Aari McDonald

McDonald is coming off her third year in the WNBA. Her role was nearly identical to the one she held as a sophomore, seeing 23.5 minutes per game and starting nine of her 24 appearances, missing a chunk of time due to a shoulder injury. The guard averaged 7.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and a career-high 3.0 assists while slashing 40/32/76. McDonald is showing upside with her three-ball and her passing ability. She's taking 5.5 triples and dishing out 5.2 dimes per 40 minutes. She isn't shy going to the rack, either, taking 3.0 free throws per 40 minutes, though that was down from 4.6 per 40 in 2022. Atlanta opted to upgrade at the guard position, trading McDonald for Jordin Canada while swapping first-round picks this offseason, so the former will now have to compete for minutes in Los Angeles' crowded backcourt, which will feature Lexie Brown, Layshia Clarendon and Kia Nurse. The Sparks also own two of the top four picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft, so McDonald's fantasy value could take another hit if they opt to add a young guard to the mix.

After a solid rookie season, McDonald took a huge step forward in 2022 and finished with career highs in points (11.1), assists (2.6), rebounds (2.3) and steals (1.4) while posting 41.1/33.8/87.1 shooting splits. However, Atlanta's offseason acquisitions of Danielle Robinson and Allisha Gray will likely limit some of McDonald's opportunities in 2023. Whether she's in the starting lineup regularly or not, McDonald figures to be a critical part of Atlanta's rotation and has the potential to be a proficient producer in multiple categories. While McDonald finished around league average in points and assists last year, she really made her mark on the defensive side of the ball and could end up top-5 in steals during the 2023 campaign if she's able to build off her numbers from a year ago.

McDonald was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft, but she produced inconsistent results during her rookie season. The former Arizona standout took on a starting role for each of the final four games of the year, but she managed to score in double figures in just seven of her 30 appearances overall, while averaging 6.3 points in 16.4 minutes per game for the season. She'll no longer have to compete for playing time with Chennedy Carter, who was dealt to the Sparks during the offseason, but McDonald will attempt to carve out a role alongside new acquisitions Erica Wheeler and Nia Coffey.