The No. 9 Golden State Valkyries emerged as the WNBA's big winners on Tuesday night, with the 2025 expansion side shaking off a tough Sunday loss to the last-place Connecticut Sun with a 77-75 win over the No. 5 Atlanta Dream.
Golden State forward Cecilia Zandalasini scored a team-leading 18 points off the bench — including the game-winner — as Golden State built up a 30-point third quarter to narrowly hang onto the lead.
"We were talking about resilience, so it felt really good, especially on the road," starting guard Tiffany Hayes said after the win.
While Golden State secured momentum with the upset win, Tuesday's result wasn't quite enough to catapult the Valkyries over the postseason cutoff line.
Both the No. 7 Las Vegas Aces and the No. 8 Washington Mystics held fast to their playoff positions with Tuesday victories over No. 10 LA and No. 12 Chicago, respectively — denying both the Sparks and the Sky any headway in pushing out of their current lottery slots.
LA did see some upside in forward Cam Brink's return from injury, with the 2024 No. 2 draft pick contributing five points and three rebounds in her limited 14-minute performance.
With such parity, any WNBA team — including Golden State — can make a run up the 2025 table, so long as the squads at the top cede any ground.
Second-year LA Sparks forward Cameron Brink is gearing up to make her long-awaited return on Tuesday night, stepping back on the WNBA court after missing more than a year of action due to a June 2024 ACL tear.
Brink's return couldn't come at a better time for LA, as the Sparks continue to take serious aim at a postseason run after rattling off five wins in a row.
The 2024 No. 2 overall draftee will likely be on a minutes restriction as she works her way back into full-game fitness, with the Sparks easing her in during their Tuesday matchup against Las Vegas.
"It means the world," Brink told the Long Beach Press Telegram about her WNBA return earlier this week. "I'm just very excited, very humbled by this experience. It's no easy thing to come back from."
Brink's comeback will close out a trio of WNBA games on Tuesday:
- No. 9 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): After a hot start, the Valkyries slid into a free-fall, leaving Golden State hoping to improve on their 2-6 July record against a gelling Dream side.
- No. 12 Chicago Sky vs. No. 8 Washington Mystics, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The young Mystics are currently clinging onto the final playoff spot, with a chance to push ahead against the injury-ridden Sky.
- No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 10 Los Angeles Sparks, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks are the shiniest team in the WNBA right now, but they'll have their work cut out against an Aces team desperate to bust out of the mid-table doldrums.
The top WNBA titans showed some weakness this weekend, as both the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx and No. 2 New York Liberty suffered unexpected upset losses at home.
First on Saturday, the No. 10 LA Sparks staged a 101-99 upset win over reigning WNBA champions New York, notching their fifth straight victory thanks to a dramatic buzzer-beater from guard Rickea Jackson.
Liberty standout Sabrina Ionescu led the game with 30 points, stepping up in the loss after star Breanna Stewart exited with a leg injury less than four minutes into the game.
Similarly, despite perennial MVP candidate Napheesa Collier putting Minnesota on her back with a 32-point performance on Sunday, the league-leading Lynx couldn't contain the No. 4 Atlanta Dream, falling 90-86 in their first home loss of the season.
The win helped the Dream shoot up the WNBA standings, overtaking fourth place from the Seattle Storm, whose 69-58 Saturday loss to the No. 8 Washington Mystics sent them stumbling into the No. 5 spot.
The No. 7 Las Vegas Aces have also been pushing, leapfrogging the Mystics with a 106-80 win over the No. 12 Dallas Wings on Sunday.
"One of the toughest things is going through hard things and remaining optimistic and positive," Aces head coach Becky Hammon said of her team's battle-ready mindset. "My main focus was just to keep everybody upbeat."
While multiple squads have consistently impressed this season, no single team has remained unanswered above the rest — a nod to the league's growing depth and subsequent parity.
The final WNBA team returning to regular-season action from the 2025 All-Star weekend hits the court on Friday night, when the Golden State Valkyries resume their quest to become the first expansion side to make the playoffs in their debut season.
Entering the WNBA All-Star break on a three-game losing skid, No. 9 Golden State will shoot to regain momentum with games against No. 12 Dallas and No. 13 Connecticut this weekend.
The weekend action features tight clashes across the WNBA standings, with serious positioning implications on the line:
- No. 3 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 2 New York Liberty, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Both the Mercury and Liberty are getting healthy, with Phoenix aiming to curb a two-game losing streak during their visit to a surging New York.
- No. 12 Dallas Wings vs. No. 9 Golden State Valkyries, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): It's a youth-fueled battle as the quick-start Valkyries attempt to re-enter the win column against the young and hungry Wings.
- No. 4 Seattle Storm vs. No. 8 Washington Mystics, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The up-and-down Mystics look to prove they can hang with some of the best as they host perennial playoff contenders Seattle.
- No. 5 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Sunday at 7 PM ET (NBA TV): Following a turbulent July, Atlanta faces a tough test of their resilience in Sunday's clash with the league-leading Lynx.
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 is back in the saddle on Tuesday, as the league tips off the second half of the 2025 regular season with a stacked five-game slate while the dust settles on All-Star Weekend.
The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx and No. 2 New York Liberty will both take the court, though even tighter competition will spotlight teams crowding the middle of the WNBA standings.
After a few days of fun in Indianapolis, Tuesday's top matchups will test just how well players can return their focus back to the postseason push:
- No. 10 LA Sparks vs. No. 7 Washington Mystics, 7:30 PM ET (ESPN3): In what could be one of the closest games of the evening, two young teams will jockey for positioning as serious playoff contenders — but the Mystics have additionally motivation as they look to avenge last week's 99-80 loss to LA.
- No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 2 New York Liberty, 8 PM ET (ESPN): With injured superstar Caitlin Clark stuck on the sideline, the Fever will take on a surging New York side armed with a revamped roster.
- No. 5 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, 10 PM ET (ESPN): Here come the Aces, as Las Vegas hunts their third straight win against an Atlanta team struggling to hold off fellow top-ranked squads.
The clock is ticking for WNBA teams entering the dog days of summer, when tough clashes will separate the 2025 contenders from the pretenders as the season's second half races toward the playoffs.
Team Clark has youth on their side this weekend, with Mystics rookie Sonia Citron gearing up to hit Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star court alongside Washington teammate and fellow 2025 draft pick Kiki Iriafen.
"I was not expecting this at all," Citron told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie on Between the Lines last week, referencing her surprise All-Star call-up. "I'm still in shock. I don't really think it's hit me yet."
"We're young, we've got a bunch of shooters, a little bit of everything" she said of Team Clark's lineup.
Saturday's game isn't Citron's only assignment this weekend, with the All-Star debutant also set to compete in Friday's 3-Point Contest.
The Mystics are on the rise this year, exceeding season expectations behind first-year firepower to send three players in Citron, Iriafen, and Washington's scoring leader Brittney Sykes to the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.
Citron is currently averaging five rebounds and 14 points per game — trailing only Sykes's 17 points per game on Washington's stat sheet. Her rookie campaign has her shooting 45% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc.
Fellow first-year Iriafen is also impressing, leading the Mystics with 8.5 rebounds per game as well as sinking nearly 12 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.
"[The rookies] have really played a key piece in our success this season with us being so young, but also them being so adaptable," second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards told Leslie in an earlier episode. "And they're runners for Rookie of the Year, so why not only have one when you can have two? I'm just loving it."
How to attend a live taping of "Between the Lines"
Just Women's Sports is taking over Indianapolis with multi-faceted activations for the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend — including a live recording of Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie.
Featuring interviews with Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), and Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever), the exclusive podcast taping will occur at 110 S Pennsylvania Street at 3 PM ET on Saturday.
Tuesday's WNBA tilts feature a season-first clash between two young pro cores, as the No. 11 LA Sparks host the No. 7 Washington Mystics in the teams' last tilt before the 2025 All-Star break.
While Washington is a consistent presence above the playoff line in this season's standings — thanks in large part to the Mystics' two All-Star rookies, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — LA is still finding their way.
Led by champion veterans Kelsey Plum and Azurá Stevens, the Sparks' roster includes youthful talent like forward Rickea Jackson and rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, with this month's return of guard Rae Burrell from injury also boosting the young LA lineup.
"She's just the energizer bunny," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said of Burrell. "She puts pressure on the defense. I feel like she's getting in a groove."
Even more, the Sparks are eyeing the return of their 2024 No. 2 overall draftee Cameron Brink, with the forward inching close to competitive play just over a year after an ACL tear ended her rookie campaign.
Currently sitting in a lottery position, LA will aim to dig out a win — and some much-needed midseason momentum — in their last game before the All-Star break:
- No. 7 Washington Mystics vs. No. 11 Los Angeles Sparks, Tuesday at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Fresh off a Sunday victory over the No. 13 Connecticut Sun, the Sparks will look to claim their first back-to-back home wins this season when they try to upend a Mystics side that's comfortable playing in the clutch.
- No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 13 Connecticut Sun, Tuesday at 8 PM ET (ESPN): The Fever are on a roll, hoping to tack on a third-straight win as they eye a deep post-All-Star run.
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu will battle in her second WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest in Indianapolis on Friday, with the reigning league champion confirming her participation to the New York Post on Sunday.
Ionescu won the 2023 event in her debut attempt — and did so in record-breaking fashion.
Sinking 25 of her 27 shots, Ionescu recorded 37 out of 40 possible points in the 2023 WNBA 3-Point Contest's final round, shattering the single-round record for both the WNBA and the NBA.
Three-time 3-Point Contest winner and new Chicago Sky retiree Allie Quigley previously held the mark, sinking 30 out of 40 points in 2022.
Joining Ionescu — the WNBA's single-season three-point record-holder — in the 2025 edition of the contest is Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron, creating a full-circle moment for the rookie All-Star.
"Growing up, I loved Sabrina … I love her game, she does it all," Citron told basketball legend Lisa Leslie on the Between the Lines podcast last week. "She really makes your life hard as a defender. That's what I want to do when I'm playing."
While Ionescu and Citron are currently the only confirmed participants in the 3-Point Contest, other sharpshooters — including Indiana Fever star and WNBA All-Star captain Caitlin Clark — are expected to add their names before the event begins on Friday.
With $60,000 on the line for the competition's victor — a figure more than 23 times the $2,575 league bonus each athlete will earn for playing in Saturday's 2025 All-Star Game — Friday's contest will see the most lucrative shots the winner will take all WNBA season.
How to watch the 2025 WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest
Along with the 2025 WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge, the 3-Point Contest will take the Indianapolis court at 8 PM ET on Friday, with both competitions airing live on ESPN.
The WNBA underdogs refuse to go away, as teams battling in the middle of the league standings scored big wins over the weekend.
On a roll with three consecutive wins, a young Washington Mystics team are standing their ground at in seventh place on the league table.
Far from simply stealing wins against lottery teams, the Mystics booked their third straight victory on Sunday, handing the No. 4 Seattle Storm a 74-69 loss.
"We just rely on our daily habits… we play for each other," said Washington forward Aaliyah Edwards afterwards.
The Mystics weren't the only WNBA underdogs to impress this weekend: The Indiana Fever rattled off two straight wins in a push to sixth place, taking an impressive 99-82 result over the No. 5 Atlanta Dream on Friday before downing the No. 12 Dallas Wings 102-83 on Sunday.
"I thought I was just a really good floor general tonight, and I think that's something I can be more proud of than making shots," Indiana guard Caitlin Clark told ESPN following Friday's tilt.
Reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson also saw a triumphant weekend return, notching a 34-point, 16-rebound double-double in the No. 9 Las Vegas Aces's 104-102 win over the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries on Saturday after sitting out last week with a wrist injury.
Guard Jackie Young also contributed 30 points to the Aces victory, though Las Vegas still sits just outside of playoff contention with one game left before this weekend's 2025 WNBA All-Star break.
For many teams in the middle of the WNBA standings, momentum has been hard to come by — but last weekend's outcomes reinforced that, in this league, any team can win any game.