Locked up in a mid-table traffic jam with 9-10 season records alongside the No. 7 Indiana Fever, the No. 8 Washington Mystics and No. 9 Las Vegas Aces will aim to break their WNBA standings tie during their Thursday night clash.
With both teams currently hugging the league's playoff line, the Aces and Mystics are on very different trajectories as the 2025 WNBA season nears its halfway point.
Just two years removed from earning back-to-back championships, Las Vegas has struggled to create a foothold in the 2025 standings — a task that seems even more difficult with 2024 MVP A'ja Wilson's recent wrist injury, with her likely absence looming large over Thursday's matchup.
On the other hand, Washington appears to be surging ahead of schedule, as a pair of All-Star rookies are exceeding expectations as the Mystics continue their controlled rebuild.
In Thursday's other game, No. 1 Minnesota will look to right the ship as their West Coast road trip continues:
- No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 11 LA Sparks, 3 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): There's no rest for the league leaders after a disappointing loss to No. 2 Phoenix on Wednesday, with the Lynx facing a grueling back-to-back tilt against the Sparks in LA.
- No. 9 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Washington Mystics, 7:30 PM ET (Prime): With playoff spots on the line, Las Vegas will want to prove their quality against a Washington team taking everything one game at a time.
Another round of upsets tore through the WNBA over the long weekend, with the youth-powered No. 11 Dallas Wings grabbing headlines behind Thursday's 98-89 win over the No. 2 Phoenix Mercury.
With injured Dallas stars DiJonai Carrington and Arike Ogunbowale forced to watch from the sidelines, four Wings rookies started Thursday's matchup — the most first-year starters on any WNBA team since 2000.
The team's young core stepped up and shined, with Aziaha James, Paige Bueckers, and JJ Quinerly combining for 68 points to outlast Phoenix forward Kahleah Copper's game-leading 33-point performance.
"The rookies were fantastic," Copper said afterwards. "They came out with no fear, as you should. They played free, they played aggressive, and they showed what they could do."
While the Mercury's two-game losing streak has yet to impact their spot in the current WNBA standings, it did widen the gap at the top of the table.
Phoenix's stumble gave No. 1 Minnesota a 4.5-game lead over the field, with the Lynx ending the weekend on a 3-0 run to avenge last Tuesday's WNBA Commissioner's Cup loss.
Also climbing the ranks was the No. 4 Seattle Storm, who downed both No. 5 Atlanta and No. 3 New York to pull within a half-game of the skidding Liberty.
As for the 2025 Commissioner's Cup champs, No. 7 Indiana opened their long weekend slate with a massive 81-54 Thursday win against No. 8 Las Vegas — the Fever's first victory over the Aces since 2019 — before narrowly falling 89-87 to the No. 10 LA Sparks on Saturday.
How to watch the Dallas Wings vs. Phoenix Mercury WNBA game
After falling on the road to Dallas last Thursday, Phoenix will hope Monday's home-court advantage will snap their two-loss streak as they try their luck against Wings again at 10 PM ET.
The rematch will air live on WNBA League Pass.
The Indiana Fever waived their splashiest offseason signing, two-time WNBA champion DeWanna Bonner, at her request on Wednesday.
The the 37-year-old missed the last five games due to personal reasons, with recent reports alluding to the six-time All-Star's desire to sever her Fever contract.
"Despite our shared goals and excitement heading into the season, I felt the fit did not work out and I appreciate the organization's willingness to grant my request to move on, particularly at this point in my career," Bonner said in a statement.
After bringing on key additions like Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham, the Fever were projected to take a serious leap forward under new Indiana head coach Stephanie White this season.
Unfortunately, Indiana has encountered multiple snags, with franchise player Caitlin Clark sidelined for weeks with a quad strain while White missed several games for personal reasons.
The Fever currently sit eighth in the WNBA standings with a 7-7 record, as Clark battles through a slump that saw her average just 26.5% from the field in her last three games.
She'll ride the bench again on Thursday night, as the superstar guard manages a groin injury.
To fill the gaps, Indiana signed Aari McDonald to a rest-of-season contract this week, rewarding the point guard for her strong performances in Clark's absence.
As for Bonner, she has 48 hours to clear the waiver wire, as some reports link her to a veteran minimum contract with the Phoenix Mercury for the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season.
How to watch the Indiana Fever in Thursday's WNBA lineup
The Indiana Fever will try to turn things around against the LA Sparks at 7 PM ET on Thursday night.
Live coverage of the game will air on Prime.
The WNBA proved that any team can win on any day on Tuesday night, when all four games ended in underdog upsets, rattling the league standings.
While No. 12 Dallas quieted No. 4 Atlanta 68-55, Chicago was swapping spots with now-No. 11 LA, as the Sky snapped a three-game skid with a 97-86 win over the Sparks to claim 10th place on the table.
At the same time, Washington inched up from No. 9 to No. 8 by handing the league-leading Lynx a 68-64 defeat — just the second loss suffered by Minnesota this season.
The Indiana Fever also claimed a one-spot rise to No. 7 after snapping a two-game losing streak with a 94-86 defeat of No. 5 Seattle.
Bigs lead the charge in Tuesday's WNBA upsets
The overall stars of Tuesday's show were the bigs, as Indiana center Aliyah Boston put up 31 points, Chicago center Kamilla Cardoso recorded 27 points, and Minnesota center Alanna Smith dropped 26 of her own.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell matched Boston's efforts with her own 26-point showing, as the pair helped Indiana overcome forward DeWanna Bonner's now-permanent absence from the team, as well as another off-night from Caitlin Clark.
Led by Arike Ogunbowale's 21 points, Dallas benefitted from an unexpectedly shaky Atlanta side that shot just 23.4% from the field — the Dream's lowest shooting performance in franchise history and the worst single-game showing league-wide since 2010.
After starting the 2025 WNBA season 1-11, the Wings have now won three of their last four games.
The Mystics also came to play, edging out the once-unbeatable Lynx in a defensive battle that saw center Shakira Austin lead Washington with 19 points while Minnesota mainstay Napheesa Collier rode the bench due to lower back stiffness.
Meanwhile, with 11 points with 11 rebounds on the night, Washington rookie Kiki Iriafen claimed her fifth career double-double — more than the rest of the WNBA's Class of 2025 combined.
How to watch Wednesday's WNBA action
Wednesday's late-night, two-game bill provides yet another chance to shake up the WNBA standings.
With both matchups tipping off at 10 PM ET, the ailing New York Liberty will visit the rising Golden State Valkyries, airing on WNBA League Pass, while the last-place Connecticut Sun take on the up-and-down Las Vegas Aces on NBA TV.
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.
The Seattle Storm shot to the top of the Western Conference standings in the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup race on Wednesday, taking the lead after handing the Minnesota Lynx their first loss of the season.
Forward Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double, with new Seattle signing Erica Wheeler adding 20 points and nine assists to help blank the 25-point, nine-rebound performance put up by Minnesota star Napheesa Collier.
"If you want to win on the road, especially a place like Seattle and a team like Seattle, you've got to play a hell of a lot better," said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve following the 94-84 loss.
Currently sitting level with the Lynx with a 3-1 Cup record, Wednesday's victory gives Seattle the head-to-head advantage in the in-season competition.
With a $500,000 prize pool on the line — including $5,000 for each player in the July 1st title game — the annual 36-game contest raises the early-season stakes.
Even more, each game in the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup carries double the impact, counting toward both regular-season and Cup records.
Due to Minnesota's loss, the reigning champion New York Liberty now stand alone as the WNBA's only undefeated team in both regular-season and Commissioner's Cup play, holding a 3-0 Cup record alongside a steep +75 point differential.
Bueckers scores career-high in return to Dallas
Scoring a massive individual win on Wednesday was Dallas rookie Paige Bueckers, who put up a career-high 35 points in her return to action.
However, the 2025 No. 1 draft pick's stellar night failed to lift the Wings over the Phoenix Mercury, whose 93-80 victory gave last-place Dallas a 1-10 regular-season record while falling to 0-4 in Cup play.
Bueckers will next go toe-to-toe with Aces guard Jackie Young on Friday, as the 2019 top draft pick comes off her own 34-point performance in Wednesday's 97-89 Las Vegas loss to the LA Sparks.
The LA win marked the second straight Las Vegas stumble, sending the Aces skidding to a 4-4 regular-season tally and a 1-2 Cup record.
With plenty of runway remaining, teams will look to climb the ranks before 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup play winds down on June 17th.
How to watch WNBA Commissioner's Cup games this week
With two games on tap, WNBA play returns to action on Friday, beginning with the third-place Atlanta Dream hosting a Chicago Sky team still hunting their first Commissioner's Cup win at 7:30 PM ET.
Then at 10 PM ET, Bueckers and the Dallas Wings will tip off against Young and the Aces in Las Vegas.
Both Friday WNBA games will air live on ION.
The Golden State Valkyries are flying high, following up last weekend's blowout win over the Las Vegas Aces with an 89-81 overtime victory against the LA Sparks on Monday, pushing the 2025 expansion side to an early season record of 4-5.
Five Valkyries scored in the double digits on Monday night, with forward Janelle Salaün's team-leading 21 points contributing to the team's 11-3 overtime advantage.
The first-ever WNBA team to average more than 18,000 fans through their first three home games, Golden State has already made an outsized mark on league culture — but the Valks' on-court product is also trending ahead of schedule.
"We could tell in both the third and fourth quarter, they had each others back," head coach Natalie Nakase said after the win. "That's what we’re trying to do. We got to continue to rely on each other and hold each other accountable, so that was really cool to see."
Monday's results boosted Golden State to eighth place in the WNBA standings, while a skidding 10th-place Los Angeles side struggles to find their form.
Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, who led LA with 24 points on Monday night, expressed her frustration with the game's officials, saying "I'm going to get fined for saying this… they're fouling the s—t out of me every single play."
How to watch upcoming WNBA games
While Golden State doesn't return to the court until Saturday, the Valkyries' last two victims — the Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks — will square off at 10 PM ET on Wednesday, with live coverage airing on CBS Sports.
WNBA action posed as many questions as answers last weekend, as perennial contenders like the Las Vegas Aces reckon with new challenges while rosters continue to gel.
The 2023 champions suffered a surprise 95-68 blowout loss to expansion side Golden State on Saturday, with the Valkyries stifling Las Vegas's star-studded offense.
Only two starting Aces cracked double-digit scoring: Reigning MVP A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray put up 17 and 16 points, respectively, though 2025 second-round draftee Aaliyah Nye impressed off the bench by adding 13 of her own.
Golden State, on the other hand, had a banner afternoon with three double-doubles among the Valkyries' five double-digit performers, led by forward Kayla Thornton's 22-point, 11-rebound outing.
"They outplayed us in every aspect of the game," said Aces head coach Becky Hammon after the loss. "Just really one of the worst games I've seen from us."
Gap widens between 2024 finalists and rest of the WNBA
Currently in fifth place in the WNBA standings, Las Vegas isn't the only team still searching for an identity in the 2025 season, as a clear divide is widening at the top of the league.
The still-undefeated 2024 WNBA finalists — the Minnesota Lynx and reigning champion New York Liberty — lead the pack by a growing margin, as the third-place Atlanta Dream sit a full three games behind the league leaders less than four weeks into the 2025 season.
Along with Las Vegas, the Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm, and Indiana Fever are all hanging tough with records at .500 or higher, though none are riding more than a two-game winning streak.
Despite setting a franchise attendance record of 19,496 fans at Chicago's famed United Center on Saturday, the Sky fell to an injury-laden Fever squad 79-52 to remain in 11th place in the standings.
Also struggling at the bottom of the table are the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings. Along with the Sky, the WNBA weekend action has the trailing trio sitting multiple games below the 2025 playoff line.
How to watch Monday's WNBA action
Hoping to harness the momentum of their massive Saturday win, Golden State will travel to LA to take on the Sparks at 10 PM ET on Monday.
The game will stream live on WNBA League Pass.
Hoping to flip the script on their 2025 WNBA season, the Chicago Sky will take on the Indiana Fever for the second time this year in a history-making primetime CBS matchup on Saturday.
Looking to avenge their 35-point season-opening loss to Indiana, the Sky will host the Fever in Chicago's famed United Center for the first time in WNBA history.
As for the Fever, they'll aim for a second Sky defeat without star guard Caitlin Clark, who is still day-to-day with a quad injury.
With the bulk of the league chasing just five teams currently sitting above .500 in the early standings, the Sky aren't the only WNBA team looking to make up ground this weekend:
- LA Sparks vs. Dallas Wings, Friday at 9:30 PM ET (ION): Both young squads will look to snap a three-game losing streak and steal some positive momentum on Friday night — though the Wings will have to do so without 2025 No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers, who is still in concussion protocol.
- Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky, Saturday at 8 PM ET (CBS): On a two-game winning streak, the Sky have a chance to even the score against the Fever — and do so in the arena that Michael Jordan made famous.
- Seattle Storm vs. Phoenix Mercury, Saturday at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The 4-4 Storm will attempt to make a statement against a Mercury side that is still finding ways to win, despite a number of sidelined stars.
Though early top performers are leading the 2025 WNBA season charge, there's a lot of room in the middle of the standings for teams to make a statement.
While the undefeated New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx look down from the top, Phoenix and Atlanta are shaping up to be the early season's biggest players, as the No. 3 Mercury and No. 4 Dream continue to climb the 2025 WNBA standings.
The Mercury topped the skidding LA Sparks 85-80 on Sunday to reach 5-2 on the season, while the Dream secured their own 5-2 record after Friday's 94-87 win over the Seattle Storm.
Atlanta and Phoenix made some of league's boldest offseason moves this year, as Mercury legend Brittney Griner joined the Dream in free agency while Phoenix picked up top talent in forwards Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally.
With Thomas nursing an injury, Sabally led Phoenix over LA behind a team-high 24 points on Sunday.
Griner's 15-point, eight-rebound performance helped Atlanta quiet the Dallas Wings 83-75 on May 24th, before established stars Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard combined for 61 points against Seattle.
Meanwhile at the bottom of the table, the Connecticut Sun registered their first victory of the 2025 season on Friday, edging out the injury-laden Indiana Fever to become the final WNBA team to enter the win column this season.
The Sun, however, came crashing back to Earth on Sunday, falling to the reigning champion Liberty by a steep 48-point margin on the first day of Commissioner's Cup play.
How to watch WNBA games this week
The Mercury are back in action in a road match against the Lynx at 8 PM ET on Tuesday, airing live on ESPN3.
Following a full week of rest, the Dream will travel to Connecticut to take on the Sun at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on ION.