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week-1-western-conference-player-of-the-week

Week 1: Western Conference Player of the Week A'ja Wilson

Analysis

We’re officially into the swing of this WNBA season, and there haven’t been too many surprises to start off. The Las Vegas Aces continue to look like a powerhouse, while teams like the Connecticut Sun, Seattle Storm, Portland Fire, and others keep trying to find ways to get going amid a strong overall league and tough start to the year. 
This past week, we saw a rookie milestone, an incredible buzzer-beater, a potential Finals preview, and the continued steady rise of one young team. Let’s get into those moments from these last few days in the WNBA, as we careen quickly towards the kick-off to Commissioner’s Cup play on June 1. 
<hr />
<h2>Olivia Miles’ Early Rookie of the Year campaign </h2>
<div id="attachment_260933" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260933" class="wp-image-260933 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
Olivia Miles, the second-overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft, has been a key cog for the Minnesota Lynx’s offense so far this season. Veteran Courtney Williams said as much in a recent interview, saying of Miles that she’s the “captain of the ship.”
“For her to be a rookie and coming in and doing it the way she doing it, that girl gonna be a problem. I’ve been saying that,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYXl0HsiVED/">continued Williams.  </a>
She’s not wrong about Miles’ leadership on the court: the rookie is averaging seven assists per game, along with 16.3 points and 3.7 rebounds. She also recently became the first player in WNBA history to record 30+ points and 15+ assists through her first two games.  
You can’t catch a Lynx game as of late without catching an unbelievably slick pass from Miles at the top of the arc to a streaking Minnesota player. She’s also a threat in transition, which makes defending her difficult: either you bite on her shot, and she takes advantage of a weaker defense with her passing, or she forces a defense to hone in on defending other Lynx shooters around Miles, opening up multiple lanes for her. 
Miles is, by a long shot, the current Rookie of the Year favorite. It’s far too early to say whether anyone else from the class will catch up to her in terms of impact, but she’s looking ready to firmly take the reins on that race. 
<hr />
<h2>Portland Fire Finally Get First W</h2>
In one of the coolest moments so far this season, the Portland Fire managed to push the New York Liberty into a tie-game situation during their May 12 contest, and Bridget Carleton was forced to chuck up a three to try and win the game for the Fire &#8211; their first for the franchise since coming back to the city. 
Carleton’s shot was off, but Sarah Ashlee Barker had a heads-up rebound after New York failed to box out, and she hit a buzzer-beating layup to secure Portland’s first win of the season at home. The crowd was raucous, and head coach Alex Sarama could only describe the electric victory &#8211; gotten off a second-chance opportunity &#8211;<a href="https://www.rosegardenreport.com/sarah-ashlee-barkers-buzzer-beater-was-portland-fire-101/"> “Portland Fire 101.”</a>
The Fire have struggled this season, and it’s not surprising: with so many new pieces added to an entirely new franchise, in addition to a new coach, they’re bound to have some serious growing pains. While the Golden State Valkyries’ success in 2025 was a great blueprint to follow for Portland and the Toronto Tempo, there’s only so much you can do to recreate that magic. 
Portland’s not too worse for wear as of late. They’re averaging 37.5 percent from three-point range between May 10 and May 17, and have upped their points per game average to 90. They’re on a good path towards improving, and this buzzer-beater should’ve injected some major confidence into them. 
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<h2>Potential Finals Preview</h2>
<div id="attachment_260935" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260935" class="wp-image-260935 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces and Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream</div>
In the WNBA’s first game hosted by NBC, the Atlanta Dream clashed with the Aces in what you have to hope could be a Finals preview.
It was a back-and-forth affair, especially in the 4th quarter. Jordin Canada was doing everything in her power to keep the Dream in the game with timely steals and hit shots in the midrange, while Te-Hina Paopao and rookie Madina Okot were holding their own quite well against such vaunted competition. 
But the Aces simply have a gear that most other teams don’t, and while they couldn’t keep that gear going consistently for the entire second half, it helped them survive a game in which Jackie Young scored 0 points. 
Chennedy Carter and A’ja Wilson were sensational, each scoring 20 points, while Chelsea Gray did what she does best for the entire game: controlled the tempo, hit shots when necessary, and was the most clutch player on the court. It was an extremely entertaining back-and-forth between two talented teams, with plenty of hope that they could push for a Finals appearance this season. 
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<h2>Hot Offenses, Porous Defenses </h2>
Two teams have seen a lack of team defense lead to disappointing losses: the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever. 
Dallas attempted, in earnest, to address their defensive holes in free agency this year. They signed Alanna Smith to a deal, with the forward just coming off a co-DPOY win in 2025. Jess Shepard also has some defensive upside thanks to her size, although Smith is truly the stalwart between the two in the Wings’ frontcourt.
Outside of those signings, the Wings didn&#8217;t lean into acquiring more players known for their defensive skills. Paige Bueckers is a pest thanks to her size and active hands on defense, but Arike Ogunbowale and Odyssey Sims leave a lot to be desired in that department. There was a specific loss from this week, against the Lynx, that should’ve really left a sour taste in the Wings’ mouths. 
They were shooting well enough, but left the rookie Miles open for far too many runaway layups in the 4th quarter due to poor transition defense. Add a lack of rebounding (of which the Wings are only averaging 29 per game as a team, good for 13th in the league), and you’ve got a recipe for a lot of shootouts that end in losses for Dallas. They can’t simply score their way to good defense. A 110.2 defensive rating just isn’t going to cut it for a team that is positioning itself as a potential sleeper in this year’s postseason. 
Another squad struggling mightily to find answers on defense is the Indiana Fever. Caitlin Clark is a terrific offensive presence, a floor general that can stretch the floor, but has limitations on defensive end. Aliyah Boston can only remedy that so much from the post, while the rest of the Fever’s cast &#8211; Lexie Hull, Sophie Cunningham, Kelsey Mitchell, and Mo Billings &#8211; must step up to make teams pay for putting Clark in actions repeatedly. 
The Fever, who are 9th in the league in defensive rating (104.6), are allowing the 3rd-most fast break points in the league so far (12.8 per game), but are being saved by their rebounding ability and Boston’s presence defensively in the paint. They have a ton of room for improvement if they want to prevent further losses &#8211; especially at home. 
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<h2>Washington’s Core Still on the Rise </h2>
Anyone who saw Sonia Citron’s and Kiki Iriafen’s rookie seasons in Washington knew that, headed into 2026, we’d be in for a huge leap from both players. Citron has been a lights-out shooter for the Mystics so far this year, averaging 24.3 points per game and shooting 60.5 percent from the field. Her 1.7 steals and one block per game are making her look more and more like the 3-and-D phenom that college scouts figured she could become in the right system. 
As for Iriafen, it simply looks like the hardest task in the world, attempting to box her out. Her 19 points per game, along with 13.7 rebounds and 59 percent shooting from the field, are becoming a tenet for this Mystics team’s system. She makes life difficult for almost any big that dares cross paths with her in the post, which has helped Washington along to a 101.1 defensive rating (4th in the league) and the 2nd-most prolific rebounding team in the league (43.3 per game). 
And, while Shakira Austin isn’t one of the new faces for Washington, she’s only 25 years old and still a huge piece to this team’s identity. Her 17.7 points per game, along with 10 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks, help to easily make her a leader for this young team on the court. Health has always been a huge, and unfortunate, barrier for Austin in her career with the Mystics, so it would be incredible to witness her build a winning squad alongside Iriafen, Citron, and the rest of the neophytes in Washington in 2026. Their 2-1 record through three games does little to speak to just how much momentum and potential they have thanks to this trio.

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Five Things I Like: Week One 2026

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Top 10 Plays of the Week

Power Rankings

In the first two editions of the 2026 Power Rankings, from the offseason and preseason, much of the analysis could only be done on paper.
Now that we’re 10 days into the season, we finally have a handful of games to help shape our understanding of how this campaign may unfold.
While the sample size remains extremely small, it’s enough to offer a first impression of each of the league’s 15 teams.
Note: All stats and records are through games played on Sunday, May 17.
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<h2>1. Las Vegas Aces (4-1) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Sat. vs. LAS</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_260922" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260922" class="wp-image-260922" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Chennedy Carter #23 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
The Aces’ title defense didn’t get off to an ideal start, as they suffered a blowout loss to Phoenix on ring night. However, they bounced back with four straight wins, capped by Chelsea Gray’s game-winner against the Dream on Sunday. After playing five games in the season’s first 10 days, the Aces are off until Saturday, when they host the Sparks and raise their third championship banner.
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<h2>2. New York Liberty (3-1) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. vs. GSV, Sun. vs. DAL</li>
</ul>
A last-second loss to the expansion Fire is the lone blemish on the Liberty’s record to open the 2026 season. They quickly avenged that loss to Portland with an 18-point win two days later. Led by Breanna Stewart (23.0 ppg) and the deepest roster of <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/global-game-international-players-rise">global talent</a> in the league, the Liberty are averaging a league-best 100 points per game.
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<h2>3. Atlanta Dream (2-1) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Fri. vs DAL, Sun. vs. PHX</li>
</ul>
Just three games into the season, the Dream have already been involved in a pair of thrilling one-point contests. In their season opener, the Dream erased an 18-point deficit to defeat the Lynx, with Angel Reese sealing the win with a last-second block in her Atlanta debut. Eight days later, the Dream found themselves on the other end of a last-second loss, courtesy of Chelsea Gray.
<hr />
<h2>4. Chicago Sky (3-1) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. DAL, Sat. vs. MIN</li>
</ul>
The new-look Sky opened the season with four straight road games, including a win in Portland to spoil the Fire’s return to the WNBA. Chicago has been the league’s top defensive team out of the gates, posting league-best marks in defensive rating (97.2) and opponent field goal percentage (38.1%). However, the Sky lost leading scorer Rickea Jackson to a knee injury on Sunday, which could be costly if she misses extended time. 
<hr />
<h2>5. Golden State Valkyries (2-1) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_260921" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260921" class="wp-image-260921" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA &#8211; MAY 13: Kayla Thornton #5 and Kiah Stokes #41 of the Golden State Valkyries</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. at NYL, Fri. at IND</li>
</ul>
After opening the season with double-digit wins over the Storm and Mercury, the Valkyries suffered their first setback against the Sky on Sunday. Golden State owns the league’s second-best net rating through the opening week (+8.3), but will be tested this week with a road back-to-back against New York and Indiana on Thursday and Friday.
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<h2>6. Phoenix Mercury (2-2) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. TOR, Thur. vs. LAS, Sun. at ATL</li>
</ul>
After watching the Aces receive their championship rings before tipping off their Finals rematch, the Mercury responded with a 33-point win in the season opener. However, Phoenix followed that with consecutive losses to Golden State and Minnesota, then bounced back with a win over then-unbeaten Chicago. Rookie Jovana Nogić has been a revelation for Phoenix; she’s averaging 16 points and 3.3 three-pointers on 65% shooting from deep, helping the Mercury shoot a league-best 38.5% from beyond the arc.
<hr />
<h2>7. Washington Mystics (2-1) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at DAL, Sun. at SEA</li>
</ul>
There have only been two overtime games in the WNBA so far this season, and both have featured the Mystics, who fell to the Liberty 98-93 last Sunday and defeated the Fever 104-102 on Friday. In their only non-OT game, Washington held off Toronto to spoil the Tempo’s franchise opener. After their first three games were all decided by five points or fewer, can the Mystics get a decisive win this week when they visit Dallas and Seattle?
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<h2>8. Indiana Fever (2-2) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. POR, Fri. vs. GSV</li>
</ul>
So far this season, teams are 7-2 when scoring 100 or more points. The only two losses belong to the Fever, who put up triple-digit scores but still fell short, surrendering 104 and a season-high 107 points to the Mystics and Wings, respectively. There’s no questioning Indiana’s firepower, with Caitlin Clark breaking the WNBA record for most career games with 20+ points and 10+ assists just three games into her third season, but the Fever will need to improve their defense, which ranks 12th in opponent points allowed (91.8). 
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<h2>9. Minnesota Lynx (2-2) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. vs. TOR, Sat. at CHI</li>
</ul>
Already without perennial MVP candidate Napheesa Collier, who is still recovering from offseason ankle surgeries, the Lynx have been dealt another blow as rookie center Emma Čechová has been lost for the season with a torn ACL. After opening the season 2-2 in four games decided by seven points or fewer, the Lynx are off until Thursday when they host Toronto before closing the week in Chicago.
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<h2>10. Dallas Wings (1-2) ⬇️</h2>
<div id="attachment_260920" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260920" class="wp-image-260920" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon vs. WAS, Wed. at CHI, Fri. at ATL, Sun. at NYL</li>
</ul>
Last season, the Wings finished a league-worst 3-15 (.167) in clutch games — defined as games within five points during the final five minutes. All three of their games have come down to the wire this season; after defeating the Fever, the Wings fell to both the Dream and Lynx down the stretch. With four games on the schedule this week, how many will come down to clutch time? And how will Dallas respond?
<hr />
<h2>11. Toronto Tempo (2-2) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at PHX, Thur. at MIN, Sat. vs. POR</li>
</ul>
After coming up just short in their franchise opener against Washington, the Tempo earned their first-ever win against Seattle on Wednesday behind a combined 44 points from Marina Mabrey (26) and Brittney Sykes (18). Sykes ranks fifth in the WNBA in scoring, averaging 24.3 points over her first four games, thanks in part to her ability to draw fouls, get to the free-throw line (league-high 11 per game) and knock them down at a 90.9% clip. Can she keep it going when the Tempo visit Phoenix and Minnesota before hosting Portland in a clash of expansion squads?
<hr />
<h2>12. Portland Fire (1-2) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon vs. CON, Wed. at IND, Sat. at TOR</li>
</ul>
After 24 years, WNBA basketball has returned to the Rose City. In their opening week, the Fire hosted the Sky and the Liberty twice. The Fire earned their first win in thrilling fashion, thanks to a buzzer-beating putback by Sarah Ashlee Barker. However, that remains the Fire’s lone win as the Liberty won a rematch two days later. Portland will host Connecticut on Monday before embarking on its inaugural road trip with stops in Indiana and Toronto to close the week.
<hr />
<h2>13. Los Angeles Sparks (1-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. at PHX, Sat. at LVA</li>
</ul>
While the Sparks rank in the middle of the pack on offense (their 107.7 offensive rating ranks eighth), they are dead last on the other end (121.3 defensive rating) through their first four games. L.A.’s lone win came against the expansion Tempo on Friday behind 25 points from Kelsey Plum, who leads the WNBA in scoring at 26.8 points per game. However, if the Sparks want to climb the standings (and these rankings), they’ll need to see major strides defensively.
<hr />
14. Seattle Storm (1-3) ⬇️
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. CON, Fri. vs. CON, Sun. vs. WAS</li>
</ul>
Already shorthanded in the frontcourt after All-Star Ezi Magbegor sustained a foot injury while competing for Australia in the 2026 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers, the Storm were without second-year center Dominique Malonga during Sunday’s loss to Indiana due to a concussion. Malonga is having a breakthrough season in Seattle, averaging 16 points, 7.3 rebounds, two steals and a block through three games. However, Seattle’s lone win so far has come against winless Connecticut.
<hr />
<h2>15. Connecticut Sun (0-4) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at POR, Wed. at SEA, Fri. at SEA</li>
</ul>
On Wednesday, it became official: the WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors unanimously approved the sale and relocation of the Connecticut Sun to Houston. The final season in Connecticut has gotten off to a slow start, with the Sun still searching for their first win after falling to New York, Seattle, and Las Vegas twice. This week, the team from the Northeast will be in the Pacific Northwest, visiting Portland on Monday before a two-game set in Seattle on Wednesday and Friday.

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2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Week One

Top Plays 2026

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Top Plays of the Day 5/17/2026

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Game Recap: Las Vegas Aces 85, Atlanta Dream 84 (05/17/2026)

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Game Highlights: Las Vegas Aces vs. Atlanta Dream (5/17/26)

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Game Highlights: Las Vegas Aces vs. Atlanta Dream (5/16/26)

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Highlights From Jackie Young 7-Assist Game

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Final 03:30 WILD ENDING Atlanta Dream vs. Las Vegas Aces 05/17/2026

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Las Vegas Aces 2026

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Pick	Name	Position	College/Country
29	Janiah Barker	Forward	Tennessee / United States
44	Jordan Obi	Forward	Kentucky

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