Coming off a series of strategic transactions, the No. 10 Washington Mystics will forge ahead on Friday night, taking on the short-staffed No. 6 Indiana Fever with a chance to play spoiler as they reshape their 2025 expectations from below the postseason cutoff line.
"There's just so many different success stories with this group," Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said following Washington's 88-83 loss to the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday.
The Mystics have lost five of their last six games, and will take the court on Friday without injured new addition Jacy Sheldon and starting center Shakira Austin.
While Washington exceeded this year's early-season projections — skyrocketing above the playoff line behind leading scorer Brittney Sykes and the dynamic rookie duo of Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron — the now-fading Mystics chose to shift gears at the trade deadline, sending Sykes to the No. 8 Seattle Storm and shipping second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards off to the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.
With their natural 2026 draft pick secured, Washington has a shot at adding a top first-round prospect should they play out the rest of the regular season at the bottom of the WNBA standings — in other words, by strategically tanking the final weeks of 2025 play.
On the other hand, the injury-laden Indiana enters Friday's action eyeing a win after falling to the No. 11 Dallas Wings by just one point on Tuesday.
How to watch the Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever on Friday
The No. 10 Mystics will take on the No. 6 Fever in Indianapolis at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on ION.
The roller-coaster sale of the Connecticut Sun has taken another turn, with Front Office Sports reporting Wednesday that three different buyers are currently in play to take over the WNBA team.
Alongside former Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca's previous $325 million bid to take the team to Boston, ex-Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry recently offered a matching bid to keep the squad closer to their Uncasville home with a move to nearby Hartford.
The NBA's Houston Rockets ownership has also entered the mix, with reports indicating that WNBA leadership would prefer the franchise relocate from New England to the Texas city.
Topping the sale price with an additional relocation fee could be the best way for a potential owner to separate themselves from the pack, as the relocation fee directly benefits the WNBA's front office.
Should the Rockets' ownership at least match the Boston and Hartford bids — plus ante up a relocation fee — a move to Houston could be a lock, particularly considering WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert dubbed the Texas hub as "up next" in the league's ongoing expansion process.
Ultimately, all signs point to the WNBA looking to align the sale of the Connecticut Sun with the league's overarching goals, leaving multiple fanbases — both existing and potential — stuck in limbo.
The No. 12 Chicago Sky are facing another failure to launch, as the 2021 WNBA champions struggle to navigate the second half of 2025 without injured star forward Angel Reese.
Reese has missed eight of the last nine Sky games due to a lingering back injury — and the WNBA sophomore will be out for the foreseeable future, with the Chicago Tribune reporting Wednesday that doctors have yet to clear her for basketball activities.
"For Angel, if she's healthy, she wants to play," said Chicago head coach Tyler Marsh. "We just don't want to put her in harm's way to further any existing injury."
Prior to injury, Reese was a bright spot on the Chicago lineup, averaging 14.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game while notching her first career triple-double in June.
With veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot out with a season-ending ACL tear and Reese unavailable in the home stretch for the second season in a row, Chicago suffered their ninth loss in 10 games on Wednesday, falling 71-62 to the last-place Connecticut Sun in a heated matchup that saw three players ejected.
Now riding an 8-24 record into the last month of regular-season play, the Sky are shifting to focus on the future with their 2025 campaign all but over.
The Sky swapped 2026 first-round draft picks with the Sun back in July 2024, giving them likely lottery positioning entering next season's WNBA draft.
However, Chicago then traded away their natural 2026 first-round pick to the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx in order to secure TCU alum Hailey Van Lith in the 2025 WNBA Draft, creating a non-zero chance that the league's top team will tip off next season with that year's No. 1 draft pick.
The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx are inching toward the clinch, closing in on booking a 2025 WNBA Playoffs spot after weekend victories over the No. 10 Washington Mystics and No. 2 New York Liberty extended the league leaders' winning streak to five straight games.
"We didn't make them feel uncomfortable, and they made us feel really uncomfortable," Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said of Minnesota's locked-in defense — fueled by recent addition DiJonai Carrington.
The top two teams in the WNBA standings will meet twice more in the next nine days, as both Minnesota and New York look to maintain their positioning while waiting for their MVP short-listers — Lynx star Napheesa Collier and Liberty standout Breanna Stewart — to return from injury.
As Minnesota widens the gap with just 12 games remaining before the 2025 Playoffs, last weekend's lineup saw other teams rise and fall as clock ticks down on 2025 play.
No. 8 Seattle experienced a precipitous drop, pulling level with the postseason cutoff line after two narrow weekend losses to the No. 6 Las Vegas Aces and No. 9 LA Sparks stretched the Storm's skid to five games.
Taking advantage of other teams' shortcomings, the previously struggling Aces are again climbing the standings, logging a four-game winning streak capped by forward A'ja Wilson's record-setting 32-point, 20-rebound Sunday performance.
How to watch the WNBA game on Monday
The WNBA's lone Monday matchup pits the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries against the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.
The East Coast vs. West Coast clash tips off at 10 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.
Thursday's WNBA trade deadline came and went with one final flurry of activity, as the No. 10 Washington Mystics leaned all the way into their rebuild by sending 2024 No. 6 draft pick Aaliyah Edwards to the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.
"Bringing Aaliyah to the Connecticut Sun is more than just a roster move.... Aaliyah is a transformational talent with the mindset and drive that aligns with our vision of building a championship culture," Sun GM Morgan Tuck said in a statement. "Aaliyah is the kind of person and player who can help redefine the future of this organization and we're ready to build that future together."
In return for Edwards, Connecticut sent 2024 No. 5 draft pick Jacy Sheldon to the Mystics, with Washington also receiving the right to a first-round pick swap in 2026 WNBA Draft in the trade deal.
The move follows a Tuesday trade in which the Mystics offloaded their leading scorer Brittney Sykes to the No. 6 Seattle Storm in return for forward Alysha Clark and a 2026 first-round draft pick.
While a few major midseason moves emerged this week, seven of the league's 13 teams decided to forego any trades, with No. 2 New York, No. 3 Atlanta, No. 4 Phoenix, No. 5 Indiana, No. 8 Golden State, No. 9 LA, and No. 11 Chicago holding their rosters steady in the final week of the transaction window.
The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury are keeping up with the Joneses, rattling off two straight wins against the No. 11 Chicago Sky and No. 13 Connecticut Sun to offset a series of midseason losses.
Phoenix's course-correction has revolved around a surging Alyssa Thomas, with veteran forward recording back-to-back triple-doubles this week.
Notably, this is the third time in her career that Thomas has hit two straight triple-doubles — a feat no other WNBA player has accomplished even once.
"AT's just legendary," Phoenix's Satou Sabally said of her star teammate. "You really have to be ready, and be in the game all the time with her. It keeps your brain on. She will make the right play."
The Mercury will have their work cut out for them on Thursday night, as they prepare to face a stepped-up opponent with revenge on the mind — and a directive to remain atop the WNBA standings:
- No. 3 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 11 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET (Prime): The Sky snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 78-64 win over No. 10 Washington on Tuesday, but they'll have their hands full against a deep Atlanta side as injured Chicago starter Angel Reese watches from the sideline.
- No. 13 Connecticut Sun vs. No. 9 Los Angeles Sparks, 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Sparks host the Sun with a big opportunity ahead, as Wednesday's Golden State loss to Las Vegas opens the door for LA to climb the table — should they continue their winning ways.
- No. 5 Indiana Fever vs. No. 4 Phoenix Mercury, 10 PM ET (Prime): The Fever bested the Mercury just last week, but Phoenix will aim to flip the script as Indiana once again hits the court without injured star Caitlin Clark.
The future remains uncertain for the Connecticut Sun, with sale reports surfacing Friday that Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca struck a deal with the Mohegan Tribe to purchase and move the team to Boston — though the WNBA might have other plans.
The WNBA Board of Governors has not approved the Connecticut Sun sale, valued at a reported $325 million.
"Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors, and not by individual teams," the league said in a statement, asserting final say.
Along with hosting Sun games at the Celtics' TD Garden, Pagliuca's offer includes building a $110 million dedicated practice facility — big upgrades from the team's current 9,000-seat arena and communal training center.
Having owned and operated the Sun since the team relocated from Orlando in 2003, the Mohegan Tribe began exploring a potential sale in May, while also promising to keep the team at Mohegan Sun through the 2026 season.
Per the Globe, the WNBA has the power to force a sale to a Connecticut buyer, speculating that the league is instead eyeing Boston as a 2033 expansion city.
Hartford mayor Arunan Arulampalam weighed in this week, telling media that he's working with a local investment group to keep the Sun in-state.
"We have a long history of women's basketball fandom here," he said. "It makes so much sense for them to play right here in Hartford."
With both valuations and expansion interest soaring, one-off deals could cloud the WNBA's vision — but an ownership tug-of-war can also take its toll.
"I know there's still uncertainty about the future, but our loyal fans, they're excited to be able to watch this team grow," said Connecticut Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti. "And if it ends up being our last year here, we're going to make sure we blow it out."
The Minnesota Lynx made headlines on Sunday, as the league leaders finalized a trade to acquire 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington from the No. 11 Dallas Wings.
In return for sending Carrington to Minnesota, Sunday's trade saw Dallas receive forward Diamond Miller, guard Karlie Samuelson, and a second-round pick in the 2027 draft.
Minnesota's move to secure Carrington comes in the wake of No. 2 New York successfully signing 2019 WNBA champion Emma Meesseman, with the Belgium international logging 11 points in her Liberty debut — an 87-78 win over the last-place Connecticut Sun on Sunday.
"She made the wrong choice," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said of Meesseman's decision, after the 2025 EuroBasket champ reportedly considered joining Minnesota for her WNBA return.
As for the Wings, Dallas now appears to be shifting gears.
After stocking up on veteran talent like Carrington and forward NaLyssa Smith during the offseason, this weekend's trade — alongside the Sunday waiving of veteran Wings center Teaira McCowan — has Dallas seemingly undertaking a more methodical, youth-focused rebuild around their 2025 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers.
In addition to this weekend's roster refresh, the Wings previously dealt Smith away to the No. 7 Las Vegas Aces earlier this summer, snagging a 2027 first-round draft pick in return.
Before grabbing top talent in 2027, however, Dallas could be on track to snag a second straight No. 1 pick, as the Wings are currently skidding toward a shot at securing the top 2026 draftee.
Wednesday's WNBA action brought the heat, as the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx took down the No. 2 New York Liberty 100-93 in the first 2024 WNBA Finals rematch of the 2025 season.
"Fans were excited to see this matchup, and I thought they were treated to a heck of a basketball game," Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said after the home win.
Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier and guard Kayla McBride played hero, putting up 30 and 24 points, respectively, to help lift the Lynx over injury-plagued New York — despite Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu's game-leading 31-point performance.
"It could have been anybody walking in here — we just weren't going to lose two home games in a row," echoed McBride, referencing Minnesota's upset loss to the No. 5 Atlanta Dream on Sunday.
The result leaves the Liberty skidding on a three-game losing streak while ballooning the Lynx's lead in the WNBA standings to five games.
The reigning champs did manage to hang onto the No. 2 spot, however, as the No. 3 Phoenix Mercury also fell on Wednesday, dropping 107-101 to No. 6 Indiana.
With the win, the Fever are now on a three-game winning streak, despite injured star Caitlin Clark looking on from the sideline.
The No. 5 Dream are also back in the win column with an 88-85 Wednesday victory over the No. 11 Dallas Wings, drawing level with the No. 4 Seattle Storm at 16-11 on the season.
How to watch the New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx this week
New York will aim to reset during their visit to the last-place Connecticut Sun at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, live on ION.
Elsewhere, Minnesota is gearing up to tip off against the No. 7 Las Vegas Aces at 3 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage on ABC.
While the last-place Connecticut Sun aren't exactly making a strong 2025 postseason run, they are playing spoiler, securing their fourth season victory in a 95-64 blowout win over a hungry No. 9 Golden State side on Sunday.
Eight-time All-Star Tina Charles — the WNBA's all-time top rebounder and second-best career scorer — led the game with 24 points, as the 36-year-old veteran continues to showcase her value.
"This season hasn't been the same as it always has for the Sun, but [fan] loyalty has really fueled us and we know that they're going to show up for us," said Connecticut guard Marina Mabrey after the win.
Monday's WNBA slate will see the Sun shoot for their first winning streak of the 2025 season, with Connecticut taking on a Seattle side they’ve humbled once already:
- No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 13 Connecticut Sun, 7 PM ET (ESPN3): The Storm is hunting consistency after splitting their last 10 games 5-5 — ceding ground in the WNBA standings — while the Sun aims to repeat their July 9th upset victory over Seattle.
- No. 2 New York Liberty vs. No. 12 Dallas Wings, 8 PM ET (ESPN): Injuries could impact Monday's showdown in Texas, as the Wings aim to benefit from a rested Paige Bueckers while the Liberty deal with a knock to star Breanna Stewart.
Higher ranked squads will always look to rebound, but Connecticut's trajectory proves that the underdogs can have their say on any given day.