Jim McCormickJun 23, 2025, 10:30 AM ET
- Jim McCormick is simply a contributing writer for phantasy shot and men's hoops astatine ESPN.
In phantasy sports, knowing what we don't cognize tin beryllium a immense edge. A agelong play is afloat of volatility and surprises and staying unfastened to shifts tin beryllium the difference.
The Indiana Fever participate this week with a losing grounds (6-7), but existent rubric hopes, led by a superstar tandem. Player and squad identities alteration -- sometimes fast.
Hot streaks are coming, and the extremity is to drawback them early. Based connected a premix of statistical trends and matchup metrics, the picks beneath spotlight players positioned to nutrient this week.
Backcourt
Sami Whitcomb, Phoenix Mercury (Rostered successful 21.4%)
The Mercury are blessed to person Whitcomb thriving arsenic their pb scoring guard. Even erstwhile asked to travel disconnected the bench, she has inactive seen large minutes with the state to get her shot. Friday's tilt with the New York Liberty presents a meaningful trial for Whitcomb; if she continues to radiance against the league's apical teams, it's clip for overmuch much designation connected the tribunal and successful fantasy.
Natisha Hiedeman, Minnesota Lynx (11.3%)
Quality playmakers often summation spot arsenic the play matures. Hiedeman's assistance percent proves uniquely precocious for a subordinate hovering astir 20 MPG. The unit seems to beryllium noticing, arsenic Hiedeman has served an important instauration relation successful caller games, resulting successful stellar assistance tallies. Get successful now, arsenic momentum appears existent up of this week's bid of games with the Mystics, Dream, and Sun, each teams successful the bottom-half successful antiaircraft rating.
Aziaha James, Dallas Wings (1.2%)
James has enjoyed a palmy displacement to the starting lineup recently, 1 that could effect successful an important violative relation successful the games ahead. Taking a starting relation from DiJonai Carrington could beryllium lasting if she keeps up her beardown agelong of two-way play.
Frontcourt
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Connecticut Sun (39.0%)
Rim extortion is truthful scarce successful a league rife with spacing and shooting, truthful it's genuinely invaluable erstwhile a subordinate similar Nelson-Ododa is disposable connected the waiver ligament successful truthful galore leagues. Nelson-Ododa has been inconsistent arsenic an violative player, but you'll unafraid measurement rebounding and immoderate of the champion swat accumulation successful the league.
Laeticia Amihere, Golden State Valkyries (7.0%)
The erstwhile apical 10 prime successful the 2023 draught is surfacing arsenic a productive subordinate of the amusive upstart Valkyries team. Left disconnected the roster arsenic a campy invite, she rejoined the squad earlier this period and has taken vantage of an accidental to standard the rotation. This state has been rewarding for her phantasy value, and this is an important week, fixed however often the Golden State unit has shifted things around. If Amihere sustains her existent role, things volition proceed to look up.