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Indiana Fever Top Plays vs. Golden State Valkyries

Top Plays 2026

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Top Plays of the Day, 5/20/26

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. 
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<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. 
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<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

AP Recap

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Napheesa Collier made a go-ahead 18-footer with 1:24 left on the way to 24 points, and the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx rallied from a 17-point, third-quarter deficit to beat the Golden State Valkyries 75-74 on Wednesday night and move on in the WNBA playoffs.
Collier shot 10 for 16 and followed up her 20-point performance in Game 1 with a 14-point second half to bring her team back — and give the Lynx another chance to keep chasing that championship they just missed last year.
The Valkyries had one final chance with four seconds remaining following a shot-clock violation, and Cecilia Zandalasini couldn’t convert a jumper.
Kayla McBride made a go-ahead scoop shot for Minnesota with 2:48 to go after DiJonai Carrington connected on a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:18 remaining to pull Minnesota within 70-69. McBride wound up with 18 points.
Veronica Burton had 13 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals as the expansion Valkyries nearly extended their special season. Monique Billings scored 15 points off the bench.
Carrington banked in a 3-pointer with 8:30 left that got the Lynx within 63-56 and McBride’s jumper made it a five-point game at the 7:19 mark before Golden State called timeout. The Valkyries immediately committed a shot-clock violation and McBride scored again.
The Valkyries, cheered by their raucous sellout crowd of 18,543, were in control for much of the game — unlike their 101-72 Game 1 defeat Sunday.
Billings rebounded her own miss just before the third-quarter buzzer, scored and converted a three-point play to put Golden State ahead 63-49 going into the final 10 minutes. But Minnesota kept creeping back.
After the final buzzer, fans chanted “GSV!” to celebrate a season in which <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/valkyries-playoffs-expansion-team-74b0020aa69c724036e4294d8eed93fc" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">Golden State made WNBA history</a> by becoming the first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season.
And the Valkyries were unfazed playing in an unfamiliar venue for their first postseason home game. That “Balhalla” home-court advantage had to relocate nearly 50 miles south to the NHL San Jose Sharks’ SAP Center because the Laver Cup tennis showcase had booked Chase Center before Golden State had even been granted an expansion team.
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski was one of the biggest supporters, sitting courtside with owner Joe Lacob and Warriors President Brandon Schneider.
Golden State lost all four regular-season meetings, three by double figures, so this one will both sting and show these women how close they are. Starting center Temi Fagbenle was a late scratch Wednesday because of right knee pain.
Valkyries <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/natalie-nakase-valkyries-coach-of-year-998e958098170761eaa0307fddd93d0b" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">coach Natalie Nakase was recognized</a> before the game as WNBA Coach of the Year and Burton the league’s most improved player.

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Game Recap: Minnesota Lynx vs. Golden State Valkyries (First Round, Game 2)

First Round Game Recap

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Game Recap: Lynx vs. Valkyries (9/17/25)

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Monique Billings with 15 Points vs. Minnesota Lynx

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Golden State Valkyries Top Plays vs. Minnesota Lynx

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Golden State Valkyries vs. Minnesota Lynx - Game Highlights

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Latest

Monique Billings

POSITION:  FORWARD
HEIGHT:  6-4
WEIGHT:  192
BIRTHDATE:  MAY 2, 1996
BIRTHPLACE:  RIVERSIDE, CA
HIGHSCHOOL:  SANTIAGO (CORONA, CA)
COLLEGE:  UCLA
WNBA EXPERIENCE:  7
DRAFTED BY:  ATLANTA, 2018, SECOND ROUND (#15)
ACQUIRED: 2024 EXPANSION DRAFT VIA PHOENIX MERCURY
Career Highlights: 
<ul>
<li>Has appeared in 137 regular season games with 35 starts with an average of 19.3 minutes per game.</li>
<li>Played in five postseason games with Atlanta in 2018.</li>
<li>Career totals include 854 points, 822 rebounds, 113 assists, 111 steals and 71 blocks.</li>
<li>Has recorded nine double-doubles in her four-year career, four of which came in 2021.</li>
</ul>
2024 SEASON (PHOENIX MERCURY)
<ul>
<li>Billings concluded the 2024 campaign averaging 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists over 37 appearances.</li>
</ul>
2022 SEASON (ATLANTA DREAM)
<ul>
<li>Started in 8 of 23 games played.</li>
<li>Tallied 14 rebounds in her 2022 season debut at Dallas, adding 6 points, 2 steals and a block.</li>
<li>Scored 7 points with 8 rebounds in a win over Los Angeles (5/11).</li>
<li>Scored a season-high 8 points off four made field goals against Las Vegas (5/13).</li>
<li>First double-figure scoring game of the season with 10 points in a win over Indiana (5/15).</li>
<li>Came back after missing three games to pull down eight rebounds and pick up a steal and a block in a 27-point win over Phoenix (5/29).</li>
<li>Reached 100 career steals at Chicago (6/17).</li>
</ul>
2021 SEASON (ATLANTA DREAM) 
<ul>
<li>Started in 9 of 31 games played.</li>
<li>Played a career-high 739 total minutes (23.8 per game, second-most in her career).</li>
<li>Her 88 total offensive rebounds and 2.8 per game both ranked third among all players in the league this season.</li>
<li>First season with 100 made field goals, second with 200+ total rebounds.</li>
<li>Career-best 32 total assists, 37 steals and 32 blocks … Career-high 1.2 steals per game and 1.0 blocks per game.</li>
<li>One of just seven players in the league to average at least 1.1 steals per game and 1.0 blocks per game (joined by teammate Elizabeth Williams).</li>
<li>Started off the 2021 season setting a new career-high record with four blocks against Connecticut (5/14) and tying her career high record of 3 steals. She also went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe to lead both teams in free throws.</li>
<li>Her four blocks opening night was tied for the most of any player across the league in opening weekend.</li>
<li>Became the fourth different Dream player to record 4+ steals in a single quarter and the second this season (recorded all 4 of her steals against New York, 6/26, in the first quarter).</li>
<li>Recorded four double-doubles in 2021, three of which came in the Dream’s three games against Dallas: 10 PTS/11 REB vs. Dallas (5/27), 15 PTS/11 REB at Dallas (9/2), 12 PTS/14 REB at Dallas (9/5), 14 PTS/10 REB at Washington (9/10).</li>
<li>Made her way into the starting lineup in the latter part of the season, starting against Chicago (8/24), scoring in double-digits in 7 of those 9 games and recording three of her four double-doubles. In those 9 games she averaged 12.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.</li>
<li>Milestones:
<ul>
<li>Played her 100th career game at Connecticut (7/9).</li>
<li>Reached 500 career rebounds with a team-leading 7 against Chicago (5/25).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
2020 SEASON (ATLANTA DREAM)
<ul>
<li>Appeared in all 22 games with 16 starts.</li>
<li>Set career records for total points (187), points per game (8.5), blocks (18) and blocks per game (0.8), assists (27) and assists per game (1.2), field goals made (68) and attempted (170), free throws made (51) and attempted (67), minutes (596) and minutes per game (27.1).</li>
<li>She ranked fourth in the league with 58 total offensive rebounds and 2.6 offensive boards per game, while her 187 total and 8.5 rebounds per game both ranked 7th in the league in 2020.</li>
<li>Started off the 2020 season with a career night against Dallas (7/26), leading the team with 30 points and 13 rebounds for her second career double-double.
<ul>
<li>Her 30 points led all scorers in the league opening weekend.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Saw her second double-digit scoring effort of the season against Phoenix (8/14), picking up 12 points with five rebounds and two steals.</li>
<li>Earned her second double-double of the season and third of her career with 10 points and 12 rebounds against Washington (8/19).</li>
<li>Recorded her third double-double in six games and fourth of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds against Los Angeles (8/30).</li>
</ul>
2019 SEASON (ATLANTA DREAM)
<ul>
<li>Appeared in 29 of 34 games with two starts.</li>
<li>Posted her first career double-double with 10 points and a then-career-high 14 rebounds against Washington (6/23).</li>
<li>Led the team in total rebounds on eight occasions, and led in all three rebounding categories (offensive, defensive, total) three times.</li>
<li>Shot 100 percent from the free throw line with at least two attempted free throws seven times, including a team-leading 6-6 performance against Indiana (6/19).</li>
<li>Led the team in scoring twice, including a career-high 16-point outing against Los Angeles (7/23) and 15 points at Seattle (9/1).</li>
<li>Shot and made her first three-point attempt at Seattle (9/1).</li>
<li>Blocked a career-high three shots against Chicago (8/20) to lead the team.</li>
<li>Recorded a career-high 16 rebounds against Los Angeles (7/14), the most earned by any Dream player since Elizabeth Williams pulled down 16 boards in 2016 (vs. Phoenix, 9/11/16).</li>
<li>Set new career high records with nine offensive rebounds (vs. Los Angeles, 7/14) and 12 defensive rebounds (vs. Las Vegas, 9/5).</li>
</ul>
2018 SEASON (ATLANTA DREAM)
<ul>
<li>Selected 15th overall by the Dream in the 2018 WNBA Draft</li>
<li>Appeared in 32 games and averaged 11.0 minutes per game in regular season</li>
<li>Averaged 2.8 rebounds per game with a 44.1 FG percentage</li>
<li>Scored a season high of 10 points and 5 total rebounds, against Washington (7/15)</li>
<li>Tied her career high of 6 rebounds three times  </li>
</ul>
COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: 
<ul>
<li>Two-time All-Pac-12 and two-time All-Defensive Team Honoree by coaches and media</li>
<li>Ranks first in UCLA history with 228 blocks</li>
<li>Ranks second in school history with 1,159 rebounds and 677 free throws attempted</li>
<li>Ranks fourth in UCLA history with 435 free throws made</li>
<li>Ranks ninth in career scoring at UCLA with 1,761 points</li>
<li>Became only the third player in UCLA history and the 14th in the Pac-12 to score over 1,500 points and grab over 1,000 rebounds</li>
<li>Averaged 12.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 26.9 minutes per game during UCLA career</li>
<li>Started in 34 of 35 games played during the 2017-18 season</li>
<li>Posted double figures in 31 of 35 games during the 2017-18 season</li>
<li>Scored a career-high 30 points and a career-high tying six steals vs. Oregon in 2016-17 season</li>
<li>Recorded double figures in 32 of 34 games during 2016-17 season</li>
<li>Reached 1,000 point mark in her career in a home win vs. USC during 2016-17 season</li>
</ul>
PERSONAL: 
<ul>
<li>Monique Charice Billings… Parents are Chuck and Jane Billings. Has one sister, Andrea. Her hobbies include singing, modeling and thrift shopping and she majored in sociology.</li>
</ul>

Monique Billings signed a Contract with the Indiana Fever.

Secures five rebounds Thursday

Sniffs double-double in loss

Starting Wednesday

Not listed on injury report

Won't play Saturday

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