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.

In the Lynx’s first loss of the 2025 season, Collier shot 39 percent from the field, her second lowest clip of the season since the Lynx also faced the Storm in their 82-77 win over Seattle last month. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Collier had a less efficient than usual outing when Seattle has a WNBA All-Defensive front court anchored by Ezi Magbegor and Nneka Ogwumike. While it wasn’t Collier’s best performance, she made some history on Wednesday night. She surpassed 3,000 career points and in addition to passing Katie Smith for fourth on the Lynx’s all-time assist lists with 497.

Ogwumike began the first half steady, scoring 11 first half points on 5-of-8 shooting. However, it was her 10-point third quarter that really pumped energy into the Storm to give the Lynx their first loss of the season. Ogwumike didn’t miss a shot in that third quarter including a turnaround hook and-one she made off balance on a cut with Alanna Smith’s out stretched arms in Ogwumike’s field of view that tied the game at 62 with 2:51 left in the third. This was all part of a 19-5 run Storm run throughout the final six minutes of the third quarter. Ogwumike felt especially comfortable in the pick-and-roll alongside teammate Skylar Diggins. The two connected on three field goals including a 28-foot three during that third quarter run.

Bueckers has missed the last three games, two due to the league’s concussion protocols. While the rookie did clear those protocols over the weekend, an illness sidelined her for Sunday’s loss to the Lynx. Bueckers has officially been cleared to play on Wednesday, and Wings coach Chris Koclanes said she will not be under any restrictions. That likely means Kaila Charles will head to the bench after an ineffective spot start against Minnesota.

Four different Sparks players found Hamby streaking down the floor in transition for scores. Kelsey Plum, Julie Allemand, Sarah Ashlee Barker and Azurá Stevens all combined to find Hamby for 10 of the Sparks total 25 fast break points. Hamby once again dished out multiple assists bringing her season average to 3.7 per game, which would be the highest average of her career. Like Plum in the overtime period, Hamby struggled to score the basketball. She took three really difficult and contested layups instead of looking to spray the basketball out. What made playmaking more challenging in that overtime period was just how stagnant the Los Angeles offense got. Hamby’s teammates needed to move off the ball to force the Golden State defense out of position.

Salaün propelled the Valkyries in an overtime back-and-fourth game against their in-state rivals. Her step-back three in conjunction with her high release point makes her difficult to guard. While Salaün scored 17 of her total 21 points in the first three quarters, she made hustle plays vital to the Valkyries winning the game in both the fourth quarter and overtime period. She drew a foul with 47.5 seconds left in regulation and made both of her free throws to give Golden State their first lead since six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Later in the overtime period, Salaün scored on an offensive rebound putback off a long three-point miss from Temi Fágbénlé, which put Golden State up by three points with 2:03 remaining in overtime.

Tuesday’s game will be the fifth Clark has missed with a strained left quad. However, she appears to be closing in on a return, with the point guard participating in portions of Monday’s practice. After Tuesday, Indiana will be off until Saturday when the reigning WNBA champion Liberty visits. Sydney Colson has replaced Clark in the starting lineup and should continue to do so, but backup Aari McDonald has been more productive off the bench since being signed to a hardship contract.

Vandersloot was injured during Saturday’s loss to the Fever, and an MRI on Sunday revealed a torn ACL in her right knee. The veteran point guard’s absence is a significant blow for the Sky to absorb, with the team currently languishing with a 2-5 record. While Elizabeth Williams is not a point guard, her ability to make plays out of pick-and-roll actions could make the veteran center a player of increased importance for the Sky. Rookie Hailey Van Lith should also pick up additional minutes, especially while Chicago awaits Moriah Jefferson’s return from injury. If fantasy managers were to reach for anyone to stream in the short term, it should be Van Lith. But Williams will have added value once Kamilla Cardoso leaves the team to represent Brazil in the upcoming AmeriCup tournament.

A little less than a month into the 2025 season, Collier is the early betting favorite to win Most Valuable Player honors, and with good reason. “Queen Phee” was outstanding on Sunday, recording a complete stat line while shooting over 50 percent from the field. Collier also posted her fifth straight double-double, and the seven defensive contributions matched her season-high. Currently leading the WNBA in scoring, Collier has continued to build upon her run through the inaugural season of the Unrivaled Basketball League.