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 (14-11, 2nd in Western Conference, 4th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Maccabi Bnot Ashdod
Summary: Despite going 1-2 over the last week, the Wings maintained their position in the standings. They lost at home to the Connecticut Sun 83-88, destroyed the Washington Mystics 90-62 and then lost to the league leading Las Vegas Aces 91-104. Over the three games, Brown averages 4 points and 2.7 rebounds in 8 minutes.

Player: Leigha Brown
College: University of Michigan
Draft: 2023, Round 2, Pick 15
Current WNBA Team: Connecticut Sun (18-7, 2nd in Eastern Conference, 3rd overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: ASA Jerusalem
Summary: The Sun went 1-1 over the last week, with an 88-83 win away to the Dallas Wings and an 83-87 home loss to the Minnesota Lynx. Brown did not appear in either contest.

Player: Veronica Burton
College: Northwestern University
Draft: 2022, Round 1, Pick 7
Current WNBA Team: Dallas Wings (14-11, 2nd in Western Conference, 4th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: Elitzur Holon
Summary: Despite going 1-2 over the last week, the Wings maintained their position in the standings. They lost at home to the Connecticut Sun 83-88, destroyed the Washington Mystics 90-62 and then lost to the league leading Las Vegas Aces 91-104. Over the three games, Burton averaged 2.3 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists in 10 minutes.

Player: Maya Caldwell
College: University of Georgia
Draft: 2021, Round 3, Pick 33
Current WNBA Team: Indiana Fever (6-19, 6th in Eastern Conference, 11th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: AS Ramat Hasharon
Summary: The Fever lost back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Sparks in LA, 78-79 and 68-81, before returning home to a disappointing loss to the Seattle Storm 62-85. Caldwell only saw court time in the game at home, failing to register on the scoreboard in 3 minutes.

Player: Alysha Clark
College: Middle Tennessee State University
Draft: 2010, Round 2, Pick 17
Current WNBA Team: Las Vegas Aces (23-2, 1st in Western Conference, 1st overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: — (2022-23 with Elitzur Ramla)
Summary: While the Aces were hit with an injury to star veteran Candace Parker, who is out indefinitely following surgery on her fractured foot, the team continued on their winning ways, with victories over the Chicago Sky away (107-95) and the Dallas Wings at home (104-91). Clark averaged 10 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 20 minutes across the two games.

Player: Abby Meyers
College: University of Maryland
Draft: 2023, Round 1, Pick 11
Current WNBA Team: Washington Mystics (12-10, 3rd in Eastern Conference, 5th overall)
2023-24 Israeli Team: —
Summary: The Jewish college star signed her second consecutive 7-day hardship contract with the Mystics last week, to remain in the W for the moment. The Mystics, struggling with injuries, went 0-3 on their road trip over the last week, going down to the Minnesota Lynx 92-97, the Dallas Wings 62-90 and the Atlanta Dream 73-80. Meyers played 2 minutes in the loss to the Lynx for no points and score 2 points in 5 minutes in the loss to the Wings.

Jennie Simms, who was part of the Israel National Team was released by the Phoenix Sun at the end of last week.

Current Standings
1. Las Vegas Aces (23-2)
2. New York Liberty (19-6)
3. Connecticut Sun (18-7)
4. Dallas Wings (14-11)
5. Atlanta Dream (14-11)
6. Minnesota Lynx (13-13)
7. Washington Mystics (12-13)
8. Chicago Sky (10-15)
9. Los Angeles Sparks (9-16)
10. Phoenix Mercury (6-18)
11. Indiana Fever (6-19)
12. Seattle Storm (4-19)