Saturday afternoon’s national-television matchup between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx has lost a bit of its luster due to the on-going absences of key players (1 p.m. ET, ABC).
The visiting Liberty, who bested the Lynx in Brooklyn just over a week ago, are, yet again, not whole. Not only is Satou Sabally, who missed the prior Liberty-Lynx contest, still sidelined, but Leonie Fiebich will also miss her second-straight game with a foot injury; Pauline Astier is questionable to play with an
ankle injury as well.
While Fiebich’s defense and shooting and Asiter’s initiation and scoring are essential to the Liberty’s success, Sabally has the highest-impact potential among the presently missing players.
Before this latest stay in concussion protocol, Satou, who was still playing limited minutes, had shaken off her early shooting troubles to provide a scoring punch—with size—for New York, both as a reserve and starter.
In her final eight games before this absence, she had played 17 or more minutes and, more importantly, the Liberty had neutral or better scoring margin in her minutes. It was beginning to be easy to imagine how a fully up-to-speed Satou could help the Liberty escape their bouts of uneven play and begin to round into the surefire contender they’re expected to be, just as Zack Ward wrote about before the season.
That’s on hold, although it appears that the ascent of Olivia Miles will be back on for Minnesota.
After missing the Lynx’s prior two games with a calf strain that first flared up in the loss to the Liberty, Miles is expected to be back in the lineup. Napheesa Collier, however, will not be joining her. Although Phee has been participating in Lynx practices for more than a week, she remains listed as out on the Minnesota injury report.
With Miles, Minnesota has shown they have a a high floor. Collier, presuming her form eventually resembles her MVP candidate best, can raise their ceiling.
Although, I have to admit that I’m a bit skeptical that the Phee reintegration will be seamless.
Since 2023, her first full season after maternity leave, Collier has had a usage percentage of almost 26 percent or higher, meaning just over a quarter of Lynx possessions end with a Phee taking a shot, getting fouled our turning the ball over. This season, Miles leads the Lynx in usage at 25 percent, with Courtney Williams following at 24 percent and Natasha Howard at 23.5 percent.
Whose possessions are going to Phee? And how will devoting more usage to her, and her more isolation-titled offensive stylings, effect the Miles-Howard two-woman game or Williams’ career-best effectiveness as an off-ball scorer?
Having lots of offensive options may be a first-world basketball problem, but it’s still a problem if a cohesive hierarchy cannot be established. But, considering head coach Cheryl Reeve has 380 wins to her name, it’s probably smart to believe that she’ll make it work in ways better than imagined.
And for now, imagining is the only thing we can do when it comes to the Phee-ful Lynx, as well as the Satou-ized Liberty. Such wonderings about star impact also extend to the Atlanta Dream.
Atlanta is anxiously awaiting a cool, calm Breeze
Brionna Jones has missed all of the 2026 season recovering from a knee injury she suffered while playing overseas. She has been upgraded to doubtful on Atlanta’s injury report for their Saturday game against the Portland Fire (4 p.m. ET, CBS), suggesting, while she is unlikely to play, her debut could come sooner than later.
Although Jones doesn’t possess the perceived star power of Sabally or Collier, her return for the Dream could prove just as, if not more, significant.
Throughout her WNBA career, Breezy has been one of the league’s most underrated players. That’s largely due to her adaptability. During her tenure with the Connecticut Sun, Jones both came off the bench and started. She played alongside Alyssa Thomas and Jonquel Jones, just alongside Thomas and just alongside Jones.
Among those changing circumstances, Breezy has always been Breezy, providing consistent and efficient production.
On defense, her rim protection presence exceeds her ground-bound 6-foot-3 frame due to her strength and positioning, two traits that also help her excel on the glass. Offensively, she scores around the basket efficiently, combining her strength with expert footwork to finish with composure.
So, I’m not worried about how Jones will fit alongside Angel Reese in the Dream frontcourt. She already possesses a strong chemistry with Naz Hillmon, as the Dream outscored opponents by 261 points in the 692 minutes they shared the court last season, which was the second-best two-player combination on the team.
Jones can also serve as a failsafe for a fluctuating Atlanta offense.
When the triples aren’t falling for Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray or when Reese’s finishing craft falls short, throwing it to Jones in the post when she creates space with an early seal will be a welcome option.
On Saturday, the Dream may not only still be without Bri, but they also could be forced to try to hold off the Fire without Angel, who is questionable to play with an ankle injury. Reese has yet to miss a game this season.
Can Sami save the Mercury? Can Dana make the Aces forget Chennedy?
On Thursday, the Phoenix Mercury welcomed back Sami Whitcomb, who had yet to play this season due to an offseason knee procedure.
It was an underwhelming, if understandable, debut, as she missed all five of the 3-pointers she attempted in her 11 off-the-bench minutes. The Mercury, much in need of some extra oomph in order to inch their way into the playoff picture, have to hope Whitcomb quickly rediscovers her 2025 form.
After a 2024 season with the Seattle Storm in which it looked like Whitcomb’s time in the WNBA might be winding down, she was revitalized with the 2025 Mercury, showing off her sharpshooting impact as both a starter and reserve.
But, can that Sami come around soon enough? The organization likely will be cautious in ramping up the soon-to-be 38-year-old. She is questionable to play on Saturday, while Natasha Mack also will be out of the lineup with a lingering foot injury.
The Mercury’s opponent on Saturday, the Las Vegas Aces, likewise are anticipating a hopefully high-impact comeback (6 p.m. ET, NBCSN).
And the decision to waive Chennedy Carter puts more pressure on Dana Evans to provide some bench scoring juice for the defending champs.
Evans, who warmed up before Vegas’ last game, is questionable to play on Saturday after missing all of the season recovering from a leg injury that also severely limited her during the Unrivaled season.
In her WNBA career, Evans has never been the most efficient player; however, as she proved in last year’s Finals against a slightly-different version of this Mercury team, she does have a reputation of coming through in the right moments.
With A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young, plus a side of NaLyssa Smith, nearly doing it all, the Aces aren’t overly dependent on Dana. But, Evans emerging as a reliable reserve would certainly strengthen their repeat bid.
What are your thoughts? From Satou to Phee to Breezy to Sami to Dana, whose return is most important for her team? If it’s not Collier, we’re probably over thinking things, but can you squint and see one of these other players making a bigger difference? Share your opinions below.
