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 – their 3rd in four seasons – 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. 

Sparks Snag Victory Over Liberty in 30th Anniversary Celebration

The Los Angeles Sparks

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 – both from this season and her previous stop with the team – 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.

Dream Rolled Against Fever

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.

Reeve Within Reach of Regular-Season Win Record

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, much to her joking chagrin, 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.

Mystics Post Two Upset Wins Over Liberty, Lynx

The Washington Mystics

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 – 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.

Mabrey’s Career-High Adds Notch to Early Tempo Tenure

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.