Gamecocks in the WNBA: Week 8

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It was a bittersweet week for Gamecocks in the WNBA, as two players made their All-Star debuts but another saw her season halted.

Aliyah Boston and Allisha Gray made their first All-Star appearances, playing on captain A’ja Wilson’s team. Team Wilson lost to Team Stewart 143-127, but the former Gamecocks had decent nights. 

The first play of the game was designed to get Boston a three-point attempt, but it was covered so she drove for a layup. Boston scored the first two baskets for Team Wilson and finished with six points, two assists, and a team-high 11 rebounds in 19 minutes. 

Wilson had 20 points and five rebounds in 24 minutes. Gray came off the bench to chip in 10 points in her 18 minutes. She also participated in the Skills Challenge on Friday.

Due to All-Star weekend, most teams only played one game last week. The break continues until Wednesday or Thursday this week for most teams.

Atlanta Dream (11-8)
Laeticia Amihere (11 games, 8.4 mpg, 3.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.7 bpg)
85-75 win vs Seattle: 7 minutes, 2 fouls

Allisha Gray (19 games, 19 starts, 33.3 mpg, 18.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.1 spg)
85-75 win vs Seattle: 32 minutes*, 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

Atlanta entered the All-Star break as one of the hottest teams in the league, boasting a league-high six-game winning streak. That streak will be put to the test this week with a game against Minnesota, which has won five of seven, followed by back-to-back games against Connecticut, which is tied for the eastern conference lead.

Upcoming games:
Tuesday, July 18 vs Minnesota (7:00 ET, NBA TV)
Thursday, July 20 at Connecticut (11:30 AM ET, NBA TV)
Saturday, July 22 vs Connecticut (1:00 ET, ESPN)

Connecticut Sun (15-5)
Tyasha Harris (20 games, 15.1 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 1.6 apg, 1.1 rpg, 40.6 3P%)
84-72 win at Chicago: 34 minutes, 6 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals

See above, but flipped. Against all odds, the Sun has kept pace with the league’s elite. Harris is a big reason, having upped her play since Brionna Jones’ injury. But that pace will be tested this week with a cross-country flight leading into the games against Atlanta.

Upcoming games:
Tuesday, July 18 at Phoenix (10:00 ET, CBS Sports Network)
Thursday, July 20 vs Atlanta (11:30 AM ET, NBA TV)
Saturday, July 22 at Atlanta (1:00 ET, ESPN)

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Indiana Fever (5-15)
Aliyah Boston (20 games, 20 starts, 31.0 mpg, 15.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.3 bpg, 61.0 FG%)
95-87 loss to New York: 37 minutes*, 23 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

Victaria Saxton (6 games, 1.7 mpg, 0.7 rpg)
95-87 loss to New York: 2 minutes, 0-1 shooting, turnover

Saxton kept her scoreless season alive, and Boston went into the break like an All-Star. She hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game against New York into overtime. The short-handed Fever (NaLyssa Smith is out with a foot injury) ran out of gas in the extra period, but Boston added another highlight to her reel.

Upcoming games:
Wednesday, July 19 at Washington (11:30 AM ET, League Pass or Fever Facebook)
Sunday, July 23 at New York (3:00 ET, NBA TV)

Las Vegas Aces (19-2)
A’ja Wilson (21 games, 21 starts, 30.2 mpg, 19.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.1 bpg, 1.1 spg)
98-72 win vs Phoenix: 27 minutes*, 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
97-87 win at Los Angeles: 31 minutes*, 25 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks

You know you’re good when a 20-point outing qualifies as a quiet game. Wilson and the Aces cruised comfortably into the break with a pair of easy wins.

Upcoming games:
Thursday, July 20 at Seattle (10:00 ET, Amazon Prime Video)
Saturday, July 22 at Minnesota (3:00 ET, ESPN)

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Los Angeles Sparks (7-13)
Zia Cooke (20 games, 2 starts, 14.3 mpg, 4.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 1.0 apg)
97-78 loss vs Las Vegas: 23 minutes, 8 points, rebound

Cooke’s minutes have leveled out at around 20 minutes per game. That’s the good news. The bad news is that she is once again the only former Gamecock on the Sparks’ roster. 

Upcoming games:
Thursday, July, 20 at Minnesota (8:00 ET, Amazon Prime Video)
Saturday, July 22 at Dallas (8:00 ET, Twitter)

Minnesota Lynx (9-11)

Tiffany Mitchell (13 games, 11 starts, 28.4 mpg, 10.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.5 apg)
107-67 loss vs Dallas: DNP – Left Wrist Sprain

Mitchell is out indefinitely with a left wrist sprain. Fortunately, she is not expected to need surgery, but she has missed seven consecutive games.

Upcoming games:
Tuesday, July 18 at Atlanta (7:00 ET, NBA TV)
Thursday, July 20 vs Los Angeles (8:00 ET, Amazon Prime Video)
Saturday, July 22 vs Las Vegas (3:00 ET, ESPN)

Free Agents

Alaina Coates (2 games, 3.0 mpg, 1.0 ppg, 0.5 spg)

Professional sports can be cruel. Coates was signed on June 27. She played two minutes that night but did not register a stat. Two days later Coates had two points and a steal in four minutes. After the game, she was released.

Coates has not been able to catch on with another team.

Destanni Henderson (10 games, 1 start, 16.9 mpg, 5.0 ppg, 2.5 apg)
97-78 loss vs Las Vegas: 13 minutes, 7 points, 3 assists, rebound, steal

Los Angeles terminated Henderson’s contract on Sunday in order to activate injured Layshia Clarendon. Clarendon, a former All-Star, started the first six games of the season before suffering a foot injury, so the move wasn’t a shock. 

The Sparks at least have the courtesy to leave Henderson on their website instead of scrubbing her stats like Phoenix did with Coates. And Henderson proved she belongs in the league. If she doesn’t get picked up by anyone else this season, she at least ensured she’ll get a training camp invite next year.

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