As WNBA All-Star 2025 voting continues, players producing All-Star-worthy seasons deservedly assume the spotlight.
But inevitably, not everyone is going to be at their best. Players will have disappointing stretches. Yet, with every team having played between 13 and 15 games, there’s plenty of time for players who’ve gotten off to rough starts to turn things around. While soon improving their play may not be enough to earn them an All-Star nomination, finding their best form will help their teams secure more wins.
Ahead of Tuesday’s WNBA games, here’s a look at players can begin their turnaround:
Bridget Carleton and Aaliyah Edwards
When the Minnesota Lynx visit the Washington Mystics on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, League Pass), both teams will be hoping that their Canadians can kickstart seasons that have, thus far, been stuck in neutral.
For the Lynx’s Bridget Carleton, that starts with finding her 3-ball. After shooting 44.4 percent from long range last season, she’s hovering around 31 percent. The league-leading Lynx still have a top-three offense without Carleton cashing in consistently on her 3s. Once her triples start falling, she’ll give Minnesota an even wider margin for error.
Sidelined to begin the season with a back injury, Aaliyah Edwards has seen less than 15 minutes per game for the Mystics, having yet to find her niche in DC’s crowded, talented frontcourt. The attacks to the basket that she flashed during Unrivaled, especially in her run to the 1-on-1 championship game, have been mostly absent. Likewise, Washington has yet to tap into her potential passing hub. If development is the priority in DC, the Mystics staff should be doing more to optimize Edwards’ talents.
Mercedes Russell and Rebecca Allen
The Los Angeles Sparks and Chicago Sky are two of the league’s more disappointing teams, with aggressive, offseason changes failing to transform the teams into the playoff contenders they hoped to be. They’re matching up in Chicago on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, NBA TV).
Their overall struggles are somewhat confounding, as both teams are getting solid play from a number of their new and returning pieces. For LA, Kelsey Plum is providing the All-Star-level production expected, with Dearica Hamby putting up numbers similar to last season’s All-Star campaign. Azurá Stevens is having the best season of her career, and Rickea Jackson has recovered from a slow start. In Chicago, Ariel Atkins has showed her worth after an uneven start, while, despite some growing pains, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso are continuing to prove why they should be the organization’s priorities.
A lack of depth, exacerbated by an injury to Rae Burrell and the continued recovery of Cameron Brink, has dulled the impact of the positive play of the Sparks’ top talents. LA needs to start getting something from their reserves. The continued decline of Mercedes Russell, in particular, has sapped the Sparks of additional size. Formerly one of the league’s better back-up bigs as a member of the Seattle Storm, Russell is earning less than 10 minutes per game, with shooting and rebounding percentages too low for a 6-foot-6 player. Against the Sky, which deploys a three-big rotation of Reese, Cardoso and Elizabeth Williams, the Sparks could use a Russell who finds a spark.
Chicago’s supporting pieces haven’t been bad, but they need to be better. That includes Rebecca Allen. A sharpshooter with defensive chops, she’s shooting under 28 percent from 3 and averaging her fewest “stocks” (steals+blocks) since 2019. A few more 3s, along with some points created off turnovers, would provide some precious, extra points for a struggling Sky offense.
Brittney Griner and Arike Ogunbowale
The Atlanta Dream are moving in the right direction, despite a down season from Brittney Griner. The Dallas Wings are floundering in the wrong direction, a situation exacerbated by the struggles of Arike Ogunbowale. On Tuesday, Griner’s Dream visit Ogunbowale’s Wings (8 p.m. ET, League Pass).
At this point in her career, Griner’s name may be bigger than her game. But, her game still can be better than it has been. Even if she is happy to assume a reduced role for Atlanta, the Dream need her to be more impactful when called upon in order to continue to establish themselves as a certified playoff team. The short midrangers that used to be automatic have been off, resulting in the lowest shooting percentage of her career. BG’s also getting to the line less than ever, a product of her often looking to avoid contact when finishing around the basket rather than powering through defenders to draw fouls. Against a Dallas team that tends to play small, Griner has a perfect opportunity to dominate down low with force.
Ogunbowale has turned in some signature, high-scoring performances, including 27 points in Dallas’ overtime loss to the Mystics on Sunday. That’s one of four games in which she scored more than 25 points. However, Arike has five single-digit scoring games, a shocking fact for a player known for always finding a way to get buckets. It’s not surprising that a retooled Dallas team featuring No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers would reduce Ogunbowale’s load, but her lows have been too low. The boost in efficiency that was expected to come with Ogunbowale playing more off the ball also has not materialized; instead, her 35.5 percent field goal percentage is the worst of her career. The magic of Arike is her ability to explode at any time, authoring an incredible shooting and scoring display. More of those outbursts are sure to come, but Dallas cannot afford any more near-absent efforts.
Damiris Dantas and Ezi Magbegor
The Indiana Fever will be looking to avoid an 0-3 West Coast road trip, while the Seattle Storm seek to extend their winning streak to four games (10 p.m. ET, NBA TV).
The main characters in this one will, of course, be Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell for the Fever and Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike and Gabby Williams for the Storm. But to secure a win both Tuesday and more wins in the future, both teams could benefit from improved play from one of their bigs.
The Fever elected to protect Damiris Dantas over Temi Fagbenle in the expansion draft, allowing Fagbenle to be selected by the Golden State Valkyries. That might have been the wrong decision, but it’s an understandable one; Dantas is a stretch big who brings a different dimension to Indiana’s frontcourt. Yet, so far this season, Dantas’ outside shooting has been more theoretical than actual, as she’s shooting 33 percent from 3. Encouragingly, she is hoisting triples at higher rate than last season, suggesting than an uptick in her percentage could allow her to begin to have floor-stretching, off-the-bench impact for the Fever.
The offensive side of the ball is also the issue for Ezi Magbegor. While not expected to be a primary source of offense for the Storm, her scoring has dropped by almost five points per game from last season as she is finishing less than 44 percent of her shots, a career-low percentage. Proficient at the rim, Magbegor has struggled to extend her range beyond the basket. She’s also shooting a frigid 41.7 percent from the line. So far, Magbegor’s lack of a steady stroke has not stalled the Storm’s upward, championship-chasing momentum. But for a team with an overall offensive profile that relies heavily on 2-pointers, any and all extra buckets that Magbegor can provide could swing close games in Seattle’s favor, including on Tuesday.
Game information
Minnesota Lynx (12-1) vs. Washington Mystics (6-8)
When: Tuesday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: CareFirst Arena in Washington, DC
How to watch: WNBA League Pass
Los Angeles Sparks (4-10) vs. Chicago Sky (3-10)
When: Tuesday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL
How to watch: NBA TV
Atlanta Dream (10-4) vs. Dallas Wings (3-12)
When: Tuesday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: College Park Center in Arlington, TX
How to watch: WNBA League Pass
Indiana Fever (6-7) vs. Seattle Storm (8-5)
When: Tuesday, June 24 at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA
How to watch: NBA TV