Fantasy women’s hoops: Who steps up for injury-depleted Chicago Sky?Jacy Sheldon of the Chicago Sky has played 30-plus minutes in three of four games this season. Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty ImagesESPN FantasyMay 19, 2026, 11:48 AM ETClose
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May 19: Liberty, Sky and four pickups to make
Andre Snellings: The WNBA season is about 10 days old and already the storylines are popping. After getting blown out on opening night after their championship trophy presentation, the Las Vegas Aces have since run off four straight wins to move to the top of the league. The New York Liberty have been missing some of their best players injured, but they still lead the league with a scoring margin of +13.0 PPG. The Golden State Valkyries, last year’s expansion team that made the playoffs, is currently second in the league with a +7.0 PPG scoring margin. And the new-look Chicago Sky, led by newly traded for Rickea Jackson and Skylar Diggins, are tied fo the second-best record in the league. Unfortunately, a key injury could impact their outlook moving forward.
Other notes from around the league:
Jackson was helped off the court in the second quarter of Sunday’s game with a left knee injury, and the team revealed Tuesday that she will miss the remainder of the season.. The Sky were already dealing with injuries to Skylar Diggins (eye), Azura Stevens (knee), Courtney Vandersloot (knee) and DiJonai Carrington (foot). All of this leaves a lot of minutes and responsibility for young players Jacy Sheldon and Gabriela Jaquez.
Sabrina Ionescu (foot) and Satou Sabally (cyst) are both nearing their return from injury to make their season debuts for the Liberty. Both participated in Monday’s scrimmage in front of the media. No exact return time has been revealed for either, but both are among the top-producers in the league when healthy. The question of how the two of them will interact with former MVPs Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, and how they will distribute the major statistics among them.
Aliyah Boston sat out Sunday’s game with a lower leg injury that she aggravated in Friday’s game against the Washington Mystics. With Boston out, the Fever played a more perimeter-based style with Sophie Cunningham as the biggest beneficiary with 17 points in 25 minutes off the bench.
Let’s take a closer look at four players who fantasy managers might consider targeting if they are available in your leagues.
Jacy Sheldon, G, Chicago Sky (Rostered in 19.7% of ESPN leagues): Sheldon has played major minutes for the Sky all season and is taking advantage of them with a strong all-around attack. She has scored double figures in three of four games, notched three or more assists in three of the games, four or more rebounds in two and three or more steals in two games as well.
Gabriela Jaquez, G, Chicago Sky (25.1%): Jaquez is getting her rookie season off to a very fast start with three double-figure scoring efforts in her first four games. Her biggest effort came on Sunday as she dropped career-best marks of 20 points and 8 assists. She is making the most of her larger opportunity with her teammates injured.
Sophie Cunningham, G, Indiana Fever (32.2%): Cunningham has scored double digits in two of her last three games, with her best effort of 17 points coming on Sunday with Boston sidelined.
Pauline Astier, G, New York Liberty (45.8%): Astier has stepped up in a major way for the Liberty in their injury-filled start to the season. In her last three games, she has averaged 20.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.7 SPG. She’s played so well that she may maintain an elevated role for the Liberty even after Sabally and Ionescu return.
May 15: Surprises and pickups from a high-scoring week
Chennedy Carter of the Las Vegas Aces is one of the most-added players this week. M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon SportswireEric Moody: Teams have wasted no time putting the ball in the bucket to start the 2026 season, averaging 86.0 PPG, the highest league scoring average in WNBA history. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some surprises and overreactions from the first full week of action.Play Fantasy Women’s Basketball
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The New York Liberty are surviving without Sabrina Ionescu, as they have opened up with a 3-1 record. Last season, the Liberty went just 2-4 without Ionescu and averaged just 72.5 PPG in those contests. Through four games they’re averaging an eye-popping 100.0 PPG in her absence. Marine Johannes has been one of the key reasons, averaging 32.3 fantasy points per game and has been a nice value for fantasy managers who drafted her late.
The Golden State Valkyries are 2-1 in their second season and already look more competitive than expected. Veronica Burton, last season’s Most Improved Player, has carried that momentum forward, while Gabby Williams has been a key offseason addition. Both are tied for the team lead with 30.7 FPPG. Janelle Salaun has also been an early bright spot, scoring at least 30 fantasy points while playing at least 26 minutes in two of the Valkyries first three games.
The Dallas Wings have one of the more interesting guard groups with Arike Ogunbowale, Paige Bueckers and Odyssey Sims. Sims is rostered in just 19% of leagues and is a nice option for fantasy managers in need of guard help. But it’s Jessica Shepard who has also caught fantasy managers attention averaging 25.7 FPPG and 31.3 MPG this season, giving the Wings another useful frontcourt player to balance the attention on the backcourt.
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Cameron Brink has appeared in only 34 games over the past two years because of an ACL injury. She entered the 2026 season with career averages of 6.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 1.8 BPG, which made it puzzling to see her play just eight minutes and finish with three fantasy points against the Aces on May 10. Head coach Lynne Roberts made it clear the Sparks still believe in Brink, but they need her to produce, play with confidence and bring consistent defensive energy. Brink responded against the Fever on Wednesday with 25 fantasy points in 19 minutes while dominating in the paint. She remains a must-hold and fantasy managers should stay patient.
Several young players are making strong impressions early in the season:
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Aneesah Morrow is one of the few bright spots for the Connecticut Sun, averaging 31.0 FPPG so far this season.
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Flau’jae Johnson has averaged 24.0 FPPG and Jade Melbourne of the Seattle Storm could have fantasy value with the Storm if her minutes hold. Melbourne has scored at least 22 fantasy points in three consecutive games and is rostered in 14.1% of leagues and is a viable streamer.
Fantasy stream team
Let’s look at some streaming options rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues, with four games scheduled Friday and four more on Sunday.
Chennedy Carter, G, Las Vegas Aces (rostered in 42.0% of ESPN leagues)
Chennedy Carter missed the 2025 season, but has returned with the Aces showcasing her usual burst and ability to create her own shot from all three levels. Carter has thrived off the bench for an Aces team that’s averaged 89.7 PPG this season, the third most in the league. She contributes across multiple categories and has averaged 19.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.0 APG and 2.0 SPG in just 21.3 MPG.
Naz Hillmon, F/C, Atlanta Dream (41.4%)
Hillmon is coming off a five point fantasy performance against the Wings on Tuesday, but she finished with 28 fantasy points against the Lynx on May 9. The only Dream player averaging more MPG than Hillmon is Rhyne Howard, so the role in the rotation remains encouraging. The minutes should continue to be there for Hillmon while Brionna Jones remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Natasha Mack, F/C, Phoenix Mercury (28.9%)
Mack has the third-highest MPG on the Mercury and is averaging 24.7 FPPG. She has mostly contributed points and rebounds while shooting 80.0% from the field, but she also showed defensive upside with three blocks in her most recent game. Playing alongside Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas, Mack has carved out a useful role in the Mercury’s rotation.
Jacy Sheldon, G, Chicago Sky (18.1%)
Sheldon has scored at least 30 fantasy points and played at least 30 minutes in each of her first two games this season as a member of the Sky’s starting lineup. If the minutes hold, Sheldon could be in position for a breakout season.
Nyara Sabally, F/C, Toronto Tempo (15.7%)
Sabally has averaged 23.0 FPPG, trailing only Brittney Sykes (30.5) and Marina Mabrey (44.0) on the Tempo. She has played at least 26 minutes in each of Toronto’s first two games and appears locked into a starting role, giving her a real chance to post career numbers across the board.
Nia Coffey, F/C, Minnesota Lynx (10.6%)
Coffey is averaging 27.3 MPG and has scored at least 28 fantasy points in two of her first three games. Her 10.6% usage rate could limit her ceiling, but Coffey contributes across multiple categories and is playing enough minutes to remain on the streaming radar for managers in deeper league.
More:
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WNBA Power Rankings
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Will the Aces run it back?
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Schedule
May 14: What have we learned from the two new teams?
Carla Leite of the Portland Fire is available in 83.3% of ESPN leagues. Troy Wayrynen-Imagn ImagesAndre Snellings: We learned last season with the Golden State Valkyries that there can be significant fantasy and betting value to be found in expansion franchises. This season, we have two new franchises in the WNBA with the Toronto Tempo as an expansion squad and the Portland Fire taking up the mantle of the original Fire from the early 2000s. Both squads are two games into the season, so let’s take a look at the minutes and production distribution thus far with an eye on their fantasy prospects this season.
Toronto Tempo
For the Tempo, the two biggest-named players they brought in to start the franchise were Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes. Those are the two names we brought up and focused on during the fantasy predraft process. Through two games, it appears that both are poised to be impact producers this season.
Mabrey is currently the leading scorer in the WNBA, tied with Kelsey Mitchell with 26.5 PPG. Her output has been consistent in both games, dropping 27 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in the opener then following that up with 26 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals in her second game. Mabrey has always been a strong scorer, averaging in the mid-teens for past seven seasons, but her career-best is 15.0 PPG as a secondary option for the Chicago Sky in 2023. She is the featured scorer for the Tempo, and while it’s not yet clear if she can maintain such a heavy volume in the long haul she certainly appears poised to set a new career scoring mark this season and has achievable 20-plus PPG upside.
Sykes is also off to a strong start, scoring 14 points with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals in the opener then raising the bar with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in the second game. Sykes’ numbers through two games (16.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.0 APG) are very similar to what she averaged in her best fantasy season, 2023 (15.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.8 APG). This suggests that Sykes has the game to continue at her current pace, particularly in a featured role with the Tempo.
A few other Tempo players to keep an early eye on:
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Maria Conde had a slow opener but dropped 16 points and 8 rebounds in game two. She is back on the court after tearing her left Achilles tendon last year, so it is worthwhile to note whether she can regularly play the 29 minutes she played on Wednesday.
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Nyara Sabally has been a very consistent defensive presence in the first two games, notching 6 rebounds, 3 steals and a block in the opener and following that up with 5 boards, 2 steals and 2 blocks in the second game.
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Kiki Rice was the Tempo’s top pick in this year’s WNBA draft, No. 6 overall. She went scoreless in 18 minutes of her WNBA debut, but followed that up with a strong 12 points in 21 minutes off the bench in the second game.
Portland Fire
The Fire are also led by two players that we expected to be their main contributors, and both are overproducing preliminary expectations.
Bridget Carleton had a solid debut with 13 points, but exploded in game two with 26 points, 5 3-pointers and 4 steals to lead the Fire to an upset victory over the New York Liberty. Carleton has been a long-distance shooting role player the last couple seasons with the Lynx, averaging career-best marks of 9.6 PPG and 2.3 3PG in 2024. It seems clear Carleton is set to be a primary scorer for the Fire this season and is likely to significantly better her best offensive production.
Carla Leite was a late first round pick for the Dallas Wings in 2024 but didn’t play until 2025, with the Valkyres. Leite is off to a great start with the Fire. She scored 18 points with 3 rebounds and 3 assists in the opener, then topped that with 21 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and a steal in the second game. Her consistent production in the two games suggests she has high achievable production potential as the lead guard for the Fire.
Also keep an eye on:
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Kamiah Smalls sat out the opener, but dropped 13 points in 14 minutes off the bench in the second game.
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Luisa Geiselsoder is leading the team in boards through two games, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking two shots in the opener then following that up with 5 rebounds, 13 points and a block in the second game.
