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Atlanta Dream Top Plays vs. Washington Mystics

Top Plays 2026

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Top Plays of the Day, 06/04/2026

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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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5 Things I Like: Week One 2026

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Game Highlights: Las Vegas Aces vs. Atlanta Dream (5/16/26)

Tip-Off 2026

The 30th season of the WNBA tipped off with a bang, with rookies flying out of the gate with highlight performances, underdog squads testing the limits of contenders, and up-and-coming units finding their groove early on in the year. 
We’re only a few games into the season, so I won&#8217;t make any statements about how teams looked during Tip-Off weekend that sound too grandiose. But there were at least five definitive things to take away from the contests that kicked off the league’s 30th year. 
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<h2>2026 Rookie Class Shines</h2>
<div id="attachment_260410" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260410" class="wp-image-260410" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Jovana Nogic #29 of the Phoenix Mercury</div>
Much of this year’s draft class has already taken a swing at their first taste of WNBA, and there were some major standouts from the first weekend of action. Olivia Miles’ 21-point, eight-assist, two-block, two-steal, and three-rebound debut for the Minnesota Lynx was nearly enough to get them a win over the Atlanta Dream on opening weekend, but regardless of the outcome, it was unbelievably impressive. 
Flau’jae Johnson was on fire for the Seattle Storm in their one win from opening weekend, getting the Connecticut Sun into foul trouble and driving with purpose to the basket despite the danger of Brittney Griner lurking at the rim. She was also not afraid to <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/storms-flaujae-johnson-shines-hits-110722119.html">let Griner know</a> about her ability to get to the hoop. 
There were also a few sleeper rookies who shone this past weekend, with one being Serbian guard Jovana Nogic with the Phoenix Mercury. She’s a confident shot taker with a three-ball consistently in her bag, and the Mercury really needed someone like her injected into the roster following the loss of Satou Sabally in free agency. 
Madina Okot, the former board-eater with the South Carolina Gamecocks, quickly established herself as an apt Griner replacement for the Atlanta Dream on the glass with 11 rebounds and 14 points in her debut. 
It’ll be exciting to watch several other high-ceiling rookies like Azzi Fudd, Raven Johnson, and Awa Fam begin to hit their stride throughout this season. But it’s obvious that the All-Rookie race and the battle for Rookie of the Year are not going to be a clear-cut. 
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<h2>2. Washington Mystics and Their Young Core</h2>
Following a downtrodden 2025 season riddled with injuries, the Mystics snapped up quite a few big-name bigs in this year’s draft, adding some depth behind their key frontcourt duo in Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen. 
Those two, plus guard Sonia Citron, already look to be a serious problem for teams this year thanks to their defensive effort and ability to score all over the floor. Citron is averaging 21.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting from the field, while Iriafen firmly leads the league in rebounding through two contests. Austin is a bit of a unicorn for the Mystics as she has multiple ways of killing teams as a scorer, thanks to her excellent ball-handling for a forward, but her health has to remain intact for Washington to truly make some noise later in the season and in the race to the postseason. 
While it’s a small sample size, there’s more than enough to be scared about with the potential of this Mystics squad. 
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<h2>3. Fringe Contenders Impressed</h2>
While we know the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty are strong candidates for being Finals-bound, there are a few other squads that have the depth and star power to push either of those teams to the brink. The Dallas Wings, Atlanta Dream, and Phoenix Mercury all proved to be that sort of potential thorn in the Aces and Liberty’s sides with their opening weekend performances. 
For Phoenix, the largest question for them this offseason was how they’d fare after losing Sabally in free agency. The answer to that question is multi-fold: they’re relying on the defensive presence provided by Alyssa Thomas, in addition to the health and three-level scoring of Kahleah Copper. And, they have the depth to have a strong run in the regular season, followed by an even stronger one in the postseason. 
You’d have to imagine Phoenix is itching to get back to the Finals following getting swept by the Aces in 2025. Well, a start to the year that features 47.8 shooting from three-point range and an emphatic victory over the Aces in their season debut surely communicates how hungry they are to get back to that peak. 
As for the Wings, there are still huge question marks about their defensive capabilities. Alanna Smith, the co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, was brought on by the Wings as an attempt to address at least one part of their defensive weakness. 
She had a tough matchup in the Wings’ first game, which was against Aliyah Boston and the Indiana Fever. Still, you have to love Dallas’ upside on offense. They posted a 120.2 offensive rating in their first game, led by Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Odyssey Sims. 
Atlanta’s bread and butter this season may be their ability to keep teams grounded thanks to their defense. They immediately saw the benefit of adding Angel Reese to their roster this offseason via trade in their first game, against the Lynx. 
She and Allisha Gray had back-to-back blocks to seal their victory over Minnesota, showing just how valuable a piece Reese could be to Atlanta on defense while she still carves out a role on offense. That block was her third, which was a team-high, which added to her already impressive line featuring 14 boards and 11 points.
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<h2>4. New York Liberty and Golden State Valkyries Undefeated </h2>
<div id="attachment_260411" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260411" class="wp-image-260411" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Janelle Salaun #13 of the Golden State Valkyries</div>
Again, it’s way too early in the season to frame these teams’ undefeated records following tip-off weekend as anything more than a two-game winning streak, but both teams’ methods of winning were impressive nonetheless. 
For Golden State, they’ve once again been relying on guard Veronica Burton and forward Janelle Salaun for firepower. Salaun, specifically, has been a revelation and is already building off of her All-Rookie campaign in 2025. Her 56.3 percent shooting from three-point range to start the year leads the Valkyries, and she’s taken the second-most three pointers so far this season in the league. 
 
Burton has contributed with her passing, hitting 12 assists in Golden State’s win over the Mercury, while also picking up three steals. She was a big factor in the Valkyries’ win over Phoenix, sealing their 2-0 record following the opening weekend. 
Golden State’s bench is also looking good to start the year, which is, again, a huge factor for any team seeking to become a true contender. Their second unit has averaged 42 points per game through two contests and is shooting 52 percent from deep. They’re also averaging 2.5 blocks per game, which is good for second in the league so far. Again, small sample size, but it’s clear that the Valkyries have the depth necessary to go up against other powerhouse squads early on in the year. 
Taking a look at New York, it’s hard not to point out the start that Breanna Stewart has had. She’s leading the team in shot attempts and is still shooting an efficient 47.5 percent from the field overall. With Sabrina Ionescu out to begin the year, it was important that either she, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, or newly-added guard Pauline Astier would pick up the scoring slack, and Stewart has taken that role seriously through two contests. 
New York’s bench has been a bit shakier of a foundation for them compared to that of Golden State’s, but with no Leonie Fiebich or Ionescu during tip-off weekend, that drop-off was expected. Getting Laney-Hamilton back is also a huge plus for the Liberty’s future depth, with the forward an ever-lurking threat from midrange for New York’s guards to play off of. 
Their veteran-heavy roster and ability to match up with just about anyone make them a top threat once again. 
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<h2>5. The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire’s Opening Crowds</h2>
If you caught the Toronto Tempo’s first-ever home game against the Washington Mystics, which nearly ended with a ton of drama, then you probably had to turn your television down a few times. The crowd at the Coca-Cola Coliseum was unbelievably loud, which is well-deserved after the team pushed things down to the wire against a talented Mystics squad. 
Portland’s crowd was not only loud, but they added themselves to the history books with a record-breaking 19,335 fans at their season opener. That’s the largest crowd for any inaugural team’s season opener in WNBA history, and a great representation of just how great the demand is for more WNBA basketball. 
While the Fire and Tempo lost their respective opening contests, they’re off on the right foot. They have too much talent to be struggling for long.

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5 Things I Like: WNBA Tip-Off 2026

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Madina Okot

Madina Okot signed a Rookie Scale Contract with the Atlanta Dream.

Madina Okot was drafted by the Atlanta Dream.

Not starting Thursday

Entering starting five Saturday

Leads Atlanta in scoring Wednesday

Records career-high 18 points

Logs two rebounds

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