WNBA Notebook: Injuries taking toll on teams league-wide
Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson (22) missed three games due to being in concussion protocol. She’s averaged 22 points per game since returning. PHOTO: Las Vegas Aces
By W.G. RAMIREZ
LAS VEGAS -- Now in the second quarter of the season, injury numbers are stacking up with some of the WNBA's biggest names missing time already.
Minnesota missed Kayla McBride early on and is now dealing with MVP candidate Napheesa Collier's back injury. New York has been without 40 percent of its starting five, as Jonquel Jones is lost for several weeks and Sabrina Ionescu dealing with a neck injury.
And those are just last year's finalists.
Other notable names who have already missed time include reigning MVP A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas), Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles), Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix), Kahleah Copper (Phoenix), Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago), Brittney Griner (Atlanta), Caitlin Clark (Indiana), DeWanna Bonner (Indiana) and Paige Bueckers (Dallas).
It's clearly had an effect on the standings, as the Liberty have lost two straight and three of four and the Aces are off to their worst start since 2018.
Now, all eyes are on the Lynx, who have the best record in the league but also play their next two games on the road, including an interconference showdown in Atlanta on Friday night. The question is how they'll perform without Collier, if she's unable to return.
Some of the aforementioned names have returned, and their teams are playing well, most notably the Mercury, who ware 4-0 since Copper's season debut on June 15, when they went into Las Vegas and knocked off the fledgling Aces, 75-70.
Are there ways to limit injuries? It's certainly a conversation that will be discussed within ongoing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations between the league and the players association.
The players opted out the day of the current agreement after the New York won the 2024 title. The current CBA expires at the end of this season.
During a near full slate on Sunday, players across the league made statements regarding the CBA, including WNBPA madam president Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm.
"On behalf of my teammates and every member of our union, I want to be very clear that we remain committed to renegotiating the next CBA with the league and teams in good faith and privately, but we do want to set the record straight," Indiana's Sophie Cunningham told WGRamirez.com before the Fever-Aces game. "Not for the headlines, but for the fans who support us and deserve transparency for what's at stake. This is a defining moment in the WNBA.
"As the league grows, it's time for the CBA that reflect our true value. We are fighting for a fair share of the business that we built because it is a business. We are not fighting for anything that is unreasonable."
One of the issues players could fight for is a balanced schedule. The league increased the regular season to 44 games season, up from 40 in 2024 and 32 in 2021. But, the length of the season calendar is roughly identical.
Most players and coaches who have spoken out aren't concerned as much about the number of games being played, but more so how they've been scheduled. Either little to no rest in between games over 10-, 12- or 15-day spans, or too much time between games.
"This is a physical game," Aces coach Becky Hammon said. "Basketball is a contact sport. Injuries tend to happen. I don't know if there's a link that's too much science for me. They don't pay me enough to figure out those links.
"But we for us, I mean, we've had multiple times where we got four or five, six days in between, which I don't really like either. Because now, coming up, our schedule, June, July. I mean it's just every other day. So you pack it all in one piece, we're going to complain that it's too compact. You spread us out, and then we're complaining it's too spread out. So bottom line is, there's a crappy stretch for everybody at some point."
SHADES OF GRAY: Atlanta guard Allisha Gray continues to make a case for MVP votes, as she's enjoying a career year with 20.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Her effective field-goal percentage is a whopping .593, while she's shooting a career-high .451 from 3-point range. Gray recently moved into fourth place on the Dream's all-time list for 3-pointers made, passing Renee Montgomery. Atlanta is now 10-1 when Gray scores 15 or more points.
INCOMING STORM: Seattle became the only team in the WNBA to defeat the defending champion New York Liberty and runner-up Minnesota Lynx. The Storm come into the week having won three straight and six of seven, including back-to-back wins over the Aces and Liberty. They've beaten the Aces and Phoenix twice, and split two games with the Lynx. They're the only team that's beaten Minnesota this season.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Ogwumike led the Storm to a 3-0 record after averaging 25.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game to earn Western Conference Player of the Week. She also moved into sixth place on the WNBA steals leaderboard. She heads into the week with 638 steals, and is now 19 behind Sheryl Swoopes for fifth place.
Washington's Shakira Austin became the first Mystic to earn Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors since Elena Delle Donne in 2022, after leading the team to a 2-1 mark by averaging 19.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.
Austin joined Sylvia Fowles (2011) and Liz Cambage (2018) as the only players in WNBA history to post 28+ points, 10+ rebounds, 2+ blocks and 2+ steals while shooting 75 percent or better from the floor. She also became the youngest player in history to achieve those marks.
POWER RANKINGS - The weekly WGRamirez.com power rankings arrive every Tuesday night, one day after the weekly notebook. Part of the notebook teases the first half of the rankings, giving you a peek at the top six teams.
1. Lynx (12-1) - (LW: 2) Minnesota is the best team in the WNBA, for now. How the team survives without Collier remains to be seen. Lost with Collier is 24.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Games in Washington and Atlanta this week will provide a better picture how cohesive this team will be without their MVP candidate.
2. Mercury (11-4) - (LW: 3) Phoenix went 3-0 last week and rolls into this week on a five-game win streak, including four road victories. The Mercury will enjoy a five-day rest before hosting the Liberty and Aces on Friday and Sunday.
3. Storm (9-5) - (LW: 5) Seattle also went 3-0 this week, as coach Noelle Quinn seems to have her troops playing well thanks to staying fairly healthy. Four players have played and started 14 games, while the switch from Alysha Clark to Erica Wheeler in the starting lineup has proven to be a key move.
4. Liberty (10-3) - (LW: 1) The last time New York lost two straight was early last season, to Chicago and at Minnesota. New York didn't lose two straight at all in 2023, at least not in the regular season. The Liberty have a tough three-game road stretch to survive, over a five-game span beginning Wednesday.
5. Dream (10-4) - (LW: 4) Atlanta would love to have all four losses back, as their four defeats came by way of an average of 5.2 points per game - two possessions. Give the Dream a second chance in those games against Washington, Indiana, Connecticut and New York, and there's a possibility we're talking about an undefeated team.
6. Valkyries (7-6) - (LW: 8) Is Golden State going to be the greatest expansion team in WNBA history? The Valks, the first expansion teams since 2008, are currently on pace to finish the season 24-20, a record that would likely see them sneak into the bottom half of the playoff race. No wonder the Valkyries lead the league in attendance.
