A lot has happened in the WNBA over the last couple of weeks. From a 53-point performance and younger players stepping up in big ways to middle-tier teams figuring out ways to win, this season is not lacking entertainment, and it’s only continuing to heat up.
Here are a few teams we’ve seen leap, a couple who’ve been knocked down, and some surprising takeaways.
TEAMS ON THE RISE
Golden State Valkyries
In our last volume, Golden State sat at seventh in the standings. A jump to third might seem astronomical — and it is — but it’s also deserved. The Valkyries undoubtedly had the toughest six-game stretch over the last two weeks. They battled Dallas, Minnesota, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and New York — all the top teams in the WNBA standings. Walking away from that stretch with a 4-2 record and on a three-game winning streak is commendable.
Last week, they won both back-to-back games against the Dream — thanks to top-notch performances from Gabby Williams. The first matchup was much more of a masterclass; Williams finished the night with 23 points, five assists and five rebounds. The whole team was lethal from 3-point land, shooting 47 percent to Atlanta’s 22 percent. The second matchup showed us more grittiness from the Valkyries. Williams scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to will the team to a 78-75 victory. Kiah Stokes also put up an impressive seven blocks in the second matchup.
Last night, Golden State took on the New York Liberty. They went on an 11-point run to close out the second quarter, and the Liberty were never able to regain the lead, leading to a 76-67 win. The bench helped in this one, with Kaila Charles recording 13 points and Janelle Salaun putting up 10 points and four rebounds.
Their defense has been on point, with their offensive weapons showing up and the bench putting in work as well. Right now, it really seems like Golden State is figuring it out. Next, they will face the Atlanta Dream again, in hopes of getting the season series sweep.
Washington Mystics
The Mystics have surged a bit in our rankings, as well. Last time, they were sitting in eleventh, but after a few impressive wins, they find themselves in eighth. Washington is another team with a tough schedule ahead of them during our last rankings drop. We saw them deliver incredible performances and secure wins over two of the top teams in the league, the Liberty and the Lynx.
The dynamic duo of Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron scored 15+ points in both of those matchups. Iriafen’s frontcourt partner, Shakira Austin, has been putting in strong defensive efforts; She recorded eight rebounds, three steals, and one block against the Lynx. Cotie McMahon put on a great performance off the bench against Minnesota, as well. She closed the night with 15 points and five assists — contributing to Washington’s late 12-0 run that secured the victory.
Perhaps the most impressive performance by the Mystics came against the Portland Fire. There was a lot of basketball to analyze as we got a whole extra half of play with the game going to four overtimes — only the second game in WNBA history to do so. Washington was able to clinch the victory, thanks to Iriafen, Citron, and Michaela Onyenwere. They scored 27, 32, and 30 points, respectively, to go along with Austin’s 13 rebounds and six assists.
While this team still has areas for improvement, like its ability to close out tight games, we’ve also seen their determination and a jump in production this week. This is a team we will undoubtedly see fighting for one of those final playoff spots in a couple of months.
TEAMS ON THE DECLINE
Atlanta Dream
With the rise of the Valkyries came the decline of the Dream. They started these two weeks strong with back-to-back victories over the Indiana Fever. These were full team performances as each starter scored in the double-digits in both matchups. Things then fell apart in their back-to-back losses to the Valkyries.
Against Golden State, they shot a combined 36 percent from the field, 26.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. Naz Hillmon only scored two points in each matchup, while Rhyne Howard only put up a combined 21 over both. While they were able to win the first three quarters of the second matchup, they struggled to close things out defensively, allowing Golden State to go on a 13-0 run.
The struggles continued as they were handed a 105-90 loss by the Seattle Storm. In their defense, the game in Seattle was the very next night after their second loss to the Valkyries — these players had to have been exhausted. And, I’m sure they were hoping this would be an easy bounce-back game, but it just simply wasn’t. The Storm put on a stellar offensive performance, while the Dream struggled defensively. Despite strong performances from Allisha Gray, Angel Reese and Howard, they couldn’t get much production from their bench. They have the chance to not only bounce back, but also get some revenge against the Valkyries in their next matchup.
Los Angeles Sparks
To put it frankly, the Sparks have had a historically bad week defensively. After their biggest win of the season against the New York Liberty, which ended in a stunning Nneka Ogwumike game-winning 3-ball, fans thought maybe the team would turn the season around. Unfortunately, in the two games following that win, Los Angeles became the first WNBA team in history to allow 110+ points in consecutive games.
Kelsey Plum is currently injured, which obviously hinders this team a bit, but it’s not like the offensive production hasn’t been there during these two matchups. They have put up 97 and 87 points, respectively. Those numbers would likely get you a win, or very close to it, if your defense was active; unfortunately, that’s the Sparks’ biggest problem right now. This is not necessarily a new problem for this team, either. Last season, one of their biggest issues was their defense — and it was believed that Nneka Ogwumike would be the changing factor. But unfortunately, there just has not been an answer for it, leaving them struggling record-wise.
SURPRISING TAKEAWAYS
Toronto Tempo
While the Tempo have stayed put at ninth in our rankings, they’ve had a couple of great and surprising performances this week. After this team lost Brittney Sykes and Kiki Rice to injury, it could’ve been easy to give up — but if one person isn’t going to let that happen, it’s Marina Mabrey, as she’s shown this week.
First, against Connecticut, Toronto found itself in a familiar position — fighting back from a double-digit deficit. Mabrey put up 21 points in the fourth quarter, single-handedly guiding the Tempo to a 101-97 victory. She finished the night with a new career-high 37 points, including a league-record-tying nine 3-pointers. That career-high didn’t last very long. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that just two games later, Mabrey put up an unbelievable 53-point performance against the Los Angeles Sparks — tying the league record for most points in a game. She drained nine 3-pointers yet again. The Tempo took full advantage of the Sparks’ struggling defense, put on an offensive masterclass, and finished the night with 125 points — a new league record.
In between Mabrey’s unearthly performances, the Tempo suffered a tough loss to Atlanta, where they weren’t able to overcome a 15-point first-quarter deficit despite winning the final three quarters. Looking at this team’s current record, and taking into account they haven’t had a fully healthy team all season, you have to be surprised. Of course, there’s a lot of thanks to Mabrey, but her supporting cast is seemingly figuring things out. There’s been a lot of focus on those players being able to stay in games without forcing Mabrey to play hero in the fourth quarter. Once Sykes and Rice come back, we could see a much more dangerous team.
Seattle Storm
Last, but certainly not least, we have to talk about what’s happening in Seattle. After an 11-game losing streak, the Storm have won their last two matchups, and these wins came against two unlikely opponents: the New York Liberty and the Atlanta Dream. The pieces are starting to fit together in Seattle. It might be too late to be a real playoff contender this season, but trust that this young Storm team will be a real problem in the next couple of seasons.
Natisha Hiedeman is having a career year and is taking her role as the veteran seriously. It also has to help that her supporting cast, while very young, is figuring things out quickly. Dominique Malonga is averaging 24.3 points and 11 rebounds per game over their last three matchups. Her frontcourt partner, Awa Fam, is also fitting right in. She’s averaging 18 points per game and proving she can drain it from distance, making 11 threes over their last three games. Flau’Jae Johnson is another difference-maker; she put up 20+ point performances in their two recent wins. Keep an eye on Seattle in the coming weeks, as it tries to turn its season around.
