As injured guard Caitlin Clark looked on from the bench, the Indiana Fever refused to quit, silencing Las Vegas 80-70 on Thursday night to overtake the Aces at No. 6 in the WNBA standings.
Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell led the team with 21 points, helping the Fever secure back-to-back wins over the now-No. 7 Aces for the first time since the franchise landed in Las Vegas in 2018.
"It started out with our defense," Indiana forward Natasha Howard said after the game. "We don't rely on our offense a lot…. When our defense is going, our offense is going."
The rest of Thursday's slate saw standout individual performances give way to blowout victories, with the No. 4 Seattle Storm and No. 10 LA Sparks both earning results.
Sparks guard Kelsey Plum tied LA-turned-Seattle star Nneka Ogwumike for the most 30-point games in franchise history during LA's 101-86 Thursday win over the last-place Connecticut Sun, hitting the milestone in just 24 matchups.
Elsewhere, 19-year-old Seattle rookie Dominique Malonga also made waves, becoming the youngest-ever WNBA player to record a double-double with her 14-point, 10-rebound showing in the Storm's 95-57 drubbing of the No. 11 Chicago Sky.
All in all, as some teams heat up, others are out in the cold as the race to the 2025 WNBA postseason grows fiercer by the day.
As the fight for survival takes over the 2025 WNBA standings, the No. 10 LA Sparks are eyeing a spot above the postseason cutoff line — but the path to the Top 8 is anything but clear-cut.
With 2024 No. 2 draft pick Cameron Brink nearing a return from last year's ACL tear, the Sparks enter Thursday's clash with the long-suffering No. 13 Connecticut Sun on a three-game winning streak, giving the young squad a distinct edge.
However, LA's 9-14 record exposes their inconsistencies, having dropped two games to the No. 11 Chicago Sky in late June before turning things around ahead of the All-Star break.
The Sparks have a long way to go before playoff contention, but Thursday's lopsided matchup presents an opportunity to keep building:
- No. 10 LA Sparks vs. No. 13 Connecticut Sun, 7 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): LA tries to make it four in a row while the Sun hunt their fourth win of the season.
- No. 6 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 7 Indiana Fever, 7 PM ET (Prime): An injured Caitlin Clark will once again ride the bench for this tight showdown, with the Fever able to retake sixth place should they snap the Aces' three-game winning streak.
- No. 4 Seattle Storm vs. No. 11 Chicago Sky, 8:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle attempts to bounce back from Tuesday's upset loss to the No. 12 Dallas Wings, while an up-and-down Chicago looks to stir up momentum for a second-half push.
Only eight teams will earn spots in the 2025 WNBA postseason and, while there's plenty of games left to play, the time to make moves is now.
The New York Liberty wasted no time returning to work after a successful All-Star Weekend, with multiple reports stating that 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman will join the reigning champs for the second half of the 2025 season.
A 2019 WNBA champion with the Washington Mystics, Meesseman hasn't played in the US league since the end of 2022, opting instead to prioritize European play following a stint with the Chicago Sky.
Averaging 12.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game in 2022, Meesseman was reportedly also scouted by the Minnesota Lynx and the Phoenix Mercury before landing with the New York Liberty.
Fresh off leading Belgium to victory at the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025, Meesseman's arrival is now dependent on her visa application's timeline.
Currently sitting at No. 2 in the WNBA standings, the Liberty have remained strong despite dealing with key absences from their starting lineup.
The Liberty expect Jonquel Jones's return to the court this week after the center missed extended time with an ankle injury, while star guard Leonie Fiebich has already logged New York minutes following her EuroBasket run with Germany.
Along with the reported addition of Meesseman, the Liberty also picked up Stephanie Talbot on Monday, snagging the Australian forward just days after the Golden State Valkyries waived the 32-year-old free agent.
How to watch the New York Liberty on Tuesday
The budding superteam will stack up against the No. 6 Indiana Fever in their Tuesday return from the 2025 WNBA All-Star festivities.
The action tips off at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN.
The WNBA will close out this week's regular-season slate with a day-long basketball extravaganza on Wednesday, in which 10 of the league's 13 teams will attempt to enter the 2025 All-Star break on a high.
While the Minnesota Lynx have the No. 1 spot locked up, Wednesday's results could shuffle other positions in the league standings:
- No. 5 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 11 Chicago Sky, 12 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): With both Angel Reese and Ariel Atkins out due to leg injuries, the shorthanded Sky will face a Dream side trying to bounce back from a two-game losing streak without Rhyne Howard.
- No. 2 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, 1 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Lynx close out their grueling slate with a matchup against their closest challenger, as the Mercury look to go 2-0 against the league leaders.
- No. 8 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 4 Seattle Storm, 3 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Valkyries have struggled following their hot start, with Golden State hoping to snap their two-game losing streak against the Storm.
- No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, 7:30 PM ET (CBS Sports): The Liberty have been quietly stacking results since numerous absences caused a skid, with the reigning champs hosting an Indiana side hoping that another injury doesn't prevent their superstar guard from suiting up.
- No. 9 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 12 Dallas Wings, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Aces are still just outside of the playoff line, but an opportunity against a young Dallas team still finding their flow could see Las Vegas shift into contention.
The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx couldn't be stopped in their second straight game in the Windy City on Monday, answering their Saturday loss to Chicago with a 91-78 victory over the No. 10 Sky.
Despite a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double from Chicago forward Angel Reese — her ninth in a row — Minnesota prevailed behind double-digit performances from four Lynx starters, including a game-leading 29 points from 2025 MVP candidate Napheesa Collier.
Notably, Monday's win comes as the Lynx look to close a grueling stretch of schedule before the 2025 WNBA All-Star break.
Beginning with the July 1st Commissioner's Cup final, Minnesota has contested eight games — including two sets of back-to-back matchups — in the last two weeks alone.
"We're in the midst of one of the most illogical schedules in my 25 years of doing this," Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said this week. "Four out of five games at noon, two back-to-backs in there. It's illogical."
Considering the league leaders booked two of their four season losses in that stretch — last Wednesday's loss to the No. 2 Phoenix Mercury plus Saturday's stumble against the Sky — the jam-packed schedule raises questions about the subsequent fatigue and its impact.
Minnesota's not done yet, as they'll face Phoenix again on Wednesday — Minnesota's ninth game in 16 days.
Despite holding a three-game advantage over the Mercury, the Lynx will need to maintain Monday's momentum to keep pace, as Phoenix also started the week in the win column.
The Mercury took down the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries 78-77 on Monday, with new signee DeWanna Bonner playing difference-maker with a game-leading 22-point, 11-rebound performance off the bench in the tightly contested matchup.
How to watch the Phoenix Mercury vs. Minnesota Lynx this week
In their last game before the 2025 WNBA All-Star break, Minnesota will try to avenge their recent loss to Phoenix when the No. 1 Lynx host the No. 2 Mercury at 1 PM ET on Wednesday.
Live coverage of the game will air on WNBA League Pass.
Fresh off a banner win against the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx on Saturday, the No. 10 Chicago Sky have a shot at a second straight victory over the league leaders as this week's WNBA action tips off.
The upstart Sky handed the Lynx just their fourth loss of the 2025 season on Saturday, snagging the 87-81 victory behind guard Ariel Atkins's game-leading 27 points.
"Somebody said we aren't the best young core in the league — I think we're the best, for sure," Chicago forward Angel Reese said after notching her eighth-straight double-double in Saturday's win. "We do it every single night."
After suffering two of their four losses within the last week, Minnesota will be hunting redemption, as the Lynx faces both teams who bested them before the league breaks for the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend — starting with the Sky:
- No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 10 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET on Monday (WNBA League Pass): In front of another Chicago crowd, Minnesota will look to avenge their weekend loss and maintain their multi-game lead in the WNBA standings as the league races toward its midway point.
- No. 2 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, 10 PM ET on Monday (WNBA League Pass): Following an extended road trip, the Valkyries will tip off their first July home game on Monday, as the always-impressive Golden State crowd will try to boost them above the WNBA's No. 2 team.
A young Connecticut Sun team upended the WNBA on Wednesday, as the league's last-place squad defeated the No. 5 Seattle Storm 93-83, earning their third win of the 2025 season.
Veteran center Tina Charles — the WNBA's all-time top rebounder and second all-time scorer — led the Connecticut charge with a 29-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Also helping snap the Sun's 10-game losing streak were starters Jacy Sheldon, Bria Hartley, and Saniya Rivers, who added double-digits points of their own to top the tough, veteran-heavy Storm.
"It was great to see a collective team effort," Charles said after the game. "It wasn't just me. Everyone involved got this win for us."
Elsewhere on Wednesday, No. 7 Indiana failed to hold off the No. 6 Golden State Valkyries, falling 80-61 to the 2025 expansion side despite the return of Fever star Caitlin Clark to the court.
After hanging the No. 14 jersey of retired WNBA champion Allie Quigley in the rafters, the No. 10 Chicago Sky logged an 87-76 win over the No. 12 Dallas Wings, buoyed by Rebecca Allen's season-high 27 points off the bench.
Also stealing Wednesday headlines were the No. 2 Mercury, who chipped away at Minnesota's lead atop the WNBA standings, shrinking it to a three-game buffer with a 79-71 Phoenix victory — only the third Lynx loss this season.
Along with a career-high 29-point performance from forward Alyssa Thomas, the Mercury win also marked DeWanna Bonner's return to play, with the veteran forward putting up seven points and six rebounds off the bench after signing with Phoenix on Tuesday.
"Today, she got thrown into the fire, [she] didn't know everything. But she did the things she could control, which is playing defense and rebounding," said Thomas about Bonner. "It's scary to think we're not even full strength yet."
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese announced her first signature shoe in style on Wednesday, debuting the Reebok sneaker design as the cover star of the WNBA edition of NBA 2K26.
The 23-year-old is now the sixth WNBA player to grace an NBA 2K cover, as well as the second Sky player, joining league legend Candace Parker.
"To be cemented in NBA 2K history is a special honor that reflects not only my journey, but also all the veteran WNBA players who have paved the way before me and the growing impact of the league as a whole," Reese said in a statement.
Following in the recent footsteps of 2K25 star and reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, Reese posed for the popular video game cover in her new "Angel Reese 1" sneakers, effectively announcing both her shoe design and her NBA 2K collaboration with the game's Wednesday cover drop.
"Being on the cover of NBA 2K26 and debuting my first-ever signature shoe with Reebok on that cover, the Angel Reese 1, is more than a milestone — it's a statement," Reese said in a release. "It's about representation and showing young girls they can be confident, bold, and take up space unapologetically."
The WNBA sophomore forward also donned the "Diamond Dust" colorway during Chicago's 87-76 win over the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, showing the iridescent white sneakers in action.
Reese first partnered with Reebok in 2023, just before her senior season at LSU, with this week's reveal coming just over a month after the pair released a player edition shoe.
When her sneakers officially drop, Reese will become just the second WNBA player to have a Reebok signature shoe, joining legend Rebecca Lobo who paved the way in 1997.
How to purchase NBA 2K26 and the Angel Reese 1s
Though an on-sale date is still in the works, Reebok does plan to drop the Angel Reese 1s in 2026.
While NBA 2K26 will be release across gaming platforms on September 5th, the WNBA version will again be a limited physical edition of the game.
Fans can buy the WNBA Edition, featuring Reese, exclusively at GameStop on September 5th — though the gaming retailer's presale is on now.
Indiana star Caitlin Clark is officially back in action, making her return to the court in Wednesday's Fever clash with Golden State to mark her first WNBA minutes since June 24th.
While the No. 6 Valkyries took the 80-61 win on Wednesday, Clark was able to log 25 minutes as well as put up 10 points, six assists, and five rebounds in her return from injury.
Prior to this season, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year had not missed a game since her sophomore year of high school in 2017.
Wednesday's return capped a five-game stretch with Clark out with a groin strain — the most recent knock to the WNBA sophomore after a quad strain sidelined her for two weeks earlier this season.
"It's obviously hard sitting out and watching for a few weeks, so I'm excited to get out there," the guard told reporters on Tuesday.
While Indiana's loss did not impact their No. 7 spot on the league table, Wednesday's other major matchups could have deeper implications for the WNBA standings:
- No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 2 Phoenix Mercury, 3:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The WNBA's top two teams will square off Wednesday afternoon, as a steady Lynx team meets a rejuvenated Mercury hot off a revenge win over Dallas on Monday.
- No. 11 Dallas Wings vs. No. 12 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Young phenoms duke it out as the Sky honor 2021 WNBA champ and new retiree Allie Quigley — and hope to avenge Tuesday’s close loss to Washington by downing the Wings.
USA Basketball lifted the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup trophy on Sunday, taking down defending champions Brazil 92-84 to top the tournament's podium for the fifth time.
Pitting a roster of NCAA talent against Brazil pros like Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, Team USA battled back from a seven-point third-quarter deficit, then dominated the fourth quarter to send Brazil home with silver medals.
"What a performance by our team," said USA head coach Kara Lawson following the title win. "We knew it was going to be just a tough, physical game."
With 27 points in Sunday's championship game, guard Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt) set a USA AmeriCup scoring record en route to earning tournament MVP honors.
"This is my first time playing with USA Basketball, and to be able to cap it off with a win, a gold medal, and to play alongside such great players and great coaches, I couldn't ask for anything better," said Blakes.
After adding 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals in her 21 minutes off the bench on Sunday, guard Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame) joined Blakes in representing the USA on the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup All-Star roster.
Booking a spot on the tournament's All-Star second team was US guard Olivia Miles (TCU), whose 50 assists throughout the competition shattered the modern era's previous single-event record of 46.
Along with their gold medals, Sunday's win also gives the US automatic entry into the 2026 FIBA World Cup in Germany, where they'll look to snag a 12th overall and fifth consecutive world championship.