WNBA Schedule Today
- New York Liberty at Las Vegas Aces
- Indiana Fever at Phoenix Mercury
- Minnesota Lynx at Seattle Storm
Rotowire WNBA DFS Tools
Daily Matchups (Vegas Odds, Team Efficiency, Pace, Opposing Stats)
New York Liberty 
at Las Vegas Aces 
Line: Las Vegas -7.5
O/U: 172.5
Injury Report - Liberty vs. Aces
Note: All return dates are just estimates
New York
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Han Xu | C | Not Injury Related | OUT | 7/5/2023 |
| Stefanie Dolson | C | Ankle | OUT | 7/19/2023 |
Las Vegas
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riquna Williams | G | Back | OUT | 7/1/2023 |
WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy
This matchup will be one of the more entertaining games on the Thursday night slate while featuring two teams many expect will meet in the WNBA Finals at the end of the season.
New York enters the game at 10-3 on the season and winner of four straight while sitting a half-game behind Las Vegas for the top spot in the league standings. The Liberty have been solid on the road this season with a record of 5-1 away from Brooklyn and have won five straight road games. New York has been spearheaded by MVP candidate Breanna Stewart with 22.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.6 steals per game, and she oftentimes steps up for big games like Thursday's matchup when her team needs her most. Sabrina Ionescu is another player to watch, averaging 18.5 points, 5.5 assists and 3.0 assists over her last two games.
Las Vegas comes into the battle with a league-leading record of 13-1 and winners of a league-best six games in a row. The Aces, who are 7-0 at home this season, have held the best offense in the WNBA this year, averaging an impressive 92.8 points per game while shooting just under 50% from the field. Jackie Young and reigning MVP A'ja Wilson have been outstanding as of late, with Young leading the team with 19.9 points per game and Wilson posting 19.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game this year. A player to watch for Las Vegas on Thursday is Kelsey Plum, who has averaged 21.5 points at point guard over the last two games.
Indiana Fever 
at Phoenix Mercury 
Line: Indiana -3
O/U: 161.5
Injury Report - Fever vs. Mercury
Note: All return dates are just estimates
Indiana
No injuries to report.
Phoenix
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Megan Gustafson | C | Concussion | GTD | 6/29/2023 |
| Sophie Cunningham | F | Back | GTD | 6/29/2023 |
| Shey Peddy | G | Achilles | GTD | 6/29/2023 |
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | G | Personal | OUT | 8/23/2023 |
WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy
Indiana and Phoenix enter Thursday as two teams struggling the most in the WNBA and free-falling down the league standings. The Fever have lost two straight, while the Mercury have lost a league-worst six games in a row.
Indiana has had an up-and-down start to the season and is currently riding a low in that wave while hitting the road to Phoenix. The Fever have struggled at home this season, but the good news for Indiana is it has stepped up on the road with a record of 4-5 and could carry that into Thursday. The dominant duo of NaLyssa Smith and rookie Aliyah Boston have led the way for the Fever as of late, with Smith averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists over the last two games and Boston averaging 19.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals over the same span. Expect those two to keep that momentum going against a struggling Mercury squad.
Phoenix has been one of the disappointments in the WNBA this season, resulting in the quick firing of first-year head coach Vanessa Nygaard earlier this week. The Mercury will take the court for the second time since Nygaard's departure while looking to end their lengthy losing skid and get out of the bottom of the league standings. Phoenix, which is 1-5 at home this season, has relied heavily on Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi to lead the team this year, but the Mercury need someone else to step up to contribute offensively for a team that ranks last in the WNBA in points per game (76.0). Sug Sutton is a player that could step up as she has over the last five games, averaging 9.2 points and 6.0 assists over that span.
Minnesota Lynx 
at Seattle Storm 
Line: Seattle -1
O/U: 163.5
Injury Report - Lynx vs. Storm
Note: All return dates are just estimates
Minnesota
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natalie Achonwa | C | Personal | ML | 6/29/2023 |
| Jessica Shepard | C | Illness | GTD | 6/29/2023 |
| Aerial Powers | F | Ankle | OUT | 7/18/2023 |
| Tiffany Mitchell | G | Wrist | OUT | 7/18/2023 |
Seattle
| Name | Pos | Injury | Status | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Horston | G | Shoulder | GTD | 6/29/2023 |
WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy
Thursday's battle between Minnesota and Seattle features two teams playing better than they started the year and marks the second straight game between the squads in three nights.
The Lynx owned the matchup against the Storm on Tuesday in Minnesota, putting up a season-high 104 points while lighting things up shooting offensively in a balanced attack. Minnesota has looked better after an 0-6 start to the year, having gone 5-3 since. The Lynx got Diamond Miller (ankle) back Tuesday night, and it's safe to expect the rookie will again play a significant role in Thursday's game. Napheesa Collier has been outstanding for Minnesota while leading the way amid a rotation of injuries on the team, averaging 24.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks over her last five games. Kayla McBride also got back on track Tuesday night, so she is a player to take a chance on while going up against a defense the Lynx just faced.
The Storm have been an unpredictable team this season, having shown flashes of turning things around only to take a step back the next night. Seattle returns home Thursday night to take the court in an arena where it has traditionally been dominant but is just 2-7 so far this season. The key to the success for the Storm this season has started and stopped with Jewell Loyd, who is averaging a league-leading 24.5 points per game. When Loyd is on, Seattle is hard to beat. When she isn't, like in Tuesday's game against Minnesota where she tallied just 14 points, Seattle is very beatable. With Jordan Horston still dealing with shoulder issues, Ivana Dojkic has stepped up and could be a player logging another solid performance for the Storm on Thursday.
WNBA DFS Picks Today
FanDuel
- Jewell Loyd ($8,400)
- Jackie Young ($7,500)
- Kelsey Mitchell ($6,200)
Loyd had a quiet night against Minnesota on Tuesday while being held to just 14 points. The league leader in scoring should be able to bounce back in a rematch with the Lynx on Thursday. Young has been outstanding for the Aces this season, tallying 15 or more points in all but one game this year. In a star-studded matchup against New York, Young should step up to lead Las Vegas in scoring again like we've seen multiple times this season. Although she hasn't gotten much attention on the team recently, Mitchell has led Indiana in scoring this season despite averaging just 11.5 points over the last two games. Mitchell should bounce back on Thursday as her teammates such as NaLyssa Smith and Aliyah Boston grab most of the attention.
Value Plays
- Sug Sutton ($5,100)
- Diamond Miller ($4,900)
DraftKings
- Napheesa Collier ($12,000)
- Kelsey Plum ($9,300)
- NaLyssa Smith ($8,800)
Collier has been one of the top players in the WNBA all season long while ranking fourth in the league in points per game, and her play over the last five games hasn't slowed down. Collier is coming off a career-high 33 points against Seattle on Tuesday, so a rematch against the Storm could work well in her favor. Plum has been a spark offensively for the Aces as of late while averaging 21.5 points over the last two games, and she could use the matchup against the Liberty guards to her advantage to continue her strong trend in a star-studded matchup. Smith has been the best player for the Fever over the last few games, and Indiana will likely continue to run the offense through her and Aliyah Boston while going up against a struggling Mercury squad.
Value Plays
- Ivana Dojkic ($7,300)
- Dorka Juhasz ($6,000)
