5 Things I Like

It feels unbelievable, but the 2026 WNBA regular season ended Thursday, September 24. 
After weeks of battles between top teams, a FIBA break that quickly turned into a final push for playoff seeding, and a few memorable farewells, the league’s 30th season ended with a bang. Now we wait for the postseason to carry the momentum built over the last 44 games. 
As someone who, ironically, just turned 30 almost on the exact day the regular season concluded, I’ll say this about the importance of the league turning the page on its last three decades: this is another fresh start for the WNBA. The league is set up for major success for the next ten years, with budding stars and veteran talent continuing to shine. 
It&#8217;s been a great year, and it’s hard to pinpoint just five key moments from the league’s 30th season, but I’ll try my best. 
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<h2>Las Vegas and Indiana’s OT Thriller</h2>
<div id="attachment_271478" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-271478" class="wp-image-271478" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289516229-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="576" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289516229-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289516229-300x192.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289516229-1024x656.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289516229-768x492.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289516229-1536x984.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289516229-2048x1312.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Chelsea Gray #12 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
This was <a href="https://youtu.be/GiQdzhyFOqg?si=jhTu0mx5OT4TG1ID">probably the game</a> I found myself standing closest to my television screen for, all thanks to Chelsea Gray. This contest from back in August remains my favorite clutch moment &#8211; or rather, moments &#8211; from the year. 
Gray managed to get off one buzzer-beater to push the game to OT following a ton of chaotic play from both teams to end the fourth quarter. Then A’ja Wilson’s block on a desperation heave from Caitlin Clark in OT led to a buzzer-beater three-pointer from Gray that sealed the win for Las Vegas. 
These two teams meet in the first round of the WNBA playoffs, and it’s must-watch TV thanks to this game and the teams’ history this season alone. 
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<h2>Nneka Ogwumike&#8217;s Game-Winner Against New York</h2>
<div id="attachment_271479" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-271479" class="wp-image-271479" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2282184021-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2282184021-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2282184021-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2282184021-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2282184021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2282184021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2282184021-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />The Los Angeles Sparks celebrate after Nneka Ogwumike #30</div>
Ogwumike played her final game on Thursday evening, nearly helping defeat the Golden State Valkyries in Los Angeles. Despite the loss, it was hard to find a dry eye in Crypto Arena as players from both teams stayed to honor Ogwumike until the very last moment she was on the floor. 
Before her last game, though, she made sure to leave her mark on the season with a buzzer-beater three-pointer to win <a href="https://youtu.be/4DICiKIr3Uc?si=dTQ-AOMDcsapB2L5">a big one over</a> New York back in June. It was Legends Night for the Sparks, and Ogwumike honored them the best way she knew how: absolutely balling out en route to a major comeback victory on her home court. 
&#8220;People that didn&#8217;t get paid their value, and they&#8217;re still coming here and supporting us. I&#8217;m so grateful,” Ogwumike had said after the win about the importance of honoring the legends of both franchises that came before her. It was just one of a few emotional nights for Ogwumike, who finally retired from the game after leaving a major impact. 
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<h2>Sydney Taylor’s Game-Winner Against Las Vegas</h2>
<div id="attachment_271480" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-271480" class="wp-image-271480" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2288636869-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2288636869-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2288636869-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2288636869-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2288636869-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2288636869-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2288636869-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />The Chicago Sky celebrates with Sydney Taylor #12</div>
The Aces were on the other side of an electric game-winner this season, and from a very unlikely source (at the time). Taylor, who should get some Rookie of the Year votes and should be a shoo-in for the All-Rookie team this season, truly stamped her name on the league’s 30th season with her clutch shot on August 1 against the defending champions. 
The fact that she took the shot while running away from one of the league&#8217;s best two-way players, Jackie Young, and managed to get it off with Young in her space was ridiculous. Her poise this season was unlike a rookie &#8211; this is probably best evidenced by the fact that she was still locked in and ready to defend the court with .09 seconds on the clock after her shot &#8211; and she was one of a few lone bright spots amid a losing Chicago Sky season. 
I highly encourage folks to watch the shot, too, as it was a classic announcer’s call. 
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<h2>Miles breaking Clark’s Rookie Scoring Record</h2>
<div id="attachment_271481" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-271481" class="wp-image-271481" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289625235-3-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289625235-3-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289625235-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289625235-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289625235-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289625235-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2289625235-3-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx and Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever</div>
If Miles needed any more of a case to win Rookie of the Year, breaking Caitlin Clark’s previous rookie scoring record set in 2024 should be the nail in that argument. 
Miles, who netted 21 points against the Connecticut Sun in a September 22nd game, broke the <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/49990917/olivia-miles-breaks-caitlin-clark-wnba-rookie-points-record">scoring record</a> by reaching 790 points for the season. She joins a top-5 list that includes Clark, Seimone Augustus, Paige Bueckers, and A’ja Wilson. 
Miles also broke the record for most threes made in a game by a rookie in a key contest against the Golden State Valkyries back in June, amid the Commissioner’s Cup. 
Miles told reporters after that Sun game: &#8220;It&#8217;s special, but it means we&#8217;re more so working well as a team. I have great teammates around me, great vets who allow me to be me out there. It wouldn&#8217;t be possible without one, a coach that believes in you, and then two, having teammates that have my back. So it&#8217;s really special to obviously be able to accomplish that with such a great team and on a win as well.&#8221;
In addition to being the current favorite to win the ROTY award, she’s also built a strong case <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/race-to-2026-kia-mvp-mitchell-enters-the-fold">for this year’s MVP award</a>. Helping carry this Minnesota Lynx team to a top seed in the postseason, despite missing Napheesa Collier for most of the season, is something unbelievably<a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/cheryl-reeve-nears-wnba-history"> special for a rookie</a> to accomplish. 
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<h2>Connecticut&#8217;s Win in Final Game at Mohegan Sun Arena</h2>
<div id="attachment_271483" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-271483" class="wp-image-271483" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2296351665-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="720" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2296351665-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2296351665-300x240.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2296351665-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2296351665-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2296351665-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2296351665-2048x1638.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />The Connecticut Sun pose for a team photo on the court</div>
Amid expansion and an unbelievable amount of growth in the league, the Sun have found themselves one of the teams impacted by this evolution: they’ll be relocating to Houston for the 2027 season, ending an unbelievable era in Uncasville that included some legendary playoff runs and featured league legends like Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, Tina Charles, and others. 
In a beautiful gesture to the ever-loyal Connecticut crowd, the team managed a final home win on Thursday night over the Toronto Tempo. Ashlon Jackson, a rookie out of Duke University, had a career-high and team-high 18 points in the final game, showing that Connecticut still has a bright future despite its impending relocation. 
She told <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/50025544/sun-mark-franchise-last-game-connecticut-victory-joy">reporters</a> after the game, &#8220;Coach spoke about us playing for our pride &#8212; pride for our fans, pride for our name, pride for the organization itself…I think we did just that.&#8221;
Jackson now has the final points scored in Sun history. 
It’s unclear what this roster will look like next year. They have a few key impending free agents to decide on before their first game in Houston next season: Brittney Griner, Kennedy Burke, and Diamond Miller are all unrestricted free agents, while Jackson and fellow rookie Raegan Beers are restricted. 
They have a really solid young core thanks to Saniya Rivers, Leila Lacan, Aaliyah Edwards, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, and others. Now they’ll have to pick up some pieces after they leave Connecticut. Knowing that fan base, though, they’ll stick alongside them from hours away.

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Five Things I Like: Season 30

As wild as it seems, we’ve already wrapped up the WNBA’s 2026 FIBA World Cup break. After a few weeks of international play, several WNBA stars will travel from Germany back to their teams, ready to ramp back up ahead of games kicking off Thursday, September 17. 
It’s a tight turnaround, but after some amazing play from multiple countries represented by quite a few WNBA players, the transition back to WNBA play should be easier. That’ll be especially true for the USA and French national teams, who finished first and second in the World Cup, respectively. 
Here, we’ll look at five things from the tournament that really stood out to me following the USA’s fifth-straight gold medal. 
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<h2>Valkyries Getting Back a Red-Hot Gabby Williams</h2>
When France was up by double digits to begin their gold medal game against the USA, it felt obvious that Gabby Williams would likely finish up as the tournament’s MVP if they managed actually to break the USA’s winning streak. Of course, Les Bleues were unable to hold on, so Williams’ initial heroics took a backseat. 
That doesn’t erase her impact from the entire tournament, though, where she averaged 18.7 points per game along with 2.8 steals and four assists. Most impressive about Williams’ run was how aggressive she was with the ball in her hands, showing off a finishing package at the rim and some stellar three-point shooting. She averaged 48.7 percent from deep in the tournament, which is a 14 percent increase from her average this season with the Valkyries.
If Williams can carry over that MVP-caliber play into the Valkyries’ final stretch of contests headed into the postseason, they become an even scarier team to have to face in the earlier rounds of the playoffs. 
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<h2>Defensive Stalwart Angel Reese</h2>
<div id="attachment_270577" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270577" class="wp-image-270577" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Angel Reese #15 of the United States</div>
Team USA got a major youth injection this year, with players like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Kiki Iriafen, and Sonia Citron joining a core of star veterans. In the USA’s final against France, one player stood out as having made a big impact on their comeback, and that was Reese. 
She finished with just three points and three rebounds in their final game, but beyond the box score, Reese used her length to disrupt guards who couldn&#8217;t get their composure against her. She helped generate some bad looks for France and forced turnovers throughout the game. 
The Atlanta Dream need this version of Reese as they’re seeking to make a final seeding push in this final stretch of the WNBA season. She and Rhyne Howard looked poised to help make that happen with their excellent play in the clutch for Team USA in this tournament. 
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<h2>Las Vegas Saving the Day</h2>
Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young managed to help Team USA avoid painful losses twice in this tournament &#8211; once against Italy during the group phase, where Young led the way with 10 points and three assists, and again against France, where Young had 18 points and Gray finished up with 12. 
Young was especially dangerous in the USA’s final against France, managing to use her speed to get to her spots on the floor quite easily while looking confident as the team’s main facilitator throughout the game. It just felt like anytime you got the ball in the hands of her or Gray, good things were going to happen.  
Las Vegas continues to battle off the Dream, Indiana Fever, and potentially the New York Liberty for the 3rd seed ahead of the postseason. Games like the ones Young and Gray just had throughout this tournament should give the Aces some confidence in their ability to hold onto that seeding. 
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<h2>FIBA All-Star Lineup Features All WNBA Players</h2>
<div id="attachment_270578" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270578" class="wp-image-270578" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="569" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-300x190.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-1024x647.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-768x485.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-1536x971.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-2048x1294.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Leonie Fiebich of Germany</div>
FIBA awarded Breanna Stewart the MVP of the women’s world cup tournament, while also placing her on their All-Star Five list from the entire tournament alongside Young, Williams, Iyana Martin, and Leonie Fiebich. 
Having two New York Liberty players on this list is pretty cool, especially with Fiebich having dominated elsewhere alongside Germany. Martin, who was selected by the Portland Fire seventh overall in this year’s draft, looked like a future weapon for Portland after averaging 17.5 points per game along with 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals for Spain. 
Spain, thanks in large part to her work, finished third in the tournament. It should get WNBA fans excited about her potential arrival in 2027 for Portland after spending this season training with Spain ahead of this tournament. 
This was a great showcase of how much international talent the league already rosters, and how much more talent is set to develop or come over to the WNBA in years to come. While Team USA seems like the obvious powerhouse to topple in future tournaments, strong cores are forming in Spain, Germany, France, and Belgium. 
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<h2>Final Push from Stewart in MVP race Thanks to the World Cup?</h2>
Stewart, as mentioned, finished up as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and that felt pretty fitting once Williams and France had dropped their gold medal game against the USA. She and Sue Bird are now the only two players in FIBA women’s basketball history to have secured four titles, and she’s the first player ever to secure multiple MVPs in FIBA history. 
The Liberty star is in the mix amid a tight MVP race in the WNBA, where A’ja Wilson, Olivia Miles, Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark, and Stewart seem to be pacing the rest of the league. It’d be hard for Stewart to make a final push now to topple one of the current assumed leaders in that clubhouse, but her performance in this FIBA tournament feels like a turning point for her as it pertains to her upcoming work for New York and their postseason push. 
She finished up the tournament as Team USA’s leader in efficiency (18.8), points per game (12.8), and rebounds per game (7.3). The veteran knew what was needed to dominate a red-hot France team, and she provided a game-best 22 points on 70 percent shooting from the field to provide that pop. 
If she can maintain that level of efficiency and two-way dominance headed into the final stretch of WNBA games, she could make a push for a not-insignificant number of MVP votes.

five-things-i-like-2026-fiba-world-cup

Five Things I Like: 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup

Analysis

We are six days away from the start of the WNBA’s FIBA Women’s World Cup break, which means two things: there will be a pause on WNBA games until September 17 from that point on, and we’ll be catching the league’s stars competing on an international stage with international bragging rights at stake. 
So, we won’t really be all that deprived of a bit of WNBA action, albeit under the guise of watching powerhouses like the United States, France, Belgium, Japan, and others compete for the cup. 
With just over a week left until that break, though, the WNBA was chock-full of moments worth reliving. 
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<h2>Kuier Continues to Shine for Dallas</h2>
While Jessica Shepard has been getting a ton of praise for her ascension as a star big while with the Wings this season, Kuier has been an unsung hero on defense for Dallas as they struggle to find consistent rim protection. Her defense, coupled with her capabilities as a stretch 4, has made her a very fun bench piece for head coach Jose Fernandez to plug and play. 
Against the Indiana Fever in a game crucial to Dallas’ seeding, Kuier managed to rack up seven blocks, 11 points, eight boards, and four assists. She also hit two three-pointers to boot. 
After the game, Fever head coach Stephanie White tipped her hat to Kuier and the entire Wings front court, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GJ_qSMxeww">saying,</a> &#8220;They have great length.… They did a great job of shelling us, forcing us into a crowd, and not allowing us to see some easy, open teammates. We got to watch the film, and we got to be better.&#8221;
Dallas is projected to face off against the Minnesota Lynx in round one of the playoffs if the season ended today. However, postseason seeding is far from settled beyond perhaps the Lynx at 1 and the Golden State Valkyries at 2. If they did face Minnesota, having depth like Kuier to back up Shepard is critical against the Lynx, who boast Natasha Howard next to Napheesa Collier in their frontcourt.
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<h2>Bueckers’ Perfect Game from 3-point Range</h2>
<div id="attachment_269909" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-269909" class="wp-image-269909 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings</div>
Remaining on the Dallas hype train for a moment, they finished up their weekend with a win over the last-place Seattle Storm. It was a blowout for essentially the entire contest, namely because Paige Bueckers didn’t miss from three-point range. She finished up the game with six threes and 32 total points. 18 of those points came in the 1st quarter.
Bueckers remains the tone setter for the Wings’ offense, while players like Arike Ogunbowale, Shepard, and Kuier contribute around her. With Azzi Fudd out for the year, it’s imperative that they find their offense from everywhere, and not just from three-point range. 
Still, it’s always cool to see a heater like this from Bueckers, who is looking to reach the postseason with the Wings for the first time since getting drafted last year. She has to remain as efficient as possible for the remaining stretch of games that Dallas has in front of them, and luckily for them, they have the second-easiest remaining strength of schedule in the WNBA.
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<h2>Mitchell Continues to Crawl Up Leaderboard</h2>
As you might know, Las Vegas Aces superstar center A’ja Wilson is attempting to win her third straight scoring title this season. She’s at 935 points through August 24, but she has unbelievably stiff competition from Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell. She’s sitting at 967 total points scored through August 24, which means we could see two WNBA players finish up with over 1,000 points scored in a single season. 
Focusing on Mitchell, though, she continued her streak of <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/49676949/fever-mitchell-sets-wnba-record-consecutive-20-point-games">scoring over 20 points per game</a> this week. She’s upped her points per game average to 24.8, which is a career high. Mitchell, of course, didn’t draw too much attention to the fact that she broke Wilson’s previous record for the number of consecutive 20+ point games after the Fever’s loss to the Wings:
&#8220;But I think ultimately it just comes down, obviously, to work. But I don&#8217;t really take statistics really that serious. So a lot of this stuff is really circumstantial to me. So I [want] to get the dub, and we didn&#8217;t get that. So I think keep my focus on the right thing; keeping the main thing the main thing is important.&#8221; 
Mitchell is sneakily climbing into this year’s MVP conversation with this level of production, all of which is the best of her career.
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<h2>Fiebich Returns with a Bang for New York</h2>
<div id="attachment_269910" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-269910" class="wp-image-269910 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Leonie Fiebich #13 of the New York Liberty</div>
While the New York Liberty have had a rough go of things this year, partially due to big injuries to Leonie Fiebich and Satou Sabally, they at least got some good news with the return of Fiebich to the floor ahead of the FIBA break. She immediately contributed on both ends of the floor for New York, posting 20 points, five boards, five assists, and a steal en route to a critical win against the Fever. 
Notably, she also held Clark to 2-7 shooting when she was her primary defender, per ESPN’s Alexa Phillipou. This, amid a hot scoring month for the point guard, is extremely encouraging for New York to see ahead of a potential postseason meet-up with Indiana. 
Fiebich is the kind of x-factor that a contending team like the Liberty needs to go on a deep postseason run. Wings do not grow on trees, and New York is sorely missing the length and defense that they get by plugging Fiebich back into the fold.
<hr />
<h2>Reese Scores First 30-Point Performance</h2>
It was just one game, but it might be time to officially put to bed the notion that you can’t run your offense through Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese. 
The third-year star recorded the first 30-point performance of her WNBA career against the Phoenix Mercury in a win. She shot 14-21 from the field, in addition to notching 14 rebounds, four steals, and two assists. 
This is huge for a few reasons, but mainly because Atlanta is better as a unit when Reese can put together huge games on offense like this one. Obviously, they have great weapons like Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray around her. Still, one stat really proves why running some more offense through the third-year forward might be something to focus on: the Dream are 9-2 when she shoots 50 percent from the field or better this season, and just 15-11 when she does not, per <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/wnba-power-rankings-angel-reeses-career-week-has-dream-back-in-title-contention/">CBS Sports’ Jack Maloney. </a>
Watching this specific game back, you see the potential for this kind of offense &#8211; the give-and-go between Reese and basically any of Atlanta’s guards, but especially players like Gray or Howard who have a lot of shooting gravity, is a great means of getting her open as a cutter. She can also use her strength in the post, which is what she did a lot of in this game. Her strengths as a ball handler also make her a threat as a bit of a quarterback keeper, to put it clunkily, as she can fake an outlet pass while running right to the paint for a shot. 
This makes Atlanta scary to face in the postseason and makes the prospect of having to defend Reese even scarier.

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Five Things I Like: Week 13

There are only a handful of games left to be played before the WNBA’s midseason break for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, which is taking place from September 4 to September 13. This means that the very few games left to play before that break are even more crucial to playoff seeding and an actual shot at a playoff berth, something that teams like the Portland Fire, Dallas Wings, and Washington Mystics are all too aware of.
Even if you’re in 9th or 10th place right now in the standings, that could quickly change with a win streak before the FIBA break. That pressure has made for some unbelievably fun basketball lately.
<hr />
<h2>Valkyries Hit Another Winning Streak</h2>
The Valkyries have been flying a bit too under the radar for my liking this season. Their team defense, which is probably best described as “hitting teams with metal bats for all four quarters,” has not wavered much since the beginning of the season. They’re currently first in the league in defensive rating (101.1), and Veronica Burton has the highest defensive win shares of any player in the league with at least 30 games played (0.190). 
They finished up Week 12 of the season with another winning streak kept alive, hitting five straight victories. They’ve kept pace with the Minnesota Lynx and the similarly red-hot Las Vegas Aces to remain atop the standings, and to separate themselves from the growing mess that is the WNBA’s seeding from 4-8. 
Golden State has a league-high seven games before the FIBA break, which should be more than enough to continue solidifying their spot near the top of the standings. Most of those games come against teams below .500.
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<h2>Minnesota, Las Vegas Clinch Playoff Berths</h2>
<div id="attachment_269308" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-269308" class="wp-image-269308 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx guards A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
At the other end of the Valkyries’ spot on the standings, the Lynx and Aces both managed to become the first teams to clinch playoff berths. For Minnesota, it came as no surprise &#8211; they’ve been on a roll the entire season, and have only looked more dangerous since the return of Napheesa Collier to the starting lineup.
A convincing win over the Aces on Saturday further separated them from the rest of the pack, and continued to showcase what makes them so dangerous come playoff time &#8211; their depth. Six of the eight players head coach Cheryl Reeve played in that game scored double digits, whereas the Aces only had four players hit that note. 
As for Las Vegas, this season has been another strange one, although not as weird as their 2025 campaign that ended in another championship. You can almost feel when they’ve decided to either hit the gas hard or take their foot off the pedal. Ideally, you’d like to see them with a bit more of a lead foot in games like this, potential Finals previews. Only two efficient shooting games from A’ja Wilson and Nalyssa Smith won’t get that done, though. 
In good news for Las Vegas, they have the weakest remaining schedule of all contenders.
<hr />
<h2>Johannès Looking Like the Liberty’s Best Remaining Spark Plug</h2>
The New York Liberty had a matchup against the struggling Connecticut Sun this past weekend, and the game was a lot closer than Liberty fans might’ve wanted it to be throughout the first half and towards the end of the contest. 
One player that did not seem to want to let things get out of hand, though, was Marine Johannès. The French guard finished with 17 points on 62.5 percent shooting from three-point range, and had a healthy diet of either <a href="https://x.com/WNBA/status/2088698613597704402?s=20">one-legged threes</a> or crafty drives to the basket. She also <a href="https://x.com/UnderdogWNBA/status/2088700933001597386?s=20">had a highlight-reel pass</a> to Rebecca Allen in the 4th to continue to seal the victory for New York. 
The Liberty have struggled to find this sort of spark on offense lately, with injuries and almost one too many lineup changes making chemistry hard to come by. Johannès, though, is clearly using these remaining contests ahead of the FIBA World Cup as good practice for her time with the French national team. And, New York is thriving as a result.
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<h2>Fever Taking Shape as True Contenders</h2>
<div id="attachment_269309" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-269309" class="wp-image-269309 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Kelsey Mitchell #0 and Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever</div>
All season, the Fever have been on the periphery of the conversation about contenders. Kelsey Mitchell has been on an absolute tear this year, while Aliyah Boston remains one of the WNBA’s best post players through August. And, they’ve had a mostly-healthy Caitlin Clark as their main floor general, although her weaknesses on defense and tendency to get too overzealous when complaining about foul calls have made her a risk for technical fouls all year long. 
Still, they’ve climbed up the standings, and last week they convincingly took down the Dallas Wings, New York Liberty, and Atlanta Dream to sweep their Rivals Week competition. They’re only a half game behind the Aces in the standings, and they have the tiebreaker over Las Vegas after going 2-1 against them this regular season. 
Clark averaged nearly 10 assists over these three key contests, while Mitchell had 25+ points in two out of the three. Clark picked up where Mitchell left off in their game against the Dream, scoring 26 and dishing out nine. 
They could be one of the scarier teams to face this postseason, as they’re a threat from the post as well as from long range thanks to Clark and Mitchell. However, it’ll be a matter of whether their depth can really match up with that of the Lynx, Aces, or Valkyries that will set them apart.
<hr />
<h2>Fire Keeping Pace in Standings</h2>
Who knew that the Portland Fire, despite a sluggish start to their season, would actually be pushing for a postseason spot?
Well, if you’ve been paying attention to both the talent in this league and the way that expansion franchises over the last few seasons have been playing with a chip on their shoulders, it wouldn’t be all that surprising. 
Portland continues to not go down without a fight, most recently taking down the Phoenix Mercury on Diana Taurasi’s jersey retirement night, and the Seattle Storm as part of Rivals Week. They also only lost to the Lynx by four, although we won’t talk up any moral victories here &#8211; the Fire wouldn’t want that. 
They have the toughest hill to climb of all remaining bottom-seed playoff teams, as they’re still 13.5 games back headed into a new week of the eight-seed Wings. They have one more critical game against Dallas next week, which could give them the tiebreaker if both teams finish with the same record in a race for the 8-seed. 
They also have the 4th-strongest remaining schedule, which will either sharpen them or bury them before they have a chance to really make a postseason push in earnest. Bridget Carleton and Megan DiLeo are two of Portland’s most postseason-weathered players, and they’ve been leading the push this past week for the Fire &#8211; they need a lot more help from their younger supporting cast if they want to become just the second expansion franchise to make the postseason in their inaugural season.

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Five Things I Like: Week 12

We are officially hitting a very important stretch of the WNBA season, where regular-season games begin to matter just a bit more with each passing week. Playoff standings are beginning to take some shape, although the middle of the standings are currently an absolute mess. It’s what’s making wins and losses feel like they carry the weight of the world right now. 
Only the Minnesota Lynx managed to clinch a playoff spot this past week, and understandably so &#8211; they’ve been atop the standings for virtually the entire year, and are only becoming harder to topple with Napheesa Collier back on the floor. 
Elsewhere, though, we’re seeing surges at just the right time from one very likely source, and one that’s surprising a lot of fans.
<hr />
<h2>Mystics Just Can’t Lose</h2>
I watched the Mystics contest against the Atlanta Dream last week, where they had managed to go up by double digits at one point in the second half and never looked ready to relinquish that lead. Despite the Dream rostering some of the better bigs in the league between Bri Jones and Angel Reese, the Mystics frontcourt of Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin looks unwavering in their pursuit of a dominant defensive performance as of late. 
Couple that with their consistent output on offense, as well as Sonia Citron’s three-point shooting or Michaela Onyenwere’s career-best shooting, and they’ve looked like an actual threat for playoff teams. They have the second-best defensive rating in the WNBA right now (102.8), are the best rebounding team in the league, and roster some of the youngest talent in the league as we head into a postseason run where health (and age) will matter. 
Washington is riding a 7-game winning streak into Week 12, with major victories over the Dream, Golden State Valkyries, Las Vegas Aces, and the Dallas Wings (twice). It feels like, after a few years of building through the draft and remaining invested in Austin, they’ve finally arrived with this new core.
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<h2>Aces Creeping Up Standings</h2>
<div id="attachment_268689" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-268689" class="wp-image-268689 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110449.799.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110449.799.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110449.799-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110449.799-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110449.799-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110449.799-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />The Las Vegas Aces huddle up</div>
There is a world where either the Valkyries or Aces can overtake the Lynx in the standings. Minnesota has the toughest remaining schedule between the three contenders according to Tankathon, which measures remaining schedule difficulty based on opponents’ winning percentage. Las Vegas’ remaining SOS is 14th out of 15 teams, while Golden State’s is at 12. 
You never want to count out Las Vegas, specifically, and a great example of that is their recent barnburner of a game against the Indiana Fever this past week. Jackie Young can catch fire at any time, evidenced by her solo run in the second quarter of this game that got her to 15 points at halftime, or A’ja Wilson simply remembering that she’s the league’s reigning MVP before completely dominating the Fever’s bigs in overtime to finish up with 26 points &#8211; eight in the game in overtime. 
Chelsea Gray is obviously the greatest example of the Aces ability to rip a team’s heart out, though. At the end of the fourth quarter, Stephanie Talbot inbounded what looked to be a really bad turnover before Young managed to get possession over the shoulders of an Indiana player. She immediately passed the ball out to an open Gray, who hit a three without hesitation to get Las Vegas into overtime. 
Then, on a shot from Caitlin Clark that Wilson blocked, the Aces managed to push the ball out to Gray for a last-second three-pointer that landed at the buzzer, winning the game for Las Vegas and helping them along in their quest to remain a postseason threat. 
Their season could be best described as “wobbly.” They’re trying to find their footing, but some mental errors in-game, as well as stiffer competition from front courts like that of Washington, or Golden State, or Minnesota, have made it harder to play everything through Wilson. But, they have more than enough talent on their roster to take that burden off of Wilson completely. It’s a matter of remembering that in-game, and in clutch moments like this one that captivated us all.
<hr />
<h2>Early Returns on Two Trades After Deadline</h2>
The two biggest transactions from this year’s trade deadline were the Los Angeles Sparks trading Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury for Monique Akoa Makani and draft compensation, and the Connecticut Sun parting ways with Aneesah Morrow in exchange for the Toronto Tempo’s 2028 second-round pick and the rights to Maria Kliundikova. 
Plum has averaged 17.3 points per game for the Mercury through four games on 40 percent shooting from three and 53.5 percent shooting from the field overall. That’s all while averaging about ten minutes less on the floor than she was with the Sparks, so her efficiency seems to be shining through with her first few games with them. 
Unfortunately, a lingering leg injury seems to be already keeping her limited with Phoenix, but that’s always the best course of action with any calf issue. Plum’s impact has not necessarily led to a winning streak by any means for Phoenix as they look to make a late-season push for a playoff spot, but the jury is still out on how she can meaningfully contribute to their vision to avoid a rebuild. 
As for Morrow, on paper, she addresses one of the Tempo’s most consistent problems this season &#8211; rebounding and paint scoring. In her first three games for Toronto, she’s averaging 10 points per game along with 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and one block through 18.7 minutes per game. Unfortunately, Toronto is on a nine-game losing streak en route to missing out on a playoff appearance. This could open the door to a bit more experimentation with Morrow’s role within their offense, especially when Brittney Sykes returns to the floor.
<hr />
<h2>McBride Asks That We Don’t Forget Her Impact</h2>
<div id="attachment_268690" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-268690" class="wp-image-268690 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110836.916.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110836.916.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110836.916-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110836.916-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110836.916-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-11T110836.916-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Kayla McBride #21 of the Minnesota Lynx celebrates she scores her tenth three point basket to break the WNBA Record</div>
McBride is a core piece of the Lynx’s top-seeded squad this season, and that’s in major thanks to her consistency as a three-point shooting threat. With Collier back on the floor, she has even more opportunities from long range as Collier’s gravity creates a problem for defenders. 
Against the Dallas Wings this past weekend, McBride really put her three-point shooting on display, breaking a WNBA record for most made threes in a game with 10. 
“It’s crazy. I’ve been in this league for 13 years, and choosing to come back here in the offseason, I didn’t know — we didn’t know what it was going to look like. Moments like this, times like this, you realize you made the right decision,” said McBride after the win. 
McBride is a 13-year veteran and a hopeful key to the beginning of a new dynasty in Minnesota. She’s averaged 18.4 points per game this season &#8211; a career high &#8211; in addition to 3.3 rebounds, and she’s shooting 51.8 percent from three-point range over her last seven games on eight attempts per game. Lights out might not be the best way to describe her offensive output as of late &#8211; more like a blanketing flurry of shooting.
<hr />
<h2>Sky Finding Spark Again</h2>
While their season feels fairly over (although anything can happen in the middle of the current WNBA standings), Chicago seems to be finding itself again thanks to the return of Dijonai Carrington to the floor. Just the past week &#8211; sans a shortened game against the Indiana Fever following a flagrant 2 committed by Carrington &#8211; her two-way play has really shined. Averaging 16.5 minutes per game through six games played, she’s averaged 12.5 points per game along with one steal and 2.5 rebounds. 
Chicago only went 1-2 this past week, but Carrington, Kamilla Cardoso, and Courtney Vandersloot all played solidly in those contests. 
Carrington, a former Defensive Player of the Year candidate with the Connecticut Sun back in 2024 and a solid scorer, could factor in as a key piece to Chicago’s future look, assuming they continue to rebuild themselves through the draft. Between her play and that of rookie Sydney Taylor, they could have the backcourt of their future.

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Five Things I Like: Week 11

After the trade deadline wrapped up on Sunday, the WNBA landscape didn’t feel all that shifted. The largest trade from this year was the Los Angeles Sparks’ decision to part ways with Kelsey Plum amid an extremely disappointing 2026 campaign, sending her to the Phoenix Mercury for Monique Akoa Makani and draft compensation. 
This shakes up the postseason picture a bit, with Phoenix now with extra help on offense to try and boost their chances of getting into the top-8 of the league standings with just over a month and some change left in the regular season. Aside from that move, the league stayed relatively firmly set, and we still got some fantastic basketball out of the week despite that silence on the trade front. 
These were five moments from Week 10 of the WNBA season that stood out to me as the deadline came and went. 
<hr />
<h2>Miles and Collier’s Two-Man Game Heating Up</h2>
As if the Minnesota Lynx, the top-seeded team in the league through ten weeks, needed any more help, it looks like the two-man game between Miles and Collier is beginning to really gel. That’s terrifying. 
Miles has been on a tear as of late, averaging 22.7 points per game along with 4.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds over her last three games. Collier has also begun to pick things up since returning from her ankle injury, posting 16.3 points per game along with 6.3 rebounds, four assists, 1.3 blocks, and 50 percent shooting from three. 
In their back-and-forth win against the Indiana Fever on August 2, the two players were constantly leveraging their own gravity to assist the other. Miles could constantly drive to the basket with Collier trailing, and defenders would have to essentially pick their poison between two players with very efficient rim-finishing numbers. They’re also both respected away from the rim, adding more of an issue for defenses trying to get the ball out of either player&#8217;s hands. 
Double-teaming is not enough to slow the Lynx down with Collier healthy. Even if you can shut both of their waters off, you still have to deal with a potent guard in Courtney Williams, or a sharpshooter in Kayla McBride, or a veteran forward in Natasha Howard who has been thriving as Collier’s running mate in the frontcourt so far since her return. 
It’s just becoming unfair, in the best sense of the word.
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<h2>Sydney Taylor’s Loud All-Rookie Push</h2>
<div id="attachment_268057" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-268057" class="wp-image-268057 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142330.229.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142330.229.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142330.229-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142330.229-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142330.229-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142330.229-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Sydney Taylor #12 of the Chicago Sky celebrates after scoring the game winning basket against the Las Vegas Aces</div>
While Miles might have ROTY wrapped up after helping to keep a contender like the Lynx afloat during Collier’s absence, Taylor is trying to squeeze her way into that conversation regardless. The Chicago Sky undrafted rookie has been sensational for the squad up to this point, averaging 21.5 points, four assists, a steal, and a block over her last two games with the Sky. And, of course, she really helped to shake the table this past week with a huge game-winning three against the Las Vegas Aces. 
What really speaks to how grounded she is for a rookie is the fact that veteran Natasha Cloud actually ran up to Taylor to celebrate her game-winner, while Taylor was trying to focus on stopping Las Vegas from getting off one final shot at the buzzer. She didn’t celebrate until that whistle blew. 
Taylor has been collecting these moments all season long, giving Chicago something to root for as they’ve struggled to find their footing due to injuries and a very tough schedule. At 11-19, it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility that they can make a push for that final 8 seed by the end of the season, but Taylor has to be a huge part of that. The Sky have been desperately missing a shooter and driver of her caliber, and if they don’t emphasize her role in this offense, they’re looking at another lost season. 
She’s beginning to feel like a shoo-in for All-Rookie, as well.
<hr />
<h2>Potent Mystics Frontcourt Shocks Wings</h2>
While the Dallas Wings have been sensational this year, one aspect of their team that fans might’ve hoped to have seen addressed at the trade deadline was their lack of rim protection. Jessica Shepard and Awak Kuier are really solid frontcourt players on offense, but they don’t provide a ton of help defensively at the rim. 
The Washington Mystics fully exposed that issue in their win over the Wings from over the weekend. Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen were dominant over Dallas, finishing up with 22 and 28 points, respectively, along with a combined 19 rebounds. Only Shepard came close to matching Washington’s production on the boards with six rebounds, and that’s quite underwhelming for her amid a career-best season. 
The Mystics have now won four in a row and are staving off late-year pushes from a few teams under them trying to kick them out of the 8 seed. If you have any doubts about your frontcourt depth or defense headed into the postseason, you do not want to deal with this young Mystics team.
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<h2>Aces Snag Huge Win Over Liberty</h2>
<div id="attachment_268058" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-268058" class="wp-image-268058 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142557.980.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142557.980.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142557.980-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142557.980-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142557.980-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-04T142557.980-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Chelsea Gray #12 of the Las Vegas Aces looks to pass under pressure from Marine Fauthoux #4 of the New York Liberty</div>
Ahead of Rivals Week, which kicks off on August 8, we got a taste of one rivalry between Las Vegas and New York. It was a battle between these two teams, who were meeting for the first time since their Commissioner’s Cup game. New York won that championship, but they dropped this game to the Aces behind a monstrous performance from A’ja Wilson. She and Breanna Stewart were clashing in this one, leading their teams in scoring and rebounding overall. It was simply impossible for the Liberty to stop the Aces’ core three of Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young from catching fire, which led to a fourth-quarter collapse. Young did a good job of hitting clutch free throws down the stretch to ice the game for Las Vegas, while New York struggled to generate turnovers or stop Young from charging to the basket in clutch time. 
These two teams meet again on Sunday, August 9, as part of Rivals Week. While both are in vastly different positions in the current standings &#8211; the Aces are nipping at the Lynx’s heels, while the Liberty are just trying to find their footing again as they sit as the 7 seed &#8211; they’re still contenders with a lot of overlap in talent. These games offer a good glimpse into how they’ll manage their rosters and lineups in the postseason, with a potential meeting in the first round getting set up.
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<h2>Dream Storm Back Against Wings</h2>
This entire column was not devised to hit back against the Wings’ ascension, I promise, but they did have a tough week in the WNBA. Before losing against the Mystics, they also dropped the ball in a big way against the Dream, who they had a double-digit lead against on July 29 before completely collapsing. A game-winning shot from Allisha Gray was the dagger for Atlanta after they overcame that deficit. 
The Dream may not be shooting the ball very well &#8211; just hitting 26.2 percent of their three-point shots, and hitting a fourth-worst 43.3 percent of their shots from the field overall &#8211; but their rebounding and second-chance point opportunities are almost infinite thanks to their newly healthy frontcourt of Bri Jones and Angel Reese. They lead the league in that category with 14.7 second-chance point opportunities per game. 
Those are the back-breaking shot opportunities that will keep Atlanta afloat while they wait for their shots to fall again.

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Five Things I Like: Week 10

It feels unfathomable, but the player to monitor for a near-nightly triple-double is not Alyssa Thomas &#8211; it’s Jessica Shepard. 
The sixth-year veteran forward is hitting her stride in a major way with the Dallas Wings this season, posting three triple-doubles so far this season. That’s good for the most in the league so far this year, outdoing even Thomas, who’s known for easily hitting that benchmark thanks to her playmaking and rebounding abilities. 
Shepard’s been a key cog to the Wings’ dominance in year two of the Paige Bueckers era, and it’s in major thanks to her that Dallas is on a five-game winning streak as we head towards the All-Star break. 
This, and five other things, really caught my eye from week eight of WNBA action. 
<hr />
<h2>Commissioner’s Cup Hangover</h2>
After the New York Liberty took out the Las Vegas Aces for another Commissioner’s Cup title, it felt like perhaps they’d start to hit their stride ahead of the All-Star break. A nice streak could set them up for a comfortable spot atop the league standings and keep them afloat despite a very slow start from the team and their stars. 
Instead, New York has once again become inconsistent on offense and is struggling to get stops when it matters. They’re right in the middle of the league in three-point percentage (34.5) despite having shooters like Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Marine Johannès in tow, and are averaging just 87.8 points per game. That’s close to the output from teams like the Connecticut Sun, Portland Fire, and Chicago Sky. 
That, coupled with very little rim protection, average rebounding, and a third-lowest 6.3 steals per game, New York is lacking pop on either side of the ball. 
Since beating the Aces, the Liberty have lost three of their last four games. It feels like they have some identity issues to once again work out with a new head coach in tow, and with another new-look bench that doesn’t seem prepared to back up the starting unit. 
<hr />
<h2>Indiana Fever Surging</h2>
<div id="attachment_266146" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-266146" class="wp-image-266146" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2282658317-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="720" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2282658317-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2282658317-300x240.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2282658317-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2282658317-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2282658317-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2282658317-2048x1638.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />The Indiana Fever huddle during the game against the Phoenix Mercury</div>
The Fever had two key contests this past week: road games against the Phoenix Mercury and the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces present the largest challenge on paper to the Fever, with A’ja Wilson being a thorn in the side of any team that doesn’t have an experienced big ready to challenge her in the paint. 
Of course, Indiana did not have to worry too much about that, with Kelsey Mitchell simply putting the team on her back in both games. The star guard averaged 28.3 points per game over Indiana’s games this past week, along with shooting ridiculously efficiently from behind the arc. Despite a slower start to the year for the Fever, it seems like they’re beginning to pick things up thanks to Mitchell, the return of Caitlin Clark more consistently to the floor following a back injury, and star center Aliyah Boston honing in on her defensive stalwart-ness this past week. They’re sitting in 5th place now, just behind the Wings, and are proving they can make even the sharpest teams look silly with their core of Mitchell, Boston, and Clark. Consistency will be key for them. 
<hr />
<h2>Tempo Trip to Montreal</h2>
I had the pleasure of venturing across the border to go watch the Tempo’s two games hosted at the Bell Center over the weekend as part of their Cross Canada series, and they gave fans two exhilarating games against the Wings and Liberty. While they went 1-1 on the “road” trip, you couldn’t really tell that was the case. Fans were unbelievably supportive of the squad during both games, and, of course, Marina Mabrey put on a show against Dallas and New York. 
Mabrey, a first-time All-Star this year, averaged 32 points over the weekend, in addition to shooting 9-17 from three across both games. Her step backs in both games just always seemed like they were going to find the net, and more often than not, that was the case. 
Some underrated performances from the Tempo’s Maria Conde and Laura Juskaite deserve flowers, as well. Both played as excellent co-stars to Mabrey’s offensive explosion over this past weekend. Conde was confidently letting it fly from three, while Juskaite seemed to keep finding all of the Liberty’s pain points on her drives. 
Toronto did a great job of feeding off the energy from the Montreal crowd. 
<hr />
<h2>Valkyries Continue to be a Brick Wall</h2>
<div id="attachment_266147" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-266147" class="wp-image-266147" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2284687221-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="646" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2284687221-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2284687221-1-300x215.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2284687221-1-1024x735.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2284687221-1-768x551.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2284687221-1-1536x1103.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2284687221-1-2048x1470.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Veronica Burton #22 of the Golden State Valkyries</div>
The Valkyries scored 62 points against the Washington Mystics on July 6. That’s 20 points lower than their season average of 82, and typically the kind of offensive output you’d see from the losing team. 
Of course, they held the Mystics to just 49 points to secure the win, anyway. 
Golden State has been the best overall defensive unit in the WNBA this year, and that’s a huge testament to the work of Veronica Burton as one of the league’s best two-way guards. She’s the head of a snake that is neck and neck with the Minnesota Lynx in defensive rating (100.4), and while also allowing the least amount of points in the paint per game in the league (31.8 per game). 
Burton is also one of the league leaders in defensive win shares, which measures how much an individual player impacts their team’s wins on the defensive end of the floor only. 
Despite not being the flashiest team when it comes to their defense &#8211; they aren’t hauling down rebounds or getting blocks at a huge clip &#8211; their collective effort on the floor to make life miserable for opponents on defense is what’s helping land Golden State right in the conversation for contention ahead of the All-Star break. 
<hr />
<h2>Juhasz’s Return Comes with Huge Reeve Milestone</h2>
Dorka Juhasz had been out all season with a foot sprain suffered overseas, keeping her out of the Lynx’s lineups until July 6. The forward, while missed, wasn’t necessarily returning to a downtrodden team. Minnesota’s been one of the best stories of the season so far, with rookie Olivia Miles helping lead the Napheesa Collier-less team to a first-place record and a stronghold on the standings. So, Juhasz’s return was a welcome addition to Minnesota&#8217;s frontcourt depth, but the team has been managing just fine in her absence. 
Still, her contributions as a stretch 4 who can rebound efficiently and operate in the pick and roll with Miles are great for the Lynx, and even without Miles on July 9, Juhasz flashed all of that ability in the Lynx’s win over the Sun. That win carried head coach Cheryl Reeve over the hump to get the league record for most regular-season wins by a coach in history. 
It was also a clutch three from Juhasz that sealed the victory for Minnesota, on a night where the team was unbelievably shorthanded thanks to Miles’ calf injury and the ramp-up for Collier still ongoing. 
As if the Lynx needed to get any scarier, Juhasz&#8217;s ability to keep up this level of play off the bench could end up being huge for Minnesota as they seek to gain 100% health by the second half of the season. Minnesota’s bench play could use some work &#8211;  their second unit is averaging a league-low 15.7 points per game, along with just 8.7 rebounds per game, 4.2 assists, two steals, but is holding the best net rating (4.7). 
Juhasz can, at a minimum, be the remedy for their rebounding and bench shooting.

five-things-i-like-week-eight-2026

Five Things I Like: Week Eight 2026

We’re headed into the Commissioner’s Cup championship game between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty. Still, the two teams met up before this contest for a fun preview ahead of their clash at Barclays Center on June 30th. 
These two squads are pretty clear contenders, but the Aces seem to be flying a lot higher than the Liberty at the moment. Despite that, New York managed to beat Las Vegas in their Cup championship preview. 
Another contentious game between the Dallas Wings and Minnesota Lynx, a quadruple overtime game between the Washington Mystics and Portland Fire, a surge from an unlikely source in Chicago, and Cheryl Reeve on the brink of history were all things I liked from this past week in the WNBA.
<hr />
<h2>First Taste of Commissioner’s Cup Championship</h2>
<div id="attachment_264985" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-264985" class="wp-image-264985 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Han Xu #21 of the New York Liberty</div>
Who would’ve thought that the Liberty’s X-factor against the Aces wouldn’t be winning the guard battle, or Breanna Stewart edging out perennial MVP candidate A’ja Wilson, but Han Xu providing 12 points in 13 minutes off the bench en route to a New York win?
Xu went a perfect 6-6 from the field in her limited minutes off the bench for the Liberty, hitting both of her three-point attempts. Her bench contributions were key for New York in the 2nd half, as she helped match the scoring from Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu to get New York over the hump necessary to take Las Vegas down. 
Since this contest, though, New York has lost their only two contests prior to the Cup championship &#8211; one game against the Seattle Storm, when they were shorthanded, and one against the Golden State Valkyries, where they simply couldn’t stop their paint penetration or match their shooting from the field. 
Las Vegas, on the other hand, took down the Wings and Sky as they head to New York for the Cup. They’re still looking like the team to beat this season, with Wilson somehow looking so good this year that it isn’t getting enough hype &#8211; her unbelievably performances are actually just becoming routine for us all to witness.
<hr />
<h2>Wings-Lynx Rivalry Continues to Brew</h2>
Hand clapping, technicals, and “too little” celebrations were sprinkled throughout the Wings’ loss to the Lynx at home over the weekend. Things were a bit heated between Wings star Paige Bueckers and current ROTY frontrunner Olivia Miles, specifically, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to fans with how competitive those two players are. 
It was a physical matchup that nearly became a down-to-the-wire battle thanks to some clutch Azzi Fudd buckets in the second half, but Dallas continues to struggle to get stops at the rim with a lack of a protector in the front court. Minnesota, and specifically Miles and Natasha Howard, took full advantage of this by posting 38 paint points to Dallas’ 28. 
These two young backcourt stars could very well meet in the postseason, so their games against one another have been a fun potential preview of a new playoff rivalry brewing.
<hr />
<h2>Quadruple OT Game Makes WNBA History</h2>
Yes, you’re reading that subheading right &#8211; there were four extra quarters played to determine a winner of a Mystics-Fire game over the weekend. Exhausted watching the players doesn’t even begin to describe what it felt like watching this contest, which ended in a win for Washington. 
The game, which ended 124-123, ties a 2001 game between Washington and Seattle as the longest in WNBA history. The 247 points scored in this game were also the second-most scored in WNBA history. And, to add even more history, the eight players who logged 45 or more minutes on the court were the most players to go for that long in WNBA history. 
This was, aside from the obvious barn-burner feel of it all, also a great showcase of young talent in Portland and Washington. Carla Leite and Sarah Ashlee Barker did their best to lead the Fire to the win in this one, with Leite hitting the three-pointer that carried Portland into the first overtime period that kicked off the mayhem. But, Washington’s young core &#8211; Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron &#8211; in addition to veteran Michaela Onyenwere, carried them to a win. 
<hr />
<h2>Sydney Taylor Turning Heads in Chicago</h2>
<div id="attachment_264986" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-264986" class="wp-image-264986 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Sydney Taylor #12 of the Chicago Sky</div>
“She’s from New York, and she plays like she’s from New York, and sometimes you can just tell. We were kind of surprised that she had gone under the radar as much as she has.”
That <a href="https://www.theixsports.com/the-ix-basketball-newsroom/wnba/chicago-sky/sydney-taylor-chicago-sky/">was Tyler Marsh speaking to reporters</a> about Sky guard Sydney Taylor, an undrafted free agent who has gone from an end-of-bench piece to one of Chicago’s biggest spark plugs amid a down season. 
The Long Island native has put together some sensational performances in June, including a 30-point game in a loss against the Indiana Fever, a 29-point game in a win against the Fire on Friday, and a solid 6-13 shooting performance in a loss to the Aces. Chicago had been sorely missing that floor-spacing shooting from its lineup to aid its front-court-heavy roster, and Taylor seems to be the answer to those problems as of now.
<hr />
<h2>Reeve One Win Away from History</h2>
As I wrote about last week, Reeve is <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/cheryl-reeve-nears-wnba-history">on the brink of history</a>. She’s now just one win away from surpassing Mike Thibault as the all-time WNBA regular-season wins holder, and that could come as soon as this coming Friday against the Liberty. It’s a 2024 Finals rematch, so that’s already an exciting factor involved in the game, but it could also get Reeve over that 380-win hump necessary to become the sole regular-season wins record holder. 
With the way these two teams are playing &#8211; Minnesota acting as a bulldozer led by Miles, and New York still seemingly working out the kinks related to a new coach and a re-tooled bench &#8211; it feels likely that the Lynx can secure that record-sealing win with Reeve this weekend. 
This will be the two teams’ first meeting with one another this season &#8211; what a way to kick off their remaining three contests against one another for the year.

five-things-i-like-week-7-2026

5 Things I Like: Week Seven 2026

Who else but Nneka Ogwumike to finish out another exciting week of action in the WNBA?
After the New York Liberty clinched another Commissioner’s Cup appearance &#8211; their 3rd in four seasons &#8211; they skidded to the end of this week and were the victim of an Ogwumike game-winner on the road. It was an excellent way to end an exciting, nostalgia-filled contest as the league celebrated its inaugural tip-off between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Liberty, with multiple appearances by retired players from both franchises, archival footage throughout the game, and, finally, a buzzer-beater. 
It was the great cap off to a week that featured this clutch moment, the Atlanta Dream remaining a force, the Minnesota Lynx continuing to roll, the Washington Mystics pulling off two upsets, and Marina Mabrey doing Marina Mabrey things. 
<hr />
<h2>Sparks Snag Victory Over Liberty in 30th Anniversary Celebration</h2>
<div id="attachment_264349" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-264349" class="wp-image-264349 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132230.519.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132230.519.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132230.519-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132230.519-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132230.519-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132230.519-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />The Los Angeles Sparks</div>
Appearances from Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie, DeLisha Milton-Jones, and many other WNBA legends were a wonderful addition to what ended up being a fun one late in Los Angeles. Rae Burrell had 19 points off the bench, while Ogwumike paced all scorers with 24 in a big win for a Western Conference team just trying to stay afloat. 
With the buzzer beater, Ogwumike picked up her 3rd go-ahead shot in the last five seconds of a contest in her Sparks tenure &#8211; both from this season and her previous stop with the team &#8211; which is a franchise record. She surpassed Candace Parker with the bucket, adding even more flare to the make. 
“I’ve been with the Sparks for so long…it’s emotional seeing all these legends in the building, people who didn’t get paid their value who are still coming here supporting us. I’m so grateful,” said Ogwumike, through tears, in her postgame interview following her game-winner. 
It was an emotional contest filled with bittersweet and simply sweet memories for the league and its legends. Ogwumike is already a legend, but she added another page to her story in this contest.
<hr />
<h2>Dream Rolled Against Fever</h2>
As the Fever continue to try to find their footing defensively this season and figure out a proper order of operations for their top-heavy offense, the Dream seem to have found their place as a genuine contender in the Eastern Conference. These two teams clashed twice this week, and Atlanta snagged victories in both games. In their final game of this week, the Dream held the Fever to under 100 points. In that same game, Atlanta also broke their franchise record for most points scored in a game with 113. 
Angel Reese has been the leading force for the Dream so far over this recent stretch of dominant play, posting double-doubles as if it’s as easy as breathing. Her hitting her 1,000th career rebound in the Dream’s second win over Indiana this week just added to the sensational stat lines she’s been piecing together as of late. 
Consistent contributions from a healthy Jordin Canada, in addition to the clutch play of both Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, have placed Atlanta right in the conversation with the Las Vegas Aces, Lynx, and Liberty ahead of this Fall’s postseason.
<hr />
<h2>Reeve Within Reach of Regular-Season Win Record</h2>
The Lynx began this year without Napheesa Collier and have still remained a force in the league despite that. Obviously, excellent play from rookie Olivia Miles, veterans Courtney Williams and Natasha Howard, Kayla McBride, and Nia Coffey has helped propel them to the top of the standings in her absence, but Reeve plays a humongous role in this effort. 
Reeve did not manage to get a win over the Mystics on Minnesota’s Pride Night,<a href="https://www.fox9.com/sports/cheryl-reeve-after-lynx-pride-night-loss-we-shouldve-done-gays.amp"> much to her joking chagrin</a>, but the Lynx did secure a victory over the Golden State Valkyries and Sparks prior to that loss. She’s at 364 regular-season wins over her career and could break former Connecticut Sun and Mystics head coach Mike Thibault’s record (379) very, very soon.
<hr />
<h2>Mystics Post Two Upset Wins Over Liberty, Lynx</h2>
<div id="attachment_264350" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-264350" class="wp-image-264350 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132704.532.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132704.532.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132704.532-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132704.532-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132704.532-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-23T132704.532-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />The Washington Mystics</div>
Just when you think the Mystics are about to enter the doldrums again, they rope you back in with two victories over contenders in Minnesota and New York. They did this behind huge games from Sonia Citron, with the wing averaging 18.5 points per game across those two contests, in addition to eight assists and five steals in the team’s win over the Liberty.
Of note, rookie Cotie McMahon also had 15 points off the bench for the Mystics in their win over Minnesota &#8211; she outscored the Lynx’s entire bench. 
We all know the future is very bright in Washington. Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Georgia Amoore, and Shakira Austin all form a core that could very well be contending in the next few years as the rest of the league’s current star power gets older. But they’re struggling to find consistency. These two wins could stand to push them into a nice groove that propels them up the standings ahead of this year’s All-Star break.
<hr />
<h2>Mabrey’s Career-High Adds Notch to Early Tempo Tenure</h2>
Marina Mabrey has been sensational since landing with the Tempo in the expansion draft this past offseason, and her career-high 37-point explosion against her former team, the Sun, was just more proof that Toronto’s selection of her is paying off. 
Mabrey is shooting just over 39 percent from the three-point range this season, which is the third-best clip of her career. She hit nine three-pointers in the Tempo’s weekend win over the Sun, which helped them to complete a comeback against a struggling Connecticut squad. 
The light has always been green for Mabrey, who is now playing for her sixth team in eight seasons. But she’s the leader of a young backcourt in Toronto now, and she’s never seen the hoop look so enticing. Utilizing the gravity of Brittney Sykes (when healthy), Kiki Rice (when healthy), and Maria Conde is only going to make her a scarier scorer.

five-things-i-like-week-6-2026

5 Things I Like: Week Six 2026

The news of the New York Liberty’s demise was greatly exaggerated. 
Following an extremely slow start to their 2026 season, New York finds itself right back in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game to represent the Eastern Conference. 
Five straight victories during Cup play and a key win over their closest competition, the Atlanta Dream, helped land them in the final. They now await their Western Conference competition and hope to host whoever comes out of the West at Barclays Center. 
This surge was probably the biggest news of the past week in the WNBA, but we’ll look back on four others as we get closer to the end of Cup play and creep towards the actual championship game being set. 
<hr />
<h2>Liberty on a Run, Back in Commissioner’s Cup Championship</h2>
<div id="attachment_263687" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263687" class="wp-image-263687 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />The New York Liberty</div>
New York began the year injured and lacking chemistry. Sabrina Ionescu was not on the court thanks to an ankle injury suffered in the preseason, while Satou Sabally remained out to begin her new tenure with the team. They were 3-4 headed into the final week of May. A lack of offense and, specifically, rebounding, seemed ready to doom what could be one of their last contending seasons with their current core. 
Then, they flipped a switch. New York now holds the second-best defensive rating through June 15 (101.1). They’re averaging five more points per game in June than they were in May. And, they seem to have found a gem in Pauline Astier, who has been filling in nicely for Ionescu. Wins over Phoenix (twice), Indiana, and Atlanta have boosted New York’s stock greatly. They’re playing team ball again at the exact right time.
<hr />
<h2>Wilson Continues to Peak in MVP Convo</h2>
The sky is blue, water is wet, and A’ja Wilson is yet again a clear candidate for MVP through just over a month and a half of regular-season games played. After yet another MVP season in 2025, followed by an improbable Finals win borne out of a mid-season team meeting, Wilson is back in the driver’s seat for the illustrious award. Averaging 26.2 points per game along with 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals, she’s also leading the league in PIE, or player impact estimate, through 13 games. 
A recent win over the equally impressive Olivia Miles and the Minnesota Lynx further solidified her campaign. A double-double in that contest, in which she also tallied three blocks and two steals, helped to quiet some of the noise around Miles and a potential ROTY-MVP two-for-one this season. It’s early days still, but Wilson is the head of a 10-3 snake that’s about to land right back in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship potentially.
<hr />
<h2>Plum, Copper Duel in High-Scoring Affair</h2>
Both Plum and Copper are part of teams that are underperforming right now. The Los Angeles Sparks are still figuring out their chemistry, but you’d expect them to be a bit better than 7-6 on the year and just 8th in the league. Phoenix’s chemistry shouldn’t even be that disrupted, given that their largest departure of the offseason was Sabally walking for the Liberty. And yet, they’re also sitting at a disappointing 4-11 and at the bottom of the standings. 
So, fans were probably not anticipating these two teams’ clash to be all that entertaining on June 14. Plum and Copper scoffed at that with their respective 40+ point performances, the first game of the year in which a player on both teams recorded that many points. Los Angeles won the battle in overtime, as Phoenix made just one basket in overtime. 
These stars are doing their best to carry their franchises past mediocre and into contention, but the road is arduous with so much talent now distributed across the league. The Finals hangover has been very real for the Mercury, who don’t have much pop on offense this season and aren’t getting any younger. As for Los Angeles, they’re on the precipice of being more consistent, and hopefully this performance from Plum reminds her that she can lead this team.
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<h2>Citron Spoils Mabrey’s Heater</h2>
<div id="attachment_263688" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263688" class="wp-image-263688 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Sonia Citron #22 of the Washington Mystics</div>
In the 4th quarter of the Washington Mystics’ game against the Toronto Tempo this past Saturday, it seemed like the Mystics would be comfortably snagging victory at home to help them stay afloat in the Eastern Conference. 
Then Marina Mabrey hit a three. And another one. And another one. 
She had four three-pointers in the last two minutes of the game, which helped Toronto get within striking distance of Washington when they looked completely out of the contest just minutes prior. Thanks to those shots, Brittney Sykes was able to get free on their last possession, and hit a running layup to give Toronto the lead with 11 seconds to go in the 4th. 
Washington, one of the youngest teams in the league, had to find their offense again after it had been lost for the entire quarter. 
Citron did just that. 
The second-year wing hit a perfect shot at the baseline at the buzzer, getting the Mystics a victory and helping them survive a Mabrey barrage. It was a huge victory against an Eastern Conference team and a fun, tight contest, as we’re seeing more blowouts than usual during this Commissioner’s Cup period.
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<h2>Miles Still Leads ROTY race </h2>
As mentioned, it does feel like Miles might be sneakily piecing together an MVP campaign in addition to her very obvious one for ROTY. And why shouldn’t her play be considered “most valuable?” 
She’s become the leader of a Lynx team still missing Napheesa Collier and has seamlessly become the perfect backcourt mate to Courtney Williams. Her passing is elite, as she’s averaging 5.9 assists per game, but she’s also shooting an efficient 52.5 percent from the field in addition to averaging 5.1 rebounds per game. Her defense has been an unsung part of her game this year, too, as she still leads the league in defensive win shares through 13 games. 
A shoo-in for ROTY? Yes. A dark horse for MVP? Absolutely. And despite a loss to the Aces that snapped their win streak, Miles was fantastic in that contest, posting a game-high 29 points, 50 percent from the three-point line, and four rebounds. But Las Vegas’ defense certainly exposed some rookie-ness, with Miles turning the ball over six times &#8211; a season high &#8211; as well as just recording one assist. 
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