency has improved slightly in the second round, during which she has shot 34.1 percent from the floor and 37.0 percent from three-point range. The 26-year-old guard has been far more productive over four games against the Aces, averaging 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in 33.5 minutes per game. The Fever will look to advance to the WNBA Finals in Tuesday's Game 5 at Las Vegas, and Hull's ability to impact the game alongside Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston will be important in doing so. Chelsea Gray , Las Vegas Aces: Gray totaled just 12 points over her first two postseason appearances, though she has reached double figures in four of her last five outings. Her ability to rack up assists and steals has been crucial for the Aces. During that five-game span, the veteran guard has averaged 11.6 points, 7.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals across 35.2 minutes per game. She has also shot an impressive 50 percent from three-point range on 3.2 attempts per game. Including the playoffs, the Aces are 11-3 when Gray dishes out at least eight assists this season, and her ability to stuff the stat sheet will be crucial in Tuesday's win-or-go-home Game 5 in Las Vegas. Key Fantasy WNBA Fallers to Avoid This Week Monique Akoa-Makani , Phoenix Mercury: The rookie continues to see meaningful playing time in the starting five but has yet to record double-digit points or more than three assists in the postseason. During the team's 3-1 series win over the Lynx, Akoa-Makani averaged 5.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists across 21.3 minutes per game, shooting just 34.8 percent from the field. Sami Whitcomb remains an impactful player off the Mercury's bench, so Akoa-Makani isn't likely to see an increase in playing time during the Finals. Moreover, Alyssa Thomas should continue to handle most of the playmaking duties for the starting unit. Aerial Powers , Indiana Fever: Powers continues to play a limited role in the playoffs after enjoying a steady run off the bench to end the regular season. The 31-year-old forward has logged single-digit minutes in three of her last four appearances, averaging 0.5 points and 1.0 rebounds across 7.0 minutes per game during that span. Powers will likely continue to compete for playing time off the bench with Brianna Turner and Makayla Timpson if the Fever manage to defeat the Aces in Tuesday's Game 5 at Las Vegas and advance to the Finals. Kierstan Bell , Las Vegas Aces: After averaging 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds over her first five playoff appearances, Bell has logged single-digit minutes in back-to-back games, totaling three points, one assist and one block during that span. The 25-year-old guard remains in the starting five, but Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans continue to see more playing time than Bell. Her limited role will likely continue into the Finals if the Aces manage to advance past the Fever in Tuesday's Game 5 at Las Vegas. Fantasy WNBA Player to Watch This Week Jewell Loyd , Las Vegas Aces: Loyd has been a mainstay in the second unit since July 27, but she continues to see ample playing time off the bench. The veteran guard has absorbed a considerable amount of Kierstan Bell's minutes during the playoffs, averaging 27.6 minutes per game in seven postseason appearances. While Loyd has provided a relatively inconsistent scoring punch in the postseason, she continues to see increased minutes. Her impact in Tuesday's win-or-go-home Game 5 will be an important factor. If the Aces keep their season alive and advance to the Finals, Loyd's role will be one to monitor closely. Those looking for up-to-the-minute fantasy WNBA news can check out RotoWire's WNBA Injury Report and WNBA Lineups . RotoWire also features Top WNBA Picks and Player Props on a daily basis to help find the best betting lines for each night's slate. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author