With two weeks left in the regular season, former WNBA greats and fans alike are weighing in on this year's historic Rookie of the Year race.
"I don't care what comparisons you make both @Reese10Angel and @CaitlinClark22 deserve the Rookie of the Year award," basketball legend Lisa Leslie posted this week. "The pressure and the weight of this season has forever changed the @WNBA and both rookies rose to the top and exceeded all our expectations. Take a bow, ladies."
Rookies continue shattering league records
While only one player can win the award, both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have undoubtedly left their marks on the season.
Clark leads all rookies in scoring at 18.7 points per game, while her 8.4 assists per game tops the entire WNBA. Even more, she's on pace to surpass Seimone Augustus's rookie scoring record, and has already broken the record for most three-pointers in a rookie season while leading the league in three-pointers made.
For her part, Reese recently shattered Sylvia Fowles's single-season rebounding record and leads the league in rebounds per game. Plus, she holds the longest consecutive double-double streak in WNBA history, averaging 13.3 points and 13.2 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage favors Clark
Despite the neck-and-neck competition, Clark does hold one major statistical advantage over Reese. Clark's field goal percentage sits at 42.4% while Reese's is 38.5% — a significant gap considering Reese makes most of her attempts close to the basket.
That same stat arguably makes Sparks guard Rickea Jackson a dark horse in this race: Shooting 46.6% from the field, she's currently the WNBA's most efficient rookie averaging over 10 points per game.
All to say, while Clark appears to be pulling away as the ROY frontrunner, the way this year's rookie class has performed in the face of huge expectations will impact the league far beyond 2024.
In this week's episode of The Late Sub, Claire checks in on the big picture for both the NWSL and WNBA playoff races as title contenders emerge, playoff spoilers make their cases, and some teams begin to plateau at an inopportune time.
Then, she chats with NWSLPA President Tori Huster about the league’s landmark CBA, and how concerns about parity might be overstated.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
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This weekend's WNBA action will dip into the race for the playoffs, as nine teams vie for just five remaining postseason spots.
New York, Minnesota, and Connecticut have all clinched their playoff berths, but the drive to finish above the postseason line hasn't subsided in the league standings.
Fever vs. Sky game is the WNBA's hottest ticket
All eyes will be on tonight's matchup between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever, as the two teams go head-to-head for the fourth and final time this season.
Indiana currently sits in seventh place with Chicago following in eighth — the table's lowest playoff-bound position. Recent results, however, have separated the two teams by a marked distance, as the Fever have won four of their last five games while the struggling Sky have gone one for six.
Regardless of who wins, the game will go down in front of what's sure to be a packed house, with ticket resale prices averaging in the high-$800s.
Clark, Reese square off in WNBA Rookie of the Year showdown
Tonight's lineup will also feature the final game between the two Rookie of the Year frontrunners: Indiana's Caitlin Clark and Chicago's Angel Reese, who are both trying to push their squads over the finish line.
Clark leads the league in assists and has already broken the record for three-pointers made in a rookie season, while Reese — the current league-leader in rebounds — recently tied Tina Charles's rookie double-double record with 22.
While both have excelled in different areas, the Indiana rookie has the edge over her rival in points per game, with Clark's 18.0 average eclipsing Reese's 13.3.
Other noteworthy WNBA weekend matchups
First-place New York and fifth-place Las Vegas will look to move past their surprise upsets this week in their Friday night games against fourth-place Seattle and ninth-place Atlanta, respectively.
After falling to the Fever on Wednesday, the third-place Connecticut Sun will aim to regain composure against a momentum-fueled Mystics team on a three-game winning streak — their longest this season.
As the WNBA playoffs approach, teams are relying on top individual talent to ascend the league standings, with star players truly rising to the top in weekend play.
Chicago falls as Angel Reese takes flight
Despite two weekend losses from the eighth-place Sky, Chicago rookie Angel Reese notched two new WNBA records. First on Friday, she became the first player to post back-to-back 20-rebound games before upping her streak to three with 22 boards on Sunday.
Reese also had 11 points in Sunday’s buzzer-beating loss to the fourth-place Aces, claiming her 22nd double-double to tie Tina Charles’s 2010 record for most double-doubles in a rookie season.
Napheesa Collier can't stop scoring
Over in Minnesota, a monster weekend from star Napheesa Collier clinched her third-place Lynx a trip to the playoffs. Collier drained a combined 58 points between Friday's victory over the Aces and Sunday's win against the Fever — the first time Minnesota took down Indiana this season.
Also at the top of the table, the second-place Sun punched their playoff ticket by handing the league-leading Liberty their fifth loss of the season on Saturday, avoiding a season sweep and snapping New York's eight-game winning streak in the process.
Sparks sink to bottom of the WNBA standings
The Sparks hit a new low as two very different losses saw LA sink to last place in the standings. On Friday, the 10th-place Mystics nearly silenced the Sparks' offense, taking the game 80-74 with rookie Rickea Jackson the only LA player to score in the double-digits.
Then on Sunday, Jackson, Odyssey Sims, and Dearica Hamby combined for 72 of LA’s 110 points against Dallas — but it wasn’t enough to top the Wings as Arike Ogunbowale and Natasha Howard contributed 63 of their own in Dallas's 113-110 win.
The win boosted Dallas to 11th-place, while the Mystics held fast to their positioning after last night’s team effort lifted Washington over now-fifth-place Seattle 74-72.
As the WNBA calendar counts down and teams jockey for a place in the postseason, the league-leaders will take centerstage this weekend when the playoff-bound Liberty host second-place Connecticut on Saturday.
Liberty aim for four-game season sweep
New York will try to complete their 2024 season sweep of the Sun in the pair's fourth and final meeting tomorrow after their tense 79-71 win over 10th-place Dallas on Thursday showcased just how clutch a sidelined Sabrina Ionescu can be for New York.
The Sun, fresh off a historic sellout in Boston, are hoping to maintain that momentum with a win over the Chicago Sky tonight before heading to Brooklyn tomorrow.
Middle-table WNBA teams eye race for the playoffs
A series of consequential weekend matchups could further determine the fate of middle-of-the-pack teams eyeing a top-eight playoff berth, including ninth-place Atlanta. The Dream haven't lost a post–Olympic break game yet, and tonight they'll face sixth-place Phoenix, who they bested 72-63 on Wednesday.
Eighth-place Chicago, however, has yet to beat their Friday opponent, Connecticut, this season — daunting circumstances considering they'll close out the weekend with a bout against reigning WNBA champs Las Vegas.
If the Dream win over the Mercury and the Sky drop both weekend games, Atlanta will leapfrog Chicago to claim the league's coveted eighth-place standing.
Other WNBA games to watch this weekend
Las Vegas will take on third-place Minnesota tonight, aiming for a win in the pair’s fourth and final season meeting to split their 2024 series. Then on Saturday, the Lynx will host the seventh-place Fever — a team they’ve yet to beat this year.
At the bottom of the table, 11th-place LA will face two other teams with 6-22 records: 10th-place Washington tonight and 12th-place Dallas on Sunday.
The Connecticut Sun earned a big win in more ways than one on Tuesday, defeating the LA Sparks 69-61 in front of a sold-out crowd at Boston's TD Garden. Hosted by the Sun — who usually play at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut — it was the first WNBA game ever held inside the home of the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Boston shows out to support New England's WNBA team
While Boston will see women's soccer return in 2026 via an NWSL expansion team, the Sun currently serve as New England's only WNBA team — and fans came out in force to support their home side. Last night's announced attendance of 19,156 stands as the largest in Connecticut Sun history, as well as the third-highest WNBA attendance this season.
Fans were treated to an end-to-end battle as the Sparks held a first quarter lead into the fourth quarter when, buoyed by the raucous crowd, DiJonai Carrington led Connecticut to a 14-0 comeback. Her efforts helped the Sun notch their 20th win, becoming just the second WNBA team to hit 20 victories this season.
"Hopefully, this is the start of something beautiful," Sun star Alyssa Thomas said after the game. "This is the kind of atmosphere you want to play in."
Lack of WNBA promotion causes stir ahead of untelevised Boston game
Despite the sellout success, the game wasn't broadcast nationally, with only WNBA League Pass and social media platform X providing live coverage.
"I think that there could have been a lot more publicity or promo from the top," Carrington — who posted about the issue early Tuesday — told reporters. "You know, Connecticut had announced that we were having this game probably almost a year ago."
Other noteworthy WNBA results
The Seattle Storm secured a win for the first time since returning from the Olympic break, taking down the Washington Mystics 83-77 in DC.
On the other hand, the NY Liberty looked as dominant as ever, beating Dallas 94-74 in the first of two matchups between the sides this week.
The league's midseason transaction deadline came and went on Tuesday, leaving a flurry of relatively unusual WNBA trades in its wake.
This year marks the first to feature at least three in-season trades league-wide since 2017, as salary cap and roster space complicate midseason moves.
Seattle Storm signs Olympic silver medalist Gabby Williams
The biggest piece of news was arguably a signing rather than one of the WNBA's many trades, as Paris Olympics Best Defensive Player and French gold medal game hero Gabby Williams returned to the Seattle Storm. Williams missed the first half of the WNBA season, opting to prioritize playing with her European club and the France national team in the run-up to the Olympics.
Similar to her 2023 partial contract, Williams inked a rest-of-season deal with the Storm. The forward played every game for Seattle after being traded by the LA Sparks in 2022.
"I feel more than ready to finally return to Seattle," Williams said in a team release. "I’ve missed the organization, my teammates, and the fans so much. I absolutely can’t wait to come back and finish the season strong."
She joins an already stacked starting roster featuring Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jewell Loyd, and Ezi Magbegor.
WNBA trades, hardship signings rock midseason rosters
The Washington Mystics sent Myisha Hines-Allen to the Minnesota Lynx in return for Sika Koné and Olivia Époupa, before waiving Époupa and Didi Richards, while the Phoenix Mercury sent Sug Sutton to the Mystics in exchange for the rights to Swedish star Klara Lundquist.
These Tuesday WNBA trades come after the Chicago Sky traded Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun in a high-profile exchange for Moriah Jefferson and Rachel Banham over the Olympic break.
In addition, hardship signings headlined the week's WNBA trades news, as Monique Billings agreed to a seven-day contract with the Mercury and Odyssey Sims landed with the LA Sparks.
While the trade window has officially closed, deals can continue as long as teams have the requisite salary cap and roster space.
In this week's episode of The Late Sub, Claire welcomes back the WNBA, as teams battle for postseason positioning in the final month of regular season play.
The New York Liberty look like the team to beat, but how are other teams progressing — and are there teams that should be worried about slipping in the standings?
Then, Claire looks at her wishlist for the rest of the 2024 NWSL season, as teams gear up for their first regular season matchups since before the Olympics.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.
The New York Liberty became the first WNBA team to clinch a postseason spot with a big 79-67 victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday. The result marked New York's second win over Las Vegas this season, with the Liberty looking to put their 2023 Finals loss behind them.
New York's upward tick has in part revolved around big performances by Sabrina Ionescu, who led the team in scoring on Saturday with 23 points.
"This second half of the season is really important. And there's no excuses. Nobody cares if we just came off the Olympics and have a game four days later and a nine-hour time zone change," Ionescu told reporters after the game.
Other WNBA teams target 2024 playoff positions
The WNBA saw numerous teams soar over the weekend, all jockeying for position as the league enters the regular season's home stretch.
The Atlanta Dream are now 2-0 in post–Olympic break play, notching impressive wins over both Seattle and Connecticut as they push to overtake Chicago for the eighth and final spot above the playoff line. Indiana also looked strong on their home court, taking down first Phoenix and then Seattle as they solidify their playoff berth.
Other teams struggled, however, as the Mystics, Wings, Storm, and Sparks continue to look for a win in the WNBA's return to action. And with the regular season's clock ticking, the race to the playoffs will only grow more fierce with every showdown.
Standout solo showings point to WNBA award races
Noteworthy individual performances abounded on the WNBA court this weekend, led by MVP frontrunner A'ja Wilson. After dropping 24 points for the Aces in Saturday's loss to New York, Wilson elevated Las Vegas over the Sparks with 34 points and 13 rebounds on Sunday.
The Rookie of the Year competition has also stayed hot, with Fever star Caitlin Clark breaking Ticha Penicheiro's 1998 record for most assists in a rookie season in Sunday's win over the Storm. That same day, Chicago rookie Angel Reese became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 20 career double-doubles in the Sky's loss to the Mercury.
The WNBA is back and better than ever this weekend, with CBS airing big-name matchups sure to set the tone for the final month of the regular season.
First, Minnesota and Washington will face off on Saturday at 2 PM ET, with the Lynx aiming to go two-for-two against the Mystics after securing a tight 79-68 win on Thursday. And in the 4 PM ET game of Saturday's CBS doubleheader, New York and Las Vegas will battle for the second time this season after the Liberty took the first 2023 WNBA Finals rematch back in June.
TV and streaming platforms bet on watching the WNBA
The WNBA has become a fixture of summer weekend viewing, with Prime showcasing games on Thursdays, Ion covering Fridays, and a variety of other national channels hosting the league throughout the week.
Plus, after Team USA won Olympic gold in front of as many as 10.9 million US viewers, expect the league — and the platforms who host the W — to harness that momentum all the way to the season's finish line.
Thursday night on Prime, for instance, saw Olympic gold medalists Kahleah Copper, Diana Taurasi, and Brittney Griner record a monster 85-65 Mercury win over the Sky, successfully marking Copper's first trip back to Chicago since her preseason trade.
The Liberty also notched a massive Thursday win on ESPN, blasting the LA Sparks 103-68 as Olympic medalists Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Dearica Hamby returned to action.
Wings' roster changes take center court tonight
Tonight, attention will turn to Ion as Seattle takes on Atlanta, Phoenix travels to Indiana, and Connecticut matches up against Dallas.
The Wings currently sit at the bottom of the league standings, but the return of Satou Sabally and Maddy Siegrist (from injuries that sidelined them prior to the Olympics) will boost their lineup. However, Dallas had to release Odyssey Sims and Monique Billings from their hardship contracts, infusing the free agency market with talent and catching the eyes of teams looking for midseason pick-ups.
Fever vs. Storm game highlights Sunday's WNBA lineup
On Sunday, ABC will showcase Indiana and Seattle squaring off inside Indianapolis's newly announced 2025 WNBA All-Star Game stadium. While Indiana hopes to solidify their place above the playoff line, Seattle — who won four of their last five pre–Olympic break games — keeps rising toward the top of the WNBA standings.