Los Angeles and Dallas Have Experienced Change in Power

As the Los Angeles Sparks (5-15) continue their slip into mediocrity, they’ve recently made several adjustments to their rotation – though most out of necessity. Rookie forward Cameron Brink was recently declared out due to suffering an ACL tear while guard Lexie Brown remains unavailable as she battles Crohn’s disease.
At Los Angeles Sparks, point guard Aari McDonald has emerged as a standout performer since her arrival from Atlanta Dream via offseason trade. McDonald had a slow start after joining Los Angeles but has become one of the league’s more productive guards ever since – in her last nine games she averages 13.2 points, 5.2 assists, 1.2 steals per game with 47.1 percent field goal attempts made and 39 percent made 3 point shots made during that span!

At 25.6 points per game, McDonald is scoring fantasy basketballers 25.6 fantasy points each game and appears unlikely to lose her starting lineup spot anytime soon. Layshia Clarendon remains in the picture but her playing time (11.1 minutes in their last five games) has significantly dropped off and Crystal Dangerfield may only have been signed as an emergency hardship contract so as to provide depth on defense; still only 31.5 percent of ESPN leagues roster McDonald, but considering their young lead guard should be kept under consideration during fantasy draft season!
Odyssey Sims has provided Dallas Wings much-needed point guard stability. She returned on a hardship contract recently, prompting many fans to ask why she wasn’t on their roster at season’s beginning.
Sims has quickly established herself as a key piece of Dallas Wings coach Latricia Trammell’s starting lineup in just four games; her rapid rise quickly justified. Unfortunately, injuries have plagued this WNBA squad more than most; which may account for its majorly disappointing 5-16 record.
Odyssey Sims has proven invaluable since signing an emergency hardship contract with the Dallas Wings, immediately contributing towards their success since his signing an emergency hardship agreement with Getty Images/ Cooper Neill/NBAE
Trammell now has in Sims an experienced guard who is both familiar with her team’s expectations, as well as one with real playing experience. Sims has spent two-plus seasons with Trammell since being first drafted for 2024 back in 2014. Since that time, she’s had three stints drafted back by Trammell’s original franchise back in 2014. As Trammell struggles under preseason expectations while desperately in search of stability at every position on their roster – something rookie Sevgi Uzun or Jacy Sheldon couldn’t provide.
Sheldon still remains Dallas’ long-term point guard of choice, so Sims may not maintain the 24.8 fantasy points per game she averaged since rejoining the Wings; we still don’t know when Satou Sabally, currently sidelined due to shoulder surgery, will return post Olympics, in which case Sims likely wouldn’t play such an integral part of Dallas’ offense as she does now.
Still, Sims should definitely be added to fantasy basketball lineups for now. She is more willing than both Uzun and Sheldon at taking shots, providing more open looks on offense for Arike Ogunbowale than for Uzun and Sheldon alone.
Diamond Miller has an optimistic future ahead of her, yet Minnesota Lynx are taking their time with letting it unfold. Thanks to one of the deepest rosters in WNBA history, Minnesota Lynx have flourished even without one of their key players, Diamond Miller. After being selected with No. 2 overall pick in 2023 draft, Miller’s professional career was littered by injuries; one knee procedure curtailed her first winter abroad while another kept her sidelined over one month earlier this summer.
Diamond Miller returned to limited court action for the Lynx earlier this year after experiencing shoulder and elbow problems during her time away due to injuries, but only temporarily. Image by Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images.
Miller returned earlier than anticipated but has had limited impact in her first four games back on the court, averaging only 5.4 minutes off the bench per contest. It should come as no surprise to those familiar with how Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve handles player injuries; without Miller playing an active role thus far Minnesota still sits third place in WNBA standings at 14-6.

“Fantasy points” for purposes of this article refers to standard ESPN fantasy league scoring, in which points, 3-pointers, rebounds and assists are each worth one fantasy point; steals/blocks earn two. All player and team stats from 2024 season were updated through July 4, with all player/team statistics current as of that day.