free

top-plays-of-the-day-07-16-2026

Top Plays of the Day, 07/16/2026

Top Performer

kiki-iriafen-points-leader-in-toronto-tempo-vs-washington-mystics-top-points

Kiki Iriafen with 25 Points vs. Toronto Tempo

final-0330-wild-ending-washington-mystics-vs-seattle-storm-07-12-2026

WILD ENDING: Washington Mystics vs. Seattle Storm (07/12/2026)

All-Star 2026

WNBA_AS26_CHI_Logo_RGB_Primary_Horiz

all-star-reserves-2026

Nneka Ogwumike, Jonquel Jones Highlight Reserves for 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game

final-0330-wild-ending-washington-mystics-vs-atlanta-dream-07-02-2026

WILD ENDING Washington Mystics vs. Atlanta Dream 07/02/2026

5 Things I Like

We’re headed into the Commissioner’s Cup championship game between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty. Still, the two teams met up before this contest for a fun preview ahead of their clash at Barclays Center on June 30th. 
These two squads are pretty clear contenders, but the Aces seem to be flying a lot higher than the Liberty at the moment. Despite that, New York managed to beat Las Vegas in their Cup championship preview. 
Another contentious game between the Dallas Wings and Minnesota Lynx, a quadruple overtime game between the Washington Mystics and Portland Fire, a surge from an unlikely source in Chicago, and Cheryl Reeve on the brink of history were all things I liked from this past week in the WNBA.
<hr />
<h2>First Taste of Commissioner’s Cup Championship</h2>
<div id="attachment_264985" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-264985" class="wp-image-264985 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Han Xu #21 of the New York Liberty</div>
Who would’ve thought that the Liberty’s X-factor against the Aces wouldn’t be winning the guard battle, or Breanna Stewart edging out perennial MVP candidate A’ja Wilson, but Han Xu providing 12 points in 13 minutes off the bench en route to a New York win?
Xu went a perfect 6-6 from the field in her limited minutes off the bench for the Liberty, hitting both of her three-point attempts. Her bench contributions were key for New York in the 2nd half, as she helped match the scoring from Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu to get New York over the hump necessary to take Las Vegas down. 
Since this contest, though, New York has lost their only two contests prior to the Cup championship &#8211; one game against the Seattle Storm, when they were shorthanded, and one against the Golden State Valkyries, where they simply couldn’t stop their paint penetration or match their shooting from the field. 
Las Vegas, on the other hand, took down the Wings and Sky as they head to New York for the Cup. They’re still looking like the team to beat this season, with Wilson somehow looking so good this year that it isn’t getting enough hype &#8211; her unbelievably performances are actually just becoming routine for us all to witness.
<hr />
<h2>Wings-Lynx Rivalry Continues to Brew</h2>
Hand clapping, technicals, and “too little” celebrations were sprinkled throughout the Wings’ loss to the Lynx at home over the weekend. Things were a bit heated between Wings star Paige Bueckers and current ROTY frontrunner Olivia Miles, specifically, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to fans with how competitive those two players are. 
It was a physical matchup that nearly became a down-to-the-wire battle thanks to some clutch Azzi Fudd buckets in the second half, but Dallas continues to struggle to get stops at the rim with a lack of a protector in the front court. Minnesota, and specifically Miles and Natasha Howard, took full advantage of this by posting 38 paint points to Dallas’ 28. 
These two young backcourt stars could very well meet in the postseason, so their games against one another have been a fun potential preview of a new playoff rivalry brewing.
<hr />
<h2>Quadruple OT Game Makes WNBA History</h2>
Yes, you’re reading that subheading right &#8211; there were four extra quarters played to determine a winner of a Mystics-Fire game over the weekend. Exhausted watching the players doesn’t even begin to describe what it felt like watching this contest, which ended in a win for Washington. 
The game, which ended 124-123, ties a 2001 game between Washington and Seattle as the longest in WNBA history. The 247 points scored in this game were also the second-most scored in WNBA history. And, to add even more history, the eight players who logged 45 or more minutes on the court were the most players to go for that long in WNBA history. 
This was, aside from the obvious barn-burner feel of it all, also a great showcase of young talent in Portland and Washington. Carla Leite and Sarah Ashlee Barker did their best to lead the Fire to the win in this one, with Leite hitting the three-pointer that carried Portland into the first overtime period that kicked off the mayhem. But, Washington’s young core &#8211; Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron &#8211; in addition to veteran Michaela Onyenwere, carried them to a win. 
<hr />
<h2>Sydney Taylor Turning Heads in Chicago</h2>
<div id="attachment_264986" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-264986" class="wp-image-264986 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Sydney Taylor #12 of the Chicago Sky</div>
“She’s from New York, and she plays like she’s from New York, and sometimes you can just tell. We were kind of surprised that she had gone under the radar as much as she has.”
That <a href="https://www.theixsports.com/the-ix-basketball-newsroom/wnba/chicago-sky/sydney-taylor-chicago-sky/">was Tyler Marsh speaking to reporters</a> about Sky guard Sydney Taylor, an undrafted free agent who has gone from an end-of-bench piece to one of Chicago’s biggest spark plugs amid a down season. 
The Long Island native has put together some sensational performances in June, including a 30-point game in a loss against the Indiana Fever, a 29-point game in a win against the Fire on Friday, and a solid 6-13 shooting performance in a loss to the Aces. Chicago had been sorely missing that floor-spacing shooting from its lineup to aid its front-court-heavy roster, and Taylor seems to be the answer to those problems as of now.
<hr />
<h2>Reeve One Win Away from History</h2>
As I wrote about last week, Reeve is <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/cheryl-reeve-nears-wnba-history">on the brink of history</a>. She’s now just one win away from surpassing Mike Thibault as the all-time WNBA regular-season wins holder, and that could come as soon as this coming Friday against the Liberty. It’s a 2024 Finals rematch, so that’s already an exciting factor involved in the game, but it could also get Reeve over that 380-win hump necessary to become the sole regular-season wins record holder. 
With the way these two teams are playing &#8211; Minnesota acting as a bulldozer led by Miles, and New York still seemingly working out the kinks related to a new coach and a re-tooled bench &#8211; it feels likely that the Lynx can secure that record-sealing win with Reeve this weekend. 
This will be the two teams’ first meeting with one another this season &#8211; what a way to kick off their remaining three contests against one another for the year.

five-things-i-like-week-7-2026

5 Things I Like: Week Seven 2026

final-0330-wild-ending-washington-mystics-vs-portland-fire-06-28-2026

WILD ENDING: Washington Mystics vs. Portland Fire (06/28/2026)

washington-mystics-top-plays-vs-portland-fire

Washington Mystics Top Plays vs. Portland Fire

kiki-iriafen-gets-the-and-1-5

Kiki Iriafen gets the And-1

Fantastic Finishes

final-0330-wild-ending-washington-mystics-vs-minnesota-lynx-06-24-2026

WILD ENDING Washington Mystics vs. Minnesota Lynx 06/24/2026

Latest

Kiki Iriafen

PROFESSIONAL
2025
<ul>
<li>Selected with the fourth pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft</li>
<li>Averaged 13.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 48.8% from the field</li>
<li>Was named an WNBA All-Star reserve</li>
<li>Earned WNBA All-Rookie Team honors and was named to the 2025 AP All-Rookie Team</li>
<li>The first rookie in franchise history to earn Kia Rookie of the Month honors after averaging 13.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game in May</li>
<li>She joined Aliyah Boston, Kamilla Cardoso, Jonquel Jones, Alyssa Thomas, and this year’s MVP, A’ja Wilson, as the only players to average at least 12.0 points and 8.0 rebounds on 48.0% or better shooting during the 2025 season and is one of seven rookies in WNBA history to do so</li>
<li>She recorded a 2025 rookie-best, and single-season franchise record, 16 double-doubles, ranking fifth overall in the league</li>
<li>Joined Angel Reese as the only rookies in WNBA history with multiple double-double streaks of four or more games</li>
<li>Her 8.5 rebounds per game are the most by a rookie in franchise history and ranked fourth overall in the WNBA this season</li>
<li>Among rookies, she finished her debut season ranked third in scoring, first in rebounds per game, second in field goal percentage, and led all rookies in second chance points (2.8) and total free-throw makes (138) and attempts (176)</li>
<li>Single-season franchise record for rebounds (376)</li>
<li>Posted the most 10+ points, 5+ rebounds in a single season in franchise history and second most 10+ points, 5+ rebounds games by a rookie in WNBA history (31)</li>
<li>Amassed a rookie franchise-best 19 games with 10+ rebounds (4th most by a rookie all-time)</li>
<li>Is only the second rookie (Natalie Williams; 1999) to total four double-doubles within their first five career games and is one of two rookies in WNBA history with multiple double-double streaks of four or more games</li>
<li>Led all WNBA rookies with 31 games of 10+ points and 5+ rebounds &#8211; the most in a season in Mystics history</li>
<li>Totaled six games with 20+ points</li>
<li>On 8/28, surpassed Aliyah Boston (335) for the third-most rebounds in a rookie season</li>
<li>She was the fastest rookie in Mystics history to total 100+ points and 80+ rebounds (8 games) and the quickest player to do so since Tina Charles in 2010</li>
<li>The seventh rookie in WNBA history with 10+ rebounds in five-or-more consecutive games (8/8-8/19)</li>
</ul>
COLLEGE
2024-25
<ul>
<li>Started all 35 games for the Trojans during the 2024-25 season, averaging 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 30.3 minutes per game</li>
<li>In her lone season at USC, she was a unanimous selection to the 2025 All-Big Ten First Team and earned AP and USBWA All-America Third Teams honors</li>
<li>Totaled 12 double-doubles and ranked 15th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (4.1)</li>
<li>Before transferring to USC, Iriafen spent three seasons at Stanford, where she was named the 2024 Katrina McClain Award winner, presented annually to the nation’s top power forward</li>
<li>During her time as a Cardinal, she helped lead the program to three consecutive Pac-12 championships (2022-24)</li>
</ul>
2023-24
<ul>
<li>Katrina McClain Award winner</li>
<li>WBCA All-America Honorable Mention</li>
<li>Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention</li>
<li>Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year</li>
<li>WBCA All-Region</li>
<li>All-Pac-12 Team</li>
<li>Appeared in and started all 36 games</li>
<li>Averaged 19.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game</li>
<li>Scored a career-high 41 points vs. Iowa State (3/24)</li>
<li>Recorded a career-high 20 rebounds vs. Arizona State (2/25)</li>
<li>Scored 1,071 points in three seasons at Stanford</li>
</ul>
2022-23
<ul>
<li>Appeared in 35 games, making 27 starts</li>
<li>Averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game</li>
<li>Ranked fourth on the team in scoring and third in rebounding</li>
</ul>
2021-22
<ul>
<li>Pac-12 All-Freshman Team – Media</li>
<li>Pac-12 All-Freshman Team Honorable Mention – Coaches</li>
<li>Appeared in 33 games off the bench</li>
<li>Averaged 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 6.5 minutes per game</li>
<li>Shot 57.1 percent from the floor (56-of-98), the second-best clip on the team</li>
</ul>
UNRIVALED
<ul>
<li>Made her Unrivaled debut with Phantom in 2026
<ul>
<li>In 16 appearances (two starts), averaged 12.3 points on 49.1% shooting and 6.1 rebounds</li>
<li>Grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds on 2/27 vs. Rose</li>
<li>Scored a season-high 20 points on 2/7 against Mist</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
INTERNATIONAL
<ul>
<li>Participated in the December 2025 USA Women’s National Team Training Camp</li>
<li>Selected for the 2026 USA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Team</li>
<li>Appeared in all five games during the World Cup Qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico</li>
<li>Averaged 5.4 points on 80.0% shooting and 4.2 rebounds while averaging 11.0 minutes per game on the way to a 5-0 record and securing a spot in the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin</li>
</ul>

Another productive showing Tuesday

Produces double-double in win

Nears double-double in defeat

Another double-double Thursday

Posts another double-double

logo-changemaker-ally

att2

logo_changemaker_aws_wht

CarMax+Logo-White

DEL_PRI_ALL_WHT

google-logo-transparent

Nike-Logo-PNG

Get a courtside seat. Every week. With WNBA League Pass, watch live games across the league.

wnba_league_pass_logo_PRIMARY_RGB_fire (3)

PRESS PLAY ON THE WNBA