Analysis

With only a week remaining in the regular season, which resumes on Thursday, it is time to dive into the end-of-season award debates. 
From league MVP to Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, and more, there are a plethora of candidates to discuss. Today, we’ll break down 10 of the top candidates for the five spots on the All-Rookie Team — a list that includes lottery picks, first-rounders, second-rounders, and undrafted players.
Note: Players are listed in alphabetical order, with stats and rankings through games played before the FIBA break, which began on Aug. 31.
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1631136">Pauline Astier</a> (New York Liberty)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270634" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270634" class="wp-image-270634" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Pauline Astier #18 of the New York Liberty</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 9.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 0.4 3PG, 54.0 FG%, 31.3 3P%, 23.3 MPG, 40 GP</li>
</ul>
The 24-year-old guard from France may have gone undrafted, but she has made an immediate impact for the Liberty, scoring 20+ points in two of her first four WNBA games. She has started 35 contests for the playoff-bound Liberty and was part of France’s silver-medal-winning squad in the FIBA Women’s World Cup.
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643427">Lauren Betts</a> (Washington Mystics)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 6.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 0.0 3PG, 54.9 FG%, 0.0 3P%, 17.1 MPG, 40 GP</li>
</ul>
Betts is one of eight rookies playing for a young Mystics squad that has secured its first playoff berth since 2023. The 6-foot-7 center, selected fourth overall out of UCLA, leads all rookies with 30 total blocks and ranks third with 177 total rebounds despite averaging just 17.1 minutes per game.
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643443">Awa Fam</a> (Seattle Storm)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 10.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 1.5 3PG, 45.1 FG%, 35.5 3P%, 27.6 MPG, 33 GP</li>
</ul>
Considered one of the most intriguing international prospects entering the draft at just 19 years old, Fam was selected at No. 3 by Seattle and has showcased her two-way talent during her rookie season. She leads all rookies in rebounds and blocks per game while ranking fifth in steals and sixth in scoring. As the league&#8217;s youngest player (20 years, 90 days), she has immense upside.
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643425">Azzi Fudd</a> (Dallas Wings)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 13.1 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 2.1 3PG, 45.6 FG%, 39.7 3P%, 31.7 MPG, 30 GP</li>
</ul>
The top pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft was limited to just 30 games for the Wings before undergoing season-ending arthroscopic surgery on her right knee. Before she was sidelined, the sharpshooter made an impact on both ends of the court — leading all rookies in 3-pointers made (2.1), steals (1.7, 4th in WNBA), and blocks (0.8) per game.
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643428">Flau&#8217;jae Johnson</a> (Seattle Storm)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270635" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270635" class="wp-image-270635" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Flau&#8217;jae Johnson #4 of the Seattle Storm</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 14.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 1.3 3PG, 39.8 FG%, 28.3 3P%, 28.2 MPG, 38 GP</li>
</ul>
Acquired by Seattle in a draft-night trade with Golden State, Johnson has emerged as a key piece of a young Storm core alongside Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam. Johnson has showcased her all-around game in her debut WNBA season. She leads all rookies in steals, ranks second in points and rebounds, and ranks third in blocks per game. Her eight 20+ point games are the second-most among all rookies.
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643420">Laura Juskaite</a> (Toronto Tempo)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 10.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.0 3PG, 46.5 FG%, 31.7 3P%, 24.9 MPG, 40 GP</li>
</ul>
The 28-year-old from Lithuania played professionally in Europe for over a decade before making her WNBA debut for the expansion Tempo in 2026. She is tied with Fudd for fourth among rookies in double-digit scoring games (21) and ranks seventh in scoring, sixth in rebounds, and third in steals across 40 games (32 starts).
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643449">Charlisse Leger-Walker</a> (Connecticut Sun)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 7.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 1.0 3PG, 37.8 FG%, 34.2 3P%, 23.6 MPG, 40 GP</li>
</ul>
The second-round pick (No. 18 overall) out of UCLA ranks second to Miles among rookies in assists and 19th among all WNBA players. She’s posted her two career-best scoring games over her last three contests as she looks to close out her rookie campaign on a high note.
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643426">Olivia Miles</a> (Minnesota Lynx)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 19.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 1.7 3PG, 49.5 FG%, 39.6 3P%, 30.9 MPG, 38 GP</li>
</ul>
Miles has delivered a historic debut season, placing herself in the league MVP conversation while establishing herself as the clear Rookie of the Year frontrunner. The No. 2 pick in the 2026 Draft not only leads all rookies in points and rebounds, but she also ranks eighth and seventh, respectively, across the entire league. She is on pace to break Caitlin Clark’s rookie scoring record (21 points away) and needs one more 20+ point game to break Seimone Augustus’ rookie record for most in league history (20 in 2006).
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643445">Kiki Rice</a> (Toronto Tempo)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270640" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270640" class="wp-image-270640 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Kiki Rice #1 of the Toronto Tempo</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 12.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 0.9 3PG, 48.1 FG%, 35.0 3P%, 26.6 MPG, 24 GP</li>
</ul>
A total of 22 players across the WNBA have averaged at least 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists this season — 16 of whom were 2026 All-Stars. Rice is one of only two rookies on the list (along with Miles) and has logged the fewest minutes per game of the group. That kind of company bodes well for Rice as the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft continues to develop her all-around game.
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1642321">Sydney Taylor</a> (Chicago Sky)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 13.8 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 2.0 3PG, 43.5 FG%, 33.7 3P%, 20.3 MPG, 33 GP</li>
</ul>
Taylor, who went undrafted in 2024, etched her name in the WNBA history books with her clutch shooting. She became the first rookie to hit multiple game-winning shots with five seconds or fewer remaining (Aug. 1 vs. Las Vegas and Aug. 21 vs. Golden State). Taylor, whose 11 clutch 3-pointers lead all players in the league, ranks third among first-year players in scoring.

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2026 End-of-Season Awards Lookahead: WNBA All-Rookie Team

5 Things I Like

As wild as it seems, we’ve already wrapped up the WNBA’s 2026 FIBA World Cup break. After a few weeks of international play, several WNBA stars will travel from Germany back to their teams, ready to ramp back up ahead of games kicking off Thursday, September 17. 
It’s a tight turnaround, but after some amazing play from multiple countries represented by quite a few WNBA players, the transition back to WNBA play should be easier. That’ll be especially true for the USA and French national teams, who finished first and second in the World Cup, respectively. 
Here, we’ll look at five things from the tournament that really stood out to me following the USA’s fifth-straight gold medal. 
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<h2>Valkyries Getting Back a Red-Hot Gabby Williams</h2>
When France was up by double digits to begin their gold medal game against the USA, it felt obvious that Gabby Williams would likely finish up as the tournament’s MVP if they managed actually to break the USA’s winning streak. Of course, Les Bleues were unable to hold on, so Williams’ initial heroics took a backseat. 
That doesn’t erase her impact from the entire tournament, though, where she averaged 18.7 points per game along with 2.8 steals and four assists. Most impressive about Williams’ run was how aggressive she was with the ball in her hands, showing off a finishing package at the rim and some stellar three-point shooting. She averaged 48.7 percent from deep in the tournament, which is a 14 percent increase from her average this season with the Valkyries.
If Williams can carry over that MVP-caliber play into the Valkyries’ final stretch of contests headed into the postseason, they become an even scarier team to have to face in the earlier rounds of the playoffs. 
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<h2>Defensive Stalwart Angel Reese</h2>
<div id="attachment_270577" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270577" class="wp-image-270577" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2294430014-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Angel Reese #15 of the United States</div>
Team USA got a major youth injection this year, with players like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Kiki Iriafen, and Sonia Citron joining a core of star veterans. In the USA’s final against France, one player stood out as having made a big impact on their comeback, and that was Reese. 
She finished with just three points and three rebounds in their final game, but beyond the box score, Reese used her length to disrupt guards who couldn&#8217;t get their composure against her. She helped generate some bad looks for France and forced turnovers throughout the game. 
The Atlanta Dream need this version of Reese as they’re seeking to make a final seeding push in this final stretch of the WNBA season. She and Rhyne Howard looked poised to help make that happen with their excellent play in the clutch for Team USA in this tournament. 
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<h2>Las Vegas Saving the Day</h2>
Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young managed to help Team USA avoid painful losses twice in this tournament &#8211; once against Italy during the group phase, where Young led the way with 10 points and three assists, and again against France, where Young had 18 points and Gray finished up with 12. 
Young was especially dangerous in the USA’s final against France, managing to use her speed to get to her spots on the floor quite easily while looking confident as the team’s main facilitator throughout the game. It just felt like anytime you got the ball in the hands of her or Gray, good things were going to happen.  
Las Vegas continues to battle off the Dream, Indiana Fever, and potentially the New York Liberty for the 3rd seed ahead of the postseason. Games like the ones Young and Gray just had throughout this tournament should give the Aces some confidence in their ability to hold onto that seeding. 
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<h2>FIBA All-Star Lineup Features All WNBA Players</h2>
<div id="attachment_270578" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270578" class="wp-image-270578" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="569" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-300x190.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-1024x647.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-768x485.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-1536x971.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2295059526-2048x1294.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Leonie Fiebich of Germany</div>
FIBA awarded Breanna Stewart the MVP of the women’s world cup tournament, while also placing her on their All-Star Five list from the entire tournament alongside Young, Williams, Iyana Martin, and Leonie Fiebich. 
Having two New York Liberty players on this list is pretty cool, especially with Fiebich having dominated elsewhere alongside Germany. Martin, who was selected by the Portland Fire seventh overall in this year’s draft, looked like a future weapon for Portland after averaging 17.5 points per game along with 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals for Spain. 
Spain, thanks in large part to her work, finished third in the tournament. It should get WNBA fans excited about her potential arrival in 2027 for Portland after spending this season training with Spain ahead of this tournament. 
This was a great showcase of how much international talent the league already rosters, and how much more talent is set to develop or come over to the WNBA in years to come. While Team USA seems like the obvious powerhouse to topple in future tournaments, strong cores are forming in Spain, Germany, France, and Belgium. 
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<h2>Final Push from Stewart in MVP race Thanks to the World Cup?</h2>
Stewart, as mentioned, finished up as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and that felt pretty fitting once Williams and France had dropped their gold medal game against the USA. She and Sue Bird are now the only two players in FIBA women’s basketball history to have secured four titles, and she’s the first player ever to secure multiple MVPs in FIBA history. 
The Liberty star is in the mix amid a tight MVP race in the WNBA, where A’ja Wilson, Olivia Miles, Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark, and Stewart seem to be pacing the rest of the league. It’d be hard for Stewart to make a final push now to topple one of the current assumed leaders in that clubhouse, but her performance in this FIBA tournament feels like a turning point for her as it pertains to her upcoming work for New York and their postseason push. 
She finished up the tournament as Team USA’s leader in efficiency (18.8), points per game (12.8), and rebounds per game (7.3). The veteran knew what was needed to dominate a red-hot France team, and she provided a game-best 22 points on 70 percent shooting from the field to provide that pop. 
If she can maintain that level of efficiency and two-way dominance headed into the final stretch of WNBA games, she could make a push for a not-insignificant number of MVP votes.

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Five Things I Like: 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup

In pursuit of their fifth straight FIBA World Cup gold in Berlin, Team USA features a roster balanced with experience and youth.
Even without four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum, the vets on this squad — Chelsea Gray (33), Breanna Stewart (32), Kahleah Copper (32), Napheesa Collier (29) and Jackie Young (28) — still bring a packed trophy case and a wealth of familiarity with competition on the global stage.
The rest of the squad is loaded with players who may lack the international experience of the vets, but have proven early in their WNBA and USA Basketball careers that they have the talent to maintain Team USA’s gold-medal standard, while rewriting the WNBA record books in the process.
Let’s take a closer look at those seven players — a group headlined by the last four Rookie of the Year winners dating back to 2022 — as well as a 2026 rookie who is already chasing down some of those marks in another historic debut season.
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<h2>Rhyne Howard (2022)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270486" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270486" class="wp-image-270486" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Rhyne Howard #10 of the Atlanta Dream</div>
Howard leads the WNBA in total 3-pointers made (128) in 2026 and has never finished ranked outside the top 10 in any season of her career. Since entering the league in 2022, Howard ranks second in total 3-pointers made (494), trailing only Kelsey Mitchell (515).
That run got started in her rookie season as Howard finished third in the league and broke a 20-year-old record for most 3-pointers made in a season by a rookie with 85. Caitlin Clark has been the only player to top that mark in 2024.
In addition to her 3-point shooting record, Howard swept Rookie of the Month honors in 2022, something that Miles just repeated for the first time in 2026.
<hr />
<h2>Aliyah Boston (2023)</h2>
On her way to becoming only the fifth unanimous Rookie of the Year winner — joining A&#8217;ja Wilson (2018), Elena Delle Donne (2013), Tina Charles (2010) and Candace Parker (2008) — Boston made an immediate impact from day one in the WNBA.
She became the first (and still the only) rookie in WNBA history to lead the league in field goal percentage for a full season, shooting 57.8% from the field, which remains a career-high for the four-time All-Star. Boston also secured the second-most total rebounds by a rookie (335), trailing only Tina Charles.
Her 233 field goals made were the third most by a first-year player when she did it in 2023, but have since been topped by three players on this list: Clark, Paige Bueckers and Miles.
<hr />
<h2>Caitlin Clark (2024)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270487" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270487" class="wp-image-270487" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever</div>
After finishing her college career as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history, Clark continued to get buckets, dish out dimes, and splash 3-pointers upon entering the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick in 2024.
She finished her rookie season with 769 points, 337 assists and 122 3-pointers made, setting the rookie records in all three categories and topping the previous marks held by Seimone Augustus (744 points in 2006), Ticha Penicheiro (224 assists in 1998) and Howard (85 3-pointers made in 2022), respectively.
On an individual game level, Clark became the first rookie to post a triple-double (19 pts, 12 reb, 13 ast vs. New York on July 6, 2024) and set the WNBA record for most assists in a game (19) among all players, not just rookies — a mark that still stands today. In her first All-Star Game, she set the rookie record for assists (10) while starting for Team WNBA against the 2024 USA Olympic team.
Clark’s rookie scoring record may not stand much longer as she leads Miles (749) by only 20 points with four games to play once the season resumes after the FIBA World Cup.
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Statistical Note
The number of games played has risen over the past five seasons, giving these new-age rookies more opportunities to add to their stat totals.
For example, Augustus holds the mark for highest scoring average by a rookie (21.9 over 34 games), while Clark ranks fourth for a full season (19.2 over 40 games) with Miles on track to pass her. However, Clark’s assist average (8.5) still topped Penicheiro’s 1998 mark (7.5).
Next year’s rookies will have a similar advantage in stat totals, as games played will increase to an all-time high of 50.
WNBA Games By Season
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">28 games: 1997</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">30 games: 1998</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">32 games: 1999-2002, 2021 (COVID)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">34 games: 2003-2019</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">22 games: 2020 (COVID)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">36 games: 2022</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">40 games: 2023-2024</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">44 games: 2025-2026</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">50 games: 2027</li>
</ul>
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<h2>Paige Bueckers (2025)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270488" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270488" class="wp-image-270488" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings</div>
Similar to Clark (WNBA record 19 assists in a game) and Angel Reese (a trio of records we break down below), Bueckers put herself in the WNBA record book — and not just the rookie section — in her debut season.
On Aug. 20, 2025, against Los Angeles, Bueckers became the first player in WNBA history to score 40 points or more while shooting at least 80% from the field in a game. She finished with a rookie-record 44 points while shooting 17-for-21 (81%) in a historically efficient performance.
Bueckers became the first rookie in WNBA history to average at least 15.0 points and 5.0 assists and shoot 45.0 percent or higher from the field in a season, while also becoming the fastest player to hit 500 points and 100 assists for her career. She finished the season ranked third all-time in total rookie points (692) and total rookie assists (194), although she’s since been bumped down a notch by Miles in both categories.
She finished tied for second in double-digit scoring games by a rookie (35), while posting the second-most games by a rookie with at least 20 points and five assists (10).
<hr />
<h2>Angel Reese (2024)</h2>
Reese established herself as one of the game’s premier rebounders during her collegiate run at LSU. She’s only added to that resume since entering the WNBA, as she posted three WNBA records (not rookie records) in her first season as a pro.
From June 1 &#8211; July 11, 2024, Reese played in 15 games for the Chicago Sky and racked up a double-double in each one of them, setting the record for the longest double-double streak that still stands to this day.
At the end of the season, Reese had collected 446 total rebounds and 172 offensive rebounds, setting the record for rebounding average (13.1) in league history. In fact, Reese owns the top three averages ever: 12.6 in 2025 and 12.4 so far in 2026.
Reese isn&#8217;t merely the only rookie to post three straight games with 20 or more rebounds — she&#8217;s the only player in WNBA history to have even two such games back-to-back. In addition to her season-long accolades, Reese also became the first rookie to post a double-double in the All-Star Game (12 pts, 11 reb).
<hr />
<h2>Sonia Citron / Kiki Iriafen (2025)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270489" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270489" class="wp-image-270489" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Kiki Iriafen #44 and Sonia Citron #22 of the Washington Mystics</div>
Following the selections of Bueckers and Dominique Malonga to open the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Mystics chose Citron and Iriafen with back-to-back picks at Nos. 3 and 4 as they looked to build a new foundation in The District. 
The duo made their mark for the Mystics during their rookie campaign. Citron set the record for most double-figure scoring games (38) by a rookie in league history, topping the previous mark of 35 set by Clark in 2024 and tied by Bueckers in 2025. Meanwhile, Iriafen collected the third-most rebounds by a rookie (376) in her first season, trailing only Charles (398) and Reese (446).
Both Citron and Iriafen earned All-Star honors in their debut season, becoming only the second rookie teammates to earn All-Star selections — and the first in 26 years, joining Shannon Johnson and Nykesha Sales (Orlando Miracle in 1999). Two years after being on the All-Rookie team together, Citron and Iriafen got the call to join Team USA together in Berlin to replace the injured Wilson and Plum.
<hr />
<h2>Olivia Miles (2026)</h2>
Miles is close to completing a rookie campaign for the ages, placing herself firmly in the league MVP race while being the frontrunner to win Rookie of the Year honors.
As Miles chases the all-time rookie scoring record — she’s already set the Lynx’s franchise mark and now needs 21 points to surpass Clark’s current record — she continues to showcase her elite balance of scoring and playmaking. Miles became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 650 points and 200 assists, doing so in 32 games (one game faster than Clark&#8217;s 2024 pace).
At her current pace, Miles would finish the season with over 800 points and 250 assists, joining Clark as the only members of an exclusive club. If we want to compare averages to level the playing field across different season lengths, Miles (19.7 over 38 games) still ranks third behind Augustus (21.9 over 34 games in 2006) and Wilson (20.7 over 33 games in 2008).
In a June 4 win over Golden State, Miles scorched the nets with eight 3-pointers, setting the rookie record for most triples in a game, breaking the previous mark held by Clark and Crystal Robinson. The individual game records weren’t saved only for the regular season; Miles also topped Reese’s record for most rebounds (12) by a rookie in the WNBA All-Star Game.
As mentioned earlier, Miles swept this season’s four Rookie of the Month honors as she looks to cement herself among this group of new-era rookies ready to lead the WNBA moving forward.

new-era-rookies-shattering-records

New-Era Rookies Shattering Records

wnba-primer-2026-fiba-world-cup

WNBA Primer: 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup

Power Rankings

As players head to Berlin to represent their respective countries in the FIBA World Cup, the WNBA season begins a 16-day pause through Sept. 16. 
The break offers a chance to take a snapshot of the standings before the regular season resumes on Sept. 17, with the final week of play determining playoff seeding.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">All teams have played a total of 40 games — 20 at home and 20 on the road.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">All teams have four games remaining — two each at home and on the road.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The eight playoff teams have been determined: Minnesota, Golden State, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Indiana, New York, Washington, and Dallas.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The seven draft lottery teams are set: Portland, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Toronto, Connecticut, and Seattle.</li>
</ul>
When it comes to playoff seeding, there are multiple races to be decided in the final week of the season:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Which team will earn the No. 1 overall seed?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Which four teams will secure home-court advantage in the first round?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Which teams will avoid the No. 8 seed and first-round matchup with No. 1?</li>
</ul>
We’ll dive into each of these questions as we break down how the teams stack up entering the FIBA break.
Note: Stats and rankings through games played on Aug. 30
<hr />
<h2>1. Minnesota Lynx (31-9) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 18 vs. NYL, Sept. 20 at CON, Sept. 22 at IND, Sept. 24 vs. IND</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_270364" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270364" class="wp-image-270364" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
With losses at Golden State and Atlanta, the Lynx dropped consecutive games for only the second time all season, and the first time since July 3-6. Despite the back-to-back defeats, the Lynx still hold a two-game lead over the Valkyries (and the head-to-head tiebreaker), which keeps Minnesota in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall seed. Meanwhile, on the historic front, Olivia Miles (749) passed Lynx legend Seimone Augustus (744 in 2006) for the second-most total points scored by a rookie in WNBA history, trailing only Caitlin Clark (769 in 2024).
<hr />
<h2>2. Golden State Valkyries (29-11) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 18 vs. POR, Sept. 19 vs. SEA, Sept. 22 at POR, Sept. 24 at LAS</li>
</ul>
For the fourth time this season, the Valkyries followed consecutive losses with a win streak of at least four games, winning their final four contests (all on the road) entering the FIBA break. That streak included Golden State’s first-ever win over Minnesota after the Lynx won the first nine meetings between the regular season and playoffs since the Valkyries joined the league in 2025. That victory trimmed Minnesota’s lead for the top seed to two games with four to play. However, because Minnesota holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, Golden State must finish with a better record to take No. 1. Simultaneously, the Valkyries must fend off Las Vegas for the No. 2 seed. Golden State holds a two-game cushion, but the Aces own the tiebreaker.
<hr />
<h2>3. Las Vegas Aces (27-13) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 at SEA, Sept. 20 vs. SEA, Sept. 22 vs. LAS, Sept. 24 at PHX</li>
</ul>
The Aces defeated the Tempo on Friday in their lone game of the week and their first since losing NaLyssa Smith for the season with a leg injury. Smith averaged 11.7 points on 63.8% shooting, with 6.4 rebounds across 38 games. The Aces signed 6-foot-7 center Kalani Brown on Saturday to help fill that void, with her debut coming after a busy FIBA World Cup break for the Aces, who will have four players participating in the tournament — Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young for the United States, Mai Yamamoto for Japan and Stephanie Talbot for Australia. When the season resumes, Vegas will make a final push for the No. 2 seed as the Aces have the easiest remaining schedule among all teams.
<hr />
<h2>4. Indiana Fever (26-14) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 18 at TOR, Sept. 20 vs. WAS, Sept. 22 vs. MIN, Sept. 24 at MIN</li>
</ul>
Conversely, the Fever face the second-toughest remaining schedule after the break, with three of their final four games coming against playoff teams. Indy enters the FIBA break, which will see Clark and Aliyah Boston representing the United States, having won seven of their last nine games as the Fever make a run for home-court advantage in the opening round. Indy currently sits No. 5 as Atlanta holds the head-to-head tiebreaker between the 26-14 teams. On a historic note, this past week saw Clark become the first player in WNBA history to post back-to-back games with 30+ points and 10+ assists, as well as Kelsey Mitchell becoming only the second player in league history to score at least 1,000 total points in a season, joining A’ja Wilson in 2024. Mitchell (career-high 25.0 ppg) trails only Wilson (26.0 ppg) in the scoring title race.
<hr />
<h2>5. Atlanta Dream (26-14) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 vs. CON, Sept. 19 vs. CHI, Sept. 21 at NYL, Sept. 23 at NYL</li>
</ul>
The Dream enter the FIBA break on a high note after knocking off the league-leading Lynx at home for their fourth win in five games. The night marked the Dream debut of DeWanna Bonner, who signed with Atlanta following a contract buyout in Phoenix after the Mercury were eliminated from playoff contention. The game also featured Angel Reese’s 29th double-double, setting a new WNBA single-season record, as well as Rhyne Howard’s 128th 3-pointer of the season, tying the single-season record set by Sabrina Ionescu in 2023. Howard can break that mark once the season resumes, with the Dream facing Ionescu and the Liberty in their final two games of the season, both of which could be critical in the playoff seeding race.
<hr />
<h2>6. Dallas Wings (24-16) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_270365" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270365" class="wp-image-270365" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />The Dallas Wings huddle</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 vs. LAS, Sept. 19 vs. PHX, Sept. 21 at PHX, Sept. 23 at SEA</li>
</ul>
After going just 2-7 coming out of the All-Star break to fall to eighth place in the league, Dallas has won four straight to create a three-way tie with New York and Washington at 24-16 for the Nos. 6-8 seeds in the playoff race. This is another space to discuss the importance of tiebreakers:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Dallas holds tiebreaker over New York</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Washington holds tiebreaker over Dallas</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">New York holds tiebreaker over Washington</li>
</ul>
Should all three teams finish tied, the secondary tiebreaker will come into play: record against teams .500 or better. Currently, New York holds that mark (11-10), with Washington just behind (11-11) and Dallas well behind (8-15). With tiebreakers not on their side, the Wings need to keep winning if they want to climb the standings. Something in their favor: Dallas has the second-easiest remaining schedule among all teams and faces no playoff teams the remainder of the season.
<hr />
<h2>7. New York Liberty (24-16) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 18 at MIN, Sept. 20 at TOR, Sept. 21 vs. ATL, Sept. 23 vs. ATL</li>
</ul>
The word “break” does not really apply to the Liberty, as New York features a league-high six players suiting up in the FIBA World Cup. The Liberty enter the World Cup pause having won four of their last six games, putting themselves in a three-way battle with Dallas and Washington as they look for separation in the standings. However, of those three teams, New York faces the toughest remaining schedule with three of its final four games coming against playoff-bound teams.
<hr />
<h2>8. Washington Mystics (24-16) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 at CHI, Sept. 20 at IND, Sept. 22 vs. CON, Sept. 24 vs. CHI</li>
</ul>
While Friday’s loss to Los Angeles snapped a three-game win streak, the Mystics have still won five of their last seven games entering the World Cup break. Once the season resumes, they close out the regular season with three lottery-bound teams and one showdown with the Indiana Fever — a rubber match in Indy after exactly two points decided both of the first two meetings.
<hr />
<h2>9. Portland Fire (16-24) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 vs. PHX, Sept. 18 at GSV, Sept. 20 at LAS, Sept. 22 vs. GSV</li>
</ul>
With a 96-78 loss to Dallas last Tuesday, the Fire were officially eliminated from playoff contention in their first WNBA season in 24 years. Overall, the Fire have dropped four of their last five games entering the World Cup break, which will see four Portland players represented in the tournament, headlined by the Fire’s leading scorer, Carla Leite of France. Once the season resumes, the Fire have a chance to play spoiler as two of their final four games come against Golden State —  a team vying for the No. 1 seed in the postseason.
<hr />
<h2>10. Los Angeles Sparks (15-25) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_270366" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270366" class="wp-image-270366" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Nneka Ogwumike #30 and Cameron Brink #22 of the Los Angeles Sparks</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 at DAL, Sept. 20 vs. POR, Sept. 22 at LVA, Sept. 24 vs. GSV</li>
</ul>
Similar to the Fire, the Sparks will have a chance to impact the playoff races once the season resumes following the World Cup break, as three of their final four games come against playoff-bound teams (Dallas, Las Vegas and Golden State). Los Angeles enters the break having won three of its last four games with Nneka Ogwumike (21.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg) leading the way in the final weeks of her legendary career. This past week, Ogwumike climbed to 10th on the all-time list for games played and fourth all-time in steals. She needs just 25 points to become the fourth player ever to score 8,000 career points, joining Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles and DeWanna Bonner.
<hr />
<h2>11. Chicago Sky (15-25) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 vs. WAS, Sept. 19 at ATL, Sept. 22 vs. TOR, Sept. 24 at WAS</li>
</ul>
This past week, Courtney Vandersloot joined Sue Bird (3,234) as the only players in WNBA history with at least 3,000 career assists. However, those dimes came in three consecutive losses as the Sky have swung through three-game streaks over their last nine contests (three losses, three wins, three losses). When the season resumes, the Sky can play a role in breaking the three-way tie between the Mystics, Liberty and Wings as two of Chicago’s final four games come against Washington, including the regular-season finale.
<hr />
<h2>12. Phoenix Mercury (14-26) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 at POR, Sept. 19 at DAL, Sept. 21 vs. DAL, Sept. 24 vs. LVA</li>
</ul>
Saturday’s win over Toronto snapped a four-game skid for the Mercury, who will miss the playoffs for only the second time in the last 14 years. With their postseason fate sealed, the Mercury waived two-time champion DeWanna Bonner, who has since signed with the playoff-bound Dream. Atlanta isn’t the only contender affected by Phoenix; the Mercury face Dallas twice and Las Vegas once in the final week — two teams in the middle of tightly contested playoff races.
<hr />
<h2>13. Seattle Storm (8-32) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 vs. LVA, Sept. 19 at GSV, Sept. 20 at LVA, Sept. 23 vs. DAL</li>
</ul>
No team faces a tougher schedule once the season resumes than the Storm, who will take on the Aces (twice), the Valkyries and the Wings to close out the regular season. This will also close out the debut seasons for Seattle rookies Flau&#8217;jae Johnson and Awa Fam. Johnson is on pace to finish second among rookies in scoring (14.1 ppg) and rebounding (4.8 rpg), first in steals (1.3 spg) and third in blocks (0.7 bpg), while Fam leads all rookies in rebounding (5.7 rpg) and blocks (0.8 bpg).
<hr />
<h2>14. Connecticut Sun (10-30) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 at ATL, Sept. 20 vs. MIN, Sept. 22 at WAS, Sept. 24 vs. TOR</li>
</ul>
Before Tuesday’s game against Chicago, the Sun honored former star Tina Charles, whom Connecticut drafted No. 1 overall in 2010 and who won league MVP for the Sun in 2012, as part of their “Sun Legends” celebration in their final WNBA season before relocating to Houston next year. The team has already recognized Jonquel Jones, Jasmine Thomas, Curt Miller and Alyssa Thomas, and will cap it off with former coach Mike Thibault on Sept. 20. After the Sun beat the Sky, they dropped three straight games to teams that have clinched playoff berths (Golden State, Indiana and Dallas) and will face three more in the final week of the regular season (Atlanta, Minnesota and Washington) before closing out the Connecticut Sun era at home against Toronto at Mohegan Sun on Sept. 24.
<hr />
<h2>15. Toronto Tempo (11-29) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 18 vs. IND, Sept. 20 vs. NYL, Sept. 22 at CHI, Sept. 24 at CON</li>
</ul>
The Tempo enter the World Cup break having lost four straight and 16 of their last 17 games, as injuries and overseas commitments have hit their roster. Britteny Sykes (foot) and Aneesah Morrow (knee) are already out for the remainder of the season, and Marina Mabrey (adductor) may join them once she is reevaluated in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Nyara Sabally, Maria Conde and Julie Allemand were temporarily suspended this week to begin their World Cup responsibilities with their respective national teams. When the season resumes in September, keep an eye on matchups with Indiana and New York that could be important to the postseason races before Toronto closes its inaugural season with a final game in Connecticut.
&nbsp;

2026-power-rankings-week-14

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Week 14

We are six days away from the start of the WNBA’s FIBA Women’s World Cup break, which means two things: there will be a pause on WNBA games until September 17 from that point on, and we’ll be catching the league’s stars competing on an international stage with international bragging rights at stake. 
So, we won’t really be all that deprived of a bit of WNBA action, albeit under the guise of watching powerhouses like the United States, France, Belgium, Japan, and others compete for the cup. 
With just over a week left until that break, though, the WNBA was chock-full of moments worth reliving. 
<hr />
<h2>Kuier Continues to Shine for Dallas</h2>
While Jessica Shepard has been getting a ton of praise for her ascension as a star big while with the Wings this season, Kuier has been an unsung hero on defense for Dallas as they struggle to find consistent rim protection. Her defense, coupled with her capabilities as a stretch 4, has made her a very fun bench piece for head coach Jose Fernandez to plug and play. 
Against the Indiana Fever in a game crucial to Dallas’ seeding, Kuier managed to rack up seven blocks, 11 points, eight boards, and four assists. She also hit two three-pointers to boot. 
After the game, Fever head coach Stephanie White tipped her hat to Kuier and the entire Wings front court, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GJ_qSMxeww">saying,</a> &#8220;They have great length.… They did a great job of shelling us, forcing us into a crowd, and not allowing us to see some easy, open teammates. We got to watch the film, and we got to be better.&#8221;
Dallas is projected to face off against the Minnesota Lynx in round one of the playoffs if the season ended today. However, postseason seeding is far from settled beyond perhaps the Lynx at 1 and the Golden State Valkyries at 2. If they did face Minnesota, having depth like Kuier to back up Shepard is critical against the Lynx, who boast Natasha Howard next to Napheesa Collier in their frontcourt.
<hr />
<h2>Bueckers’ Perfect Game from 3-point Range</h2>
<div id="attachment_269909" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-269909" class="wp-image-269909 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104315.170-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings</div>
Remaining on the Dallas hype train for a moment, they finished up their weekend with a win over the last-place Seattle Storm. It was a blowout for essentially the entire contest, namely because Paige Bueckers didn’t miss from three-point range. She finished up the game with six threes and 32 total points. 18 of those points came in the 1st quarter.
Bueckers remains the tone setter for the Wings’ offense, while players like Arike Ogunbowale, Shepard, and Kuier contribute around her. With Azzi Fudd out for the year, it’s imperative that they find their offense from everywhere, and not just from three-point range. 
Still, it’s always cool to see a heater like this from Bueckers, who is looking to reach the postseason with the Wings for the first time since getting drafted last year. She has to remain as efficient as possible for the remaining stretch of games that Dallas has in front of them, and luckily for them, they have the second-easiest remaining strength of schedule in the WNBA.
<hr />
<h2>Mitchell Continues to Crawl Up Leaderboard</h2>
As you might know, Las Vegas Aces superstar center A’ja Wilson is attempting to win her third straight scoring title this season. She’s at 935 points through August 24, but she has unbelievably stiff competition from Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell. She’s sitting at 967 total points scored through August 24, which means we could see two WNBA players finish up with over 1,000 points scored in a single season. 
Focusing on Mitchell, though, she continued her streak of <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/49676949/fever-mitchell-sets-wnba-record-consecutive-20-point-games">scoring over 20 points per game</a> this week. She’s upped her points per game average to 24.8, which is a career high. Mitchell, of course, didn’t draw too much attention to the fact that she broke Wilson’s previous record for the number of consecutive 20+ point games after the Fever’s loss to the Wings:
&#8220;But I think ultimately it just comes down, obviously, to work. But I don&#8217;t really take statistics really that serious. So a lot of this stuff is really circumstantial to me. So I [want] to get the dub, and we didn&#8217;t get that. So I think keep my focus on the right thing; keeping the main thing the main thing is important.&#8221; 
Mitchell is sneakily climbing into this year’s MVP conversation with this level of production, all of which is the best of her career.
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<h2>Fiebich Returns with a Bang for New York</h2>
<div id="attachment_269910" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-269910" class="wp-image-269910 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-25T104918.966-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Leonie Fiebich #13 of the New York Liberty</div>
While the New York Liberty have had a rough go of things this year, partially due to big injuries to Leonie Fiebich and Satou Sabally, they at least got some good news with the return of Fiebich to the floor ahead of the FIBA break. She immediately contributed on both ends of the floor for New York, posting 20 points, five boards, five assists, and a steal en route to a critical win against the Fever. 
Notably, she also held Clark to 2-7 shooting when she was her primary defender, per ESPN’s Alexa Phillipou. This, amid a hot scoring month for the point guard, is extremely encouraging for New York to see ahead of a potential postseason meet-up with Indiana. 
Fiebich is the kind of x-factor that a contending team like the Liberty needs to go on a deep postseason run. Wings do not grow on trees, and New York is sorely missing the length and defense that they get by plugging Fiebich back into the fold.
<hr />
<h2>Reese Scores First 30-Point Performance</h2>
It was just one game, but it might be time to officially put to bed the notion that you can’t run your offense through Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese. 
The third-year star recorded the first 30-point performance of her WNBA career against the Phoenix Mercury in a win. She shot 14-21 from the field, in addition to notching 14 rebounds, four steals, and two assists. 
This is huge for a few reasons, but mainly because Atlanta is better as a unit when Reese can put together huge games on offense like this one. Obviously, they have great weapons like Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray around her. Still, one stat really proves why running some more offense through the third-year forward might be something to focus on: the Dream are 9-2 when she shoots 50 percent from the field or better this season, and just 15-11 when she does not, per <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/wnba-power-rankings-angel-reeses-career-week-has-dream-back-in-title-contention/">CBS Sports’ Jack Maloney. </a>
Watching this specific game back, you see the potential for this kind of offense &#8211; the give-and-go between Reese and basically any of Atlanta’s guards, but especially players like Gray or Howard who have a lot of shooting gravity, is a great means of getting her open as a cutter. She can also use her strength in the post, which is what she did a lot of in this game. Her strengths as a ball handler also make her a threat as a bit of a quarterback keeper, to put it clunkily, as she can fake an outlet pass while running right to the paint for a shot. 
This makes Atlanta scary to face in the postseason and makes the prospect of having to defend Reese even scarier.

five-things-i-like-week-thirteen-2026

Five Things I Like: Week 13

When Candace Parker was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Aug. 15, we were reminded of one of her signature accomplishments: being the only player in WNBA history to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season in 2008.
In 2026, another rookie has emerged as part of the WNBA MVP conversation in Olivia Miles — Minnesota’s point guard phenom, who has led the Lynx to the top of the standings all season with a masterful combination of scoring and playmaking, while delivering highlight-reel plays on a nightly basis.
How brilliant has Miles’ rookie season been? Following Friday’s win over Washington, she is averaging 20.0 points (8th in WNBA), 4.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists (6th) per game while putting up 50.1% FG, 40.4% 3P (10th) and 87.3% FT shooting splits.
Here’s the list of players that have averaged at least 19 points (note: using 19 ppg rather than 20 as Miles’ average has fluctuated between 19.8 and 20 over her past seven games), four rebounds and six assists over a full WNBA season: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Diana Taurasi (2013): 20.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.2 apg</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Candace Parker (2015): 19.4 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 6.3 apg</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Caitlin Clark (2024): 19.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 8.4 apg</li>
</ul>
That’s it. That’s the entire list over the league’s first 29 seasons. Miles is on pace to join Clark as the only rookies to accomplish the feat. When looking at the greatest debut seasons in league history, only five rookies have ever earned All-WNBA First Team honors: Clark in 2024, Parker in 2008, Taurasi in 2004, as well as Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings in 2002. Miles is poised to make that a list of six.
&#8220;She has a maturity about her,&#8221; Reeve said following Wednesday’s win over Golden State in a clash of the league’s top two teams in the standings. &#8220;That&#8217;s a rookie. It&#8217;s high stakes, and you know she is going to be targeted and part of the other team&#8217;s game plan. &#8230; She has a natural maturity for the position that she plays, recognizing what was being given to her, and she was opportunistic.&#8221;
The key to Miles’ MVP and All-WNBA campaigns goes well beyond her numbers; it’s how she led the Lynx to a 21-6 record while Napheesa Collier — the league MVP runner-up each of the past two seasons — recovered from offseason ankle surgeries. 
Only July 22, Collier made her season debut in Minnesota’s final game before the All-Star break. Any thoughts that the team would need an adjustment period to effectively reincorporate her back into the lineup went out the window immediately. From Day 1, the on-court bond between Miles and Collier was apparent and nightmare-inducing for opposing teams across the league.
The Lynx are a league-best 10-1 since Collier returned to the lineup, including statement wins over the three teams directly below them in the standings: Indiana (Aug. 2), Las Vegas (Aug. 8 &amp; 15) and Golden State (Aug. 19). At 31-7 on the season, the Lynx hold a five-game lead (and head-to-head tiebreaker) over the second-place Valkyries as they march toward locking up the No. 1 seed in the playoffs for the second straight season.
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Minnesota’s Stats Since Collier’s Return
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">93.5 Points Per Game: 4th in the WNBA, up 1.8 per game since Collier’s return</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">117.2 Offensive Rating: 2nd in the WNBA, up 4.6 points per 100 possessions</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">57.1 Effective FG%: 2nd in the WNBA, up 2.7 percentage points</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">23.1 Assists Per Game: 3rd in the WNBA, up 1.6 per game</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">11.5 Turnovers Per Game: 2nd in the WNBA, down 2.1 per game</li>
</ul>
Over her first 10 games back (she did not play in Friday&#8217;s win over Washington), Collier has averaged 19.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 steals in just under 30 minutes per game. After becoming only the second WNBA player to ever post a 50-40-90 shooting season a year ago, Collier is shooting 51.5% from the field, a career-high 47.4% from 3-point range and 86.5% on free throws so far this season.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-269832" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/PR.png" alt="" width="900" height="900" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/PR.png 2048w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/PR-300x300.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/PR-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/PR-150x150.png 150w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/PR-768x768.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/PR-1536x1536.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />
&nbsp;
Collier also leads all players in points per possession (1.533) in pick-and-roll offense (including passes), per Synergy Sports. This is where her connection with Miles has stood out, as they have created one of the most dangerous pick-and-roll combos in the league this season.
What makes them so dangerous in the pick-and-roll? 
First, both have to be equally respected as scoring threats from the inside and outside (they both shoot over 40% on 3-pointers), forcing defenses into an impossible decision:  Do they blitz Miles and leave Collier open to roll or pop? Do they drop their big to prevent the roll from Collier and allow Miles to shoot from 3-point or midrange? Do they try to switch and not get burned by mismatches either with Miles’ speed and craftiness with the ball against a big, or with Collier’s size and skill against a smaller guard?
<hr />
Here are a few examples of Miles-Collier pick-and-rolls that showcase their on-court chemistry, which looks well beyond their 10 games as teammates so far.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-269835" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/image4.gif" alt="" width="700" height="394" />
In this example, Collier sets a left wing screen for Miles, and the Aces trap Miles at the top of the key with A’ja Wilson leaving Collier to help prevent a Miles drive. Collier rolls into the wide-open lane and Miles passes over the double to Collier for the finish before help can rotate over.
<hr />
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-269836" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/image5.gif" alt="" width="700" height="394" />
This time, the Collier screen comes up top beyond the 3-point line. As both Dallas defenders stay with Miles as she drives right toward the elbow, Collier screens for Kayla McBride cutting up toward the 3-point line before continuing her roll to the basket. Miles fakes a pass to McBride and finds an open Collier for the layup. All three players execute this perfectly, showcasing Miles’ court vision.
<hr />
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-269837" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/image2.gif" alt="" width="700" height="394" />
This right wing pick-and-roll sees Collier’s defender drop in her coverage, putting two defenders on Miles and none on Collier, who pops out to the 3-point line. Miles dribbles into the defenders, sealing them at the elbow before hitting Collier with a behind-the-back pass for a wide-open 3 and celebration. 
<hr />
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-269838" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/image3.gif" alt="" width="700" height="394" />
Our final example doesn’t even require a screen as the Lynx spread the floor — Collier (47.4% on 3s) and Nia Coffey (38.9%) in the corners, McBride (42.6%) and Courtney Williams (36.1%) on the wings — leaving Miles (who ranks 4th in points per game on isolation plays) with the paint wide-open and a one-on-one matchup outside the 3-point line. Miles beats her defender off the bounce, drives into the lane, causing the defense to collapse. Collier’s defender puts two feet in the paint, and Miles sprays the pass to the corner for another wide-open 3.
<hr />
The Collier layups and 3-pointers above account for only four of the 19 assists from Miles to Collier through their first 10 games together. What do they all have in common? Wide-open looks for Collier as the Lynx offense has been highly efficient when these two stars share the floor.
The Lynx have a 122.3 offensive rating (and 60.7 effective field goal percentage) in the 257 minutes that they have played together compared to 119.9 overall for Collier and 115.6 overall for Miles this season. Those individual marks are strong, but their combined mark is outstanding. When combined with their 105.3 defensive rating, the Lynx have outscored opponents by 17.0 points per 100 possessions when Miles and Collier play together.
Perhaps the scariest part of this early impression from Miles and Collier is that they’re already this good together just 10 games into their run as teammates. The more time they share the court, the more Miles will learn Collier’s tendencies, and the more Collier’s gravity will open space for Miles to break down defenses.
Minnesota has six regular-season games remaining to continue to build that on-court chemistry before they return to the playoffs in search of an unprecedented fifth WNBA title. The postseason will not only provide a strong test of this new Lynx superstar partnership, but it also gives them the opportunity to place themselves in the conversation among the top duos in team and league history.
Note: All stats and rankings through games played on Friday, Aug. 21

a-dangerous-duo-developing-in-minnesota

A Dangerous Duo Developing in Minnesota

As we get closer to the WNBA’s mid-year break for FIBA World Cup play, the league’s race for Most Valuable Player continues to gain some clarity…or so you’d think. 
The individual talent across the league is astounding, which any long-time fan could’ve told you, but 2026 has offered a specific masterclass in proving that point. We have an excellent mix of stalwart superstardom seeking to continue their dominance, rookies taking the league by absolute storm, and players who have been managing unfortunate early-career injuries finally piecing things together on their way towards MVP contention. 
These are the storylines that are shaping this year’s MVP race (so far). And, they’re what have informed this MVP ranking, in addition to statistics provided by the WNBA stats site. 
All statistics provided are current through August 18, and filtered to cover players who have appeared in at least 30 games this year.
<hr />
<h2>A’ja Wilson</h2>
<div id="attachment_269549" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-269549" class="wp-image-269549" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2288392811-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="717" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2288392811-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2288392811-1-300x239.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2288392811-1-1024x815.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2288392811-1-768x612.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2288392811-1-1536x1223.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2288392811-1-2048x1631.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
This will be prefaced by saying that the race between A’ja Wilson and her closest competition for a fifth (and second consecutive) MVP award is very, very tight. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find a two-way player quite as consistently dominant as Wilson. An on-off switch isn’t something you see in stars as easily as you do in Wilson, especially over the Aces’ last few seasons. But that’s exactly what she’s done to help keep Las Vegas chugging along as a powerhouse, exhibiting what it means to be a most valuable player. 
By the numbers, Wilson is the most impactful player in the WNBA with 30 games played or more (PIE of 21.2, which measures total game points, rebounds, assists, and other in-game events relative to everyone else on the court). She has a true shooting percentage of 62, is en route to her third scoring title, and leads the Aces in usage at 32 percent (leading the league). She’s averaging 26.1 points per game along with 9.7 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 3.1 assists, and 1.5 steals. 
She could break her own scoring title record (1,021 points in 2024) this season, and would need to average at least 19 points per game to do so. As that’s her average now, it doesn’t feel far-fetched to imagine that she breaks that record with ease. 
Defensively, her prowess at the rim deters teams from trying to get too much going in the paint. The Aces are averaging 5.1 blocks per game as a team, which leads the WNBA through August 18, and they’re allowing just 38.7 points in the paint per game. 
Wilson’s defensive win shares of 0.130 don’t really paint the full picture as it pertains to her impact on that end of the floor. Her defensive rebounding helps keep opponents’ second-chance point opportunities lower (Las Vegas is only allowing, which, coupled with her league-leading blocks average, creates a huge advantage against almost every other center in the league. 
Oh, and her on/off numbers for the Aces are stark: on the court, their net rating is 11.0. Off the court, Las Vegas’ net rating sinks to -16.6. 
Wilson’s dominance has become so commonplace that it might feel…boring. And that’s a huge disservice to the value she’s had on the Aces this season. Without her on the court, they’ve gone 0-2 against teams above .500 &#8211; the New York Liberty and Indiana Fever &#8211; in blowout losses. 
Las Vegas’ remaining strength of schedule is the easiest in the WNBA, which might impact her campaign slightly. Obviously, she should be expected to dominate teams such as the Connecticut Sun, Toronto Tempo, Phoenix Mercury, and Los Angeles Sparks. That doesn’t really move the needle as proof of her value to the Aces, but the rest of her season and its impact on Las Vegas’ playoff seeding should do the trick. 
<hr />
<h2>Olivia Miles</h2>
<div id="attachment_269550" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-269550" class="wp-image-269550" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281799299-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281799299-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281799299-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281799299-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281799299-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281799299-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281799299-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
Olivia Miles has never seen a defensive coverage she didn’t want to take immediate advantage of, nor has she seen a perimeter threat she didn’t want to take on with her own defensive toolbox. 
The Minnesota Lynx rookie simply plays like anything but one, and it has propelled her towards the top of this MVP ladder. When speaking about the semantics of “most valuable player,” Miles fits the bill &#8211; what player has had the greatest impact on winning? 
Minnesota was without Napheesa Collier for much of this season, and it did little to curb their potency on either end of the floor. Obviously, help from the rest of the Lynx’s supporting cast &#8211; Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, Natasha Howard, and Nia Coffey &#8211; has helped to keep them atop the league standings for, well, the entire year. But you don’t get there without a floor general as confident and pro-ready as Miles on hand. 
Her usage rate this season (26.2 percent) ranks highest for the Lynx (min. 30 games played). Despite that rate of usage on offense, she’s still hitting all the right notes with her shooting and passing: a true shooting percentage of 61.2, a near 50/40/90 split through 34 games played, and a net rating of 115.5 for Minnesota when she’s on the court (104.5 when off). From a pure record standpoint, Minnesota is 1-1 without Miles on the floor. 
The rookie was also the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 650 or more points, along with 200 or more assists. She also broke Caitlin Clark’s previous rookie record for most three-pointers scored in a game this season. She’d be the first rookie to win the award since Candace Parker in 2008, who also won ROTY that season with the Los Angeles Sparks. That awards sweep came after she averaged 18.3 points per game along with 2.3 blocks, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and a 53.5 effective field goal percentage. 
Parker’s two-way dominance really helped her case for winning MVP, and finishing fourth in DPOY voting &#8211; Miles doesn’t necessarily have that level of defensive dominance just yet. However, her impact is still felt on that end of the floor because of her great hands and transition work following turnovers. 
Her defensive win shares of 0.158 put Miles atop all rookies in the category, and she has led in that category for quite some time. Of course, she benefits greatly from the length and defensive prowess of the Lynx as a unit. 
Miles’ one area for improvement is her assist-to-turnover ratio. Right now, she sits at 1.95 in that category, which is middling in the league amongst players with at least 30 or more games played. Cleaning that up will be critical down the stretch for Minnesota and for Miles in her pursuit of the first MVP-ROTY award sweep since Parker. 
The argument for a rookie in this case is double-sided: indeed, Miles contributed greatly to Minnesota’s dominance this year without Collier, which speaks volumes about her potential as a superstar in the league. But this award isn’t about potential, but about present impact as an individual on the team. The Lynx’s roster, top to bottom, is so sound that her impact becomes a bit blurred, as unfair as that is. However, because she is a rookie performing to this level, her case should be weighed more heavily in her favor, and not against it. 
<hr />
<h2>Caitlin Clark</h2>
<div id="attachment_269551" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-269551" class="wp-image-269551" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2285925104-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="616" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2285925104-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2285925104-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2285925104-1024x701.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2285925104-768x526.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2285925104-1536x1052.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2285925104-2048x1402.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever</div>
After a slower start to the year from the third-year guard, Caitlin Clark has stormed into the MVP race alongside a surging Indiana Fever team. 
After an injury-riddled 2025, which saw her barely take the floor, Clark has returned with averages of 22.1 points per game, 8.3 assists (leading the league), and 3.8 rebounds. Her true shooting percentage of 60.6 is really solid, considering her efficiency woes early in her WNBA career and the fact that she has the second-highest usage in the league among players with at least 30 games played (30.9 percent). 
Thanks in part to Clark, Indiana is steadily climbing the standings. They’re currently in third place, seeking to stave off the Aces for the third seed. They do have the seventh-hardest schedule remaining based on their opponent&#8217;s winning percentage, which could be a thorn in their side with the Aces holding the easiest remaining schedule by far. 
An area of Clark’s game that remains an issue is her turnovers. She leads the league there, and there have been a few occasions in clutch time when Clark has been unable to close games out because of costly turnovers. She’s accepted responsibility in this area, but it’s definitely a knock on her MVP campaign &#8211; you can’t be the most valuable member of your team if you’re also the most hurtful in moments of major need. 
Turnovers aside, her impact on the Fever based on on/off data is also a bit concerning. Indiana’s net rating with Clark on the court is 5.3. Off the court, it rises to 11.3. That makes her the third-most negatively impactful player on their net rating so far this season. 
Of course, her heater of a run throughout August so far has helped propel her up this ladder. This month, Clark is averaging 23.7 points per game and 9.3 assists, while the team is 5-2 heading into their final few contests ahead of the FIBA World Cup break. Indiana also leads the league in points per game (96.4), field goal percentage (48.8), and offensive rating (115), all areas Clark has been impacting with her play lately. 
As mentioned, Indiana’s upcoming schedule could be what boosts her case, but it’ll be hard for her to overcome the story that is Miles’ ROTY case getting folded into an MVP run, or Wilson’s strong quest for her fifth MVP honor. It’s difficult for guards &#8211; guards weaker defensively, at that &#8211; to leapfrog players like Wilson in this regard.

race-to-2026-kia-mvp-wilson-miles-clark-on-top

Race to 2026 Kia WNBA MVP: Wilson, Miles, Clark on Top

There are only a handful of games left to be played before the WNBA’s midseason break for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, which is taking place from September 4 to September 13. This means that the very few games left to play before that break are even more crucial to playoff seeding and an actual shot at a playoff berth, something that teams like the Portland Fire, Dallas Wings, and Washington Mystics are all too aware of.
Even if you’re in 9th or 10th place right now in the standings, that could quickly change with a win streak before the FIBA break. That pressure has made for some unbelievably fun basketball lately.
<hr />
<h2>Valkyries Hit Another Winning Streak</h2>
The Valkyries have been flying a bit too under the radar for my liking this season. Their team defense, which is probably best described as “hitting teams with metal bats for all four quarters,” has not wavered much since the beginning of the season. They’re currently first in the league in defensive rating (101.1), and Veronica Burton has the highest defensive win shares of any player in the league with at least 30 games played (0.190). 
They finished up Week 12 of the season with another winning streak kept alive, hitting five straight victories. They’ve kept pace with the Minnesota Lynx and the similarly red-hot Las Vegas Aces to remain atop the standings, and to separate themselves from the growing mess that is the WNBA’s seeding from 4-8. 
Golden State has a league-high seven games before the FIBA break, which should be more than enough to continue solidifying their spot near the top of the standings. Most of those games come against teams below .500.
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<h2>Minnesota, Las Vegas Clinch Playoff Berths</h2>
<div id="attachment_269308" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-269308" class="wp-image-269308 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T111235.196-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx guards A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
At the other end of the Valkyries’ spot on the standings, the Lynx and Aces both managed to become the first teams to clinch playoff berths. For Minnesota, it came as no surprise &#8211; they’ve been on a roll the entire season, and have only looked more dangerous since the return of Napheesa Collier to the starting lineup.
A convincing win over the Aces on Saturday further separated them from the rest of the pack, and continued to showcase what makes them so dangerous come playoff time &#8211; their depth. Six of the eight players head coach Cheryl Reeve played in that game scored double digits, whereas the Aces only had four players hit that note. 
As for Las Vegas, this season has been another strange one, although not as weird as their 2025 campaign that ended in another championship. You can almost feel when they’ve decided to either hit the gas hard or take their foot off the pedal. Ideally, you’d like to see them with a bit more of a lead foot in games like this, potential Finals previews. Only two efficient shooting games from A’ja Wilson and Nalyssa Smith won’t get that done, though. 
In good news for Las Vegas, they have the weakest remaining schedule of all contenders.
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<h2>Johannès Looking Like the Liberty’s Best Remaining Spark Plug</h2>
The New York Liberty had a matchup against the struggling Connecticut Sun this past weekend, and the game was a lot closer than Liberty fans might’ve wanted it to be throughout the first half and towards the end of the contest. 
One player that did not seem to want to let things get out of hand, though, was Marine Johannès. The French guard finished with 17 points on 62.5 percent shooting from three-point range, and had a healthy diet of either <a href="https://x.com/WNBA/status/2088698613597704402?s=20">one-legged threes</a> or crafty drives to the basket. She also <a href="https://x.com/UnderdogWNBA/status/2088700933001597386?s=20">had a highlight-reel pass</a> to Rebecca Allen in the 4th to continue to seal the victory for New York. 
The Liberty have struggled to find this sort of spark on offense lately, with injuries and almost one too many lineup changes making chemistry hard to come by. Johannès, though, is clearly using these remaining contests ahead of the FIBA World Cup as good practice for her time with the French national team. And, New York is thriving as a result.
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<h2>Fever Taking Shape as True Contenders</h2>
<div id="attachment_269309" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-269309" class="wp-image-269309 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/Thumbnail-2026-08-18T112026.181-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Kelsey Mitchell #0 and Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever</div>
All season, the Fever have been on the periphery of the conversation about contenders. Kelsey Mitchell has been on an absolute tear this year, while Aliyah Boston remains one of the WNBA’s best post players through August. And, they’ve had a mostly-healthy Caitlin Clark as their main floor general, although her weaknesses on defense and tendency to get too overzealous when complaining about foul calls have made her a risk for technical fouls all year long. 
Still, they’ve climbed up the standings, and last week they convincingly took down the Dallas Wings, New York Liberty, and Atlanta Dream to sweep their Rivals Week competition. They’re only a half game behind the Aces in the standings, and they have the tiebreaker over Las Vegas after going 2-1 against them this regular season. 
Clark averaged nearly 10 assists over these three key contests, while Mitchell had 25+ points in two out of the three. Clark picked up where Mitchell left off in their game against the Dream, scoring 26 and dishing out nine. 
They could be one of the scarier teams to face this postseason, as they’re a threat from the post as well as from long range thanks to Clark and Mitchell. However, it’ll be a matter of whether their depth can really match up with that of the Lynx, Aces, or Valkyries that will set them apart.
<hr />
<h2>Fire Keeping Pace in Standings</h2>
Who knew that the Portland Fire, despite a sluggish start to their season, would actually be pushing for a postseason spot?
Well, if you’ve been paying attention to both the talent in this league and the way that expansion franchises over the last few seasons have been playing with a chip on their shoulders, it wouldn’t be all that surprising. 
Portland continues to not go down without a fight, most recently taking down the Phoenix Mercury on Diana Taurasi’s jersey retirement night, and the Seattle Storm as part of Rivals Week. They also only lost to the Lynx by four, although we won’t talk up any moral victories here &#8211; the Fire wouldn’t want that. 
They have the toughest hill to climb of all remaining bottom-seed playoff teams, as they’re still 13.5 games back headed into a new week of the eight-seed Wings. They have one more critical game against Dallas next week, which could give them the tiebreaker if both teams finish with the same record in a race for the 8-seed. 
They also have the 4th-strongest remaining schedule, which will either sharpen them or bury them before they have a chance to really make a postseason push in earnest. Bridget Carleton and Megan DiLeo are two of Portland’s most postseason-weathered players, and they’ve been leading the push this past week for the Fire &#8211; they need a lot more help from their younger supporting cast if they want to become just the second expansion franchise to make the postseason in their inaugural season.

five-things-i-like-week-twelve-2026

Five Things I Like: Week 12

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-199787" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1.png" alt="" width="2560" height="100" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1.png 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1-300x12.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1-1024x40.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1-768x30.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1-1536x60.png 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1-2048x80.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />
Editor&#8217;s Note: Read more WNBA coverage from the Athletic <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/">here</a>. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its teams.
***
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-269241" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/2026-08-17T002407Z_993229881_MT1USATODAY29599597_RTRMADP_3_WNBA-INDIANA-FEVER-AT-ATLANTA-DREAM-1024x683-1.png" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/2026-08-17T002407Z_993229881_MT1USATODAY29599597_RTRMADP_3_WNBA-INDIANA-FEVER-AT-ATLANTA-DREAM-1024x683-1.png 1440w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/2026-08-17T002407Z_993229881_MT1USATODAY29599597_RTRMADP_3_WNBA-INDIANA-FEVER-AT-ATLANTA-DREAM-1024x683-1-300x200.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/2026-08-17T002407Z_993229881_MT1USATODAY29599597_RTRMADP_3_WNBA-INDIANA-FEVER-AT-ATLANTA-DREAM-1024x683-1-1024x683.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/2026-08-17T002407Z_993229881_MT1USATODAY29599597_RTRMADP_3_WNBA-INDIANA-FEVER-AT-ATLANTA-DREAM-1024x683-1-768x512.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />
ATLANTA — Inside an overly warm, dimly lit, standing-room-only space usually reserved for Zamboni parking, Stephanie White offered a three-syllable summary of how the Indiana Fever have slogged through chaos to become a viable championship threat.
“We’ve grown up,” White said Sunday evening.
The latest case in point: A 95-91 overtime win over the Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena in which both red-hot clubs stumbled badly and regularly. The Fever, with their all-world backcourt and an offense on a record efficiency pace, in fact leaned on young frontcourt talent and an ability to finish defensively, earning a critical victory as they pursue home-court advantage in the WNBA playoffs. It was Indiana’s fourth straight win, boosting their record to 23-12. Atlanta slipped to 21-13.
Indiana salvaged a 2-2 split of its season series with Atlanta, which started the day a half-game behind the Fever in the overall standings. White considered this entire five-games-in-seven-days trip a rehearsal for playoff basketball — in particular the quick prep and adjustments required in it — and Sunday sure looked a lot like the postseason played early.
“You can’t let one slip because that’s the difference between hosting two games in the first round or going on the road,” said Fever guard Caitlin Clark, who finished with 26 points and nine assists. “This was a big one. This was a really important one for us to get, and that’s kind of the story of this whole road trip — this is the last matchup we have with a lot of these teams, and these teams are really good, and possible teams we’ll see in the playoffs.”
<hr />
<h2>Timpson continues revelatory growth</h2>
In February, the Fever staff visited Unrivaled and checked in with Makayla “KK” Timpson, their promising 6-foot-2 forward who had very much looked like a rookie in her rookie year. Come to Indianapolis early, they told Timpson. There’s a lot of work to do.
Timpson’s growth trajectory has now altered the trajectory of Indiana’s season. On Sunday, in her fifth start of the season, she posted a career-high 20 points. She scored six points in the overtime session alone, one off a lob and one off a pseudo-lob — catching a Kelsey Mitchell airball and banking it in for a bucket. “Just throw it up,” Timpson said afterwards, “and I’ll go get it.”
Still, it’s her defensive capabilities that have altered the calculus for White and the coaching staff. Timpson began the game matched up with Rhyne Howard, one of the guards headed to the FIBA World Cup with Team USA next month. After that, she shifted onto bigs and then quickly closed up space when the Fever deployed a fourth-quarter zone that flummoxed the Dream.
“This was not something we would have thrown at her the first third of the season,” White said. “She’d be in regular switches, guarding post players. But the more and more comfortable she’s got, the more and more responsibility we’ve given her, and the more and more she stepped up and met those expectations. It allows us to do a lot of different things.”
<hr />
<h2>Gray Goes Cold</h2>
Allisha Gray was the best player on the floor in the first half, scoring 17 points at all levels and earning some face-to-face time with Angel Reese, who made a beeline off the Dream bench to hype up her more reticent teammate. And when Gray hit a stepback 3 midway through the fourth quarter, it put her at 32 points while at least temporarily quelling the Fever’s increasing momentum.
Gray then finished the game with … 32 points. From the 6:14 mark of the last frame through overtime, the four-time All-Star vanished. She missed a potential go-ahead jumper out of a timeout with less than a minute to play in regulation and then went 0-of-4 shooting with a turnover in the overtime period.
“I just feel like we came up short tonight,” a clearly frustrated Gray said after the game.
That said, the Dream were without starting point guard Jordin Canada, who missed the game with illness, and Gray wasn’t the only star to miss chances. On the final sequence of regulation, Howard missed a 3-pointer, and both Reese and Naz Hillmon missed putback attempts before the horn sounded.
“We just had to move on to the next play,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said. “There was supposed to be one screen in there, and we kind of forgot the screen, but then (Howard) took the shot and we told those two to really crash the boards. They both did exactly what we asked for. We got two looks that could’ve won it for us. They rolled out. Just kind of a bad break.”
<hr />
<h2>Kelsey Mitchell: Shoes Off, Scoring Streak On</h2>
This was not the smoothest effort for Mitchell, the WNBA’s second-leading scorer, or her footwear. In the first half, she spent an entire defensive possession retying a shoe that had fallen off while she ran back down the floor. (Somehow, the Fever got a stop anyway.) Then with a chance at the go-ahead score in the final seconds of regulation, Mitchell had the ball, planted to change directions and had her left shoe fall off yet again, forcing Indiana to call a timeout.
Mitchell slammed the wayward high-top to the floor after that. But with 13.5 seconds left in overtime, she finished a drive through traffic to create a five-point edge for the Fever — a bucket that also preserved her streak of 20-point games. It’s now at 19 in a row, one shy of the record of 20, held by Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson.
“Kelsey struggled from the floor in the first half and she found it in the second half,” White said. “That’s part of her growth, just knowing to stay with it, that it’s going to come.”
But, yes, one more suggestion from the coach.
“Triple-knot the shoes,” White said with a laugh.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/brian-hamilton/?eafs_enabled=false">Brian Hamilton</a> joined The Athletic as a senior writer after three-plus years as a national college reporter for Sports Illustrated. Previously, he spent eight years at the Chicago Tribune, covering everything from Notre Dame to the Stanley Cup Final to the Olympics.

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