We present you with the Sports Rabbi’s weekly update from the Holy Land’s persons of interest currently playing in the WNBA – whether they’re signed on to play in the Israeli Women’s Premier Basketball League (the Athena Winner League) next season or whether they’re otherwise intrinsically connected to the Holy Land, we are here to let you know how they’re traveling in the W!

Player: Alysha Clark
College: Middle Tennessee State University
Draft: 2010, Round 2, Pick 17
Current WNBA Team: Las Vegas Aces (28-4, 1st in Western Conference, 1st overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: — (2022-23 with Elitzur Ramla)
Summary: It was far from the Aces’ best week this season, first losing the Commissioner’s Cup Final at home to the New York Liberty 63-92 after leading 34-32 at halftime. In league play, the Aces got their revenge on the Liberty with an 88-75 win at home, however they then lost their first league home game for the year to the Los Angeles Sparks 72-78. Clark averaged 5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in a little under 23 minutes across the three games.

Player: Kalani Brown
College: Baylor University
Draft: 2019, Round 1, Pick 7
Current WNBA Team: Dallas Wings (18-14, 2nd in Western Conference, 4th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Maccabi Bnot Ashdod
Summary: The Wings are in good form in the leadup to the playoffs, going 2-0 on the road over the past week, with a 95-75 win over the Connecticut Sun and a 97-84 win over the Washington Mystics. Brown averaged 12 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2 assists in 14.5 minutes in the wins.

Player: Leigha Brown
College: University of Michigan
Draft: 2023, Round 2, Pick 15
Current WNBA Team: Connecticut Sun (22-10, 2nd in Eastern Conference, 3rd overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: ASA Jerusalem
Summary: The Suns split their games over the last week, with a 75-95 home loss to the Dallas Wings and a 79-73 away win over the Chicago Sky. Brown averages 1 point and 0.5 rebounds in 1 minute across the two games.

Player: Veronica Burton
College: Northwestern University
Draft: 2022, Round 1, Pick 7
Current WNBA Team: Dallas Wings (18-14, 2nd in Western Conference, 4th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Elitzur Holon
Summary: The Wings are in good form in the leadup to the playoffs, going 2-0 on the road over the past week, with a 95-75 win over the Connecticut Sun and a 97-84 win over the Washington Mystics. Burton had 1 rebound and 1 assist in the game against the Sun, while she had 6 points, 2 rebounds and 2 steals in the win over the Mystics.

Player: Maya Caldwell
College: University of Georgia
Draft: 2021, Round 3, Pick 33
Current WNBA Team: Indiana Fever (9-24, 6th in Eastern Conference, 12th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: AS Ramat Hasharon
Summary: The Fever went 1-1 over the last week, with a 79-83 home loss to the Washington Mystics and an 83-73 away win over the Phoenix Mercury. Caldwell did not appear in either game.

Player: Amanda Zahui
College: University of Minnesota
Draft: 2015, Round 1, Pick 2
Current WNBA Team: Indiana Fever (9-24, 6th in Eastern Conference, 12th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Maccabi Bnot Ashdod
Summary: The Fever went 1-1 over the last week, with a 79-83 home loss to the Washington Mystics and an 83-73 away win over the Phoenix Mercury. Zahui averaged 0.5 rebounds in 4.5 minutes across the two games.

University of Maryland’s Jewish star, Abby Meyers, was released by the Washington Mystics on August 6. Team Israel star, Jennie Simms, was released by the Washington Mystics on August 17.

Current Standings
1. Las Vegas Aces (28-4)
2. New York Liberty (25-7)
3. Connecticut Sun (22-10)
4. Dallas Wings (18-14)
5. Atlanta Dream (16-16)
6. Minnesota Lynx (15-17)
7. Washington Mystics (15-17)
8. Los Angeles Sparks (13-18)
9. Chicago Sky (12-20)
10. Seattle Storm (10-22)