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: Jennie Simms
College: Old Dominion University
Draft: 2017, Round 2, Pick 18
Current WNBA Team: Washington Mystics (14-16, 4th in Eastern Conference, 7th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Elitzur Ramla
Summary: After the Phoenix Mercury waived her last month, Simms signed a 7-day hardship contract with the Mystics on the weekend. The Mystics went 1-2 over the last week – losing away to the Phoenix Mercury (72-91) and the Las Vegas Aces (89-113), followed by a home win over the Chicago Sky (83-76 – to drop another spot in the standings and at risk of falling out of the playoffs with their injury concerns. Simms has not yet suited up for the Mystics, with her first chance in the Mystics next game against the Indiana Fever on Friday night.

Player: Kalani Brown
College: Baylor University
Draft: 2019, Round 1, Pick 7
Current WNBA Team: Dallas Wings (16-14, 2nd in Western Conference, 4th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Maccabi Bnot Ashdod
Summary: The Wings split their two home games over the past week, with an 84-104 loss to the league-leading Las Vegas Aces, followed by a 91-81 win over the third-placed Connecticut Sun. Over the week, Brown averaged 11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1.5 blocks in 20.5 minutes.

Player: Leigha Brown
College: University of Michigan
Draft: 2023, Round 2, Pick 15
Current WNBA Team: Connecticut Sun (21-9, 2nd in Eastern Conference, 3rd overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: ASA Jerusalem
Summary: The Suns went 1-2 over the last week, with a an 81-69 win away over the Seattle Storm, followed by back-to-back away losses to the Phoenix Mercury (84-90, with the Mercury’s 45-point first quarter breaking a WNBA record for points scored in a quarter) and the Dallas Wings (81-91). Brown only appeared in the Storm game, managing 1 assist in 4 minutes.

Player: Veronica Burton
College: Northwestern University
Draft: 2022, Round 1, Pick 7
Current WNBA Team: Dallas Wings (16-14, 2nd in Western Conference, 4th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Elitzur Holon
Summary: The Wings split their two home games over the past week, with an 84-104 loss to the league-leading Las Vegas Aces, followed by a 91-81 win over the third-placed Connecticut Sun. Burton averaged 3 points, 0.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 8.5 minutes over the two games.

Player: Maya Caldwell
College: University of Georgia
Draft: 2021, Round 3, Pick 33
Current WNBA Team: Indiana Fever (8-23, 6th in Eastern Conference, 12th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: AS Ramat Hasharon
Summary: The Fever went 1-2 at home over the last week, with a 91-73 win over the Minnesota Lynx sandwiched between losses to the Los Angeles Sparks (80-87) and the conference-leading New York Liberty (89-100). Caldwell did not appear in any of the games.

Player: Alysha Clark
College: Middle Tennessee State University
Draft: 2010, Round 2, Pick 17
Current WNBA Team: Las Vegas Aces (27-3, 1st in Western Conference, 1st overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: — (2022-23 with Elitzur Ramla)
Summary: The Aces went 3-0 over the last week, with a 104-84 away win over the Dallas Wings, followed by home wins over the Washington Mystics (113-89) and the Atlanta Dream (86-65). Clark averaged 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks in the wins over the Wings and the Mystics, but was absent with a back injury in the win over the Dream.

Player: Amanda Zahui
College: University of Minnesota
Draft: 2015, Round 1, Pick 2
Current WNBA Team: Indiana Fever (8-23, 6th in Eastern Conference, 12th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Maccabi Bnot Ashdod
Summary: The Fever went 1-2 at home over the last week, with a 91-73 win over the Minnesota Lynx sandwiched between losses to the Los Angeles Sparks (80-87) and the conference-leading New York Liberty (89-100). Zahui played 12 minutes for 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in the loss to the Sparks, while averaging 0.5 rebounds in 3 minutes in the other two games.

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

Current Standings
1. Las Vegas Aces (27-3)
2. New York Liberty (24-6)
3. Connecticut Sun (21-9)
4. Dallas Wings (16-14)
5. Atlanta Dream (15-16)
6. Minnesota Lynx (14-16)
7. Washington Mystics (14-16)
8. Chicago Sky (12-18)
9. Los Angeles Sparks (12-18)
10. Seattle Storm (9-21)
11. Phoenix Mercury (9-21)
12. Indiana Fever (8-23)