DeWanna Bonner is the best overall WNBA sixth player watch heading into 2026, the Indiana Fever closer who turns bench minutes into scoring runs. Courtney Williams owns the two-way energy slot off the bench, and Dana Evans is the sleeper fantasy add most managers still overlook. Six wnba sixth players make this list, and every one of them owns a distinct job description — nobody here is fighting for the same role.
- DeWanna Bonner is the top wnba sixth players pick for 2026, the league's most reliable bench closer.
- Courtney Williams brings two-way scoring energy the Minnesota Lynx lean on in tight fourth quarters.
- Julie Vanloo pairs playmaking with instant offense for teams needing a change-of-pace guard.
- Dana Evans is the sleeper fantasy add hiding on a crowded Chicago Sky bench.
- Diamond DeShields still owns the receipts: a 2019 Sixth Woman of the Year trophy with the Chicago Sky.
Why bench scoring depth decides WNBA games
The WNBA grows to 15 teams in 2026 with the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo joining the league, and SportsOrca has tracked which reserves actually swing bench units all season, not just who starts. Coaches only get 12 players on an active roster, so the ninth, tenth, and eleventh names on that list carry real weight in April and in August.
The NBA's own Sixth Man of the Year race tells the same story every year: bench scoring wins games and it wins bets. WNBA sixth players don't get the same media obsession, but the tape says they should get closer to it.
If you're already working fantasy basketball waiver-wire adds every week, the instinct transfers straight over. Same question, different league: who scores in bunches without needing 30 minutes to find rhythm?
What makes the best WNBA sixth player
- Instant offense — scores without three trips down the floor to find rhythm
- Efficiency in short bursts — 8 to 14 minutes a night, no warm-up laps allowed
- Two-way value — coaches don't trust a scorer who bleeds points on the other end
- Role stability — the coach calls her number in the fourth quarter, not just garbage time
- Positional versatility — slides between guard spots or up to the wing without a lineup change
- Multi-season track record — one hot month doesn't make a sixth player, three seasons of it does
WNBA sixth players at a glance
| Player | Best for | Standout trait | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeWanna Bonner | Overall bench scoring | Three-level scoring on command | Defensive lapses late in games |
| Courtney Williams | Two-way scoring energy | Downhill aggression, forces turnovers | Shot selection gets streaky |
| Julie Vanloo | Playmaking plus scoring | Reads mismatches instantly | Turnover-prone in ball-screen coverage |
| Sophie Cunningham | Instant three-point spark | Zero hesitation from deep | Cold nights sink the whole unit |
| Dana Evans | Change-of-pace guard scoring | Downhill speed off the bounce | Undersized on defensive switches |
| Diamond DeShields | Proven Sixth Woman pedigree | Shot-creation shiftiness | Injury history limits availability |
1. DeWanna Bonner: best WNBA sixth player for overall bench scoring
DeWanna Bonner has made a career out of walking into cold games and heating them up in four possessions. Since joining the Indiana Fever, she's slotted into exactly the role she's played for over a decade — instant scoring punch off a bench that otherwise leans young.
Bonner doesn't need plays run for her. She scores off her handle, off cuts, off pure size mismatches against smaller guards, whether she checks in during the first quarter or the fourth.
DeWanna Bonner pros:
- Scores at all three levels without a rhythm requirement
- Trusted by coaches in clutch minutes, not just mop-up time
- Draws fouls at a rate that keeps bench units out of scoring droughts
DeWanna Bonner cons:
- Defensive rotations slip late in heavy-minute games
- Shot volume can crowd out younger scorers finding their footing
Verdict: must-roster for anyone building around proven bench scoring in 2026.
2. Courtney Williams: best WNBA sixth player for two-way scoring energy
Courtney Williams plays like she's mad about something, and it works. Since landing with the Minnesota Lynx, she's turned reserve minutes into some of the most disruptive stretches on the roster — scoring in transition, drawing charges, and refusing to let bench units go quiet.
She's not a spot-up shooter waiting on a kickout. Williams creates her own offense off live-ball turnovers, which is exactly the kind of scoring that swings a total before halftime.
Courtney Williams pros:
- Generates offense off her own defense, not a called play
- Physical scoring style draws fouls and free-throw trips
- Brings genuine energy that lifts a bench unit's pace
Courtney Williams cons:
- Shot selection turns streaky when the game slows down
- Foul trouble follows the aggressive defensive style
Verdict: streamable every night she's healthy — the two-way scoring pop is real.
3. Julie Vanloo: best WNBA sixth player for playmaking plus scoring
Julie Vanloo reads a ball screen the way a ten-year veteran point guard does, except she's still building her WNBA resume. Since joining the Connecticut Sun, she's become one of the league's most explosive change-of-pace scorers off the bench, mixing pull-up threes with live dribble drives.
What separates Vanloo from a pure scorer is the pass. She keeps the offense organized when she checks in, then still finds her own shot when a defense sags off to stop someone else.
Julie Vanloo pros:
- Scores and creates in the same possession
- Reads mismatches instantly off ball screens
- Confident pull-up shooter off the dribble
Julie Vanloo cons:
- Turnover rate climbs against aggressive ball-screen coverage
- Undersized matchup against bigger wing scorers
Verdict: streamable for teams needing scoring and organization from the same sub.
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4. Sophie Cunningham: best WNBA sixth player for instant three-point spark
Sophie Cunningham checks in and starts firing from deep before the defense finishes its rotation. Since her move to the Indiana Fever, she's become the shooting trigger in the team's bench mob, capable of hitting three threes in a two-minute stretch and flipping a deficit into a lead.
She's not a high-usage scorer outside the arc. Cunningham's value lives almost entirely in catch-and-shoot reps and the physical, chippy style she brings alongside the shooting.
Sophie Cunningham pros:
- Zero hesitation on catch-and-shoot threes
- Physical, chippy defense that disrupts opposing guards
- Locker-room energy that lifts bench morale on tape
Sophie Cunningham cons:
- Offense stalls when the three isn't falling
- Limited shot creation off the dribble
Verdict: deep-league only unless the three-point volume is trending up — then she's a must-roster spark plug.
5. Dana Evans: best WNBA sixth player for change-of-pace guard scoring
Dana Evans is the guard most casual fans still haven't clocked. Playing behind a crowded Chicago Sky backcourt, she checks in and immediately speeds the game up, attacking downhill before a defense can set.
Evans isn't a knockdown shooter yet, but her first step creates enough separation to get to the rim or draw a foul on almost every possession. That's the kind of scoring efficiency that outkicks her minutes.
Dana Evans pros:
- Downhill speed collapses defenses in transition
- Draws fouls at a high rate relative to touches
- Improves offensive pace the second she checks in
Dana Evans cons:
- Below-average size creates switching problems on defense
- Outside shot remains inconsistent from game to game
Verdict: sleeper add for fantasy managers who value scoring efficiency over name recognition.
6. Diamond DeShields: best WNBA sixth player for proven Sixth Woman pedigree
Diamond DeShields already has the hardware. She won WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year in 2019 with the Chicago Sky, and the shot-creation shiftiness that earned that trophy hasn't disappeared — durability has been the bigger question since.
When healthy, DeShields still generates her own shot better than almost anyone on this list, using hesitation moves and change of direction to get to her spots against set defenses.
Diamond DeShields pros:
- Elite shot creation off the bounce
- Proven track record with actual award history
- Scores against set defenses, not just in transition
Diamond DeShields cons:
- Injury history limits season-long availability
- Efficiency dips in stretches without rhythm
Verdict: watch her workload before committing — the ceiling is real, the availability isn't guaranteed.
How we ranked these WNBA sixth players
SportsOrca measured every player above against the same six criteria: instant offense, efficiency in short bursts, two-way value, role stability, positional versatility, and a track record that spans more than one hot month. Nobody on this list overlaps on role — that's deliberate.
A player who scores in bunches but can't be trusted on defense ranks differently than a two-way scorer who moves the ball first. DeWanna Bonner tops the list because she checks every box at once, not because she's the flashiest name.
Which WNBA sixth player should you watch in 2026?
If you only track one name, track DeWanna Bonner — she's the safest bench-scoring bet in the league entering 2026, full stop. If your team needs energy over pure scoring, Courtney Williams does more damage on both ends than her bench role suggests.
Fantasy managers chasing value should grab Dana Evans before the rest of the league catches on to the efficiency numbers. And if you're betting bench-unit props, Sophie Cunningham's three-point volume swings totals fast enough to matter in-game.
Six wnba sixth players, six different jobs — pick based on what your roster or your bet actually needs, not just name recognition.
FAQ
Who is the best WNBA sixth player for 2026?
DeWanna Bonner is the best WNBA sixth player for 2026 based on scoring versatility and role stability off the Indiana Fever bench. She scores at all three levels without needing extended run to find rhythm.
Who won WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year in 2019?
Diamond DeShields won WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year in 2019 with the Chicago Sky. She remains one of the league's most dangerous shot-creators off the bench when healthy.
How many teams are in the WNBA in 2026?
The WNBA expands to 15 teams in 2026 with the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo joining the league. That growth spreads scoring talent across more bench rotations than ever.
How many players are on a WNBA active roster?
A WNBA active roster carries 12 players on game night. That limit is exactly why efficient bench scorers carry outsized value over a long season.
Is Courtney Williams better as a starter or off the bench?
Courtney Williams produces two-way scoring energy whether she starts or comes off the bench, and her aggressive defense generates offense in either role. Her value shows up most in bench stretches that need a scoring jolt.
Are WNBA sixth players good fantasy basketball targets?
WNBA sixth players like Dana Evans and Julie Vanloo often outproduce their draft cost because their per-minute scoring efficiency is high. Bench-role players get overlooked in drafts, which is exactly what creates the value.
What separates a good sixth player from a bench-warmer?
A good sixth player scores instantly without needing an extended run and holds up on defense, while a bench-warmer needs rhythm minutes to contribute. Role stability from the coaching staff is the clearest signal of the difference.
One last thing
The most overlooked number on this list isn't a scoring average — it's 12, the number of players on an active WNBA roster. Every sixth player above is fighting for a spot that just a few seasons ago might not have existed on a shorter bench. SportsOrca will keep tracking these WNBA sixth players all season, because as the league grows to 15 teams in 2026, competition for bench-scoring roles only gets tighter, and the players who separate themselves now will be the ones still getting fourth-quarter minutes when the roster crunch hits.
