WNBA DFS Strategies for Wednesday, July 16
The 2025 WNBA season continues Wednesday, and with Major League Baseball on its All-Star break, basketball takes center stage.
Wednesday's slate includes three matinee games, as the Atlanta Dream and Chicago Sky tip off at 12:00 p.m. ET from Wintrust Arena. The Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx do battle at 1:00 p.m. ET at Target Center in Minneapolis, while the Golden State Valkyries and Seattle Storm tangle at 3:00 p.m. ET at Climate Pledge Arena. In the evening slate, the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty square off at 7:30 p.m. ET. At 8:00 p.m. ET, the Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings face off in the Metroplex.
Let's check out the best options for DFS players heading into Wednesday. There are plenty of good values available.
WNBA Schedule Today
- Atlanta Dream at Chicago Sky
- Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx
- Golden State Valkyries at Seattle Storm
- Indiana Fever at New York Liberty
- Las Vegas Aces at Dallas Wings
RotoWire WNBA DFS Tools
Daily Matchups (Vegas Odds, Team Efficiency, Pace, Opposing Stats)
Atlanta Dream 
at Chicago Sky 
Line: Dream -8.5
O/U: 157.5
Injury Report - Dream vs. Sky
Note: All return dates are just estimates
Atlanta
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhyne Howard | G | Knee | OUT | 8/1/2025 |
| Holly Winterburn | G | Undisclosed | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
Chicago
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel Reese | F | Leg | OUT | 7/19/2025 |
| Ariel Atkins | G | Leg | OUT | 7/22/2025 |
| Courtney Vandersloot | G | Knee | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
| Ajsa Sivka | F | Not Injury Related | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy
The Dream (12-9) and Sky (7-14) meet at 11:00 a.m. CT in Chicago, and we could see a bit of a sluggish start with the early tip time.
We'll also be missing some big-time offensive pieces, as Rhyne Howard (knee) won't be able to suit up, and Angel Reese (leg) and Ariel Atkins (leg) will each be sidelined. Chicago being down two starters on a team which already struggles is bad news.
With Reese sidelined, Rebecca Allen, Maddy Westbeld and Elizabeth Williams are each candidates to see a bump in playing time, with Williams likely the best candidate from a DFS perspective. With Atkins also shelved, Kia Nurse and Hailey Van Lith are likely to see additional responsibilities alongside Rachel Banham.
For the Dream, Howard checked out of Friday's game at Indiana due to a left knee injury. Maya Caldwell should see more run, while Nia Coffey, Naz Hillmon and Te-Hina Paopao are also likely to see more minutes.
Phoenix Mercury 
at Minnesota Lynx 
Line: Lynx -11
O/U: 159
Injury Report - Mercury vs. Lynx
Note: All return dates are just estimates
Phoenix
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satou Sabally | F | Ankle | OUT | 7/19/2025 |
| Alexa Held | G | Chest | OUT | 7/23/2025 |
| Monique Akoa-Makani | G | Concussion | OUT | 7/23/2025 |
| Kahleah Copper | G | Hamstring | OUT | 7/23/2025 |
| Julia Ayrault | G | Personal | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
| Helena Pueyo | G | Personal | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
Minnesota
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aubrey Griffin | G | Knee | OUT | 10/1/2025 |
| Karlie Samuelson | G | Foot | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
| Dorka Juhasz | F | Not Injury Related | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy
The Mercury (15-6) and Lynx (19-5) will meet, and Phoenix will be a bit shorthanded. Normally, Phoenix has a "Big Three," but the team will be down to just one of those three Wednesday.
Kahleah Copper (hamstring) and Satou Sabally (ankle) will each be sidelined, and, to make matters worse, versatile guards Monique Akoa-Makani (concussion) and Alexa Held (chest) are also on the mend.
Lean upon Kitija Laksa, Sami Whitcomb and Kiana Williams, as those two will see time since Copper is out for a fourth straight game, and Held and Akoa-Makani are also sidelined. With Sabally out for a fourth straight contest, DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Mack and Kathryn Westbeld should see more time.
Minnesota is much healthier, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to build a lineup with a handful of Lynx players since the Mercury are so banged up. This normally would have been a marquee battle, but it could get a bit lopsided on Wednesday afternoon.
Golden State Valkyries 
at Seattle Storm 
Line: Storm -5
O/U: 157.5
Injury Report - Valkyries vs. Storm
Note: All return dates are just estimates
Golden State
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maria Conde | F | Achilles | OUT | 8/1/2025 |
| Juste Jocyte | G | Not Injury Related | OFS | 9/12/2025 |
Seattle
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katie Lou Samuelson | F | Knee | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
| Jordan Horston | G | Knee | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
| Nika Muhl | G | Knee | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy
The Valkyries (10-11) and Storm (13-9) square off at Climate Pledge Arena, and it's a noon PT tipoff in the Pacific Northwest. That's a very early tip time, so like the game between Atlanta and Chicago, we could have a sluggish start.
These teams have met twice, and Golden State has picked up two outright wins as an underdog. However, each of those meetings were in the Bay Area, and this is the first time the clubs will meet in Seattle.
Both teams are relatively healthy, which is a nice contrast compared to the first two games on the slate. Golden State has struggled on offense, ranking 10th in the league with 80.1 points per game (PPG), while checking in 12th in both field-goal percentage (40.6 percent) and three-point percentage (31.1 percent). On defense, the Valkyries are stellar, allowing just 78.6 PPG to rank second in the league, while it has the top mark with a 40.4 defensive field-goal percentage.
Seattle is average offensively, but defensively, it allows just 79.0 PPG. That ranks third in the WNBA, so it might not be a great idea to roll the dice on Valkyries players for DFS purposes.
Indiana Fever 
at New York Liberty 
Line: Liberty -9.5
O/U: 163.5
Injury Report - Fever vs. Liberty
Note: All return dates are just estimates
Indiana
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caitlin Clark | G | Groin | GTD | 7/16/2025 |
| Kristy Wallace | G | Not Injury Related | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
New York
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonquel Jones | C | Ankle | OUT | 7/22/2025 |
| Raquel Carrera | C | Personal | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
| Ivana Dojkic | G | Not Injury Related | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
| Seehia Ridard | F | Personal | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
| Annika Soltau | F | Not Injury Related | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
| Betnijah Laney-Hamilton | G | Knee | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy
The big news in this game is Caitlin Clark. She reportedly felt something in her groin late in Tuesday's 85-77 victory over the Connecticut Sun, and it's not yet clear whether she'll be available for Wednesday's contest. With an evening tipoff, it would be wise to steer far clear of the situation.
If Clark plays, she could struggle, and if she is sidelined, Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald could once again be called upon to fill the void.
For the Liberty, Jonquel Jones (ankle) is sidelined once again, so Leonie Fiebich, Isabelle Harrison and Nyara Sabally should continue to step up for New York.
Las Vegas Aces 
at Dallas Wings 
Line: Aces -5.5
O/U: 170.5
Injury Report - Aces vs. Wings
Note: All return dates are just estimates
Las Vegas
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne Parker-Tyus | F | Not Injury Related | OUT | 8/15/2025 |
Dallas
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DiJonai Carrington | G | Ribs | GTD (Questionable) | 7/16/2025 |
| Maddy Siegrist | F | Knee | OUT | 7/22/2025 |
| Lou Lopez Senechal | G | Not Injury Related | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
| Tyasha Harris | G | Knee | OFS | 5/1/2026 |
WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy
The Aces (10-11) and Wings (6-16) will battle Wednesday, and even though Dallas has largely struggled this year, Las Vegas has been inconsistent over the first half of the season.
Las Vegas received great news in Saturday's wild 104-102 win over the Valkyries, as superstar A'ja Wilson (wrist) was able to suit up. Not only did she play, but she dominated, going for 34 points on 12-of-16 shooting, while racking up 16 rebounds.
The Wings allow 86.7 PPG to rank 11th in the WNBA, while allowing 45.2 percent from the field (12th) and 37.3 percent from behind the three-point line (13th).
Building a Las Vegas stack is a great idea against the defensively-challenged Wings. These teams combined for 172 points in the first meeting in Las Vegas, an 88-84 win by the Aces on June 13. Jackie Young went for 28 points in a game Wilson did not play, while Jewell Loyd had 21 points.
Top WNBA DFS Picks: Key Players to Watch
FanDuel
- Brionna Jones ($6,800)
- A'ja Wilson ($9,400)
- JJ Quinerly ($7,800)
With Reese sidelined for Chicago, Brionna Jones and the frontcourt players for the Dream could have plenty of success against the replacements in the Windy City. If you can manage the salary, roll with Wilson against the Wings, as she was dominant against Golden State, and she should be able to register big offensive numbers against the struggling Wings. On the other side, JJ Quinerly was very effective Sunday against the Fever, and she has at least 13 points in five consecutive outings. We leaned upon Sabally and McDonald two weeks ago, and they're each likely to have big roles yet again with Jones out for the Liberty and Clark's status in question for Indiana.
Unlocking Value: WNBA DFS Sleeper Picks
- Nyara Sabally ($6,200)
- Aari McDonald ($6,500)
DraftKings
- Aliyah Boston ($10,100)
- Kayla McBride ($8,100)
- Elizabeth Williams ($6,300)
If you can work Boston's salary into a DFS lineup, she could be a tremendous option regardless of whether Clark is available. Boston continues to grow as a player, and she's a budding superstar. While you're at it, consider Indiana's Colson if Clark is unable to play. McBride and the Lynx could go off against the beleaguered Mercury, and she is much more affordable than superstar Napheesa Collier. Again, Williams is a good player, as she should see a much larger role in the offense since Atkins and Reese are on the shelf.
Unlocking Value: WNBA DFS Sleeper Picks
- Dana Evans ($5,600)
- Sydney Colson ($4,000)
