WNBA DFS Picks and Lineup Tips for Sunday, June 16

WNBA DFS Picks and Lineup Tips for Sunday, June 16

WNBA Schedule Today

  • Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever
  • Seattle Storm at Phoenix Mercury
  • Los Angeles Sparks at Atlanta Dream

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Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever

Line: Fever -2
O/U: 164.5

Injury Report - Sky vs. Fever

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Chicago

NamePosInjuryStatusReturn
Elizabeth WilliamsFKneeOUT8/15/2024
Nikolina MilicCPersonalOUT5/1/2025

Indiana

NamePosInjuryStatusReturn
Damiris DantasCKneeOUT6/19/2024
Temi FagbenleFFootOUT6/19/2024

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

The first game in the trio of afternoon contests will be between two squads still trying to figure things out and find their way a quarter of the way through the 2024 season. 

The Sky come into Sunday floating around the bottom of the playoff picture while riding a three-game losing streak. Chicago most recently fell to Washington in a two-point defeat Friday in the nation's capital. Marina Mabrey has led the Sky offensively this season, which she could do again Sunday, but two players worth keeping an eye on are rookie Angel Reese and Chennedy Carter. Reese enters the game having recorded a double-double in five straight games, while Carter has been a key player off Chicago's bench, tallying double figures in scoring in 10 of the first 12 contests. 

The Fever have had an up-and-down start to the season, sitting in the bottom three of the WNBA standings, though they are coming off a win over the Dream on Thursday in Indiana. While all eyes will once again be on Caitlin Clark, who will be looking for a bounce-back performance after scoring in single digits in Thursday's win, an Indiana player you should add to your lineup in this contest is Aliyah Boston. Boston is coming off her best performance of the season Thursday, having posted two straight double-doubles. She will also have a favorable matchup against a Chicago squad that is slightly shorthanded in the paint due to injuries. 

Seattle Storm at Phoenix Mercury

Line: Storm -2.5
O/U: 164.5

Injury Report - Storm vs. Mercury

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Seattle

NamePosInjuryStatusReturn
Mackenzie HolmesFKneeOFS5/1/2025

Phoenix

No injuries to report. 

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

The contest between Seattle and Phoenix could be one of the more entertaining matchups of the day, including two squads who are rising up the WNBA standings now over a quarter of the way through the year. 

The Storm have been one of the hottest teams in the WNBA as of late, riding a two-game winning streak while winning eight of their last 10 contests. Seattle has impressed on both ends of the court, ranking in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating, which has sparked its recent hot streak. The trio of Jewell Loyd, Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith has thrived for the Storm in leading the team this season, something that could continue Sunday. Of those players, Loyd could continue to lead her squad offensively, coming into the battle against Phoenix tallying 20 or more points in three of her last four games. With the Mercury likely to focus on the paint, Loyd could have an opportunity from outside in leading her team. 

The Mercury are finally back to being fully healthy with Brittney Griner's return, resulting in the team emerging as a top-half team in the WNBA standings despite dropping their most recent game against Las Vegas on Thursday by single-digits. With Loyd and Diggins-Smith likely getting a high volume of shots on their end of the court, Kahleah Copper could continue her recent hot stretch by doing the same for Phoenix. Copper enters Sunday having scored at least 15 points in four straight contests. Griner is another player to take a chance on, averaging 20.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 blocks over her last three games since her return.

Los Angeles Sparks at Atlanta Dream

Line: Dream -4.5
O/U: 159.5

Injury Report - Sparks vs. Dream

Note: All return dates are just estimates

Los Angeles

NamePosInjuryStatusReturn
Azura StevensFArmOUT6/22/2024
Julie AllemandGAnkleOFS5/1/2025

Atlanta

NamePosInjuryStatusReturn
Jordin CanadaGHandGTD6/16/2024
Iliana RupertCRestOFS4/1/2025
Nyadiew PuochFNot Injury RelatedOFS5/1/2025
Isobel BorlaseGNot Injury RelatedOFS5/1/2025
Matilde VillaGNot Injury RelatedOFS5/1/2025

WNBA DFS Showdown Picks and Lineup Building Strategy

In the third and final game, the battle between Los Angeles and Atlanta features two teams riding losing streaks despite playing better basketball as of late. 

The Sparks come into Sunday losers of two straight, but they are playing much better compared to how the season started. Before the two-game losing streak, Los Angeles tallied wins against Dallas and Las Vegas and nearly defeated Minnesota on Friday until ultimately dropping the contest by five points. Dearica Hamby will again be tasked with leading the way for the Sparks against the Dream, doing it all in Los Angeles this year while nearing 20 points per game. Off the bench, keep an eye on Aari McDonald, who has been playing some of her best basketball of the year recently, reaching double figures in scoring in three straight contests while also doing a nice job in distributing on the second unit. 

The Dream are also experiencing a losing streak coming into Sunday, having lost two straight while most recently falling to Indiana on Thursday in Indiana. Atlanta has surprisingly struggled offensively this season, which has fed into some of its early-season issues, entering Sunday ranked last in the WNBA in field-goal percentage while ranking 11th in points per game. However, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, who have led the Dream offensively this season, could help turn that around against a less-than-stellar Los Angeles defense. Tina Charles and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus are also worth watching in this contest, especially with Azura Stevens remaining out for the Sparks. 

WNBA DFS Picks Today

FanDuel

Griner has been outstanding over her three appearances since returning to action, averaging 20.0 points per game while being a valued paint presence for Phoenix. Against Seattle, look for the Mercury to continue to focus on Griner in the paint. Reese has taken her game up a notch as of late, building on an impressive rookie campaign by tallying a double-double in five straight contests. She will continue to see a high volume of action for Chicago, setting up for another double-double-type performance Sunday. Boston is coming off her best game of the year and will likely continue that trend against a Sky squad with some youth in the paint. 

Value Plays

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Hamby has done it all for Los Angeles, averaging 19.7 points per game as the team's top scorer, and there's no reason to believe she won't continue that Sunday against Atlanta. Copper will likely see a high volume of shot attempts, building onto an impressive stretch of performances as of late for Phoenix. Charles could be set for a bounce-back game against a Los Angeles squad that is shorthanded and young in the paint as she attempts to tally at least 10 points and seven rebounds for the third time in her last four games. 

Value Plays

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mitchell Hansen
Mitchell has covered sports teams and leagues on all levels, having spent more than seven years covering the WNBA and NBA, among other sports. He joined RotoWire in 2022 while offering analysis on the NBA, WNBA and G League. You can follow him on Twitter @M_Hansen13.
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