WNBA – the Holy Land’s Persons of Interest – Weekly Wrap-Up
We present you with the Sports Rabbi’s weekly update from the Holy Land’s persons of interest currently playing in the WNBA (in alphabetical order) – 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: Kalani Brown
College: Baylor University
Draft: 2019, Round 1, Pick 7
Current WNBA Team: Dallas Wings (15-13, 2nd in Western Conference, 4th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Maccabi Bnot Ashdod
Summary: Despite going 1-2 over the last week (2-4 over the past fortnight), the Wings stay over .500 and maintained their position in the standings. While the Wings defeated the Seattle Storm 76-65 in Washington, they then lost back-to-back home games against the Chicago Sky, 89-104 and 96-104. Brown averaged 7.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.3 blocks in 14 minutes across the three games.

Player: Leigha Brown
College: University of Michigan
Draft: 2023, Round 2, Pick 15
Current WNBA Team: Connecticut Sun (20-7, 2nd in Eastern Conference, 3rd overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: ASA Jerusalem
Summary: The Suns are on a 2-game winning streak, with back-to-back home wins over the Minnesota Lynx 79-69 at home (after dropping the same game two days earlier) and the Indiana Fever 88-72. Brown appeared for four minutes in the win over the Fever.

Player: Veronica Burton
College: Northwestern University
Draft: 2022, Round 1, Pick 7
Current WNBA Team: Dallas Wings (15-13, 2nd in Western Conference, 4th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Elitzur Holon
Summary: Despite going 1-2 over the last week (2-4 over the past fortnight), the Wings stay over .500 and maintained their position in the standings. While the Wings defeated the Seattle Storm 76-65 in Washington, they then lost back-to-back home games against the Chicago Sky, 89-104 and 96-104. Burton averaged 2.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1 steal in a little under 10 minutes across the three games.

Player: Maya Caldwell
College: University of Georgia
Draft: 2021, Round 3, Pick 33
Current WNBA Team: Indiana Fever (7-21, 6th in Eastern Conference, 12th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: AS Ramat Hasharon
Summary: The Fever went 1-2 over the last week, with a slender 72-71 home win over the Phoenix Mercury followed by a 72-88 home loss to the Connecticut Sun and a 73-82 away loss to the Atlanta Dream. While Caldwell was only on the court for a minute in the win over the Phoenix, she averaged 2 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.5 steals in 11 minutes in the two losses.

Player: Alysha Clark
College: Middle Tennessee State University
Draft: 2010, Round 2, Pick 17
Current WNBA Team: Las Vegas Aces (24-3, 1st in Western Conference, 1st overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: — (2022-23 with Elitzur Ramla)
Summary: The Aces split their games 1-1 over the past week, with a big 93-72 home win over the Atlanta Dream and an even bigger 61-99 away loss to the second-placed New York Liberty. Clark averaged 4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1 assist and 0.5 steals in 23 minutes across the two games.

Player: Amanda Zahui
College: University of Minnesota
Draft: 2015, Round 1, Pick 2
Current WNBA Team: Indiana Fever (7-21, 6th in Eastern Conference, 12th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Maccabi Bnot Ashdod
Summary: Maccabi Bnot Ashdod announced the signing of the Swedish native Zahui last week, with CEO Uri Ben Simon (CEO) and Head Coach Shira Haelion commenting that they “insisted on bringing a player of a very high level and Amanda answers all our requirements.” Zahui’s Fever went 1-2 over the last week, with a slender 72-71 home win over the Phoenix Mercury followed by a 72-88 home loss to the Connecticut Sun and a 73-82 away loss to the Atlanta Dream. Zahui averaged 1 rebound, 0.3 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks in a little under 7 minutes across the three games.

University of Maryland’s Jewish star, Abby Meyers, was released by the Washington Mystics on August 6. Jennie Simms, Team Israel’s star player, was waived by the Phoenix Sun on July 19.

Current Standings
1. Las Vegas Aces (24-3)
2. New York Liberty (22-6)
3. Connecticut Sun (20-7)
4. Dallas Wings (15-13)
5. Atlanta Dream (15-13)
6. Washington Mystics (13-14)
7. Minnesota Lynx (13-15)
8. Chicago Sky (12-15)
9. Los Angeles Sparks (10-18)
10. Seattle Storm (7-20)
11. Phoenix Mercury (7-20)
12. Indiana Fever (7-21)