Top Plays 2026

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Top Plays of the Day, 05/27/2026

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Highlights From Courtney Williams 7-Assist Game

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Courtney Williams Points Leader in Minnesota Lynx vs. Atlanta Dream - Top Points

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. 
<hr />
<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. 
<hr />
<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. 
<hr />
<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 Plays of the Day 5/17/2026

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Final 03:30 WILD ENDING Minnesota Lynx vs. Chicago Sky 05/17/2026

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Top Plays of the Day, 05/14/2026

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Final 03:30 WILD ENDING Phoenix Mercury vs. Minnesota Lynx 05/12/2026

Free Agency 2026

The following is a press release from the Minnesota Lynx:
The two-time All-Star returns to Minnesota<span class="EOP SCXW15684119 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}"> 
Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has re-signed guard Courtney Williams. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.<span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
“Courtney has been such a special part of the Lynx for the last two seasons. The passion and joy she plays with elevates our team to great heights and we look forward to continuing our relationship in the coming years,” said Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations Cheryl Reeve.  
Williams, a two-time All-Star, will enter her third season with Minnesota after starting in all 44 games for the Lynx last season. The guard averaged 13.6 points on 42.8% shooting from the floor and 38.9% shooting from deep, along with 6.2 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. She finished the season ranked second in the WNBA in total assists (271) and assists per game, while also breaking her own franchise single-season assist record set in 2024. 
The guard opened last season with 19 assists and zero turnovers across Minnesota’s first two games against the Dallas Wings (May 16) and Los Angeles Sparks (May 18), tying the highest assist total with zero turnovers over a two-game span in WNBA history (Sue Bird, 2009). She recorded nine 20+ point games and four games with 10+ assists, including a career-high 13 assists against New York on July 30. 
The Folkston, Ga. native signed with Minnesota ahead of the 2024 season and has appeared in 18 postseason games with the Lynx, averaging 14.4 points on 42.5% shooting from the field and 36.7% shooting from three, along with 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. Williams helped Minnesota to a WNBA Finals appearance in 2024, along with capturing the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup Championship. She also led the Lynx to a franchise-best 34–10 regular season record and the No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs. 
Originally selected eighth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury, the 10-year veteran has made seven trips to the WNBA Playoffs across her career. Williams holds career averages of 12.2 points on 43.6% shooting from the floor and 37.4% shooting from three, along with 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 0.9 steals per game. A 2016 graduate of the University of South Florida, Williams left the program ranking first in single-season points after a 763-point performance in her senior year and second in career points (2,304).

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Lynx Re-Sign Guard Courtney Williams

Editorial

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2026 Free Agents to Watch

Latest

Courtney Williams

Transactions: Selected eighth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury on April 14, 2016. Traded to Connecticut Sun in June 2016. Traded to the Atlanta Dream in February 2020 as a part of a multi-team trade with Connecticut and Phoenix. Signed a one-year deal with the Connecticut Sun in February 2022.
Career Highlights:
<ul>
<li>2021 WNBA All-Star</li>
<li>Four 30-point games, 25 20-point games, 16 double-doubles</li>
<li>Has played in 209 games with 171 starts over seven seasons.</li>
<li>Career totals include 2,603 points, 1,104 rebounds, 622 assists, 180 steals and 59 blocks.</li>
<li>Has tallied 17 double-doubles in her career, seven of which came in 2021 with Atlanta.</li>
<li>Quick guard with great leaping ability, good rebounder for her size, quick hands, thrives in transition, can score from anywhere on the floor.</li>
<li>Currently sits at 12th all-time in scoring (1,779), ninth all-time in rebounding (735) and 10th all-time in assists (429) in Connecticut Sun history.</li>
</ul>
2022 Highlights with Connecticut:
<ul>
<li>Appeared and started in 34 of Connecticut&#8217;s regular season games.</li>
<li>Finished with 379 points, 156 rebounds, 111 assists, 33 steals and 14 blocks.</li>
<li>Tallied her 2,500th career-point in a win over Minnesota on 7/22, which was also her 200th game played in the WNBA.</li>
<li>Grabbed her 1,000th career-rebound in a win over Atlanta 6/15.</li>
<li>Dished out her 600th career-assist in a loss to Chicago on 7/31.</li>
<li>Appeared and started in all 12 playoff contests.</li>
<li>Finished the 2022 postseason with 123 points, 47 rebounds, 28 assists, seven steals and six blocks.</li>
<li>Led the Sun in their Game 1 Finals loss to Las Vegas with 18 points, two rebounds, five assists and one block.</li>
<li>Now sits at ninth in scoring (303), ninth in rebounding (107), sixth in assists (68) and 11th in games played (22) in Connecticut Sun postseason history.</li>
</ul>
2021 Highlights with Atlanta: 
<ul>
<li>Started in all 32 of the Dream’s games</li>
<li>2021 WNBA All-Star</li>
<li>AP Player of the Week (6/2)</li>
<li>Career season saw her average 16.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.</li>
<li>Recorded seven double-doubles, 8 20-point games and 2 30-point games in 2021.</li>
<li>Led the Dream in points (31), made three-pointers (3), defensive rebounds (10), total rebounds (12), assists (7) and steals (2) against New York (5/29), scoring 6 of Atlanta’s 8 points in overtime and hitting the go-ahead jumper to win the game.</li>
<li>Recorded 31 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists against New York (5/29) and made the game-winning shot in overtime.
<ul>
<li>The outing marked the only time this season a player in this league had more than five assists in a 31+ point double-double.</li>
<li>One of only seven players in the league with at least 31 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in a game in 2021, joined by her teammate Tiffany Hayes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Came off the bench to score 15 points for Team WNBA in the 2021 WNBA All-Star Game, adding on two assists, a steal and a block to help her team defeat the USAB Women’s National Team.</li>
<li>2021 WNBA Regular Season Leaders and Ranking
<ul>
<li>1,101 total minutes played – 1st</li>
<li>Two 30+ point games – T-4th</li>
<li>228 field goals made – 3rd</li>
<li>1 field goals made per game – T-3rd </li>
<li>128 mid-range field goals made and 4.0 per game – 1st </li>
<li>333 mid-range field goals attempted and 10.4 per game – 1st</li>
<li>46 offensive rebounds and 1.4 per game – 1st among guards</li>
<li>173 defensive rebounds and 5.4 per game – 2nd among guards</li>
<li>219 total rebounds and 6.8 per game – 1st among guards</li>
<li>17 blocks – 5th among guards</li>
<li>59 points, clutch – 1st</li>
<li>1 clutch time shooting percentage (min. 30 FGA) – 2nd</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Milestones:
<ul>
<li>Reached 100 career three-pointers made against Phoenix (9/8).</li>
<li>Reached 2,000 career points against Indiana (7/11).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
2020 Highlights with Atlanta: 
<ul>
<li>Appeared in 20 games and started in 14.</li>
<li>Led all guards in the league in rebounding, ranking&#8230;
<ul>
<li>11th with 1.9 offensive rebounds per game and 37 total offensive rebounds</li>
<li>13th with 7.2 total rebounds per game, 5.3 defensive rebounds per game and 106 defensive rebounds</li>
<li>15th with 143 total rebounds</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Saw a streak of 12-straight games with double-digit scoring, a run that included four 20+ point outings and one 30-point performance.</li>
<li>Recorded four double-doubles: 13 PTS/10 REB against Seattle (8/6), 12 PTS/14 REB against Phoenix (8/14), 15 PTS/13 REB against New York (9/3), and 20 PTS/10 REB against Chicago (9/9).</li>
<li>Made her first start with the Dream against Seattle (8/12), scoring 12 points with a team-high 7 rebounds.</li>
<li>Grabbed a career-high six offensive rebounds and 14 total boards against Phoenix (8/14).</li>
<li>Scored 30 points against Washington (8/19) on 13 made field goals in a season-high 37 minutes, which marked just the second 30-point outing of her career.</li>
<li>Scored 20 points in back-to-back games against Chicago (9/9) and Connecticut (9/11).</li>
</ul>
2019 Highlights with Connecticut:
<ul>
<li>Started in all 34 regular season games and all eight postseason games</li>
<li>Her 13.2 points per game, 450 total points, 3.8 assists per game, 129 total assists, 29 minutes per game and 45.7 three-point shooting percentage were all career high records</li>
<li>Helped the Sun reach the WNBA Finals, averaging 17.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists in the postseason</li>
</ul>
2018 Highlights with Connecticut:
<ul>
<li>Appeared in 30 games with 29 starts</li>
<li>Ranked third on the team in scoring (12.6 ppg), third in assists (90) and fourth in rebounds (178)</li>
<li>Set franchise record with 15 made field goals while scoring the most points in regulation (34) in Sun history against Washington (6/13)</li>
<li>Her scoring (12.6 ppg), rebound (5.9) and assist (3.0) averages were all career highs</li>
<li>Tallied three double-doubles and 18 double-figure scoring games</li>
<li>Had a career-high four made three-pointers against Washington (6/13)</li>
<li>Pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds four times in 2018. It was the fifth time in her WNBA career she has had that many rebounds</li>
<li>Led the Sun in rebounds eight times and in scoring four times</li>
<li>Set new single-season career highs for rebounds (178), assists (90) and made threes (20)</li>
</ul>
2017 Highlights with Connecticut:
<ul>
<li>Appeared in 34 games with 28 starts</li>
<li>Was fourth on the Sun with a career-high scoring average (12.3 ppg), and third in total rebounds (142), made field goals (185) and assists (71)</li>
<li>Registered career highs in all of those categories</li>
<li>Also career highs for minutes (884), made threes (12), made free throws (36) and steals (19)</li>
<li>Had career-high 12 made field goals and 27 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, of a comeback win against Seattle (8/8)</li>
<li>Had 23 double-figure scoring games</li>
<li>Led the Sun in scoring six times</li>
<li>Had a career-high 10 rebounds with 23 points on 10 of 11 shooting at San Antonio (6/3)</li>
<li>Had five or more rebounds in 17 games</li>
<li>Scored 500th career point at Atlanta (8/15)</li>
<li>Pulled down 200th career rebound against Chicago (8/23)</li>
<li>Had 100th assist at Los Angeles (9/3)</li>
</ul>
2016 Highlights with Phoenix and Connecticut:
<ul>
<li>Traded to the Connecticut Sun along with the draft rights to Jillian Alleyne and Phoenix’s second round pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft, from the San Antonio Stars for Kelsey Bone</li>
<li>Appeared in 19 games without a start for Connecticut</li>
<li>Appeared in 25 games overall, including six with Phoenix</li>
<li>Reached double figures in seven games with Sun</li>
<li>Had career-high 20 points and eight made field goals at New York (9/9)</li>
<li>Had career-high seven rebounds twice</li>
<li>Had eight games with at least five rebounds</li>
<li>Averaged 11 points, 6.5 rebounds and four assists over the last two games of season</li>
<li>Averaged 10.1 points per game in September</li>
</ul>
College Highlights:
<ul>
<li>Will be inducted into the USF Hall of Fame as a part of the 2020 class.</li>
<li>Completed four-year career ranked second in points (2,304), third in rebounds (931), sixth in assists (318), seventh in blocks (93) and 12th in steals (163)</li>
<li>Owns top two single-season totals (763 as a senior, 710 as a junior) in USF history</li>
<li>Fifth all-time in three-point shooting percentage (.426)</li>
<li>Highest WNBA draft pick in USF program history</li>
<li>Reached double-figures in 33 of 34 games as a senior</li>
<li>Had 23 games with 20 or more points</li>
<li>Had five games with 30 or more points</li>
<li>Set program NCAA Tournament record with 31 points in 48-45 win over Colorado State in first round of 2016 tournament</li>
<li>Averaged 22.4 points as a senior</li>
<li>Averaged 21.3 points over the last two seasons at USF</li>
</ul>
Personal:
<ul>
<li>Daughter of Michele and Donald Williams</li>
<li>Has one sister, Doniece Williams</li>
<li>At Charlton County High, scored 42 points, breaking single-game school record set by her mother 22 years earlier</li>
<li>Named All-Region Player of the Year and All-State as a senior</li>
<li>Was a First Team All-Region selection as a freshman</li>
<li>Graduated high school with honors</li>
<li>Selected as one of 12 players to compete for the United States in the 2015 World University Games in South Korea</li>
<li>Williams helped the USA win gold by posting double-doubles against Japan and Canada in the semis and finals, respectively</li>
</ul>

Courtney Williams signed a Contract with the Minnesota Lynx.

Scores season-high 25 points

Full stat line in win

Generates 15 points in win

Drills three triples in victory

Full line in win

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