5 Things I Like

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. 
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<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. 
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<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. 
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<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. 
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<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. 
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<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.

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Five Things I Like: Week Eight 2026

Fantastic Finishes

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WILD ENDING: Dallas Wings vs. Chicago Sky (07/12/2026)

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Dallas Wings Top Plays vs. Toronto Tempo

Betting + Odds

The 2026 WNBA season is a little over halfway done, but there are already clear leaders in every major award race. In fact, all six award markets have a minus-odds favorite at the BetMGM <a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports">online sportsbook</a>.
Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson is actually a minus-odds favorite in two different markets, as she looks to continue adding to her trophy case. Wilson is a -325 favorite to win a fifth MVP trophy, giving her an implied probability of 76.47%. She’s also -145 (59.18%) to claim a fourth Defensive Player of the Year award.
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers has been Wilson’s primary challenger in the MVP race, trading at +700 to win the award in her second season. Atlanta Dream’s Rhyne Howard and Golden State Valkyries’ Gabby Williams are +650 and +900, respectively, in the latest DPOY odds.
Wilson is in a strong position for both races at this point in the season. She’s averaging 25.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, two blocks, and 1.6 steals per game.
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Despite Wilson’s dominance, she’s not the biggest favorite in the awards market. That title belongs to Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles, who is -5000 in the updated <a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/wnba/wnba-rookie-of-the-year-odds-prediction-bm23/">WNBA Rookie of the Year odds</a> race. That gives her an implied probability of 98.04%.
At BetMGM, bettors have been all over Miles in this market. She’s received 83.4% of the handle and 42.3% of the bets. She’s certainly delivered in her debut season, averaging 18.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per contest.
Minnesota is leading another race, too, with Cheryl Reeve trading as a -155 favorite in the Coach of the Year market. Reeve’s Lynx have the league’s best record despite being without Napheesa Collier and having replaced multiple rotation players from last year’s team.
Former Lynx forward Jessica Shepard has made the most of her new role with the Wings. She’s -210 to win Most Improved Player, translating to an implied probability of 67.74%. Shepard has filled up the stat sheet in Dallas, averaging 14.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per outing. Shepard has notched three triple-doubles this season.
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Lastly, Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün has established herself as the early favorite in the Sixth Player of the Year race. Salaün’s -275 price tag suggests an implied probability of 73.33%.
Salaün has been a reliable reserve in her second season, averaging 12.9 points and four rebounds per game.
BetMGM continues to update odds for all major award races throughout the year. It will be interesting to see if any races take a turn during the back half of the regular season.
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Visit the BetMGM sportsbook throughout the season for updated WNBA futures, including <a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports/basketball-7/betting/usa-9/wnba-402">WNBA Finals odds</a>. You can also view updated <a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/latest-sports-betting-promotions-offers-betmgm-2/">sportsbook promos</a>, including a First Bet Offer for eligible new customers.

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WNBA Award Races Feature Clear Leaders Based on Betting Odds

Top Performer

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Jessica Shepard with 22 Points vs. New York Liberty

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Highlights From Jessica Shepard 11-Assist Game

The 10 starters for the 2026 AT&amp;T WNBA All-Star Game were unveiled on Thursday — a group that features a mix of award-winning veterans and rising young stars building out their trophy cases.
Let’s take a closer look at the first 10 players who have punched their tickets to Chicago for All-Star weekend (July 24-25).
Note: The All-Stars are presented in alphabetical order, with all stats through games played on Sunday, July 5.
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<h2>Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (4th All-Star selection)</h2>
<div id="attachment_265428" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-265428" class="wp-image-265428 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131255.768.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131255.768.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131255.768-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131255.768-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131255.768-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131255.768-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Aliyah Boston #7 of the Indiana Fever</div>
In her fourth WNBA season, Boston earns her fourth All-Star selection as the Fever’s center-forward has been an All-Star staple since entering the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 Draft. This season, Boston is averaging a career-best 17.1 points per game (15th in the WNBA) along with 8.6 rebounds per game (9th).
Inside/Outside Threat
Through her first three WNBA seasons combined, Boston made a total of 17 3-pointers over 124 games, shooting just 26.2% from beyond the arc. This season, she has already made 23 3-pointers in just 19 games. Not only is Boston expanding her range, she’s doing so with great efficiency, ranking third among all WNBA players in 3-point percentage at 45.1%.
In addition to ranking fourth among all centers in 3-pointers made, Boston still maintains her back-to-the-basket game, ranking 10th among all players in field goals made within five feet, with 74 buckets on 67.3% shooting.
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<h2>Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings (2nd All-Star selection)</h2>
Not only is Bueckers an All-Star starter for the second time in her sophomore WNBA season, she also led all players in fan voting in 2026, amassing 1,045,051 votes. The reigning Rookie of the Year has elevated her game in her second campaign, averaging career-bests in points (20.3 per game) and assists (6.1 per game) — ranking seventh in the league in both categories. She’s also more efficient, with her 52.3% FG and 39.1% 3-point shooting up 4.5 and 6.0 percentage points, respectively, from a season ago.
Paige Is Clutch
In 11 clutch games, Bueckers has scored a total of 39 points, which ranks fourth in the WNBA and first among the All-Star starters. She has put up those points on 14-for-21 shooting, with her 66.7 FG% ranking fifth among all players with at least 10 clutch shot attempts. Here’s one of her latest clutch moments, putting the Wings up late after they had trailed Connecticut by as many as 14 points.
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<h2>Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (3rd All-Star selection)</h2>
Similar to Boston and Bueckers, Clark has earned All-Star honors in every one of her WNBA seasons. After missing last year’s game due to injury, this year’s second-leading vote getter (1,023,321) aims to return to the All-Star stage. Earlier this season, Clark surpassed 1,000 points, 250 rebounds and 250 assists in just 54 career games, topping Diana Taurasi’s previous record of 62 games. But that is not the only record in play this season.
Scorer &amp; Playmaker
Clark is the only player to rank in the top five in both points (career-high 21.2 per game, 4th in WNBA) and assists (8.2 per game, 2nd in WNBA) this season as she fuels Indiana’s top-ranked offense. The Fever lead the WNBA in both points per game (93.5) and offensive efficiency (111.6).
Clark is on pace to post a season unlike any other in league history. No player has ever averaged at least 20 points and eight assists per game. In fact, Clark is the only player to ever average at least 16+ ppg and 7+ apg, and now she can set the bar even higher.
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<h2>Natasha Howard, Minnesota Lynx (3rd All-Star selection)</h2>
The league-leading Lynx tout both the oldest and youngest players among the All-Star starters for 2026. Howard is the veteran, earning her third All-Star selection with her third different team after nods in 2019 (with Seattle) and 2022 (with New York).
In her 13th WNBA season, and first back in Minnesota after an eight-year hiatus, Howard is averaging 17.2 points (14th in the WNBA), 8.1 rebounds (13th) and 1.8 steals (3rd). And she’s doing it all on career-best efficiency, shooting 59.8% from the field, which ranks fifth among all players.
Doing Work Inside
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-265423" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/unnamed-2.png" alt="" width="481" height="512" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/unnamed-2.png 481w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/unnamed-2-282x300.png 282w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 481px) 100vw, 481px" />
As the shot chart above illustrates, Howard handles most of her business in the paint, where she leads the WNBA in scoring (13.7 points per game). In addition to showing off her craftiness with some of her finishes down low, Howard also makes a ton of effort plays. She ranks second in the league in offensive rebounds (3.4 per game) and third in second-chance points (3.8 per game).
Minnesota&#8217;s top-ranked defense (98.9 rating) also averages a league-best 18.6 points off turnovers, with Howard leading the charge at 4.6 points per game, which is second in the league among all players.
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<h2>Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx (1st All-Star selection)</h2>
<div id="attachment_265429" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-265429" class="wp-image-265429 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131531.378.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131531.378.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131531.378-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131531.378-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131531.378-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131531.378-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
The opposite end of Minnesota’s All-Star duo is the rookie sensation Miles, who leads all first-year players in points (18.5 per game) and assists (5.7 per game), which also rank 12th and eighth, respectively, across the entire WNBA. 
As brilliant as Miles has been on offense, she has also shined defensively, with her 96.1 defensive rating leading the 120 players averaging at least 15 minutes per game this season. Her elite two-way impact has helped Miles post a league-best plus/minus of +197 over her first 20 career games.
Continuing A Trend
Miles is on pace to become just the 12th player in league history to average at least 18 points and five rebounds over a full WNBA season. If she maintains this pace, she will become the third straight rookie to do so, joining fellow All-Star starters in Clark (2024) and Bueckers (2025), who each won Rookie of the Year honors.
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<h2>Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever (4th All-Star selection)</h2>
Mitchell earned her first WNBA All-Star selection in 2023, her sixth season in the league. She’s been an All-Star every year since, as she has steadily improved her game year after year: 18.2 points per game in 2023, 19.2 ppg in 2024, 20.2 ppg in 2025 and 21.9 ppg in 2026.
Mitchell’s 21.9 points are a career-high, as is her 48.9% shooting, while her 12 games with 20+ points ranks second in the league only to A’ja Wilson. Mitchell and fellow Fever All-Star Clark form the WNBA’s highest-scoring duo this season at 43.1 points per game.
The Iron Woman
Beginning with her first All-Star season in 2023, Mitchell has not missed a single game over the past four seasons. Her last missed game came at the close of the 2022 season on Aug. 14, meaning she has not missed a game in 1,422 days.
Last season, with the Fever ravaged by injuries, Mitchell carried the Fever to the brink of the WNBA Finals, before finally succumbing to exhaustion in Game 5 against the eventual champion Aces. After recovering from that frightening situation, Mitchell is not only back to 100%, she’s playing the best basketball of her career.
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<h2>Jessica Shepard, Dallas Wings (1st All-Star selection)</h2>
After playing her first five seasons in Minnesota, Shepard signed with Dallas as a free agent this offseason and has put up career-best numbers across the board in her debut season with the Wings: 14.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, five assists, two triple-doubles, 12 double-doubles.
Shepard is the only player to record a triple-double so far this season (she has two, which are also the first two of her career). She also ranks second in both double-doubles and rebounds per game, trailing only Atlanta’s Angel Reese in both categories.
Hall Of Fame Company
Shepard is on pace to join Candace Parker as the only players to average at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists over a WNBA season. Parker accomplished the rare feat in 2015, when she appeared in just 16 games but still finished fifth in MVP voting. Shepard has already maintained those averages through 21 games. If she sustains this all-around mastery for the remainder of the schedule, history awaits.
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<h2>Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty (8th All-Star selection)</h2>
Stewart has been an All-Star staple since she entered the WNBA in 2016 with her eight selections tied for the third-most among active players. The only years she was not an All-Star there was either no game (2016 due to the Olympics, 2020 due to the pandemic) or she was injured (2019 due to an Achilles tear).
This season, Stewart is one of only two players (along with A’ja Wilson) averaging at least 20 points and eight rebounds. She ranks ninth and 11th, respectively with averages of 20.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks over 20 games.
The Champ Is Here
Stewart has already added to her massive trophy case this season, making history in the process:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The Ultimate Winner: She’s the only player in WNBA history to win the Commissioner’s Cup three times (2021 with Seattle, 2023 and 2026 with New York). Her three Cup titles mirror her three WNBA titles (2018, 2020, 2024).</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Clutch MVP: She’s the lone player to win multiple Commissioner’s Cup MVP honors (2021 with Seattle and 2026 with New York). Her two Cup MVPs match her 2 regular season MVPs and WNBA Finals MVPs.</li>
</ul>
The only major MVP award left to add to her sparkling resume: All-Star Game MVP.
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<h2>Gabby Williams, Golden State Valkyries (2nd All-Star selection)</h2>
In her first season in Golden State, Williams earned her first All-Star start and second overall selection. The 5-foot-11 forward has established herself as one of the top two-way players in the league, averaging a career-best 16 points this season, while remaining one of the game’s top defenders.
Limited Minutes, Maximum Impact
Among the 10 All-Star starters, Williams averages the fewest minutes per game at 26.3, which ranks 46th in the WNBA. However, she ranks 18th in scoring (16.0 points per game), tied for ninth in steals (1.6 per game) and tied for 13th in 3-pointers made (2.0 per game).
Williams is one of only two players (along with Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard) to average at least 15 points, two 3-pointers made and 1.5 steals per game this season. But while Howard leads all WNBA players in floor time (35.2), Williams has hit those marks in just 26.3 minutes per contest.
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<h2>A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (8th All-Star selection)</h2>
<div id="attachment_265430" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-265430" class="wp-image-265430 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131705.539.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131705.539.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131705.539-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131705.539-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131705.539-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/Thumbnail-2026-07-06T131705.539-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
So far, the only thing that has been able to slow down A’ja Wilson is an ankle injury, which has sidelined the four-time MVP, three-time Defensive Player of the Year and three-time WNBA champion for the past three games.
In her 19 games on the court, Wilson’s numbers have been phenomenal: she leads the WNBA in both scoring (25.7 per game) and blocks (2.0 per game) while ranking third in rebounds (9.4 per game). Wilson already boasts a league-high six games with 30 or more points this season — twice as many as any other player in the league this season (four players are tied with three: Breanna Stewart, Brittney Sykes, Kahleah Copper and Marina Mabrey).
Chasing History
At 25.7 points per game, Wilson is on pace to post the second-highest scoring season in WNBA history, trailing only herself in 2024 (26.9 ppg). She would own three of the top 10 individual scoring seasons in league history.
Top Single-Season Scoring Averages (WNBA History):
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A&#8217;ja Wilson: 26.9 (2024)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A&#8217;ja Wilson: 25.7 (2026)*</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Diana Taurasi: 25.3 (2006)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Jewell Loyd: 24.7 (2023)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Diana Taurasi: 24.1 (2008)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Kelsey Plum: 23.9 (2026)*</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Maya Moore: 23.9 (2014)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Lauren Jackson: 23.8 (2007)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A&#8217;ja Wilson: 23.4 (2025)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Elena Delle Donne: 23.4 (2015)</li>
</ol>
*current season (in progress)

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Players to Watch Ahead of All-Star 2026

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WILD ENDING Connecticut Sun vs. Dallas Wings (07/02/2026)

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Bueckers, Wilson, Stewart, Clark Highlight Starters for 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game

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Week 6: Western Conference Player of the Week Jessica Shepard

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Jessica Shepard

Career Transactions
Signed to a three-year contract on Apr. 24, 2019… Chosen by Minnesota in the 2nd round (16th overall) of the 2019 WNBA Draft on Apr. 10.
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2021 SEASON
Returned for her second season in a Lynx uniform after missing nearly two full years due to injury… Saw action in 22 games off the bench, averaging 2.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 1.7 apg in 10.5 mpg while shooting 36.4% from the field and 75.0% from the line… Sidelined for four games (June 12-19) due to a strained right adductor muscle… Snared a team-high seven rebounds Sept. 10 vs. Indiana; she averaged 14.6 reb/40 in her last seven appearances… Pulled in a season-best eight rebounds Aug. 31 vs. New York; she dished a game-high six assists July 3 at Phoenix, tying her career best… Chipped in a career-high 12 points with six rebounds May 18 at New York.
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WNBA CAREER CAPSULE
2020: Missed the entire season while recovering from knee surgery… 2019: Her rookie season ended at six games after suffering a torn ACL in her right knee on June 8 vs. Los Angeles; she underwent surgery on June 20 and missed the final 28 contests… Averaged 4.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 3.5 apg in 18.7 mpg, shooting 37.9% from the floor… Sank her first three-pointer June 6 vs. Phoenix, finishing with seven points and six rebounds, and tallied a season-best 10 points May 29 vs. Seattle… Led Minnesota with 13 rebounds and six assists May 25 vs. Chicago, becoming just the third player to collect 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists in her WNBA debut (Candace Parker, Damiris Dantas)… The 13 rebounds were also the most by any player in her WNBA debut since DeTrina White grabbed 13 for New York on May 21, 2004 at Indiana.
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INTERNATIONAL
2014: Member of USA Basketball&#8217;s gold-medal-winning entry at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship… Averaged 12.6 ppg and 3.8 rpg in five contests, shooting 66.7% (24-for-36) from the floor.
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COLLEGE
Finished fourth in Nebraska school history with 2,227 career points, despite missing a majority of her senior season… Holds the two highest single-season totals by a Class A player in state history with 780 points in 2014 and 664 points in 2013… Led Lincoln Southeast to a state title in 2013… As a junior, she averaged a Class A state record 30.4 points, along with 15.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists… tallied four 40+ point games including on career-high 46-point game… Studied Marketing while at the University of Nebraska… Named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in 2015 and 2016… Named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2016 and 2017.
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Personal
Born Sept. 11, 1996 in Fremont, Nebraska to Mark and Kim Shepard… She has one older brother and four sisters… Nickname is “Shep”…
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Jessica Shepard signed a Contract with the Dallas Wings.

Another double-double Sunday

Massive double-double in win

Triple-doubles in win

Another double-double in road win

Tacks on 14 points in win

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