In a 22-game sprint of a season, the WNBA playoff race is heating up. And if the last few game days have shown us anything, almost all of the 12 teams in Bradenton, Florida, still have a shot at being a top eight seed.

Seattle, which was comfortably sitting atop the standings, dropped two games in a row, including one to current eight-seed Indiana. The current 12th-seed, New York, is still just three games out of playoff contention.

Once in the playoffs, teams five through eight have to survive a single-elimination first round. But even before then, expect a tight race for the right to even play in the postseason. Every game counts, but some count even more. As the regular season nears a conclusion, here are four games in the next week that should have a major impact on the playoff standings.

 

INDIANA FEVER VS. PHOENIX MERCURY (9/3)

Phoenix is currently 3-5 in the West and 6-2 against the East, which makes a lot of sense when the top four teams in the WNBA are all in the West. Besides the loss to Indiana in the second game of the season, and a loss to Dallas to start a three-game skid, the Mercury have for the most part won the games they were supposed to and lost the ones they weren’t. While Phoenix punched above its weight in wins against Las Vegas and Chicago, it also lost to that same Chicago team and will need to face that Las Vegas team again.

The Mercury cannot afford another loss to Indiana and need to show everyone, especially themselves, that they can win these kinds of games. It won’t be easy, as Phoenix is in the midst of transitioning to a guard-first lineup without Brittney Griner, who left the bubble for personal reasons. They’ll also be without Bria Hartley, who was having a career season before tearing her ACL.

Indiana, meanwhile, is a borderline playoff team at the moment despite a .313 winning percentage. A win over Seattle went a long way towards building confidence, and the Fever had a lot to say after that game. Nevermind that their only other win against a current playoff team came against Phoenix. Indiana is getting 18.5 points per game from Kelsey Mitchell, and while third pick Lauren Cox has yet to find her rhythm, Julie Allemand is legitimately in the Rookie of the Year conversation. Originally drafted in the third round in 2016, Allemand chose instead to continue playing with her French-league squad club team, but was signed in the offseason and has thrived in a starting role.

ROOKIE ???????? OF ???????? THE ???????? YEAR ????????@JulieAllemand pic.twitter.com/emXur2VrLC

— Indiana Fever ⛹️‍♀️???? (@IndianaFever) August 26, 2020

ATLANTA DREAM VS. LAS VEGAS ACES (9/5)

In the first meeting in the second game of the 2020 season, this game was decided by 30 points in favor of the second-ranked Aces. To be honest, unless a lot changes, this game won’t have as much impact on the playoff race (though the Aces would love to lock up one of the top two spots and earn a bye through to the semis) — it could, however, have a massive impact on the season awards race.

For the second time this season, A’ja Wilson and Chennedy Carter will take the court opposite of each other. Wilson has put together a convincing case for her first MVP award in her third season in the league. In the first game against Atlanta, Willson scored 21 points and collected 11 rebounds in just 26 minutes. Carter, meanwhile, was averaging 19.4 points per game before injuring her left ankle on August 10. At the time, she was considered a top candidate for Rookie of the Year, and in just her second game back from injury on Sunday, she showed everyone why, putting up 26 points on the Los Angeles Sparks. In order to make up for lost time after sitting out for two weeks, Carter will need to put up some monster performances to close the season, especially in games against potential MVP candidates. Her 11-point output in the first meeting was her lowest of the season.

Hollywood had herself a game with 26 PTS on 58% shooting to go with 4 REB ???? @ChennedyCarter #BradentonArea pic.twitter.com/95AEwL5PYu

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 31, 2020

CHICAGO SKY VS. LOS ANGELES SPARKS (9/6)

With five starters in double digit scoring and the offense humming, Chicago is poised for a deep playoff run, but will want to sneak into the top four to avoid an extra elimination game. Before the hiccup against New York, Chicago was riding high on a four game win streak, including a quality victory over Las Vegas. The difficulty now will be closing out the season strong, and after losing to Seattle Saturday, they don’t have any more games they can spare.

Los Angeles had won nine straight before losing to Minnesota on Monday, and franchise cornerstone Candace Parker is still leading the way. Chicago won the first matchup, and it was not particularly close, but the Sparks have looked like a different team with Sydney Wiese and Brittney Sykes starting. They’re bona-fide championship contenders, especially when healthy. Anytime two of the best offenses in the league meet, there are guaranteed fireworks. And when playoff seeding is on the line, you should definitely expect a show.

 

SEATTLE STORM VS. MINNESOTA LYNX (9/6)

Surprising many people, Minnesota appears to be a high-end playoff team as the end of the regular season nears. After two straight seasons at 18-16, the Lynx are well above .500 this time and a position group of concern heading into the season — guard — now seems to be a strength. Behind Rookie of the Year candidate Crystal Dangerfield, Minnesota has been rotating its guards and finding what works. Now, getting Odyssey Sims back to join Shenise Johnson, Lexie Brown, and Rachel Banham, head coach Cherly Reeve has a lot of decisions to make.

After 16 games, CD is averaging..

15.9 PPG,
28.8 MPG,
3.1 APG.

She earned @WNBA Rookie of the Month. pic.twitter.com/AbeodZA4uE

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) September 1, 2020

After a 13-3 start, the only surprise as far as Seattle is concerned is a recent two-game skid. Both losses came with Sue Bird out due to injury, which shows her continued importance to the success of this team. The Storm have already avenged their loss to Indiana, and will have an opportunity to face the Aces next time they tip off. But this game against the Lynx, who have the only defense that rivals Seattle’s own, will tell a lot about where these two teams are at. Seattle is still the team to beat, but if Sylvia Fowles can make a healthy return, Minnesota is not far behind.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

For the first time in history, three different WNBA teams have completely sold out of season ticket plans well before the league's May 14th kick-off.

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect, attribute it to this year’s tenacious rookie class, or look to the skyrocketing visibility of veteran players across the board. But no matter the cause, facts are facts: Tickets to the 2024 WNBA season are selling like never before. 

On Monday, the Dallas Wings became the third team to sell out of season ticket memberships in the league’s 27-year history. The announcement from Arlington came shortly after the Atlanta Dream issued their own season ticket sell-out statement, also on Monday, and almost seven weeks after the back-to-back WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces made headlines by becoming the first-ever WNBA team to sell out their season ticket allotment.   

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According to the Wings, season ticket memberships will fill nearly 40% of the 6,251 seats inside their home arena, College Park Center. The club also said that their overall ticket revenue has ballooned to the tune of 220% this year, spanning not just season tickets but also a 1,200% increase in single ticket sales. There’s currently a waitlist to become a Dallas season ticket holder, a status that comes with extra incentives like playoff presale access and discounts on additional single-game tickets. 

In Atlanta, season tickets aren't the only thing flying off the shelves. The Dream also announced that they broke their own record for single-game ticket sales during a recent limited presale campaign. Sunday was reportedly their most lucrative day, with five different games totally selling out Gateway Center Arena. Individual tickets for all upcoming matchups will hit the market this Thursday at 8 a.m., while a waitlist for season ticket memberships will open up next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"Excitement around women's sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high and nowhere is that felt more than here in Atlanta," Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said in the team’s statement. "We’ve continued a record-setting growth trajectory over the past three years under new ownership — both on and off the court — and 2024 is shaping up to be our best season yet."

As of Tuesday, season ticket sales revenue for Caitlin Clark’s hotly anticipated Indiana Fever debut haven’t yet been announced by the club. But if these numbers are any indication — not to mention the explosive demand for Fever away games felt by teams around the country — it won’t be long before we see some scale-tipping figures coming out of Indianapolis.

25-year-old American pro golfer Nelly Korda secured her spot in LPGA history on Sunday, notching her fifth-straight title at this weekend's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2005) as just the third LPGA player to rack up five consecutive tour wins. She is also the third No. 1-ranked player to capture The Chevron Championship victory since the rankings debuted in 2006, accompanied by Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

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The Florida native shot three-under 69 in Sunday's final, besting Sweden's Maja Stark despite Stark's valiant come-from-behind attempt in the 18th. Korda finished with a four-day total of 13-under 275, celebrating her two-stroke win by cannonballing into Poppie's Pond, much to the crowd's delight. She left The Club at Carlton Woods with $1.2 million from an overall purse of $7.9 million.

It wasn't long ago that the two-time major champion's current winning streak seemed unimaginable. After maintaining her No. 1 position for 29 weeks, Korda underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her left arm in 2022. She returned to the course not long after, but failed to win a single tournament in 2023 before seeing a surge in form during the first four months of 2024. As of today, she hasn't lost a tournament since January.

Korda will attempt a record sixth-straight win at next week's JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where she'll vie for a cut of the $3.75 million purse.