2025 WNBA Fantasy Basketball Sleepers: Cardoso and Charles Late-Round Steals?
The 2025 WNBA Fantasy Basketball season is right around the corner, and WNBA Fantasy Basketball owners are filling up the draft rooms at ESPN.
The 40-game season and typical six-team WNBA Fantasy Basketball league formats make winning leagues difficult without a couple of late-round sleepers.
Join me as I share my top five preseason WNBA Fantasy Basketball Sleepers for the 2025 WNBA season.
What is a WNBA Fantasy Basketball Sleeper?
Back in the old days, we called WNBA Fantasy Basketball sleepers “hidden gems”—players your league ignores, going in Rounds 5-7 with ADPs 25 to 42, but who deliver like top dogs.
2025 WNBA Fantasy Basketball Sleepers
We’ve reviewed the WNBA Fantasy Basketball mock drafts and watched dozens of hours of 2025 WNBA preseason tape and found five must-have sleepers likely available in the latter rounds of your drafts.
WNBA Fantasy Basketball Sleeper #1. Rickea Jackson (Los Angeles Sparks, F, ADP 33.3)
Why She’s a Sleeper: Rickea Jackson was a second-half revelation in 2024, dropping 16.4 points and 4.1 rebounds over her last 20 games. At ADP 33.3 (Round 6), she’s a steal for a team needing scorers.
Jackson likely won’t give you much other than points and a couple of boards, but she won’t last long on the waiver wire if someone on the Sparks gets injured. Jackson is the perfect late-round stash-and-wait candidate.
WNBA Fantasy Basketball Sleeper #2: Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun, F/C, ADP 35.4)
Why She’s a Sleeper: Tina Charles, a former MVP, still gets buckets, boards, and assists(14.1 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.3 APG in 2024). Her ADP 35.4 (Round 6) is a bargain for the Sun’s starting big.
Points, rebounds, and assists beat out centers like Brionna Jones (ADP 26.0), with enough minutes every night (28-30 pg) to make Charles a late-round steal.
WNBA Fantasy Basketball Sleeper #3: Kamilla Cardoso (Chicago Sky, C, ADP 37.5)
Why She’s a Sleeper: Kamilla Cardoso closed 2024 strong (13.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.9 BPG from mid-August), and with Courtney Vandersloot and Hailey Van Lith dropping dimes, Cardoso could have a big year.
Rebounds, points, and blocks are points league gold; Cardoso will get the minutes, has chased a double-double in her last two preseason games, and should flourish with the Sky this season.
WNBA Fantasy Basketball Sleeper #4: Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces, G, ADP 31.0)
Why She’s a Sleeper: Chelsea Gray is the Aces’ maestro, dishing 7.3 assists while swiping 1.4 steals per game in 2024. Even hobbled, Gray’s ADP status undervalues her now-healthy role with A’ja Wilson.
Remember that assists and steals stack points fast. Gray will get the minutes and should be a good source for dimes and swipes, with the occasional big scoring night.
WNBA Fantasy Basketball Sleeper #5: Ariel Atkins (Chicago Sky, G, ADP 35.0)
Why She’s a Sleeper: Now with the Sky, Ariel Atkins was a stat stuffer for the Mystics last year (14.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.5 SPG in 2024). Her ADP 35.0 (Round 6) is a gift for a team needing her multi-category scoring abilities.
Atkins is in a contract year and is playing alongside some young guns. She’ll be the prominent leader in the Sky backcourt and is one you’ll want to draft in any size fantasy basketball league.
Covering WNBA Fantasy Basketball All Season Long
Beginning next Sunday, May 18, we’ll publish a weekly WNBA Fantasy Basketball waiver wire column on crushrushnews.com as a precursor to our Monday WNBA Power Rankings release.
Don’t miss the Crush and Rush WNBA Podcast, dropping weekly with our big debut before Friday’s opener.
Disclaimer: ADPs and roles may change with injuries or trades. Keep it locked on CrushRushNews.com for updates.
