The Las Vegas Aces went 9-1 over their last ten regular season games, including a win over the Seattle Storm in the season finale, to clinch the first seed. For that effort, they earned the right to play the Connecticut Sun, who in the single-elimination rounds of the playoffs dispatched both Chicago and Los Angeles , the latter of which was a title favorite.

While facing a seven seed in the semifinals may have been a mental boost for Las Vegas, Connecticut turned the tables in Game 1, hammering the Aces 87-62 behind a career high 31 pts from Jasmine Thomas.

???? Check out the best buckets from @jaszthomas' career day ???? #ATTPlayoffs#WatchMeWork | #BradentonArea pic.twitter.com/BmRPgonNgy

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 20, 2020

That result shouldn’t have been so surprising after watching the Sun handle the Sparks in a similar fashion, holding Los Angeles to a season low in points last game, with no quarter above 20 points. Throughout the regular season, defense has been the Sun’s strength. The team ended fourth in defensive rating, and through the first three games of the playoffs, they’ve lived up to the billing on that end of the court.

The question for Connecticut was always where the scoring would come from. Before the season, everyone wondered what DeWanna Bonner could provide the Sun, who lost in last year’s Finals. Bonner answered with her most efficient season in her decorated career, scoring more points per 36 minutes than at any other time in her 11 WNBA seasons.

The other big question was how Jonquel Jones would be replaced (Jones opted out of the season due to Covid concerns). In her first season as a full-time starter, Brionna Jones proved to be more than an adequate stop gap. Coming into the year, she’d only averaged 3.2 points per game in her career. She nearly quadrupled that as a starter, putting up 11.2 per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds.

The two players expected to lead the team this season have done exactly that. Alyssa Thomas averaged the most points in her seven-year career (15.5) and Jasmine Thomas had her fifth consecutive season averaging double digit points per game.

This is a team with a host of scoring threats that thrive off of ball movement. All five starters finished with at least 10 points against Los Angeles.

In the two regular season matchups, however, the Aces swept the Sun, winning by at least 15 points each time. And now, MVP A’ja Wilson and Las Vegas should be well-rested.

???? Check out the best buckets from @jaszthomas' career day ???? #ATTPlayoffs#WatchMeWork | #BradentonArea pic.twitter.com/BmRPgonNgy

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 20, 2020

Like Connecticut, Las Vegas will look to dominate in the paint, only they do it better than anyone. The Aces have more rebounds than any other team, the second most field goals per game in the restricted area (12.0), the most field goals in the paint outside of the restricted area (9.4) and the second most mid-range makes (7.5). The Aces also had 37 more made free throws than any other team as they got to the line at a league-leading clip.

The converse of the inside prowess is that no one takes fewer 3-pointers from the left (0.5 FGA), right (0.2 FGA), or center (10.9). Still, Las Vegas has the fourth-highest 3-point percentage.

On average, Las Vegas has five players in double figures each game. While Wilson is the team leader, Angel McCoughtry has had a resurgent season. On a per-minute basis, McCoughtry is averaging more points than Wilson, and the second highest average in her career behind 2011. She also is assisting at her highest rate since 2013, with the most rebounds, best free throw percentage, best field goal percentage, and best 3-point field goal percentage of her career.

11-year vet. 5x #WNBA All-Star. 2x Olympic Gold Medalist. @angel_35 made her triumphant return from injury this season with the @LVAces averaging 14.4 PPG (51.8 FG%), 5.1 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.3 SPG - while playing just 20 MPG.

Will this be the year she captures her first title? pic.twitter.com/vHc6hXQZ1d

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 21, 2020

Both teams will want to command the paint. If Connecticut can space the floor, as they did in making nine 3-pointers against the Sparks, they can prove their Game 1 upset of the Aces was anything but a fluke.

Had this been another single-elimination game, the Sun would be on to the next round. But there’s a reason it’s a series, and given their depth, the Aces may still prove to be just too much for the overachieving Sun.

Two key upsets headlined Thursday's WNBA bill, sending the Phoenix Mercury soaring into third place in the league standings while the No. 6 Golden State Valkyries continued to outwit opponents.

The red-hot Mercury snagged their fourth straight win by taking down the No. 2 New York Liberty 89-81 on Thursday night, overcoming an 35-point performance from two-time MVP Breanna Stewart with five double-digit Phoenix scorers.

Meanwhile out West, the Valkyries stifled a surging No. 7 Fever, downing Indiana 88-77 in part by holding star guard Caitlin Clark to just 3-for-14 from the field — and 0-for-7 from behind the arc.

"We were being disruptive, we know that she doesn't like physicality, we know that she wants to get to that left step-back," Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase said about the Valkyries' strategy to effectively contain Clark.

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Though the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx and 2024 WNBA champions New York still hold court atop the table, Thursday's actions proves that other squads are making some unexpected in-roads.

Putting together an impressive road record are the Mercury, who will ride a 4-2 away record into their Saturday matchup against the No. 11 Chicago Sky — the last stop on a four-game road trip that's been perfect for Phoenix thus far.

Already flipping the script on expectations is Golden State, with the 2025 expansion team rising despite relying on a hodgepodge roster as several players compete at EuroBasket 2025. The Valkyries will aim to keep their winning momentum in their Sunday clash with the No. 12 Connecticut Sun.

How to watch the Mercury, Valkyries this weekend

Both of Thursday's victors will be back in action this weekend, with Phoenix facing Chicago at 1 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on ABC.

Then on Sunday, Golden State will host Connecticut at 8:30 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

In another weekend full of WNBA action, all eyes are on Las Vegas, as the No. 8 Aces will try to curb a two-game losing streak against two formidable opponents.

A successful weekend for Las Vegas could hinge on three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's potential return from injury, with the star forward recently upgraded to "questionable" after landing in concussion protocol last week.

Overall, the margin for error has narrowed in the middle of the WNBA pack, as talented teams continue to translate quality performances into consistency.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): The Aces will try to end their free fall in Friday's head-to-head battle with a Seattle side that can beat anybody at their best.

• No. 7 Indiana Fever vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Sunday at 3 PM ET (ESPN): Las Vegas next faces a Fever team still smarting from Thursday's away loss to the Golden State Valkyries, with both teams narrowly clinging to positions above the playoff line.

• No. 2 New York Liberty vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, Sunday at 7 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Liberty have a comfortable hold on second place, but with two losses in their last three games, New York is flirting with danger entering their Sunday game with Seattle — particularly if star big Jonquel Jones is out after suffering a knock to the ankle on Thursday.

Ultimately, there's no rest for the weary in the WNBA, as a series of difficult matchups can see a single error quickly slide into a losing streak.

The final NWSL weekend heading into the league's six-week summer break has arrived, giving teams one more chance to prove themselves before regular-season play pauses to make way for major international tournaments.

With a five-point gap separating No. 1 Kansas City from No. 2 Orlando in the NWSL standings, the Current will enter the break as the 2025 Shield frontrunners regardless of this weekend's results.

Despite Kansas City's grip atop the table, there's still plenty of room for movement both above and below the postseason cutoff line, as clubs across the NWSL look to wrap their midseason finales on a high note:

• No. 1 Kansas City Current vs. No. 10 Angel City FC, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): Angel City has a shot at launching themselves above the cutoff line on Friday, but they'll have to snap the Current's five-game winning streak to make it happen.

• No. 8 Gotham FC vs. No. 9 Bay FC, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Gotham and Bay FC enter the weekend tied on points while staring at each other from on opposite sides of the playoff line — meaning a Saturday win for either club could set the tone for the rest of the 2025 season.

• No. 3 San Diego Wave FC vs. No. 4 Washington Spirit, Sunday at 10 PM ET (CBS Sports): The weekend's only top-table clash could see San Diego sprint back into second place — unless Washington leapfrogs the upstart Wave to claim the third-place spot.

The LPGA Tour has turned its attention to Texas, with the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship — the third major of the pro golf season — teeing off in Frisco to a flurry of first-round action on Thursday.

All of the sport's Top 100 athletes are participating in this week's event, including No. 1 Nelly Korda, who sits in a 14th-place tie with an even-par first-round performance, and surging US dark horse No. 50 Lexi Thompson, who tied for 10th in her Thursday return from a brief retirement.

However, leading the pack heading into Friday's second round is Thailand's world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, who finished the first day of competition atop the leaderboard with a score of 4-under-par.

Australia's No. 24 Minjee Lee also posted a strong start, capping Thursday at 3-under to sit in second place.

While the sport's best chase victory on the links, the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship is already making history off the green.

Not only is it the first-ever women's major to tee off at Frisco's Fields Ranch East, the tournament also increased its purse to $12 million on Tuesday — nearly tripling the $4.5 million prize pool from just four years ago and tying the US Women's Open for the LPGA Tour's highest payout in the process.

How to watch the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

The third LPGA Grand Slam of 2025 continues through Sunday.

Friday's second round will air live on the Golf Channel, while coverage of Saturday and Sunday's final rounds will air across NBC and Peacock.