5 Things I Like

The news of the New York Liberty’s demise was greatly exaggerated. 
Following an extremely slow start to their 2026 season, New York finds itself right back in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game to represent the Eastern Conference. 
Five straight victories during Cup play and a key win over their closest competition, the Atlanta Dream, helped land them in the final. They now await their Western Conference competition and hope to host whoever comes out of the West at Barclays Center. 
This surge was probably the biggest news of the past week in the WNBA, but we’ll look back on four others as we get closer to the end of Cup play and creep towards the actual championship game being set. 
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<h2>Liberty on a Run, Back in Commissioner’s Cup Championship</h2>
<div id="attachment_263687" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263687" class="wp-image-263687 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />The New York Liberty</div>
New York began the year injured and lacking chemistry. Sabrina Ionescu was not on the court thanks to an ankle injury suffered in the preseason, while Satou Sabally remained out to begin her new tenure with the team. They were 3-4 headed into the final week of May. A lack of offense and, specifically, rebounding, seemed ready to doom what could be one of their last contending seasons with their current core. 
Then, they flipped a switch. New York now holds the second-best defensive rating through June 15 (101.1). They’re averaging five more points per game in June than they were in May. And, they seem to have found a gem in Pauline Astier, who has been filling in nicely for Ionescu. Wins over Phoenix (twice), Indiana, and Atlanta have boosted New York’s stock greatly. They’re playing team ball again at the exact right time.
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<h2>Wilson Continues to Peak in MVP Convo</h2>
The sky is blue, water is wet, and A’ja Wilson is yet again a clear candidate for MVP through just over a month and a half of regular-season games played. After yet another MVP season in 2025, followed by an improbable Finals win borne out of a mid-season team meeting, Wilson is back in the driver’s seat for the illustrious award. Averaging 26.2 points per game along with 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals, she’s also leading the league in PIE, or player impact estimate, through 13 games. 
A recent win over the equally impressive Olivia Miles and the Minnesota Lynx further solidified her campaign. A double-double in that contest, in which she also tallied three blocks and two steals, helped to quiet some of the noise around Miles and a potential ROTY-MVP two-for-one this season. It’s early days still, but Wilson is the head of a 10-3 snake that’s about to land right back in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship potentially.
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<h2>Plum, Copper Duel in High-Scoring Affair</h2>
Both Plum and Copper are part of teams that are underperforming right now. The Los Angeles Sparks are still figuring out their chemistry, but you’d expect them to be a bit better than 7-6 on the year and just 8th in the league. Phoenix’s chemistry shouldn’t even be that disrupted, given that their largest departure of the offseason was Sabally walking for the Liberty. And yet, they’re also sitting at a disappointing 4-11 and at the bottom of the standings. 
So, fans were probably not anticipating these two teams’ clash to be all that entertaining on June 14. Plum and Copper scoffed at that with their respective 40+ point performances, the first game of the year in which a player on both teams recorded that many points. Los Angeles won the battle in overtime, as Phoenix made just one basket in overtime. 
These stars are doing their best to carry their franchises past mediocre and into contention, but the road is arduous with so much talent now distributed across the league. The Finals hangover has been very real for the Mercury, who don’t have much pop on offense this season and aren’t getting any younger. As for Los Angeles, they’re on the precipice of being more consistent, and hopefully this performance from Plum reminds her that she can lead this team.
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<h2>Citron Spoils Mabrey’s Heater</h2>
<div id="attachment_263688" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263688" class="wp-image-263688 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Sonia Citron #22 of the Washington Mystics</div>
In the 4th quarter of the Washington Mystics’ game against the Toronto Tempo this past Saturday, it seemed like the Mystics would be comfortably snagging victory at home to help them stay afloat in the Eastern Conference. 
Then Marina Mabrey hit a three. And another one. And another one. 
She had four three-pointers in the last two minutes of the game, which helped Toronto get within striking distance of Washington when they looked completely out of the contest just minutes prior. Thanks to those shots, Brittney Sykes was able to get free on their last possession, and hit a running layup to give Toronto the lead with 11 seconds to go in the 4th. 
Washington, one of the youngest teams in the league, had to find their offense again after it had been lost for the entire quarter. 
Citron did just that. 
The second-year wing hit a perfect shot at the baseline at the buzzer, getting the Mystics a victory and helping them survive a Mabrey barrage. It was a huge victory against an Eastern Conference team and a fun, tight contest, as we’re seeing more blowouts than usual during this Commissioner’s Cup period.
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<h2>Miles Still Leads ROTY race </h2>
As mentioned, it does feel like Miles might be sneakily piecing together an MVP campaign in addition to her very obvious one for ROTY. And why shouldn’t her play be considered “most valuable?” 
She’s become the leader of a Lynx team still missing Napheesa Collier and has seamlessly become the perfect backcourt mate to Courtney Williams. Her passing is elite, as she’s averaging 5.9 assists per game, but she’s also shooting an efficient 52.5 percent from the field in addition to averaging 5.1 rebounds per game. Her defense has been an unsung part of her game this year, too, as she still leads the league in defensive win shares through 13 games. 
A shoo-in for ROTY? Yes. A dark horse for MVP? Absolutely. And despite a loss to the Aces that snapped their win streak, Miles was fantastic in that contest, posting a game-high 29 points, 50 percent from the three-point line, and four rebounds. But Las Vegas’ defense certainly exposed some rookie-ness, with Miles turning the ball over six times &#8211; a season high &#8211; as well as just recording one assist. 
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five-things-i-like-week-5-2026

5 Things I Like: Commissioner’s Cup 2026 (Part 2)

As expected, the tip-off to Commissioner’s Cup action has brought potential contenders to the forefront of the league. The Minnesota Lynx, sans Napheesa Collier, continued to thrive this week, while the New York Liberty currently lead the way in the Eastern Conference through one week of the Cup following an up-and-down start to their season. 
The standings have the Lynx with the largest point differential in the Cup through one week (+57), but the Dallas Wings are on their tail with a 2-0 record in Cup play and a 31+ point differential. The Liberty only have a +23 differential, while the Atlanta Dream sit behind them in wins but have a greater point differential (+36). 
These are the five things that really popped off the screen for me through this first week of Cup action. 
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<h2>Shepard Continues to Shine</h2>
<div id="attachment_262969" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262969" class="wp-image-262969" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Jessica Shepard #32 of the Dallas Wings</div>
Not many could’ve seen Shepard being one of the best free agent signings from the 2026 season. 
 
The former Minnesota Lynx forward had always shown flashes of being a threat as a facilitator and rebounder, but not to the extent that she’s showing it off with the Dallas Wings in 2026. She’s averaging 11.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in addition to 13.5 points per game, and through the Wings’ current Cup run and winning streak, she has been leading the Wings in rebounds. 
It helps that Shepard is surrounded by shooting threats Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Arike Ogunbowale. She is free to roam thanks to the gravity that they attract, and it’s made even easier for Shepard when teams are giving attention to Dallas’ other frontcourt threat in Alanna Smith. She finally has the range to lead a team’s frontcourt in general and to shine with a young, up-and-coming group as a passer and defender. 
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<h2>Rhyne’s Electric Kick-off to the Cup</h2>
Howard took a while to get into a groove to begin the year for the Atlanta Dream, but she exploded for 36 points in the Dream’s first win of the Cup. Her 42 percent shooting from deep in their opening game against the Connecticut Sun helped Atlanta to set the tone for what’s currently their winning point differential in the Eastern Conference. 
Howard’s aggressiveness as a scorer is going to make or break Atlanta’s chances in a tight Eastern Conference overall. Between her and Allisha Gray, the Dream have enough perimeter firepower to force teams to respect the perimeter defensively, leaving players like Angel Reese and Madina Okot open in the post. In their loss to the Indiana Fever, Howard only took nine shots and five three-pointers- that’s simply not enough. 
The win over the Sun and Howard’s hand in it showed exactly what she has to offer as one of the league’s most valuable wings. 
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<h2>Aces Beginning to Roll</h2>
<div id="attachment_262968" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262968" class="wp-image-262968" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="658" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-300x220.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-1024x749.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-768x562.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-1536x1124.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-2048x1499.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 and Jackie Young #0 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
Jackie Young is an underrated cog in the machine that has been the Aces since 2019. When the guard is aggressive &#8211; just as Howard must be &#8211; it’s difficult to defend Las Vegas’ starting lineup. It’s death by a thousand cuts. If you double Young or Gray, they can both make you pay with drives and kick-outs to the perimeter, and A’ja Wilson lurks from all three levels as a threat. 
Young has been a big spark so far in Las Vegas’ Cup run, nearly recording a triple-double in their first Cup game against the Los Angeles Sparks with 16 points and nine assists, and hitting 27 points on 75 percent three-point shooting along with five rebounds and five assists in their second contest against the Golden State Valkyries. 
Her two-way prowess is beginning to rear its head again at the best time for Las Vegas, which is the third-best three-point shooting team in the league over the last five games and the third-best facilitating team in the league over that same stretch. A ton of that has to do with Young’s resurgence. 
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<h2>Minnesota Firing on All Cylinders Behind Miles</h2>
Olivia Miles’ circus assists and top-line defense have really begun to extend beyond a Rookie of the Year campaign. At this point, it might be fair to ask when Miles should enter the All-WNBA conversation in Year 1 as a first-team member. 
Without Collier, Minnesota has managed to snag a humongous point differential thanks to Miles’ team-leading 6.4 assists per game and 17.2 points per game. The rookie is not playing like one, and that’s a huge compliment. Behind her play, the team has dominated two of its three Cup games so far. 
Defensively, Miles continues to lead the league in defensive win shares. She stays with her assignment with seeming ease on defense, and her active hands become a huge problem when considering the threat she poses in transition alongside Courtney Williams. 
Minnesota is going to be dangerous if they manage to get Collier back by the time they could compete for the Cup championship. 
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<h2>Sykes Providing Tempo with momentum </h2>
While the Toronto Tempo might not be getting as much shine as the Portland Fire this season, with the Fire having a ton more high-octane wins this year, the Tempo are clearly beginning to find their footing thanks to their experienced coaching and their stars. Sykes has taken the reins recently for Toronto, averaging 17.4 points per game over their last five contests and scoring 25 against the Chicago Sky in a critical Eastern Conference matchup in Cup play. Her defense and rebounding have also been key to Toronto staying afloat. 
While Toronto figures out how to get through their next few contests without rookie guard Kiki Rice, who is down with an ankle sprain, Sykes seems to be the obvious next player up for Toronto as they try to gain consistency. The Cup offers them extra motivation to freely hoop, which is what Sykes and Marina Mabrey are often hellbent on doing.

five-things-i-like-week-4-2026

Five Things I Like: Commissioner's Cup 2026 (Part 1)

When the season kicked off, would you have believed me if I told you that one of the top contending teams in the WNBA would be the Golden State Valkyries?
If you’re an avid member of Balhalla, then yes, you probably knew that. If not, you might be shocked to see that Golden State &#8211; following their extremely successful debut season in 2025 &#8211; are 5-3, and coming off an emphatic victory against the Indiana Fever this past week. They’re keeping pace with the Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings, and Minnesota Lynx atop the standings and are doing so with a balanced attack led by Veronica Burton. 
This exciting surge has landed them at the front of my mind ahead of this week’s list of five things I really liked from Week 3 of the WNBA. 
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<h2>Golden State Soars Behind Defense</h2>
<div id="attachment_262152" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262152" class="wp-image-262152 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Veronica Burton #22 of the Golden State Valkyries</div>
The Valkyries’ defense was their biggest key to winning against the Fever in their second game in the same week. After a bit of a testy game between the two franchises, the Valkyries came into this game fired up and motivated to snag a win. Veronica Burton had a rocking five blocks against the Fever in addition to six rebounds, three assists, and a team-high 25 points. 
So far this year, the Valkyries are third in the league in defensive rating (101.6), second in net rating (7.3), and second in assists to turnovers (1.74). They’re playing highly efficient basketball with an emphasis on making their opponents feel them on the defensive end, and that has everything to do with the culture that Burton and head coach Natalie Nakase are establishing in the Bay. And, home game crowds are becoming a sneaky Sixth Player of the Year candidate. 
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<h2>Kiki Rice Enters ROTY Chat</h2>
While Olivia Miles might be taking a stranglehold of the Rookie of the Year race, we can’t be too quick to write off some other big-name picks from this year’s draft. Azzi Fudd just had quite a signature moment at Barclays Center in a huge Dallas Wings win over the New York Liberty, and Rice is continuing to thrive with bigger minutes for the Toronto Tempo. 
Rice, while averaging 27 minutes per game through nine games, is now averaging 13.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Her three-point shooting is what’s really separating her from the pack for the Tempo, hitting 40.6 percent of her three-pointers on a decent diet of 2.4 shots per game. 
Rice’s play on the floor is not that of a rookie &#8211; and that’s a great thing for Toronto. She plays with the confidence of a veteran floor general, unafraid of contact and ready to drag defenders into the paint with her to create offense. That’s a huge load off the shoulders of Brittney Sykes, Marina Mabrey, and Nyara Sabally. If we’re speaking to the impact of rookies on their teams so far, Rice needs to firmly be in the conversation following her four steal, 17-point, and six rebound performance against the Seattle Storm in the Tempo’s latest win. 
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<h2>The Impeding Horror of the Lynx</h2>
<div id="attachment_262154" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262154" class="wp-image-262154 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />The Minnesota Lynx</div>
This is not a horror story, mind you, for fans of the Lynx. Rather, this is the sound of the horror that will soon be a fully healthy Minnesota team that’s already atop the league in the standings. Without Napheesa Collier or Dorka Juhasz playing a single minute so far in 2025. This is simply the result of a team with so much chemistry following a disappointing 2025 campaign, able to soar through the competition without their potential MVP. 
How is Minnesota achieving this success? 
A lot of it has to do with their defense. They’re averaging five blocks per game along with 8.5 steals and 37.6 rebounds, all while limiting their personal fouls committed to just 20.4 per game. With a 96.4 defensive rating, their impact is being felt. On the glass, they’re getting their work in, and that’s in major thanks to veterans Natasha Howard, Nia Coffey, and Courtney Williams. Their rebounding is preventing other teams from gaining second-chance scoring opportunities, which helps remedy their lack of size outside of Howard and Coffey in the frontcourt. 
Oh, and Miles is leading the league in defensive win shares as a rookie. 
Again, this impact is being felt without Collier in the lineup. A lot was made of the team losing both Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard in the offseason, and so far, it looks like the Lynx didn’t think much of it at all. They’re going to be unbelievably potent when fully healthy, and that’s a scary idea for the rest of the league. 
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<h2>Can Monique Akoa Makani Save Phoenix?</h2>
The Mercury, despite entering this season with a healthy Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas, have looked worse for wear. They’re 2-7 headed into Commissioner’s Cup play, and they don’t have a ton of available answers to their woes. 
 
They’re middling in both defensive and offensive ratings and are allowing opponents to shoot 52.8 percent from the field. But they’re still doing a good job of forcing opponents to find their scoring outside of the paint &#8211; they’re only allowing them to score 32.7 points from there &#8211; but, that’s not really doing much to contribute to their win column. 
Phoenix’s star rookie from last season, Monique Akoa Makani, just got inserted into the starting lineup over their rookie this year, Jovana Nogic, to see if they can find any spark defensively. In two games played so far, she’s already the top Phoenix player in defensive win shares with 0.222, showing just how impactful she can be on that end of the floor as a starter. But can just one player really change the course of what has so far been a disappointing start to a potential contender’s season? Phoenix will need more than just her activity against guards to revitalize their team, although replacing Nogic in the lineup with her is a great start towards that goal. 
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<h2>Portland Megan Gustafson Says What We’re All Thinking</h2>
After a historic year for the Valkyries in 2025, it wasn’t anticipated that the next two expansion franchises on deck, the Fire and Tempo, could re-create that same magic. 
Let veteran center Megan Gustafson tell it, though, and you’d be a fool for having doubted these two teams’ ability to succeed in this league right away. 
Gustafson had an emotional press conference following the Fire’s win over the Fever on Saturday, telling reporters that she’s never felt as valued before in her eight-year WNBA career as she does with Portland. 
&#8220;I mean, we&#8217;re a bunch of overlooked players, and I think we all have a chip on our shoulder. I&#8217;ve really never been respected as a basketball player until I&#8217;ve gotten here, so I&#8217;m really thankful for this team, this organization. They really believe in me.”
Gustafson made these comments on the tail end of a historic evening from the Fire, with her 22 points contributing to the largest scoring game in their history (so far). The Moda Center was living and dying by every shot from Portland, and their excitement was probably helped along by the fact that the team looked so confident against a team like the Fever. 
These overlooked players who have made up these last three expansion teams have been written off for most of their careers. They’ve found new life and new opportunities with these new squads, to the point where even veterans like Gustafson feel like they’ve been revitalized.

five-things-i-like-week-3-2026

Five Things I Like: Week 3 2026

The Golden State Valkyries’ major success in Year 1 of their franchise’s existence was considered an anomaly. They were the first expansion team to make the postseason in their very first season, and they looked like a legitimate threat to the order of things before injuries hampered them down the stretch. 
Surely no one expects the WNBA’s other two new franchises in 2026, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, to make similar noise…right?
Believe it or not, but the Tempo and Fire are crawling up the standings. Toronto, which had its heart snatched by the Washington Mystics in their home opener, has since looked like a well-oiled machine thanks to high-flying performances from Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey. The Fire also just can’t stop being clutch, with Sarah Ashlee Barker becoming a typical feature for the Fire in the 4th quarter. 
These teams’ victories over the last week, plus a surprising standings riser, a rookie arrival on a national stage, and more, all shaped up an exciting week of WNBA action. 
<hr />
<h2>Tempo and Fire Finding Their Groove</h2>
<div id="attachment_261611" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-261611" class="wp-image-261611" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Sarah Ashlee Barker #3 of the Portland Fire</div>
Neither of the expansion franchises was really expected to make noise this season, but they’ve quickly established their respective cultures, which have helped them maintain some momentum in the standings. Toronto’s victory over the Phoenix Mercury this past week was most impressive, led by Sykes and Mabrey’s 30+ point performances. Despite some thinned-out frontcourt depth, they managed to keep up defensive pressure behind rookie Kiki Rice’s two steals in that game and 27 team defensive rebounds. 
Portland’s most impressive win of the week came against the Connecticut Sun. While the Sun are struggling this year, that contest went down to the wire. And, once again, Barker was a huge piece of that victory. Her 18 points &#8211; plus a clutch bucket from Sug Sutton &#8211; propelled the Fire to a win over the Sun.
Both teams are finding ways to succeed with their brand-new coaches and teammates. It just goes to show how much talent is lurking in this league when two more expansion franchises are finding success so early in their tenures. 
<hr />
<h2>Los Angeles with a Spark</h2>
Kelsey Plum was on the road to an MVP-caliber season in 2025 prior to Los Angeles’ slippage in the standings, thanks to numerous injuries to starters. This season, with a healthy Cameron Brink in tow in addition to the return of Nneka Ogwumike to the team, they’ve begun to look like the very team that Plum was leading last season. 
Three-point shooting was an area of concern for Los Angeles last season, so their 37.1 percent shooting percentage this season &#8211; a league-best &#8211; should be cause for celebration. They’ve been moving the ball well early on this season, too, with an average of 20.8 assists per game. With Ogwumike back on the floor, their shooting percentages should reach even greater heights. The spacing created by Plum, Rae Burrell, and Ogwumike can open things up for Brink and Dearica Hamby in the front court. 
They’ve begun rising up the standings behind Plum’s lights-out shooting, and just sealed a hugely impressive win over the Las Vegas Aces this past week. Los Angeles seems to have finally found their groove behind a healthy frontcourt and with some help around Plum. 
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<h2>Most Dangerous Teams in Transition </h2>
<div id="attachment_261613" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-261613" class="wp-image-261613" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />NaLyssa Smith #3 and A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
Being able to take advantage of opposing defenses through an efficient transition offense can make or break a win. It’s no coincidence, then, that some of the top teams in the league are also some of the fastest. 
The Aces led all teams in PACE this week, which measures how many possessions a team has over 40 minutes of a game. This means they’re controlling the tempo, making teams pay for not securing boards, and using their speedier, sharper guards alongside their talented frontcourt to create a juggernaut offense. 
A surprising team sitting just behind Las Vegas in pace is Chicago (99.60). They’ve found the perfect key to unlock their own frontcourt in Skylar Diggins, who’s averaging a team-high 5.4 assists per game so far this year. Just behind her is another speedy guard in Natasha Cloud, who helps to push the Sky’s pace. We shouldn’t be shocked that they’re remaining steadily around .500 or higher this year, given this potent aspect to their offense. 
Indiana is, of course, a huge threat in this area thanks to Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell running the show. Both are great at pushing the pace in transition, but the team is only averaging 8.8 fast break points per game this season despite that top pace. Getting more efficient with those opportunities should open the door for the Fever to start winning more consistently. 
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<h2>Azzi Fudd’s Barclays takeover</h2>
Anyone who watched Fudd during her time at UConn knows that she has one of the most consistent jumpers in basketball, period. Once she finds her stroke, it’s difficult to contain the offensive explosion that could come along with that click. 
The New York Liberty just experienced that first-hand on Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Wings. Fudd entered the contest averaging just 8.4 points per game and just 2.2 three-point attempts per game. Thanks to some poor zone defense and overhelping from New York in the 3rd quarter of their game, Fudd managed to get off five made threes en route to a 17-point frame. She had a career-high 24 points and was the most confident on the floor that she’s been since joining the Wings and the league. If this is a sign of things to come for her role with Dallas, they could be set for a huge swing up the standings. 
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<h2>Atlanta Stays on Top </h2>
The Dream lost a critical matchup to the Aces at the very start of the WNBA season…and simply haven’t lost again. Atlanta is atop the standings right now with a 4-1 record, thanks to their average of 13.6 second-chance points per game and a league-leading 41.6 rebounds per game. Te-Hina Paopao and Rhyne Howard have been providing the Dream their pop from three-point range, while Jordin Canada’s health has been paramount &#8211; the guard is averaging 51.1 from the field along with 7.2 assists per game and 2.8 steals. 
To no one’s surprise, Angel Reese has begun to find her way with the Dream, leading the team in rebounding and blocks. Her impact, alongside Canada’s, has helped the team reach a 98.3 defensive rating through five contests. This team has the tools for sustainable success on both sides of the floor, although Atlanta’s two biggest flaws right now include their turnovers and Allisha Gray not having found her stroke from three-point range just yet to kick off this season. Once both of those things are cleaned up, the Dream could have a stranglehold on the standings for much of this year. 
Their wins over the Mercury, Wings, and Minnesota Lynx show that this early-year success is no fluke. If they can just find another gear on offense, they’ll become even scarier as contenders.

five-things-i-like-week-2-2026

Five Things I Like: Week Two 2026

Analysis

We’re officially into the swing of this WNBA season, and there haven’t been too many surprises to start off. The Las Vegas Aces continue to look like a powerhouse, while teams like the Connecticut Sun, Seattle Storm, Portland Fire, and others keep trying to find ways to get going amid a strong overall league and tough start to the year. 
This past week, we saw a rookie milestone, an incredible buzzer-beater, a potential Finals preview, and the continued steady rise of one young team. Let’s get into those moments from these last few days in the WNBA, as we careen quickly towards the kick-off to Commissioner’s Cup play on June 1. 
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<h2>Olivia Miles’ Early Rookie of the Year campaign </h2>
<div id="attachment_260933" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260933" class="wp-image-260933 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
Olivia Miles, the second-overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft, has been a key cog for the Minnesota Lynx’s offense so far this season. Veteran Courtney Williams said as much in a recent interview, saying of Miles that she’s the “captain of the ship.”
“For her to be a rookie and coming in and doing it the way she doing it, that girl gonna be a problem. I’ve been saying that,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYXl0HsiVED/">continued Williams.  </a>
She’s not wrong about Miles’ leadership on the court: the rookie is averaging seven assists per game, along with 16.3 points and 3.7 rebounds. She also recently became the first player in WNBA history to record 30+ points and 15+ assists through her first two games.  
You can’t catch a Lynx game as of late without catching an unbelievably slick pass from Miles at the top of the arc to a streaking Minnesota player. She’s also a threat in transition, which makes defending her difficult: either you bite on her shot, and she takes advantage of a weaker defense with her passing, or she forces a defense to hone in on defending other Lynx shooters around Miles, opening up multiple lanes for her. 
Miles is, by a long shot, the current Rookie of the Year favorite. It’s far too early to say whether anyone else from the class will catch up to her in terms of impact, but she’s looking ready to firmly take the reins on that race. 
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<h2>Portland Fire Finally Get First W</h2>
In one of the coolest moments so far this season, the Portland Fire managed to push the New York Liberty into a tie-game situation during their May 12 contest, and Bridget Carleton was forced to chuck up a three to try and win the game for the Fire &#8211; their first for the franchise since coming back to the city. 
Carleton’s shot was off, but Sarah Ashlee Barker had a heads-up rebound after New York failed to box out, and she hit a buzzer-beating layup to secure Portland’s first win of the season at home. The crowd was raucous, and head coach Alex Sarama could only describe the electric victory &#8211; gotten off a second-chance opportunity &#8211;<a href="https://www.rosegardenreport.com/sarah-ashlee-barkers-buzzer-beater-was-portland-fire-101/"> “Portland Fire 101.”</a>
The Fire have struggled this season, and it’s not surprising: with so many new pieces added to an entirely new franchise, in addition to a new coach, they’re bound to have some serious growing pains. While the Golden State Valkyries’ success in 2025 was a great blueprint to follow for Portland and the Toronto Tempo, there’s only so much you can do to recreate that magic. 
Portland’s not too worse for wear as of late. They’re averaging 37.5 percent from three-point range between May 10 and May 17, and have upped their points per game average to 90. They’re on a good path towards improving, and this buzzer-beater should’ve injected some major confidence into them. 
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<h2>Potential Finals Preview</h2>
<div id="attachment_260935" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260935" class="wp-image-260935 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces and Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream</div>
In the WNBA’s first game hosted by NBC, the Atlanta Dream clashed with the Aces in what you have to hope could be a Finals preview.
It was a back-and-forth affair, especially in the 4th quarter. Jordin Canada was doing everything in her power to keep the Dream in the game with timely steals and hit shots in the midrange, while Te-Hina Paopao and rookie Madina Okot were holding their own quite well against such vaunted competition. 
But the Aces simply have a gear that most other teams don’t, and while they couldn’t keep that gear going consistently for the entire second half, it helped them survive a game in which Jackie Young scored 0 points. 
Chennedy Carter and A’ja Wilson were sensational, each scoring 20 points, while Chelsea Gray did what she does best for the entire game: controlled the tempo, hit shots when necessary, and was the most clutch player on the court. It was an extremely entertaining back-and-forth between two talented teams, with plenty of hope that they could push for a Finals appearance this season. 
<hr />
<h2>Hot Offenses, Porous Defenses </h2>
Two teams have seen a lack of team defense lead to disappointing losses: the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever. 
Dallas attempted, in earnest, to address their defensive holes in free agency this year. They signed Alanna Smith to a deal, with the forward just coming off a co-DPOY win in 2025. Jess Shepard also has some defensive upside thanks to her size, although Smith is truly the stalwart between the two in the Wings’ frontcourt.
Outside of those signings, the Wings didn&#8217;t lean into acquiring more players known for their defensive skills. Paige Bueckers is a pest thanks to her size and active hands on defense, but Arike Ogunbowale and Odyssey Sims leave a lot to be desired in that department. There was a specific loss from this week, against the Lynx, that should’ve really left a sour taste in the Wings’ mouths. 
They were shooting well enough, but left the rookie Miles open for far too many runaway layups in the 4th quarter due to poor transition defense. Add a lack of rebounding (of which the Wings are only averaging 29 per game as a team, good for 13th in the league), and you’ve got a recipe for a lot of shootouts that end in losses for Dallas. They can’t simply score their way to good defense. A 110.2 defensive rating just isn’t going to cut it for a team that is positioning itself as a potential sleeper in this year’s postseason. 
Another squad struggling mightily to find answers on defense is the Indiana Fever. Caitlin Clark is a terrific offensive presence, a floor general that can stretch the floor, but has limitations on defensive end. Aliyah Boston can only remedy that so much from the post, while the rest of the Fever’s cast &#8211; Lexie Hull, Sophie Cunningham, Kelsey Mitchell, and Mo Billings &#8211; must step up to make teams pay for putting Clark in actions repeatedly. 
The Fever, who are 9th in the league in defensive rating (104.6), are allowing the 3rd-most fast break points in the league so far (12.8 per game), but are being saved by their rebounding ability and Boston’s presence defensively in the paint. They have a ton of room for improvement if they want to prevent further losses &#8211; especially at home. 
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<h2>Washington’s Core Still on the Rise </h2>
Anyone who saw Sonia Citron’s and Kiki Iriafen’s rookie seasons in Washington knew that, headed into 2026, we’d be in for a huge leap from both players. Citron has been a lights-out shooter for the Mystics so far this year, averaging 24.3 points per game and shooting 60.5 percent from the field. Her 1.7 steals and one block per game are making her look more and more like the 3-and-D phenom that college scouts figured she could become in the right system. 
As for Iriafen, it simply looks like the hardest task in the world, attempting to box her out. Her 19 points per game, along with 13.7 rebounds and 59 percent shooting from the field, are becoming a tenet for this Mystics team’s system. She makes life difficult for almost any big that dares cross paths with her in the post, which has helped Washington along to a 101.1 defensive rating (4th in the league) and the 2nd-most prolific rebounding team in the league (43.3 per game). 
And, while Shakira Austin isn’t one of the new faces for Washington, she’s only 25 years old and still a huge piece to this team’s identity. Her 17.7 points per game, along with 10 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks, help to easily make her a leader for this young team on the court. Health has always been a huge, and unfortunate, barrier for Austin in her career with the Mystics, so it would be incredible to witness her build a winning squad alongside Iriafen, Citron, and the rest of the neophytes in Washington in 2026. Their 2-1 record through three games does little to speak to just how much momentum and potential they have thanks to this trio.

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Five Things I Like: Week One 2026

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