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Top Plays of the Day, 09/21/2025

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Highlights From Natisha Hiedeman 7-Assist Game

AP Recap

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier scored 20 points to lead five players in double figures and the Minnesota Lynx breezed to a 101-72 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-three first-round WNBA series.
Collier hit 7 of 11 shots with a 3-pointer and all five of her free throws, adding six rebounds.
Natisha Hiedeman made two 3-pointers and scored 18 for the Lynx, while Kayla McBride added 17. Jessica Shepard had 12 points and eight rebounds and Courtney Williams pitched in with 11 points and four steals.
Veronica Burton and Cecilia Zandalasini both scored 14 to lead Golden State. Burton added seven assists and three steals but also had seven of the Valkyries’ 16 turnovers. Janelle Salaün had 13 points and eight rebounds and Temi Fágbénlé scored 12 before fouling out.
Burton hit two 3-pointers for Golden State in an 11-4 run to start the game and the Valkyries led 28-21 after one quarter.
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<div id="93avfqg34d8" class="fs-feed-ad" data-freestar-ad="__336x280 __336x280" data-google-query-id="CPiJ8pW22Y8DFSkHTwgdvMIFlw">McBride had two baskets in a 12-3 run to begin the second period and Minnesota moved in front 33-31. McBride had 14 points by halftime and Collier scored 11 for a 47-39 lead.</div>
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Alanna Smith hit a 3-pointer with 8:47 left in the third quarter for a 52-42 advantage and Minnesota led by double digits the rest of the way. DiJonai Carrington sank two 3-pointers and Williams hit one in the final 70 seconds as the Lynx took a 79-58 lead into the final period.
The Valkyries are still looking for their first win over the Lynx in their first year in the league after losing all four regular-season matchups — three by double digits.
Minnesota’s 34-10 record led the league. Golden State will host Game 2 on Wednesday.
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Game Recap: Golden State Valkyries vs. Minnesota Lynx (First Round, Game 1)

First Round Game Recap

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Game Recap: Valkyries vs. Lynx (9/14/25)

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Natisha Hiedeman with 18 Points vs. Golden State Valkyries

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Minnesota Lynx Top Plays vs. Golden State Valkyries

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Minnesota Lynx vs. Golden State Valkyries - Game Highlights

2025 Playoffs

We have finally arrived at the finish line of the 2025 WNBA regular season. The postseason bracket is finally set, with some wildly entertaining first round matchups such as the Seattle Storm against the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty against the Phoenix Mercury. 
Ahead of the first day of the First Round contests on Sunday, September 14, we can dive into the X-factors on each playoff team, and how key those players’ contributions will be for their teams looking to make deep runs. 
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<h3>Minnesota Lynx: Natisha Hiedeman (18.9 MPG)</h3>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-203703" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2233255277.jpg" alt="Natisha Hiedeman #2 of the Minnesota Lynx dribbles the ball against the Seattle Storm" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2233255277.jpg 4917w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2233255277-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
Regular season stats: 9.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 2.8 APG
The Lynx have plenty to write home about in their starting lineup, beginning with All-Star forward Napheesa Collier. They’re a powerhouse on both ends of the court, and they have been the runaway top seed in the league for quite a while. 
Of course, a team with championship aspirations is only as good as its bench. That’s where Hiedeman makes her case as one of Minnesota’s most valuable players. The seven year veteran has completely come into her own this season, averaging a career-best 49 percent on her field goal attempts on a steady diet of 6.8 shots per game. 
She’s a steady force in the midrange, equipped with speed which can muck up a lot of defensive assignments. It’s what makes her so valuable to the Lynx as they seek out offense whenever Collier, Kayla McBride, or fellow StudBud Courtney Williams don’t have the ball in their hands. 
She’s a huge X-factor for the Lynx. Her doggedness on defense is often underrated, and her ability to sneak around screens will be huge for her ability to battle with physical guards such as Skylar Diggins/Veronica Burton. 
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<h3>Las Vegas Aces: NaLyssa Smith (22.7 MPG w/ LVA)</h3>
Regular season stats w/ LVA: 8.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG
When the Aces traded for Smith from the Dallas Wings this season, it wasn’t necessarily seen as a “blockbuster” deal for a team witnessing some major regression. Smith, a fourth year forward who has already bounced around the league a fair deal, landed with Las Vegas amidst some major changes to their roster and starting lineup. 
She had struggled to find a comfortable role with both the Indiana Fever and the Wings prior to ending up with the Aces, so the chances of her doing so while working behind A’ja Wilson felt slim. 
What we’ve seen from Smith’s 27 games with Las Vegas have been anything but questionable. Smith is such a huge X-factor for the Aces not because of her ability to become a sponge around Wilson, which has seemingly contributed to her newfound confidence with scoring in the post and acting as a rim protector when Wilson is on the bench, but because of her durability. She hasn’t missed a single game in two seasons, and her health is nothing to sneer at as a measurement of her value to this Aces team. 
Her ability to stay on the court is exactly why Las Vegas has benefited so strongly from acquiring her. The team went from zero answers at backup to Wilson to one, very reliable, one. 
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<h3>Atlanta Dream: Naz Hillmon (25.5 MPG)</h3>
Regular season stats: 8.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.4 APG
The Dream, heralding a new head coach in Karl Smesko and a promising core in the duo of Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, have completely dominated the 2025 regular season. They were consistently atop the standings thanks to some otherworldly shooting improvement from Gray and a solid bench helmed by future Hall of Famer Brittney Griner, and thanks to the impact of Naz Hillmon throughout the year. 
Hillmon, another Dream player who decided to improve drastically upon her three point shot, has developed into one of the most important players for Atlanta as they look ahead to the postseason. In her first two years in the WNBA, she shot zero percent from three point range &#8211; she wasn’t even looking in the basket’s direction if she was 22 feet out. This year, she’s attempting 3.8 per game and hitting them at a clip of 32.1 percent. 
If she can maintain her confidence from deep while coming off the bench, she can help keep Atlanta’s dream alive of making a deep postseason run. Gray and Howard are sure to be the focal points of any teams’ defense in the playoffs &#8211; Hillmon can make them pay. 
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<h3>Phoenix Mercury: Kahleah Copper (27.2 MPG)</h3>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-203705" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2222807547.jpg" alt="Kahleah Copper #2 of the Phoenix Mercury reacts after making a basket during the second half against the Las Vegas Aces" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2222807547.jpg 2988w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2222807547-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
Regular season stats: 15.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.1 SPG
Copper is not a “fringe” star or performer for the Mercury by any means. On the contrary, she’s one of the most important pieces to their offense that’s led by perpetual engine Alyssa Thomas. Her three level scoring capabilities in addition to her length on defense that can quickly disrupt screens or backcuts are what make Copper an All-Star in any other year. Injuries are the only thing that kept her back from achieving that accolade in 2025. 
Nonetheless, she’s an X-factor in the postseason because of the Mercury’s first round matchup against the New York Liberty. 
The Liberty have struggled to find a perfect defensive scheme to stop Copper from getting hot, and the closest defender they have to pair against her is Leonie Fiebich. Copper’s ability to take advantage of this matchup &#8211; which she’s done consistently in the regular season &#8211; is what makes her an X-factor for Phoenix ahead of the playoffs. She’s averaging 22 points per game on 41 percent shooting from deep against New York in 2025, creating a formidable task for Fiebich and the Liberty. 
Health makes her another X-factor, as she only played in 28 games out of a possible 44 this year. But, she seems completely healthy to close out the year, averaging 16.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and just over one assist and steal over her last ten games for Phoenix. 
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<h3>New York Liberty: Leonie Fiebich (28.4 MPG)</h3>
Regular season stats: 8.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.7 APG 
 
Fiebich, conversely, will be the Liberty’s X-factor this postseason. She’s the teams’ best 3 and D wing, able to get hot from three point range and savvy enough to navigate through the chaos and get decent open looks from beyond the arc consistently. On defense, she is often paired up against opposing teams’ wings, like Copper, and asked to stop the bleeding from beyond the arc. 
One stat that stands out for Fiebich ahead of this postseason is her true shooting percentage, a stat that measures field goals made from both two and three point range, and one that measures free throw efficiency. Fiebich has the best true shooting percentage of anyone in the WNBA in 2025 amongst players who have featured in 30 or more contests. 
She’s a threat, full stop. However, Fiebich’s usage percentage of just 12.8 percent this season doesn’t feel like a recipe for success for New York, especially if they’re trying to find shooting outside of Sabrina Ionescu, Emma Meesseman, and Jonquel Jones from beyond the arc. 
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<h3>Indiana Fever: Natasha Howard (24.1 MPG)</h3>
Regular season stats: 11.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.2 SPG
Howard has been one of the Fever players that kept the ship afloat this season. Playing in all 44 contests, Howard has been a vital veteran presence in a sea of changing faces in the starting lineup for Indiana due to numerous injuries. She’s managed to provide reliable scoring in the post, hitting 55 percent of her field goals this year. That’s good for second best in her career, just behind her 2016 year with the Lynx.  
Another stat that speaks to her impact on the Fever’s injury-riddled squad is how many steals she alone has contributed to Indiana &#8211; 28 percent of them through 44 games, good for best on the team. Her defensive impact when slotted in alongside Aliyah Boston can’t be ignored in the postseason. 
Howard has struggled to be a proper rim protector for Indiana this season, with Boston often taking over in that regard. But, she’s still got the length to properly end an opponent’s drive into the paint. A wall is easily constructed by herself and Boston in the post, and that’s not a tool many teams can utilize in the postseason. 
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<h3>Golden State Valkyries: Cecilia Zandalasini (23.7 MPG)</h3>
Regular season stats: 10.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.7 APG
Zandalasini recently returned to the Valkyries from a calf injury, a welcome sight considering she had been one of the teams’ best bench scorers prior to going down with that. A former Minnesota Lynx X-factor, Zandalasini is suddenly going to be thrust into postseason action for the WNBA’s latest expansion team. 
As mentioned, her shooting this season has been unreal &#8211; she’s averaging 44 percent from three point range on 4.7 attempts per game. She can start or come off the bench for Golden State, providing a pop whenever she’s utilized. Her length is key to her ability to match up well with other wings this postseason, and her defense has been solid around the perimeter. 
As Golden State navigates a postseason without Kayla Thornton back from injury, Zandalasini comes back at the perfect time to provide versatility on defense and to contribute to the third-highest scoring bench in the WNBA at 24.4 points per game. 
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<h3>Seattle Storm: Dominique Malonga (14.3 PPG)</h3>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-203722" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2234035186.jpg" alt="Dominique Malonga #14 of the Seattle Storm looks on against the New York Liberty" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2234035186.jpg 3891w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2234035186-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2234035186-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2234035186-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
Regular season stats: 7.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG
After a slow start from the French rookie, Malonga has quickly become an important piece to Seattle’s bench unit led by Erica Wheeler. Now averaging just over 14 minutes per game, Malonga has begun to look like every bit of the scoring threat she’s been while playing overseas. Her 22 point explosions against the Dallas Wings and the Las Vegas Aces were proof that she had finally arrived with Seattle, and had clearly endeared herself to head coach Noelle Quinn. 
Malonga is an X-factor for Seattle as they prepare to face off with the Las Vegas Aces. Seattle’s bench is averaging 18.4 points per game, good for only 11th in the league. More utilization for the rookie center could go a long way for helping produce a more efficient offense when starters are resting. If the Aces are also relying on Smith’s backup minutes when Wilson is off the floor, the best matchup defensively for her would be Malonga. 
A key stat reflecting just how impactful she is when on the court is her PIE, or Player Impact Estimate. She’s got the second-highest PIE on the Storm (13.8), just behind Nneka Ogwumike (15.9). Malonga can throw a wrench into some game plans if Quinn decides to up her minutes at any point in the first round, or beyond.

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2025 WNBA Playoffs X-Factors: First Round

Game Preview/Recap

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Game Recap: Valkyries vs. Lynx (9/11/25)

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Natisha Hiedeman with 21 Points vs. Golden State Valkyries

Latest

Natisha Hiedeman

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CAREER TRANSACTIONS:
<ul>
<li>Drafted with the 18th overall pick by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2019 WNBA Draft and was traded to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Lexie Brown in a draft-day trade.</li>
<li>Waived by Connecticut prior to the start of the 2019 season. Signed by the Atlanta Dream on June 19, 2019 as a EuroBasket replacement for Alex Bentley, then waived by Atlanta on July 1, 2019. Claimed off waivers by Connecticut on July 3, 2019.</li>
<li>Signed to a contract by the Sun on February 10, 2020.</li>
</ul>
2023 SEASON WITH CONNECTICUT:
<ul>
<li>Appeared and started in all 40 games for the Sun in 2023.</li>
<li>Averaged 8.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.</li>
<li>Recorded a career-high 24 points against Atlanta on 7/20.
<ul>
<li>Tallied 20 of her 24 points in the third quarter, setting a new franchise record for most points scored by an individual player in a single quarter.</li>
<li>Recorded a career-high six three-point field goals in the game.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Tallied a career-high two blocks against Atlanta on 7/22.</li>
<li>Eclipsed 1,000th career-points on 8/4 against Indiana.</li>
<li>Reached 300 career-assists on 6/18 against Los Angeles.</li>
<li>Moved into 20th all-time in scoring (1,117), 13th all-time in assists (363), sixth all-time in three-point field goals made (215) in Connecticut Sun history.</li>
</ul>
2022 WNBA Season (with Connecticut):
<ul>
<li>Appeared in all 36 regular season contests for Connecticut, starting 31.</li>
<li>Finished with 329 points, 63 rebounds, 118 assists, 42 steals and four blocks.</li>
<li>Averaged a career-best 9.1 points, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 2022.</li>
<li>Tallied her 500th career-point in a loss to Dallas on 5/24.</li>
<li>Dished out her 200th career-assist in a loss to Chicago on 6/29.</li>
<li>Tied her career-high with 19 points in a win over Minnesota on 7/24, sinking a career-high five three-point field goals.</li>
<li>Notched a career-high five steals in a win over Washington on 7/3, while playing a career-high 40 minutes.</li>
</ul>
2021 WNBA Season (with Connecticut):
<ul>
<li>Played in all 32 games for the Sun and started in five (5/14 at ATL, 5/16 vs PHX, 5/21 at PHX, 5/23 at LVA and 5/25 at SEA).</li>
<li>Finished the season with 242 points, 644 minutes played, 58 rebounds, 60 assists, 27 steals and 51 three-pointers made.</li>
<li>Nabbed her 100th career assist in the game against MIN (5/30).</li>
<li>She earned her 300th point in the game against New York on 6/5/21.</li>
<li>Scored in double-figures ten times this season and had a career high 19 points in the game against Indiana (5/19).</li>
<li>Scored a new career high 4 three pointers in two games this season (5/25 vs SEA and 7/3 vs IND).</li>
<li>Earned a new career high finishing with eight rebounds (5/14 vs ATL).</li>
</ul>
2020 WNBA Season (with Connecticut):
<ul>
<li>Competed in all 22 regular season games and made four starts in her second year in the league. Also appeared in all seven postseason matchups.</li>
<li>Tallied 134 total points, 42 rebounds and 41 assists. Averaged 6.1 points and 1.9 rebounds and assists. Shot 35.4 percent from the field, 35.9 from behind the arc and 70 percent from the free throw line.</li>
<li>Scored 22 points during the post season, including nine assists and five made three pointers on eight attempts.</li>
<li>Recorded a career-high 16 points and six FGM against Phoenix (9/9) and a career-high seven rebounds against Seattle (8/4).</li>
<li>Scored 14 points in 17 minutes against Las Vegas (9/20) on four made three-point field goals, the most of her post season and regular season career.</li>
</ul>
2019 WNBA Season (with Connecticut and Atlanta):
<ul>
<li>Picked up by the Atlanta Dream for 13 games before the Sun claimed her off waivers on July 3</li>
<li>Appeared in 20 regular season games and seven Playoff games in her rookie season</li>
<li>Finished with 73 points, 30 rebounds and 38 assists</li>
<li>Went 24-of-58 from the field, 13-of-28 from behind the arc and shot 50% from the free throw line (12-of-24)</li>
<li>Recorded a season-high 10 points against Atlanta (7/10)</li>
<li>Dished out a season-high nine assists against Dallas (9/4)</li>
</ul>
WNBA POSTSEASON CAREER:
2023 (Connecticut):
<ul>
<li>Appeared and started in seven postseason contests for Connecticut.</li>
<li>Averaged 14.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.6 steals per game.</li>
<li>Tied her postseason career-high with 30 points in Game 2 of the WNBA Semifinals against New York on 9/26.</li>
<li>Finished the 2023 postseason at second all-time in games played (37), fifth all-time in assists (78), 14th all-time in rebounds and third all-time in three-point field goals made (40) in Connecticut Sun postseason history.</li>
</ul>
2022 (Connecticut):
<ul>
<li>Appeared and started in all 12 playoff contests.</li>
<li>Finished the 2022 postseason with 98 points, 25 rebounds, 36 assists, eight steals and three blocks.</li>
<li>Dished out a postseason career-high nine assists in the Game 3 win over Las Vegas, while playing a playoff career-high 34 minutes.</li>
<li>Finished the 2022 postseason at 12th all-time in scoring (174), eighth all-time in assists (62), 12th all-time in steals (13) and third all-time in three-point field goals made (34) in Connecticut Sun postseason history.</li>
</ul>
2021 (Connecticut):
<ul>
<li>Played in all four playoff games against Sky.</li>
<li>Finished with 36 points, three rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and two blocks in the series.</li>
<li>Averaged 9.0 points and 3.0 assists per game.</li>
<li>Went 11-22 from the floor (50%) and 9-15 from three (60%), including shooting 5-6 in game 4 (10/6).</li>
<li>Had five assists in game 2 (9/30)</li>
<li>Totaled 72 minutes of play in the series, averaging 18 minutes per game.</li>
</ul>
2020 (Connecticut):
<ul>
<li>Appeared in seven postseason contests for the Sun.</li>
<li>Averaged 3.1 points and 1.3 assists per game.</li>
<li>Tallied 14 points against Las Vegas on 9/20.</li>
</ul>
2019 (Connecticut):
<ul>
<li>Appeared in seven postseason contests for the Sun.</li>
<li>Finished the postseason with 18 points, four rebounds and five assists.</li>
</ul>
OVERSEAS COMPETITION:
<ul>
<li>2022-2023: Maccabi Bnot Ashdod (Israel)</li>
<li>2021-2022: Nadezhda Orenburg (Russia)</li>
<li>2020-2021: Maccabi Ironoi Ramat Gan (Israel)</li>
<li>2019-2020: Lulea (Sweden)</li>
</ul>
COLLEGE CAREER:
<ul>
<li>Unanimous BIG EAST Player of the Year (2019)</li>
<li>Unanimous All-BIG EAST First-Team (2019)</li>
<li>All-American Honorable Mention Honoree (2019)</li>
<li>Nancy Liberman Award Candidate (2019)</li>
<li>All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention (2017)</li>
<li>Just the third player in Marquette history to be drafted into the WNBA (Abbie Willenborg, 2000 and Angel Robinson, 2011); her selection at 18th overall is the highest pick in program history and the highest pick in the BIG EAST since conference realignment.</li>
<li>Finished her career at Marquette as the program’s third all-time leading scorer, just 27 points shy of the program record.</li>
<li>First Marquette player to reach 300 made three-pointers and finished sixth on the team’s all-time assist chart.</li>
</ul>
NATISHA HIEDEMAN IN THE NEWS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://winsidr.com/2023/09/same-stage-different-role-for-natisha-hiedeman/">Same Stage, Different Role for Natisha Hiedeman (September 18, 2023)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://gopsusports.com/news/2023/8/30/womens-basketball-natisha-hiedeman-promoted-to-womens-basketball-assistant-coach.aspx">Natisha Hiedeman Promoted to Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach (August 30, 2023)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.theday.com/sports/20230721/hiedeman-harris-give-the-sun-a-pair-of-capable-point-guards/">Hiedeman, Harris give the Sun a pair of capable point guards (July 21, 2023)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/38042742">Natisha Hiedeman goes for 20 points in 3rd quarter for Sun (July 20, 2023)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.theday.com/sports/20230626/aside-from-green-bay-connecticut-is-home-for-sun-point-guard-natisha-hiedeman/">Aside from Green Bay, Connecticut is home for Sun point guard Natisha Hiedeman (June 26, 2023)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.courant.com/2023/02/03/former-uconn-womens-standout-kia-nurse-signs-with-seattle-storm-natisha-hiedeman-re-signs-with-connecticut-sun/">Natisha Hiedeman re-signs with Connecticut Sun (February 3, 2023)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://gopsusports.com/news/2022/10/10/womens-basketball-womens-basketball-names-natisha-hiedeman-as-director-of-player-development.aspx">Women’s Basketball Names Natisha Hiedeman as Director of Player Development (October 10, 2022)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://nesn.com/2022/08/curt-miller-feels-natisha-hiedeman-deserves-wnba-most-improved-nod/">Curt Miller Feels Natisha Hiedeman Deserves WNBA Most Improved Nod (August 16, 2022)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://marquettewire.org/4056329/sports/former-big-east-player-of-the-year-finds-success-with-connecticut-sun/">Former BIG EAST Player of the Year finds success with Connecticut Sun (July 7, 2021)</a></li>
</ul>
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