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 (34-6, 1st in Western Conference, 1st overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: — (2022-23 with Elitzur Ramla)
Summary: The Aces ended their season on a 4-0 run to secure first place in the standings and home court advantage throughout the playoffs, which will begin with a first round series against the Chicago Sky. Over the last four games, the Aces won at home against the Washington Mystics (84-75) and the Seattle Storm (103-77), then won both games against the Phoenix Mercury away (94-73) and at home (100-85). Across the four games, Clark averaged 8.75 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.25 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks in 24 minutes.
2023 Regular Season Averages: 6.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocks in 22.5 minutes across 39 games.

Player: Kalani Brown
College: Baylor University
Draft: 2019, Round 1, Pick 7
Current WNBA Team: Dallas Wings (22-18, 2nd in Western Conference, 4th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Maccabi Bnot Ashdod
Summary: The Wings went 3-2 to end the regular season, finishing fourth place in the standings and securing home court advantage over the Atlanta Dream in the first round of the playoffs. That run included splitting games against the Indiana Fever (a 110-100 win away and an 84-97 loss at home), a 93-94 loss at home to the New York Liberty, a 106-91 win at home against the Seattle Storm, then a 94-77 away win against their first round matchup in the Atlanta Dream. Brown featured in all games other than the loss to the Fever, averaging 9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.5 blocks in 14.25 minutes.
2023 Regular Season Averages: 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.2 steals and 0.7 blocks in 16.4 minutes across 32 games.

Player: Leigha Brown
College: University of Michigan
Draft: 2023, Round 2, Pick 15
Current WNBA Team: Connecticut Sun (27-13, 2nd in Eastern Conference, 3rd overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: ASA Jerusalem
Summary: The Sun finished the regular season 3-2 and will now face the Minnesota Lynx in the first round of the playoffs. At the end of the regular season, the Sun defeated the Phoenix Mercury 84-74 at home, succumbed to the New York Liberty 58-89 away, defeated the Los Angles Sparks 90-76 and the Indiana Fever 76-59 at home, then finished with a 91-102 loss at home to the surging Chicago Sky. Brown averaged 2.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.2 steals and 0.2 blocks in 10.6 minutes over the five games.
2023 Regular Season Averages: 0.8 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.2 steals and 0.1 blocks in 5.2 minutes across 25 games.

Player: Veronica Burton
College: Northwestern University
Draft: 2022, Round 1, Pick 7
Current WNBA Team: Dallas Wings (22-18, 2nd in Western Conference, 4th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Elitzur Holon
Summary: The Wings went 3-2 to end the regular season, finishing fourth place in the standings and securing home court advantage over the Atlanta Dream in the first round of the playoffs. That run included splitting games against the Indiana Fever (a 110-100 win away and an 84-97 loss at home), a 93-94 loss at home to the New York Liberty, a 106-91 win at home against the Seattle Storm, then a 94-77 away win against their first round matchup in the Atlanta Dream. Burton averaged 2.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1 steal and 0.2 blocks across the five games.
2023 Regular Season Averages: 2.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks in 13.9 minutes across 40 games.

Player: Maya Caldwell
College: University of Georgia
Draft: 2021, Round 3, Pick 33
Current WNBA Team: Indiana Fever (13-27, 6th in Eastern Conference, 10th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: AS Ramat Hasharon
Summary: The Fever’s season ended with 2 wins and 3 losses, outside of a playoff spot. They split their games against the Dallas Wings, with a 100-110 home loss and a 97-84 away win, followed by losses to the Chicago Sky at home (69-96) and the Connective Sun away (59-76), then finishing the season on a high note with an 87-72 win at home. Caldwell appeared in the last four games of the season, averaging 1.75 points, 1 rebound, 0.5 steals and 0.25 blocks in 10.25 minutes.
2023 Regular Season Averages: 1.9 points, 0.9 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.1 blocks in 10.1 minutes across 30 games.

Player: Amanda Zahui
College: University of Minnesota
Draft: 2015, Round 1, Pick 2
Current WNBA Team: Indiana Fever (11-24, 6th in Eastern Conference, 10th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Maccabi Bnot Ashdod
Summary: The Fever’s season ended with 2 wins and 3 losses, outside of a playoff spot. They split their games against the Dallas Wings, with a 100-110 home loss and a 97-84 away win, followed by losses to the Chicago Sky at home (69-96) and the Connective Sun away (59-76), then finishing the season on a high note with an 87-72 win at home. Zahui didn’t appear in the win over the Wings, averaging 1.75 points, 0.25 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.5 blocks in 4 minutes across the other games.
2023 Regular Season Averages: 1.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.2 steals and 0.5 blocks in 7.4 minutes across 34 games (12 for the Washington Mystics and 22 for the Fever).

Player: Abby Meyers
College: University of Maryland
Draft: 2023, Round 1, Pick 11
Current WNBA Team: — (released by the Washington Mystics on August 6)
2023-24 Israeli Team: — (contracted to the London Lions for the upcoming season)
Summary: After being drafted by the Dallas Wings in the first round of the 2023 draft, Meyers was waived during training camp and did not appear for the Texas outfit. She played on hardship and 7-day contracts during the past season for the Mystics, but was unable to keep her spot on the team through the end of the season.
2023 Regular Season Averages: 1.4 points, 0.4 rebounds, 0.1 steals and 0.2 blocks in 4.1 minutes across 9 games.

Player: Jennie Simms
College: Old Dominion University
Draft: 2017, Round 2, Pick 18
Current WNBA Team: — (released by the Washington Mystics on August 17)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Elitzur Ramla
Summary: After missing out on playing Israel’s last game at the 2023 Women’s EuroBasket in Tel Aviv, Simms was signed less than a week later by the Phoenix Mercury, after she was previously released by the team prior to the regular season and the EuroBasket. She signed multiple hardship contracts with the Mercury, as well as a 7-day contract with the Mystics towards the end of the season without making an appearance.
2023 Regular Season Averages: 2.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.3 steals in 11.7 minutes across 6 games.

End of Regular Season Standings
1. Las Vegas Aces (34-6)
2. New York Liberty (32-8)
3. Connecticut Sun (27-13)
4. Dallas Wings (22-18)
5. Atlanta Dream (19-21)
6. Minnesota Lynx (19-21)
7. Washington Mystics (19-21)
8. Chicago Sky (18-22)
9. Los Angeles Sparks (17-23)
10. Indiana Fever (13-27)
11. Seattle Storm (11-29)
12. Phoenix Mercury (9-31)

First Round Playoff Series (best of 3 games, higher-ranked team hosts first two games)
Las Vegas Aces (1) vs Chicago Sky (8)
New York Liberty (2) vs Washington Mystics (7)
Connecticut Sun (3) vs Minnesota Lynx (6)
Dallas Wings (4) vs Atlanta Dream (5)