What happened to the Dallas Wings?
This question has been asked repeatedly in the 2021 WNBA season, especially the team’s rotation and playing time allocation. The Dallas team had four rookies and three second-year players at the start of the season – many of them occupying the same position – immediately sparked questions about how the team will accommodate each player and provide them with the playing time they need to develop. The problem.
Entering September, these questions are still unanswered. 2021 No. 1 rookie, Charlie Collier, who has been starting most of the season this season, now seems to have completely separated from the Wings rotation, while the second overall rookie Avaque Quill suddenly gained importance after heating up. So far, most of her rookie tenure has been on the bench.At the same time, veteran Isabelle Harrison, a player whose age and skills overlap with those of the team’s young players, makes her a tempting trade bait, but her contract Making such a deal impossible-having played a lot of time to replace rookies, people would think that Wing will want to give consistent roles sooner or later.
Situations like this frustrate fantasy basketball players. Teams like Wings are deadlocked in certain positions and have unpredictable rotations, making it difficult to choose a lineup on match day. Let’s take a closer look at the current winners and losers in Dallas, as well as several other WNBA fantasy players who are about to enter September.
Three times
Azurá Stevens (Chicago Sky)
Stevens was transferred to Chicago’s starting lineup five games ago, and since then She worked well, averaging 9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1 block per game in 23.6 minutes. During that time, Stevens shot 60% from the field and scored consecutive double-digit points in the game against Seattle.
Appearance: The low volume (15.7% usage rate) makes this not too exciting, but for a player entering the 2021 season with injuries, this is a positive development.Sky coach James Wade has been adjusting his starting lineup to allow his team to move forward. Chicago beats Seattle It would be surprising to see the team return to their previous working state over the weekend. Stevens’ efficiency should be maximized in the game against other Chicago starters, and she has high prospects for her defensive stats.
Isabel Harrison (Dallas Wings)
Harrison played four stable games in a row, scoring 21 points and 10 rebounds against Washington. August 26From a fantasy point of view, the most encouraging thing about these games is that she tried double-digit shooting percentages in every game, which seems more like a fixture in Wings’ offense. During that time, Harrison also accumulated eight defensive data (blocks and steals).
Appearance: For most of this season, Harrison has been the tepid favorite of Dallas coach Vicki Johnson, and Sato Sabali is currently nursing an injured Achilles, and there is no set return date. She should Continue to get enough playing time at power forwards and centers. She will play well in Wings’ upcoming game against Atlanta.
Erica Wheeler (Los Angeles Sparks)
The Sparks have been mediocre in the last two games against Connecticut, but Wheeler has performed well in both games, scoring 28 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists. Kristi Toliver, who is also a guard, has been in and out of the Sparks’ lineup recently, but for Wheeler, it doesn’t matter which way he has played since the Olympics rest day. The time is 33.8 minutes.
Appearance: Wheeler’s performance in the 2021 season is very stable, comparable to her career data in Indiana in 2019. The Sparks traded their 2022 first-round picks before the season, so there is not much motivation for them to miss the playoffs; this means they may rely on Wheeler as a scorer and distributor. She is now one of the most reliable fantasy guards in the WNBA.
Three times
Charlie Collier (Dallas Wings)
Since the Olympic offseason, Collier has hardly made any contribution to the Wings in statistics. He only participated in three games, scoring a total of 2 points and 1 rebound. She hasn’t even appeared in a game since August 20, when rookie big man Avak Quill suddenly surpassed her on Wings’ depth chart.
Appearance: To say that Collier has hit the well-known “rookie wall” is to underestimate something. For a while, she started (although usually quickly replaced) and provided marginal output. Her recent move to the end of the bench is certainly worrying. Although we don’t know what the team wants to accomplish here, Collier’s development curve is moving in the opposite direction.
Katie Lou Samuelson (Seattle Storm)
Samuelson was substituted to support Jordin Canada before the storm’s blowout loss at Hand of the Sky last Sunday.In the two games against Chicago, she only made one goal and did not make multiple three-pointers in a single game. Since August 18.
Appearance: As a three-point expert who tends to allocate time with Stephanie Talbot at the small forward position, Samuelson is by no means the highest-limit fantasy player of the season, and Seattle is surprising. The changes in his starting lineup have affected any value she left. The Canadian team seems to have withdrawn from Sunday’s game due to a leg injury, so if the situation is serious, Samuelson can return to the starting lineup, but she will not become a high-value player anyway.
Michaela Onyenwere (New York Liberty)
In the August 27th loss to Phoenix in a three-pointer, this marked Onyenwere’s sixth consecutive single-digit scoring. He averaged 5.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in August. However, her scoring efficiency has been rising since the Olympics rest day. Onyenwere shot 47.4% from the field and 41.7% from three-pointers.
Appearance: Of course, volume hurts the fantasy value of Onyenwere the most. In August, she only attempted 3.2 shots per game, and Natasha Howard and Rebecca Allen both recovered, leaving little room for rookie forwards. The New York team is in chaos and has lost seven of the past ten games, so the team veteran’s suspension at the end of the season may give Onyenwere more opportunities.