South Carolina women's basketball in the WNBA: Week 13

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There was a lot of Gamecock-against-Gamecock action last week, but now attention turns to the playoff race in the final week of the WNBA season.

Dallas Wings (16-16)

Allisha Gray (29 games, 29 starts, 32.7 mpg, 13.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 spg)

Gray continues to fill up the box score, but she might be wearing down a little. She is fourth in the league in minutes per game and hasn’t shot better than 50% from the field in two weeks. There’s no rest for the weary as Dallas plays four games this week and needs every win to hold onto a playoff spot.

Last week:

at Chicago (84-78 win): 31 minutes*, 7 points, 2 rebounds, assist

vs Las Vegas (82-80 win): 37 minutes*, 12 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds

vs Indiana (95-91 OT win): 44 minutes*, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists

Tyasha Harris (31 games, 5 starts, 15.5 mpg, 4.5 ppg, 2.8 apg, 0.9 rpg)

Here’s what I wrote in this spot last week: “Last week was a don’t play Ty week. This week she’ll probably play 20 minutes per game.” Turns out both happened. After leading Dallas to its best win of the season with a game-winning drive-and-dish against Las Vegas (Harris got the pass by Wilson, saying she knew Wilson’s tendencies from their time at South Carolina), Harris only played five minutes as Dallas needed overtime to beat an Indiana team that hasn’t been competitive in weeks.

Last week:

at Chicago (84-78 win): 17 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists

vs Las Vegas (82-80 win): 23 minutes, 15 points, 6 assists, steal

vs Indiana (95-91 OT win): 5 minutes, steal

Upcoming:

Monday vs New York (8:00 ET, NBA TV)

Wednesday vs New York (8:00 ET)

Friday at Phoenix (10:00 ET, NBA TV)

Sunday at Los Angeles (7:00 ET, Spectrum SportsNet)

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Indiana Fever (5-29)

Alaina Coates (8 games, 9.4 mpg, 3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.4 bpg, 93.3 FT%)

Coates’ feel-good story came to an end on June 7 when she was waived by Indiana.

Destanni Henderson (34 games, 3 starts, 15.7 mpg, 5.5 ppg, 2.4 apg, 1.6 rpg, 38.8 3P%)

When Indiana lets Henderson play, she puts up big numbers. Unfortunately for Henderson, Indiana has to be forced to let her play.

Last week:

at Atlanta (91-81 loss): 9 minutes, 3 points, assist, steal

at Dallas (95-91 OT loss): 27 minutes, 16 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, steal, block

Tiffany Mitchell (32 games, 6 starts, 15.6 mpg, 5.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.8 spg)

Mitchell missed that loss to Dallas with a calf injury. She is a free agent after this season, and with only two games this week, we may have seen the last of her in an Indiana uniform.

Last week:

at Atlanta (91-81 loss): 19 minutes*, 6 points, rebound

at Dallas (95-91 OT loss): DNP – Right calf injury

Upcoming:

Friday vs Washington (7:00 ET, Facebook)

Sunday at Washington (3:00 ET, ESPN3)

[Join us Aug. 20 at Steel Hands Brewing for the 2022 Gamecock Central South Carolina football Kickoff Party]

Las Vegas Aces (23-10)

A’ja Wilson (33 games, 33 starts, 29.4 mpg, 19.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 2.0 apg, 1.4 spg)

A rough week ended on a high note for the Aces, who beat the Storm in Sue Bird’s final home game. Wilson turned in an MVP-type performance in the win. With three games this week, including two against top-four teams, Las Vegas will have a big say in the playoff seedings, and Wilson will have a couple of marquee chances to make her case for MVP. 

Last week:

at Washington (83-73 loss): 33 minutes*, 22 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks

at Dallas (82-80 loss): 37 minutes*, 12 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 3 steals

at Seattle (89-81 win): 34 minutes*, 29 points, 6 rebounds, assist, steal

Upcoming:

Tuesday vs Atlanta (10:00 ET, CBS Sports Network)

Thursday vs Chicago (10:00 ET, NBA TV)

Sunday vs Seattle (3:00 ET, ABC)

Kaela Davis

Davis was signed to a hardship contract by Phoenix on July 21. She made a brief appearance against Seattle, playing two minutes and not registering a stat. Davis’ seven-day contract expired July 28 and Phoenix resigned her. She did not play in the Mercury’s win over the Sparks, and then played one stat-less minute against New York. In a blowout loss to Connecticut, Davis had 10 points and two rebounds in seven minutes of action. Phoenix did not retain Davis after her second contract expired on August 4.

Phoenix is Davis’ third team of the season. Wednesday before the season began, Davis was waived by Chicago. Two days later, just hours before Chicago’s season-opener, the Sky resigned Davis to a hardship contract (Davis didn’t even show up on the league transaction list until the next day). She played 10 minutes that night against Los Angeles but was released on May 9, before Chicago’s next game. Davis was out of work for less than a week and was signed to another hardship contract by Seattle that Friday. She did not appear in a game for Seattle and was waived again on May 18.

Then on May 28, with several Storm players in health and safety protocols, the Storm resigned Davis. Davis played 18 minutes in the Storm’s blowout win over the Liberty on May 29, scoring 11 points to go with two rebounds and two steals. It would be her only game – Davis was waived June 2 to make room for returning players.

In five games this season (one each with Chicago and Seattle, and three with Phoenix), Davis is averaging 7.4 minutes, 4.2 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 0.4 steals. Proving she’s just as capable as ever of getting hot, all of Davis’ points have come in two games.

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