For the Los Angeles Sparks, the 2024 WNBA season has been more about player development than winning games. Los Angeles has been in rebuilding mode, and while that doesn’t mean the Sparks don’t have talent on their roster, it does mean they’ll approach the last month of the season differently than teams in playoff contention.
Savvy fantasy basketball owners know that situations like these are where younger players tend to get more shine. In the Sparks’ case, 2024 No. 2 overall draft pick Cameron Brink had her rookie season cut short by a knee injury, but Rickea Jackson, who the Sparks selected at No. 4 overall, has gotten better and better as the year goes on—and if she’s somehow available in your fantasy league, you should consider picking her up.
Since Brink was injured in mid-June, Jackson’s role has expanded, and she’s looked more like the versatile scoring forward she was in college. In her last 10 games, Jackson is averaging 15.3 points (up from 11.9 on the season) on 13 field goal attempts (up from 9.9), and she’s playing a lot, too, averaging 32.7 minutes in that span.
That’s good for 24 fantasy points per game in standard ESPN leagues, and while Jackson’s relative lack of defensive impact thus far (0.5 steals and 0.2 blocks per game on the season) has kept her from truly breaking out as a must-roster player, her role on this year’s Sparks team seems solidified; she’s a big part of the team’s future, and they want her to get as many reps as possible down the stretch.
Cardoso finding her footing in Chicago
Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso is another rookie who’s been impressive lately, and while we already mentioned her as a potential fantasy addition back in June, she’s looked like a completely different player since the Olympic break. In those four games, Cardoso is averaging 13.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 defensive stats, which is equivalent to 26.3 fantasy points per game.
What’s been most encouraging about Cardoso’s play as of late, however, is her offensive efficiency. She’s shot an astounding 71.4 percent from the field since the break (up considerably from 46.2 percent before the break), a number that’s even more impressive considering she’s played against Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury twice. While field goal percentage may or may not impact player scoring in your fantasy league, depending on its settings, Cardoso’s jump in efficiency is a great sign for her adjusting to the physicality of the WNBA, and there’s no reason why the 6-foot-7 center shouldn’t be a high-efficiency scorer once she gets fully acclimated.
Foul trouble continues to be Cardoso’s biggest enemy—for as well as she’s played since the Olympic break, she’s totaled 19 fouls in those four games—but such is to be expected from a rookie center. The Sky have been more intentional about getting Cardoso the ball in the paint and she’s been better at finishing those plays, and she’s set up for a strong finish to her rookie campaign as a full-time starter.
Hillmon filling a void in Atlanta
If you’re playing in a deeper fantasy leagues, there won’t be as many players on the waiver wire, and potential adds and drops won’t be as obvious. If you find yourself in a streaming situation, though, consider picking up Hillmon if she’s available. The third-year forward’s game certainly isn’t flashy, and at just 3.3 field goal attempts per game, she won’t stand out as a make-or-break fantasy player.
Hillmon has, however, played heavy minutes in four games since the Olympic break (31.4 per game), in part due to an injury to Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, who will be out for at least the next two weeks with an ankle injury. The frontcourt pairing of Parker-Tyus and Tina Charles hasn’t worked as well as the Dream had hoped, which had kept Hillmon in the picture as a low-usage reserve. Since Parker-Tyus got injured, Hillmon hasn’t had much competition for the starting role, as fellow forward Nia Coffey has had a disappointing season and Lorela Cubaj rarely cracks double-digit minutes for Atlanta.
To be clear, Charles will be the one who benefits the most statistically. Hillmon’s willingness to play without the basketball is part of what appeals to Dream head coach Tanisha Wright, and she won’t be taking many shots away from Atlanta’s higher-usage players. It’s that same complementary factor that makes her an easy bet for consistent minutes, though, and this late in the season when injuries are starting to pile up, sometimes that’s all a fantasy team can realistically ask for.
For the purposes of this article, “fantasy points” refer to standard ESPN fantasy league scoring, in which points, 3-pointers, rebounds and assists are each worth one fantasy point and steals and blocks are each worth two fantasy points. All player and team stats for the 2024 season are current through August 24.