Shakira Austin and the Washington Mystics open the second half of the WNBA season tonight against the Connecticut Sun. It's Washington's first game back from the All-Star break, and the Mystics have momentum on their side.

Austin has been the engine behind her team's push for a playoff spot.

Shakira Austin Leads Washington Mystics Offense

The 6-foot-5 center is posting career-best averages of 14.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.

Before the break, she put an exclamation point on the first half run with 25 points in a 100-99 comeback win over the Las Vegas Aces. She sealed it with a go-ahead 3-point play off her own offensive rebound in the final 13 seconds.

Connecticut, on the other hand, enters at 7-20 with a banged up starting five.

Brittney Griner is out with a left knee injury that has limited her to just 16 of 27 games this season. Aaliyah Edwards and Saniyah Rivers are also sidelined with a knee issues, though they might be available for Tuesday's face-off.

Still, Washington will want to start on the front foot. The Sun took the last meeting between the two teams 68-57 on June 26th, splitting the season series so far.

How to Watch WNBA Games Tonight

Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM ET at CareFirst Arena. Fans can watch the game on WNBA League Pass.

DeWanna Bonner scored a season-high 21 points Sunday as the Phoenix Mercury beat the Connecticut Sun, 72-63 despite a late-game effort from Brittney Griner. The Sun vs Mercury matchup snapped a five-game losing streak for Phoenix (9-18) and avenged Friday's loss to Connecticut.

DeWanna Bonner, Kahleah Copper Fuel Phoenix Scoring

Kahleah Copper added 18 points, scoring 12 of them in the second half. Together, Bonner and Copper anchored the offense while the defense turned 21 Connecticut turnovers into 22 points.

Still, the Sun nearly erased the deficit late.

Charlisse Leger-Walker completed a 3-point play with 4:42 remaining to trim the Mercury lead to 63-62. But Phoenix responded immediately. Copper drove for a layup, and Bonner added key baskets down the stretch as the Mercury pulled away on a 9-1 run to close the game.

Brittney Griner Leads Late-Game Sun vs Mercury Surge

On the other end, Brittney Griner led Connecticut (7-19) with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. She also had five rebounds and two blocks on the night.

Center Olivia Nelson-Ododa recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. But the Sun's season-high 21 turnovers ultimately derailed their comeback effort.

Both teams return to action Wednesday as the Sun visit Indiana while the Mercury travel to Los Angeles.

The Minnesota Lynx dropped their second straight game on Monday night, falling 90-89 to the Connecticut Sun at Target Center. The loss marked the team's first back-to-back defeats of the season and exposed just how much Minnesota relies on its rookie point guard, Olivia Miles.

Minnesota Lynx Adjust Lineup Following Olivia Miles Injury

Miles sat the bench for the first time after being ruled out late with a right calf strain. She picked up the injury during last week's loss to the New York Liberty, forcing head coach Cheryl Reeve to reshuffle her rotation against the Sun. Miles had started all 20 games prior and earned back-to-back Rookie of the Month honors for May and June.

The Lynx are also still without five-time All-Star Napheesa Collier, who has missed the entire season after offseason ankle surgeries. Collier returned to practice last week, though, offering a boost on the horizon.

Without two key pieces, veteran Courtney Williams stepped into primary playmaking duties and finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Kayla McBride led all Minnesota Lynx scorers with 28 points.

Brittney Griner Dominates Paint for Connecticut Sun

Still, neither could offset Brittney Griner, who posted a season-best 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting with 10 rebounds for the Connecticut Sun.

The game also marked Dorka Juhász's season debut after a foot injury kept her out for the first 20 games. She contributed three points in 25 minutes. Minnesota drops to 15-6 but remains tied for the league's best record. Their rematch against Connecticut is slated for July 9 at 7:30 PM ET on USA Network.

Connecticut's Brittney Griner became the WNBA's all-time blocks leader on Monday night, reaching the milestone during Monday's 92-63 Sky vs Sun win.

The 13-year veteran swatted four shots in the game, tying Margo Dydek's record in the first half before surpassing it with her 878th-career block midway through the third quarter.

Dydek, a former Sun center, set the prior record with 877 blocks in 2008. Griner added 14 points and eight rebounds to last night's stat line, but the blocks record clearly meant the most.

"It's something that I've always went after, the one record that I really cared about," Griner said after the game.

Aneesah Morrow Makes Slow Return in Connecticut Win

Beyond Griner's stats, Connecticut delivered its strongest outing of the season to secure the Sky vs Sun win. The Sun held Chicago to just 21.6% shooting in the first half, before pulling away on a 10-0 run to close the third quarter.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa posted 11 points and a season-high 15 rebounds, while Charlisse Leger-Walker added 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Off the bench, Aneesah Morrow logged nine minutes in her return from a left leg strain that sidelined her for two games in mid-June.

The win snaps a six-game skid for Griner and the Sun who sit at 3-15 on the season. Meanwhile, 4-12 Chicago continues to slide down the WNBA standings.

Where to Watch WNBA Games This Week

Connecticut next faces the surging Washington Mystics on Friday at 7:30 PM ET, live on ION.

The Sky takes on the Portland Fire tomorrow at 8 PM ET, live on WNBA League Pass.

Brittney Griner picked up a Flagrant 1 foul against Angel Reese during Tuesday's Sun vs. Dream WNBA Commissioner's Cup game.

The physical play on Reese came during a fourth-quarter rebound battle in Atlanta. Reese fought to cut around Griner toward the basket as the Dream tried to extend its slim 68-65 lead with just over seven minutes to go in the game.

Brittney Griner received a Flagrant 1 for this play against Angel Reese. pic.twitter.com/ukVqIzJN1j

— espnW (@espnW) June 3, 2026

What Led to Brittney Griner's Flagrant Foul on Angel Reese?

In footage that's since gone viral, Griner tried to block Reese by wrapping her arms around the third-year forward. Her left arm hooked Reese around the neck, sending her hard to the floor.

After a review, WNBA officials upgraded the call to a Flagrant 1.

Under the 2026 WNBA CBA, that penalty carries an automatic $500 fine. However, Sun fans feared the call could've been worse. If the refs had ruled the foul a Flagrant 2, Griner could've been ejected from the game and forced to pay a $1000 fine.

As it stands, the Flagrant 1 foul is Griner's first of the season, meaning the veteran forward has three to go before triggering an automatic suspension.

Despite the jockeying, there appeared to be no bad blood between the two forwards after Griner reached down to help Reese to her feet. The two share a connection through Atlanta — Griner spent the 2025 season with the Dream before joining Connecticut this year.

Sun vs. Dream Final WNBA Score and Player Stats

The Sun eventually fell to Atlanta 75-91, as Reese logged another double-double behind 12 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Griner, meanwhile, finished the night with seven points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Connecticut now heads to Chicago to face the Sky on Friday, while the Dream take on the Fever in Indiana.

Connecticut Sun star Brittney Griner made WNBA history on Saturday night by scoring her 6,000th career point.

The veteran center is just the 18th player in league history to surpass the milestone. She entered the game against the LA Sparks with 5,999 points, before securing her place in the record books with a smooth four-foot turnaround jumper.

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The historic basket helped power the Connecticut Sun to a 84-81 victory over the Sparks, giving the Sun its second win this year.

The game also marked Griner's return to Connecticut's lineup after a rib injury sidelined her at the start of the season.

Brittney Griner Exits Historic WNBA Game After Eye Injury

However, the 10-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year faced a hurdle late in the game's first half.

Griner took a hit to her left eye from Sparks guard Erica Wheeler, forcing her to head to the locker room.

Griner showed her trademark toughness after officials upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 1. She sunk both free throws before subsequently sitting out the second half as a precaution.

By the end of the night, Griner totaled nine points, two rebounds, and one block.

The performance lifted her to 16th on the WNBA all-time scoring list, pushing her past legends Lauren Jackson and Seimone Augustus.

Sun head coach Rachid Meziane expressed optimism after the game, noting the eye injury does not appear serious. She expects Griner to feature in tonight's matchup against her former team, the Atlanta Dream.

Griner is also closing in on another milestone. She sits just 15 blocks away from tying Margo Dydek’s all-time record of 877.

Where to Watch Tonight's WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Game

The Sun faces the Dream in tonight's Commissioner's Cup slate, tipping off at 8:30 PM ET on WNBA League Pass.

USA Basketball dropped its 18-player December roster on Monday, selecting both standout vets and fresh faces for the national team's final training camp of 2025.

Taking place at Duke University from December 12th until the 14th, five 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalists — Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young — will anchor the Team USA lineup.

Notably, a full 10 players will join the senior team for the first time next month, as young WNBA superstars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Cameron Brink earn their first call-ups.

A pair of NCAA stars will also attend the December camp, with the national governing body tapping both UCLA senior center Lauren Betts and USC junior guard JuJu Watkins on the roster — though Watkins will not participate in on-court activities as she continues to rehab an ACL tear.

Along with the full camp roster, USA Basketball also dropped its December sideline leaders, with current WNBA head coaches Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury), Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever) comprising the assistant coaching staff for the previously announced senior national team head coach Kara Lawson.

December's camp is the team's first step toward the World Cup qualifiers in March, when the US will compete despite having already qualified for the 2026 FIBA World Cup by winning the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in July.

Overall, the clock starts now for USA women's basketball managing director Sue Bird, who is in charge of cultivating the best team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The USA Basketball December Training Camp Roster

The AP Women's College Basketball Poll turns 50 next year, and the publication began celebrating its rankings run a few months early by asking 13 former players and AP sportswriters to fill an All-Time team roster with the NCAA's best.

First Team honors went to USC legend Cheryl Miller, UConn greats Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi, all-time leading NCAA scorer and Iowa alum Caitlin Clark, and position-defining Tennessee forward Candace Parker.

Standout Huskies Sue Bird and Maya Moore also snagged AP All-Time nods, earning Second Team spots alongside Virginia star guard Dawn Staley, Tennessee forward and three-time national champion Chamique Holdsclaw, and three-time AIAW champion and MVP Lusia Harris from Delta State.

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Even the AP list's reserves are full of legends, with basketball pioneers like Kansas star Lynette Woodard and UCLA's Ann Meyers Drysdale joining Lisa Leslie (USC) and Sheryl Swoopes (Texas Tech) as well as current WNBA superstars A'ja Wilson (South Carolina) and Brittney Griner (Baylor) on the All-Time bench.

"Being named an AP All-American is one of the most storied honors in college sports," Clark said in response to her AP All-Time First Team nod. "It's fun to think about what it would have been like if we all played together."

"What an accomplishment and what an honor," said fellow First Team honoree Taurasi. "There's so many great women who paved the way."

Atlanta Dream general manager Dan Padover made history on Tuesday, winning a record third WNBA Executive of the Year award after his revamped roster finished the 2025 regular season with a 30-14 record — doubling the team's 2024 win total.

Along with his two previous wins while leading the Las Vegas Aces in 2020 and 2021, this week's award puts Padover just ahead of Minnesota Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve, who snagged the honor in 2019 and 2024.

En route to this season's award, Padover proved instrumental in signing game-changing players like center Brittney Griner and forward Brionna Jones to join the Atlanta Dream during the offseason.

The fourth-year Atlanta Dream GM also brought in fresh coaching talent by tapping this season's winningest first-year head coach, Karl Smesko — a bold move considering Smesko had no professional coaching experience before Padover handed him the Dream's reins.

"The organization as a whole, it's in a great direction," Atlanta guard Allisha Gray said after Atlanta's first-round exit from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs. "We proved a lot of people wrong this year."

The Dream finished the 2025 regular season in third place, jumping from 12th to second in offensive rating (108.2), sixth to second in defensive rating (98.9), and 12th to third in assists per game (21.4) year-over-year.

A 2025 WNBA Playoffs preview is brewing in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, when the No. 2 Atlanta Dream will gamble on snapping the seven-game winning streak currently held by the No. 5 Aces.

"I told myself after All-Star break to just let the game come to me, like it's gonna be what it's gonna be," Aces superstar A'ja Wilson told reporters before dropping 34 points on the No. 11 Dallas Wings over the weekend. "If I try to harp it and force it because I want this win so bad for my team, it's like forcing a fart — all you get is s—t."

The Aces have shot up the WNBA standings since suffering an historic 53-point loss to the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx on August 2nd, but they'll next welcome a similarly motivated Atlanta team determined to keep up momentum.

The Dream bounced back from last Friday's loss to the No. 8 Seattle Storm with a 79-63 win over the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries on Sunday, with star center Brittney Griner contributing off the bench as she continues her return from injury.

"Our bench has been really good all year," said first-year Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko. "Right now BG is coming in for us, and usually within the first minute of coming in, she has a basket or two."

"I think we are a real contender to win [a championship]," he continued. "Anything can happen and we're definitely trying to position ourselves to give us the best chance to win the whole thing."

How to watch the Atlanta Dream vs. Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday

The No. 2 Dream will visit the No. 5 Aces at 10 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage of the clash airing on NBA TV.