WNBA Preview: Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Kayla Thornton injuries shake up playoff picture

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2 days ago

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Injuries suck, don't they? Particularly those that occur around this time of the season, affecting star players while impacting the potential futures of those teams competing for playoff positioning. They can be real downers, and oftentimes are.
But not always. The injury bug has been biting lately, affecting some of the WNBA's top players. Yet, things haven't been as doom and gloom as one might imagine. What has transpired in the couple of weeks following the All-Star Break for some teams that've had bad luck with health has been interesting to interpret.
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When Caitlin Clark injured her groin on July 15 in the waning moments of a win over the Connecticut Sun, I expected that the Indiana Fever would play about .500 basketball for however long the injured superstar guard would be sidelined. That expectation immediately seemed too rich following the team's back-to-back losses to the New York Liberty, both before and after the All-Star Break. But the Fever have since strung together five straight wins, including impressive ones over the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm. They're now 9-7 this season in 16 games without Clark (10-7 if including the Commissioner's Cup Championship). While the Fever's best-case scenario would certainly not have included Clark missing more than half of the team's games to this point in the season, her absences have allowed Indiana to establish an identity without her on the court. Clark will return at some point, and the reps the team has put together without her could prove valuable in high-stakes games later in the season, should she be out of the lineup.
Meanwhile, the Valkyries faced a similar situation, but possibly more extreme considering the makeup of their team — they lost their lone All-Star, Kayla Thornton, to a season-ending injury in one of the team's practice sessions before their first game back from the All-Star Break. My thoughts on the matter were undoubtedly pessimistic; I internally wrote off Golden State and its hopes of staying in the playoff race without its best player. Truthfully, I could end up being correct once all the dust settles, however, only one game separates the Valkyries, the current No. 8 seed, from the ninth-seeded Washington Mystics. Yet, here they are nearly two weeks removed from the loss of Thornton, having won four of their six games post-All-Star Break. I still have reservations about Golden State sustaining this level of play throughout the rest of the season. However, I'd love to be wrong.
Conversely, the New York Liberty have had to pick themselves up from off the canvas recently after losing their first three games of a four-game stretch in which Breanna Stewart missed due to a leg injury. Even with a couple of those losses coming to teams such as the Dallas Wings and Sun, who would miss the postseason if it began today, the defending champions ultimately should receive a bit of grace.
The Minnesota Lynx suddenly finds itself in a similar situation to the teams mentioned above, after losing one of the likely MVP front-runners, Napheesa Collier, to an ankle injury in Saturday's near-record-setting 53-point win over the Las Vegas Aces. At this point, her injury status for Tuesday's game is unknown, as there have not been any updates since Saturday's win. Similarly to the Liberty, the Lynx are a proven great team, and the cushion they've built at the top of the standings should make the hopefully short-term injury less worrisome.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Minnesota Lynx at Seattle Storm
(Tuesday, August 5 at 10 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)
Minnesota has played like the best team in the league from the start of the season to now, which is reflected in its league-best 24-5 record. The Lynx face the possibility of entering Tuesday's contest without their best player, Napheesa Collier. And while their 2-1 record this season without Collier shows they're capable of winning in her absence, the task is much more challenging without the services of a likely MVP candidate and reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Regardless, they'll face a desperate Storm team that's fresh off back-to-back home losses while having lost three of four games. The veteran-led group has slid to the sixth spot in the standings and presumably will take the floor on Tuesday with the edge and energy of a team recognizing it needs to stop the bleeding. Regardless of who is available to play, the matchup should be a good one.
Indiana Fever at Phoenix Mercury
(Thursday, August 7 at 10 p.m. ET on Prime Video)
In this contest, we get two teams trending in opposite directions. The Fever, without Caitlin Clark, has reeled off five straight wins and currently owns the league's longest winning streak. Meanwhile, the Mercury, losers of six of their last eight games, will enter Thursday's contest with minimal momentum despite being one of the surprise teams through the first half of the season. On top of their recent losing, Satou Sabally missed Phoenix's win over Chicago on Sunday for personal reasons, which came on the heels of being benched by head coach Nate Tibbetts in the prior game. The Fever beat the Mercury last week in DeWanna Bonner's return to Indiana, which could provide them with a mental advantage going into Thursday's contest.
Los Angeles Sparks at Golden State Valkyries
(Saturday, August 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)
While the Sparks don't own a long winning streak, they've won six of their last seven games to inch themselves closer to the eighth and final playoff spot. Rae Burrell's and Cameron Brink's returns from injury, along with Rickea Jackson's stellar play of late, have only made the Sparks deeper and more talented up and down the nightly rotation. They've executed down the stretch to pull off some crucial wins recently, and now appear capable of beating any team on any given night. Golden State had been doing some nice things over its recent three-game win streak before it was snapped in Las Vegas on Sunday, and with playoff seeding still within reach for both, Saturday's matchup could have implications on how everything ultimately shakes out. For that reason alone, Saturday's game is one worth paying attention to.
Minnesota Lynx at New York Liberty
(Sunday, August 10 at 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC)
Will Napheesa Collier play? Will Breanna Stewart play? Time will tell. Returns from injury for both players would bring this already fun 2024 WNBA Finals rematch an even greater viewing experience. The two teams have only met once this season, which was recently on July 30 in a game the Lynx won over the Stewart-less Liberty. Whether each team is whole or not remains to be seen. Nevertheless, a revenge-seeking Liberty team facing the best team in the league this season should lead to an exceptional game for the national television audience to experience. Both veteran squads understand the importance of playing good basketball down the stretch and heading into the postseason.
Washington Mystics at Dallas Wings
(Sunday, August 10 at 4 p.m. ET on CBSSN)
If you love this rookie class, you'll love this matchup. Paige Bueckers, JJ Quinerly, Aziaha James and the Wings will host Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and the Mystics. Each of these rookies has had a productive season and perhaps even exceeded expectations. Neither team, however, has necessarily played well recently. But both are still playing meaningful games. For the Wings, they'll want to maximize Bueckers and continue trying to put together lineups and schemes that can help form the team's identity and provide them some direction throughout the rest of this season and over the upcoming ones. The Mystics, on the other hand, are likely in the mindset of treating each game like a must-win — they're currently on the outside of the playoff bracket, looking in, but are a game in the loss column out of the No. 8 seed. So again, come for the rookies, stay for what should be a great game.