WNBA: Salaün, Zandalasini, Meesseman among fantasy players to watch

Whenever a big-name player gets injured, smart fantasy basketball managers know to immediately check their waiver wires for potential pickups. Even if no player can single-handedly replace an injured star’s production by themselves, an increase in minutes can still make them worthy of an add.

The most immediate example of such a situation is in Golden State, where the Valkyries are scrambling to replace All-Star forward Kayla Thornton. Thornton’s career year was cut short when she suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice, and the Valkyries will need to look elsewhere on their roster for players who can step up in Thornton’s absence.

As it so happens, we already have a game’s worth of data to consider. The Valkyries defeated the Wings in their first game without Thornton, getting noteworthy performances from other forwards such as Janelle Salaün and Cecilia Zandalasini. But how repeatable are those performances, and is either player in a good enough situation to be added in fantasy leagues? Let’s dig deeper into the Valkyries’ situation in this week’s WNBA Fantasy Grab Bag.

Janelle Salaün, Cecilia Zandalasini taking charge in Golden State

At the time of Thornton’s injury, she was the only player on the Valkyries attempting more than 10 shots per game, as well as their only player to be averaging more than 30 minutes of playing time, so her absence was bound to create a big opportunity for someone else. On Friday, that was Salaün, who started and recorded a line of 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in a team-high 34 minutes.

If you were paying attention earlier in the season, this shouldn’t surprise you. Salaün has had an up-and-down start to her WNBA career, but her ability to score the basketball is shared by few other Valkyries, and she’s a decent contributor on the boards and on defense as well. Salaün may have some shooting struggles, but with Thornton out, she’ll be given more opportunity on a team that doesn’t have much shot creation.

The same could be said for Zandalasini, who recorded 10 points and three assists in 30 minutes on Friday. She’s more of a 3-point specialist—over half of her shot attempts have come from beyond the arc—which lends itself to some statistical volatility. Even so, that 3-point shooting ability is going to keep her on the floor for Golden State, and while she’s not the all-around contributor that Salaün is, she’s worth a look in deeper leagues.

Leïla Lacan making up for lost time in Connecticut

Elsewhere, the Connecticut Sun continue to struggle, and while veterans like Tina Charles, Marina Mabrey and Bria Hartley continue to be part of their rotation, the Sun’s youth movement has already begun. We’ve already talked about first-year players Saniya Rivers and Aneesah Morrow being decent fantasy options, but now that Lacan is playing consistent minutes, she deserves a mention as well.

Lacan was a late arrival to the Sun due to international commitments (it was speculated that she wouldn’t be playing in the WNBA at all this summer), but the young French guard has shown flashes of brilliance in the six games she’s played. Lacan is currently averaging 8.5 points, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals (good for 16.85 fantasy points in standard leagues) and, best of all, she’s been playing nearly 25 minutes per contest. As with most young guards, her production has been inconsistent, but when she’s on, it’s been impressive: Lacan recorded a line of 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting and three steals in 24 minutes against the Fever before the All-Star break, playing impressive defense on Caitlin Clark.

Just as with Rivers and Morrow, Lacan’s fantasy value will be somewhat handicapped while Mabrey and Hartley are active. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Sun head coach Rachid Meziane, though, it’s that he’s not afraid to play his youngsters, so a Lacan breakout could be right around the corner. Make sure she’s on your watch list, at the very least.

Don’t forget about Emma Meesseman!

One of the greatest players in the world is back in the WNBA—or close to it. It was recently reported that Belgian forward Emma Meesseman, who hasn’t played in the league since 2022, had committed to joining the New York Liberty and was waiting on a visa.

It’s anyone’s guess how long that’s going to take, of course, but when Meesseman does arrive in New York, she’ll instantly make the Liberty better. One of the most efficient scorers in WNBA history, Meesseman holds career shooting splits of 57.1/37.1/85.4, and she’s also a prolific passer and defensive playmaker, so it’s easy to see her fitting next to All-WNBA talents Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones.

Even if Meesseman takes on more of a complementary role with the Liberty, she’s light years better than anyone else that’s likely on your waiver wire. In ESPN leagues, she’s IR-eligible, so if you have an IR spot available and are willing to roll the dice on not needing it until Meesseman arrives, she has the potential to be a league-winning player. She’s also listed as a center, of which there aren’t many in ESPN leagues; if your league requires you to have a center in your lineup, that’s all the more reason to stash Meesseman.