For the second straight game, the Liberty will be without their 2024 WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones, who didn’t travel to Indiana. But also this is the first game of a potential seven games that the Liberty will be without Leonie Fiebich due to her participation in the EuroBasket qualifying tournament. Burke will start in Fiebich’s place and will be expected to guard both backcourt and front court players using her size, length and speed. This is Burke’s second start of the season.

Jones won’t play in Indiana on Saturday and did not travel with the team. Head coach Sandy Brondello noted that they didn’t want to rush Jones when she’s not feeling 100% so early in the season. Starting for the second game in a row at the center spot will be Nyara Sabally, who will make her second WNBA start of her career. Sabally is on a minutes restriction according to New York Post’s Madeline Kenney but will play in more than 15 minutes on Saturday afternoon. Expect Kennedy Burke for sure and possibly Isabelle Harrison to augment some of the front court minutes as well.

Reese took advantage of her matchup against Brionna Jones, a natural center that had to guard a more athletic power forward. She also successfully out-muscled Rhyne Howard under the basket when Howard got matched up with Reese in transition while Reese was running the floor. But once Dream coach Karl Smesko put more athletic stretch fours on Reese in Nia Coffey and Naz Hillmon, Reese had less of an advantage and struggled with both of their length and athleticism. Reese’s most productive quarter came in the second when she accounted for 52.4 percent of the team’s points scored.

Cardoso was the Sky’s highest scorer and most efficient player on an evening when Chicago stayed at bay with Atlanta until the final quarter when the Sky got out scored 30-16 by the Dream. Cardoso won her matchup against Brittney Griner, proving that she’s a much more athletic back-to-the-basket center who can even put on the floor a little bit and drive, especially when Griner is guarding her. Without a natural point guard on the floor for Chicago, both Rebecca Allen and Rachel Banham made sure to get Cardoso the ball in advantageous spots on the floor. Cardoso was responsible for half of the Sky’s 12 second chance points while also reaching a season rebounds with nine. Cardoso is yet to notch a double-double this season, a metric she reached seven times in 2024.

After her worst offensive performance of the season against the Indiana Fever a days ago, shooting 1-for-8 and scoring just 3 points, Howard bounced back in dramatic fashion scoring a season high 36 points in the Dream’s convincing win over the Sky. Howard didn’t even score a single point until the second quarter, and went on a heater in the second half hitting 10 of her 12 total makes all in second half as she accounted for 56 % of Atlanta’s second half points. Dream point guard Jordin Canada and wing Allisha Gray each found Howard on 40% of these made field goals. In her second game back from a knee injury, Canada’s offensive aggression opened the floor up for Howard and allowed her to play her more natural position, the small forward, off the ball with limited on-ball creation.

Injured during the third quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Sparks, Wilson has entered the league’s concussion protocol. Not only will she not be available for Friday’s game against the Wings, but there’s also a chance Wilson also misses Sunday’s game against the Mercury. Her absence leaves a massive hole in the Aces’ lineup, and Las Vegas will need guard Jewell Loyd to get untracked after a slow start to her first season with the team. As for who moves into the starting lineup, Aaliyah Nye is a possibility if Las Vegas goes with a smaller lineup, and she can provide perimeter shooting.

After missing five games with a strained left quad, Clark has been cleared to make her return to game action. And she’ll do so against the reigning WNBA champion Liberty, which was also the last time Clark played against before being sidelined. In the May 24 defeat, she tallied 18 points, five rebounds, 10 assists and two three-pointers, shooting 6-of-18 from the field. In addition to the shooting, Clark will look to clean up the turnovers, as she recorded 10 in that 90-88 defeat. With Clark available, the Fever waived Aari McDonald in a corresponding move.

Wilson was injured during the third quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Sparks. While she did not exit the game immediately after getting hit in the face, the three-time MVP would depart with just over a minute remaining in the period. Wilson’s exit led to the Aces going small for longer stretches, with rookie Aaliyah Nye playing additional minutes. Wilson not playing on Friday may also result in recent signing Joyner Holmes playing rotation minutes.

Bueckers’ much-anticipated return from injury was well worth the wait, as the No. 1 pick of the 2025 Draft set a new career-high in scoring on Wednesday. Bueckers’ magnificent first game back was highlighted by a 12-point first quarter where she shot 5-of-5 from the field before ending the half with 22 points. Her scoring trailed off just slightly as the game wore on, which eventually put the Wings in a hole too deep to crawl out of, as she had been the only Dallas player to reach double figures in scoring until later in the fourth quarter. Still, Bueckers’ strong production after missing extended time should leave fantasy managers optimistic about what’s to come next.