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WNBA Finals Preview: Las Vegas Aces V Seattle Storm

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Seattle needed a buzzer-beating putback from Alysha Clark to win Game 1 of their semifinals series against the Minnesota Lynx. From their, the Storm rolled, sweeping the only active franchise with four WNBA championships and giving themselves a chance to now become the second.

Las Vegas took considerably longer to wrest control of the series with the Connecticut Sun, with the outcome largely uncertain until A’ja Wilson scored 11 points on 9-of-10 from the line in the fourth quarter of a decisive Game 5. Connecticut, the No. 7 seed in the playoffs, was on the precipice of an enormous upset, leading 45-39 at half time. But the Sun scored just 18 points after the intermission and none within the last 2:39.

Now, the top two vote-getters in the MVP race, Wilson and Breanna Stewart, and the two best teams in the WNBA will be facing off with a championship on the line.

The matchup also pits the best offensive team in the regular season, Las Vegas, against the best defensive team, Seattle.

In the playoffs, though, Seattle has been the top scoring team, averaging 89.7 points per game. Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, and Stewart have all increased their per game scoring averages.

Bird in particular has come back from injury rejuvenated, scoring 11.3 points per game, and she now has the chance for a legacy burnishing fourth WNBA title. The point guard is also averaging a team-high 7.3 assists in the playoffs.

Seattle was such a strong preseason favorite because the team was essentially running back their 2018 squad, which swept the finals as Breanna Stewart was named MVP. Even with Sami Whitcomb leaving the bubble, they have eight players back from that trophy-winning team.

After being held out of the final few games of the regular season, and with a week off while the single elimination portion of the tournament played out, Breanna Stewart is looking outright dominant. Through the three playoff games, she has put together a line of 23 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game.

The sweep of the Lynx was picture perfect for the Storm. The team hauled in more defensive rebounds per game than any other team in the playoff (29 per game), dished out more assists than any other team in the playoffs, and turned the ball over less than any other team in the playoffs (12 per game).

On the season, Seattle shot 47.0% from the field, and they have sustained that mark in the postseason. For Las Vegas, that number is worrying, because in the six games their opponent shot at least 45.9% from the field, the Aces lost four.

Of course, none of those losses came against Seattle. The two teams met twice, and the No. 1 seed Aces swept both.

On August 26, Wilson scored 23 and Danielle Robinson added 23 off the bench to overcome a 29-point effort from Stewart. Loyd shot 1-of-11 from the field and Seattle lost by eight.

On September 13, with the top seed on the line, both Wilson and Dearica Hamby scored 23. While Loyd’s 30 points were a massive improvement over her first outing, they were not enough, and Seattle lost by two.

How much do those games matter now? Well, Bird sat for both, Stewart missed the second, and Hamby is now out with a knee injury. Seattle is playing its best basketball and Las Vegas slogged through five games to bypass the No. 7 seed (albeit a very hot No. 7 seed). Though the Aces advanced, Connecticut actually outscored their opponent in the series.

To win, Las Vegas needs multiple MVP-caliber performances from Wilson. The top offensive team in the regular season has been held to just 72.6 points per game in the playoffs, the second lowest output of any playoff team — behind only Los Angeles’ 59 from their one-and-done performance.

While the Sun’s defense contributed to that 16 point differential between regular- and postseason scoring, Seattle’s defense has been even better.

Las Vegas scored 51.8% of its regular season points inside the paint, more than any other team. Seattle allowed just 15 made field goals in the paint per game, fewest in the league. In the matchup of the two best teams in the league, this is another strength-on-strength matchup to watch.

Last round, Las Vegas was even worse from behind the arc than in the regular season, when they averaged just 4.2 3-pointers per game. They also made 2.8 fewer free throws per game. Simply put, if Seattle can keep Las Vegas off the line and out of the paint, the Aces will not be able to win.

The difference maker is Angel McCoughtry. Still the all-time leader for points in a finals game, her 38 in 2011 was spectacular— though it came in a losing effort. In fact, McCoughtry has never won a WNBA finals game in nine tries, getting swept as a member of the Atlanta Dream in 2010, 2011, and 2013. Her experience will be crucial however, as she’s just one of two Aces players with Finals experience, the other being Sugar Rodgers, who was a rookie on the Lynx team that beat the Dream in 2013.

While Las Vegas is an excellent team, there’s simply too many factors that are trending towards the Storm.

Prediction: Storm in 4

Indiana Fever Shoots for Redemption Against Seattle Storm

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark waits for an inbound pass during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Fever are looking to end a two-game losing streak. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The WNBA is back in action on Tuesday night, as the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm headline a series of games that could make or break the current trajectories of several 2025 title contenders.

Seeking an especially strong Tuesday performance is the Fever, as Indiana tries to snap a two-game losing streak against the increasingly confident Storm.

"There are going to be stretches that are really good and there's going to be stretches that aren't as good," Fever guard Caitlin Clark said on Sunday, addressing her recent shooting slump.

While the Indiana and Seattle clash will lead the Tuesday charge, the night will also see young squads sizing up WNBA juggernauts as bottom-table teams look for a leg up:

  • No. 8 Indiana Fever vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Fever need a win against a Storm side that can't seem to lose, as both teams eye the postseason.
  • No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 9 Washington Mystics, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The up-and-coming Mystics will attempt to hand the Lynx a second season loss, as Minnesota star Napheesa Collier remains day-to-day with lower back stiffness.
  • No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 12 Dallas Wings, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Dream are on a tear, surging up the standings as the struggling Wings attempt to take flight.
  • No. 10 LA Sparks vs. No. 11 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks have cooled after a hot start while the Sky has yet to rev up, with both teams aiming to end a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night.

Teams across the league are hoping to make the most of every minute while also managing injury concerns and absences as the WNBA All-Star break looms.

WNBA Rookie of the Year Odds Shift as 2025 Draft Picks Heat Up

Washington Mystics rookie Sonia Citron guards Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers during a 2025 WNBA game.
Washington rookie Sonia Citron and first-year Dallas star Paige Bueckers are both off to hot starts in their WNBA careers. (Stephen Goslings/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA Class of 2025 is already making its mark on the league, with first-year players stepping up and showing out while the Rookie of the Year race — and betting odds — heat up.

No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers has been just as good as advertised, with the Dallas Wings guard leading her class in both minutes played and points per game while also charting league-wide in assists per game, steals per game, and mid-range shots made.

DraftKings currently has Bueckers as the clear WNBA Rookie of the Year race frontrunner at -1,000, though the dynamic DC duo of guard Sonia Citron (+1,500) and forward Kiki Iriafen (+1,000) are quickly gaining traction.

Iriafen won May's WNBA Rookie of the Month award after a series of career-opening double-doubles, while her Washington Mystics teammate Citron has continued to execute in the clutch — most recently posting a career-high double-double performance of 27 points and 11 rebounds in last Sunday's 91-88 overtime win over Dallas.

"Not only is [Iriafen] holding her own, she's excelling," Citron told JWS earlier this month. "And seeing that is just incredible."

"Soni just does all the little things," Iriafen added. "She doesn't shortcut anything, she's doing the fundamentals, she doesn't cheat the game at all."

International Signings Ramp Up as Soccer Teams Break for Women’s Euro 2025

San Diego Wave forward María Sánchez dribbles the ball during a 2025 NWSL match.
San Diego forward María Sánchez is transferring to Liga MX side UANL Tigres. (John Matthew Harrison/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Though the NWSL hit the pause button this week, players worldwide are still on the move, as both European and US soccer teams use the midseason break to sharpen their lineups with international signings.

The NWSL has already seen one major departure, with the San Diego Wave announcing Monday that forward María Sánchez will return to her former Liga MX club UANL Tigres after nearly five years in the NWSL, with the Wave set to receive an undisclosed transfer fee in return.

"When the opportunity came to return to Tigres, I had to do a lot of inner searching, and I ultimately decided that returning to Liga MX Femenil and Tigres specifically was the best course of action for my career," the 29-year-old dual citizen and Mexico international player said in the Wave's release.

NWSL clubs are also setting their sights on European free agents, with the Washington Spirit bringing in Juventus forward Sofia Cantore last week — the first Italian signing in league history.

Also hopping aboard the player transaction carousel is new WSL side London City, with the top-flight debutantes inking OL Lyonnes midfielder and Dutch international Daniëlle van de Donk on Friday.

Meanwhile, van de Donk's wife and club teammate Ellie Carpenter is also potentially WSL-bound, with the defender reportedly nearing a deal that would see the Australian join Chelsea FC in return for the Blues sending Canadian international Ashley Lawrence to OL Lyonnes.

For their part, OL Lyonnes picked up defender Ingrid Engen from Barcelona as a free agent last week, adding the Norwegian international after snagging French forward and PSG's all-time leading scorer Marie-Antoinette Katoto earlier this month.

With the most recent NWSL CBA abolishing traditional trade windows, expect even more international signings and roster reshufflings before the league resumes play on August 1st.

San Diego Wave Honors Alex Morgan with Jersey Retirement

San Diego Wave players applaud Alex Morgan as she exits the pitch during her final NWSL game in 2024.
Morgan won the NWSL Shield with San Diego in 2023. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

San Diego is paying tribute to one of their own, with the Wave announcing plans to retire the No. 13 jersey of NWSL and USWNT legend Alex Morgan on September 7th.

Still topping the team's all-time scoring leaderboard with 23 goals in just over two seasons with San Diego, the retired club captain will be the first-ever Wave player to receive the prestigious honor.

Morgan also led San Diego to the 2023 NWSL Shield as well as postseason appearances in the 2022 expansion club's first two seasons.

"Alex's legacy goes far beyond goals and accolades. She helped lay the foundation for this club and elevated the standard for what women's soccer is today," said Wave FC governor Lauren Leichtman in the team's Tuesday announcement.

"She made this city her home, inspired our fans and community, and helped define who we are," Leichtman continued. "Her impact will be felt for generations, and it's only fitting that her number becomes a permanent part of Wave FC history." 

Morgan joined the Southern California squad's ownership group just last month, saying "San Diego is where I've built my home, where I am raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career."

How to attend the San Diego jersey retirement of Alex Morgan

San Diego will officially retire Morgan's No. 13 jersey during their home match against the Houston Dash at 8 PM ET on September 7th.

Tickets to the game will go on sale to the general public online at 6 PM ET on Tuesday.

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