Written By: Danny Williams
Twitter: danny_w22

(Seattle, WA) – It wasn’t pretty, but the Seattle Storm (8-31) found a way to pull out the victory over the Toronto Tempo (11-27), 90-78. A 46-37 second-half showing from Seattle propelled it to victory after a lack-luster first half which saw it shoot just 40%. The Storm were without starting point guard Natisha Hiedeman, but Zia Cooke and Jade Melbourne combined for 26 points in her absence.

Flau’jae Johnson led the team in scoring with 20 points (9-15 FG), her second-straight 20-point performance. Johnson also becomes just the second Storm rookie to score over 500 points in their rookie season, joining Storm legend Breanna Stewart as the only other player in franchise history to accomplish the feat.

Dominique Malonga scored 18 points (9-19 FG) and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Melbourne contributed 16 points (5-10 FG) and grabbed six rebounds and dished out a game-high seven assists. Off the bench, Awa Fam and Zia Cooke both scored 10 points while Katie Lou Samuelson added eight points and hit two three-pointers. The Storm outscored the Tempo 30-11 in bench points.

“I thought Zia made a heap of big plays tonight which was really cool, but it’s a collective effort, we’re 1-12 deep, so when [the bench] comes in we’re getting just as excited as they are for us to start the game.” Melbourne said.

The Storm defense hounded the Tempo offensive attack. The Tempo shot just 37.1% (26-70 FG) and 15.4% (4-26 FG) from three-point range. The Storm also blocked eight shots and racked up a whopping 13 steals, forcing 17 turnovers. The Storm scored 25 points off turnovers to the Tempo’s 15.

“I thought we had really good rotations, I felt like we were all helping each other out, one person went out, another person was rotating or even overrotating sometimes. We were just over-helping each other, knowing that they have a lot of hot players and players that shoot the three really well, so being in our shifts and being where we’re supposed to be really helped us,” Johnson said.

Toronto Tempo

The Tempo were without their leading scorer Marina Mabrey and the offense suffered because of it. Rookie Kiki Rice led the Tempo with 24 points (6-12 FG) and went 11-11 at the free throw line. The Tempo shot 28 free throws to the Storm’s 18.

Isabelle Harrison scored 17 points (5-16 FG) and grabbed 14 rebounds, five offensive. The Tempo out-rebounded the Storm 43-37. Laura Juškaitė scored 14 points (6-11 FG).

Game Breakdown

Laura Juškaitė kicked off the game with a driving layup for Toronto. Flau’jae Johnson answered with a mid-range jumper. Maria Conde scored inside and Johnson went to the line for two and split the pair. Kiki Rice drove for a score and Johnson scored on a fast break. Melbourne scored seven consecutive points, and Juškaitė answered with five for Toronto. Dominique Malonga got on the board with a put-back. Isabelle Harrison was fouled and the Storm led 14-11 at the media timeout.

Harrison made both and scored again to give the Tempo the lead, 15-14. Harrison made it five-in-a-row with another free throw. Melbourne got back to the line and made both. Zia Cooke scored her first point at the foul line, giving the lead back to the Storm. The next trip down she drilled a three. Kiana Williams dashed to the hoop for two, but Katie Lou Samuelson responded with an AND-1. Temi Fágbénlé split two free throws for the Tempo and the Storm ended the first quarter up 23-19.

Harrison started the second quarter with a bucket inside. Rice added two more free throws, and Harrison scored again inside. A 6-0 run gave the Tempo a 25-23 lead. Malonga responded to quickly tie it back up and Ezi Magbegor scored inside to give the Storm back the lead. Juškaitė tied it once again and Rice went back to the line for an AND-1. Johnson drilled a jumper, but Rice hit a three, her eighth point of the quarter. She quickly made it 10 with a nifty reverse layup and forced the Storm to call a time out, trailing 35-29.

Magbegor scored on a nice feed from Jordan Horston out of the break. Malonga drove to the hoop and Johnson drilled a three to cap a 7-0 Storm run. Teonni Key scored out of the break for the Tempo. Melbourne finished at the rim on a backdoor cut and Kia Nurse hit a three-pointer for the Tempo. Rice scored at the rim and Malonga followed suit on the other end. Awa Fam ended the half with a corner three and gave the Storm a 43-42 lead at the midway point.

Neither team shot well in the first half, 40% (16-40 FG) for the Storm and 39% (16-41) for the Tempo. The Tempo out-rebounded the Storm 27-16. The Tempo committed eight turnovers to the Storm’s five and the Seattle scored 12 points off turnovers.Rice ended the first half with 14 points and Melbourne had 11 for the Storm.

Fágbénlé scored inside to start the second half for Toronto and Rice made two more free throws. Conde drove inside and the Tempo got out to a 6-0 start. Malonga finally got the Storm on the board. Magbegor drove for two and Fágbénlé answered. Johnson hit a mid range jumper and Harrison finished inside for the Tempo. Rice went back to the line after a Horston turnover and made both. Fam had an offensive putback off a Malonga miss and Johnson drove to the basket to cut the Tempo lead to one. Juškaitė got to the rim for an AND-1 and the Tempo led 56-53 at the media timeout.

Cooke scored the first points out of the break and Fam got two more at the foul line. Cooke fed Dolson with a nice pocket pass and the Storm took the lead 59-57. Nurse drew a foul and stopped the Storm run and split the free throws. Cooke continued her stellar third quarter, drawing a foul and hitting both shots. Fam hit another three and Harrison answered for Toronto. Ornella Bankole split free throws for the Tempo and the Storm led after three quarters, 64-61.

Cooke picked up right where she left off, heading to the line for two more to begin the fourth quarter. Malonga scored again inside and Samuelson nailed a three, giving the Storm a 71-63 lead. Melbourne drove to the rack for an AND-1 and put the Storm up a game-high 10 points. Fágbénlé responded with a three, but Cooke found Malonga for two more and Melbourne scored again. Juškaitė drove for two and two missed layups for the Storm forced head coach Sonia Raman to call a time out.

Johnson followed her own shot for two out of the break and Malonga hit a short jumper to put the Storm up by 13. Harrison was fouled and split. Johnson drove for two more, but Rice answered on the other end. Harrison got to the line back-to-back times and made three out of four. Samuelson scored inside and the Tempo called time. Rice got the Tempo in the bonus and made four more free throws. The Tempo sent Melbourne to the line and she split a pair. Johnson nailed a jumper with 22 seconds left to seal the win for the Storm, 90-78.

Final Box Score

Player Interviews

Jade Melbourne and Flau’jae Johnson:

Coach’s Quotes

Coach Raman post-game:

Up Next

The Seattle Storm (8-31) have one more home game before the FIBA World Cup break. They host the Los Angeles Sparks (13-25) on Sunday, August 30th at 2 p.m.

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(Arlington, Texas) - Defense was optional for the Seattle Storm (7-31) as they got out to another slow start and trailed by 20 points in the first quarter and by as many as 35 points in the game. The Dallas Wings (22-16) led 56-21 before they let off the gas. The home team shot 60% FG overall and 75% from beyond the arc in the opening period and never looked back. Despite a 14-0 run at the end of the first half, Seattle never seriously threatened to make the game competitive. Dallas cruised to a 92-70 victory over Seattle.

Rookie Flau’jae Johnson led the way with 23 points on 9-19 FG, including tying a career-high with five made three-point baskets. She also led the team in steals with three and tied for a team-high with six rebounds. At times, it felt like she was the only one really putting forth much effort.

I asked Flau’jae about her positive performance, but she wasn’t looking for any moral victories.

“Just try to put the ball in the basket every night. Take the same shots that I’ve been taking. I make them; it’s a good game. I miss them. It’s a bad game, so just, you know, just continue to do what I do.” Johnson said reluctantly.

Outside of Flau’jae, Jade Melbourne was the only other bright spot from this game. She finished with 15 points on 6-12 FG and knocked down 3-7 FG from beyond the arc.

I spoke to Seattle’s coach about the progress she’s seen from Melbourne regarding her outside shooting.

Coach Raman replied, “Jade’s one of those players that she’s getting coming in, she’s getting extra work in. She’s been working on that 3-ball with Marcus Tibbs, like any time that she can, whenever she can get into the gym. They catch and shoot, the off the dribble, understanding coverages and how teams guard her, and that’s a good shot for her, and she’s going to get those open looks. And then, you know, as coaches, like, we want our players to shoot with confidence and understand they have a green light. So, she knows she has that, and if that’s the right shot to take, like, we want Jade to take it, and it’s been really great to see the work she’s been putting in, translate on the court as well.”

Seattle started their Big 3 post players, dubbed the “Seattle Skyline” by play-by-play man Dick Fain, for the first time this season. Unfortunately, it did not go well. While those three completely dominated their minutes on the court together against the Chicago Sky last week, it was the total opposite in the game against Dallas. Rookie Awa Fam was held scoreless on 0-5 FG and 0-3 FG from beyond the arc. She tied Flau’jae for a team-high six rebounds, but otherwise had minimal impact on the game. Ezi Magbegor finished with just two points on 0-4 FG. Dominique Malonga was the best of the big three, but still struggled with her efficiency and foul trouble. Malonga finished with 12 points on 4-10 FG, 0-3 FG from the 3-PT line, and had just five rebounds.

Despite the poor overall record, Seattle has been competitive in most of these games. However, there seems to be some regression in recent games. I asked Coach Raman about that after the game.

Raman said, “

Read more

Written By: Molly Tepper
Twitter: mollytepper

(Los Angeles, CA) On Thursday night, after the announcement of Nneka Ogwumike’s retirement, the Los Angeles Sparks (12-24) rough patch continued as they dropped one of their worst blowouts of the season to the Atlanta Dream (23-13), by a final score of 124-88. The 124 points were the highest total in Atlanta Dream franchise history and just one short of the WNBA record for a regulation game (125).

LA converted the first layup of the game, and then never took the lead again. Sloppy early choices, including missing easy layups on the Dream’s minimal turnovers and committing nine turnovers of their own by the end of the first, limited them to just 12 points in the quarter. They shot 31% from the field, and the struggles continued as they were unable to box out on Atlanta’s free throws. As Madina Okot missed her second free throw, Allisha Gray grabbed the offensive rebound as no Sparks players attempted to rebound, and Jordin Canada banked in a three, putting the Dream up 28-9. Rhyne Howard knocked down two more three-pointers, including one at the buzzer, to put them ahead 34-12 at the end of the first period.

Problems continued for Los Angeles as Angel Reese erupted in the second quarter. After scoring 10 points in the first four minutes, Reese would go on to score 20 points for the game, going 9-for-9 from the field and 2-for-2 from three, with ten rebounds and eight assists. Reese became the third player in WNBA history to have a 20-10 double-double with perfect field goal shooting (9-for-9), while the last player to do it was LA’s own Nneka Ogwumike. Additionally, her three offensive rebounds in the first half broke her own WNBA season record of 172 set in 2024.

Coach Lynne Roberts on Angel Reese:

“There’s always a lot of narrative about Angel, but man, she competes, and she plays so hard, and I respect the hell out of that. Even when she wasn’t in the game, she’s the loudest on the bench, and she’s a competitor. I just have a lot of respect for that.”

While the Sparks were able to regain some of their momentum from off the bench, they continued to struggle with errant passes and were never able to overcome the hole they dug themselves in the first quarter. The Dream shot an impressive 62% from three (16-26), and that almost perfect shooting set a tone LA could never climb back from.

A bright spot came off the bench from the play of Tonie Morgan and Chance Gray, who had eight points apiece. Nonetheless, it was not enough to close the gap against a Dream team that was doing everything right.

Chance Gray spoke about the different roles she’s played this season:

“Honestly, I look at it as a positive, being able to be utilized in different ways. I think that can be something that can help the team. So I’m ready to do whatever the team needs me to do in that moment, whether it’s be on the ball, just be a defender, be a spot-up shooter. I just try to play for my teammates, my coaches, as hard as I can, and that’s what I like to do.”

Coach Lynne Roberts commemorated the Dream’s night:

“I do want to give Atlanta Credit. They were good tonight, and their shooting to maintain that three-point shooting in about 40 minutes is impressive. They were really good, and so sometimes you just have to take it on the chin and turn the page.”

The Sparks will remain at home on Saturday to take on the Connecticut Sun at 6 p.m.

Photography Credits: LA Sparks/WNBA Photography

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The StudBudz (Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams) have exploded in popularity since the creation of their Twitch Channel and Livestream in May 2025. Back then, they were teammates on the Minnesota Lynx’s roster. They would stream during off days, during their road trips, and most famously during All-Star Weekend, where they hosted a 72-hour event.

Like any YouTuber or Twitch Streamer, it’s all about personality, and Hiedeman and Williams are excellent in that regard. But it’s also about community engagement. Something that Twitch exemplifies with its online chat rooms. It allows fans to feel they’re truly part of the group. And it gives them a unique opportunity to interact with their favorite celebrities/athletes. As of this writing, the duo has nearly 120,000 followers on Twitch. They have over 160,000 followers on Instagram.

While the StudBudz remain, the two are no longer playing on the same WNBA team. During the offseason, Natisha Hiedeman signed a two-year deal with the Seattle Storm. With her strong play on the court and her fun personality off of it, “T” quickly became a fan favorite in the Pacific Northwest. And she endeared herself to the community early on by admiring the beautiful nature of the region. More specifically, The Mountain.

That would be Mount Rainier for those unfamiliar. The tallest mountain in Washington State stands at more than 14,400 feet. It is also considered one of the most dangerous active volcanoes in the United States. But it’s also a thing of beauty. And something that Natisha fell in love with after moving to Seattle.

Because of the weather in this region, Mount Rainier can “disappear” from time to time. That fact blew Hiedeman’s mind, and she would start asking every day if the mountain was out. Fans loved it, and it became a regular bit early on during the Storm’s season.

As we’re about to enter the final month of the WNBA season, Hiedeman has found another way to endear herself and engage with the community. She has apparently started a Run Club; RunBudz to be exact!

What started as maybe a joke, or just a whim, has become the next big thing in Seattle. On Tuesday evening, I was invited to come to Green Lake and interview Hiedeman alongside other members of the media. What I witnessed was something very cool.

When asked why she started a run club, Hiedeman responded, “Honestly, just sitting at home one day. I’m like, let’s just go for a little run. First one, I think 23 people were there. And then I did another one a couple days later, which is why we’re all here. As you can see, a lot of people here already. We got a little bit of time, so I just want to bring people together, community together, get out, exercise, be outside, have a good time, and I mean, I just think it’s important to get outside and exercise as well.”

There were a lot of people there. It looked to be at least 150-200 people.

T was asked if she enjoyed running.

“I feel like when I did it the first time, we ran 1.55, and it was like, I felt like so accomplished, because I’m not really, y’all know, I’d be sprinting on the court. I never ran like a mile or a mile and a half ever... So I just felt super accomplished after that.”

It’s one thing to want to get out and exercise for one’s own personal gain. But to encourage a large group of people to better themselves is even more impressive. And Natisha really appreciates the love and support she’s received.

“I mean, it’s just exciting. Like, people really showing up for (me) just to be outside, exercise, community together, like, and this is just all for fun. So, I mean, I don’t know, just seeing all these people, it’s like, it’s the support, you know? And I really feel it, and I think that Seattle has embraced me. So to be able to do this here definitely means a lot to me,” Hiedeman shared. “We go out there on the court and try to perform for our fans and for ourselves. So just to come do something off the court and have people show up the same way, I think that’s what matters most because it’s, like, people are seeing you and supporting you more than just the basketball player.”

While she is training to compete with herself, better herself, and potentially run in a marathon one day, there are more important goals in mind with this. It’s about the betterment of others and bringing people together.

“I think that’s just the best part about it. I feel like we’re bringing out people that don’t normally run or don’t normally get outside, but just to be able to come, enjoy each other. Again, we accept all, just walk, walk it if you want to, run it, do whatever, so I just feel like that’s huge because, again, you’re just bringing the community together. And I feel, in a sense, I’m like a connector, so to be able to bring all these people together and connect people, again, that’s what my biggest goal in life, really. So, it’s super special.” Hiedeman told us.

Natisha spoke about her close connection to the Seattle fans and how it happened so quickly.

“I mean, honestly, I would say kind of quick because of the mountain. I feel like that experience in itself, like, seeing the mountain for the first time, and people were kind of making that my thing. I felt super connected right away, but just being outside, going places, people saying, ‘Hey, we love the Storm’, and just, ‘we love you’. I think that being in Seattle, just how much people are around and outside, like, you get that a lot. So it’s, you feel special.”

Building up the community online through Twitch and the chat rooms has allowed T to branch out into these more public community-facing events.

“I just never want to be, like, in a box, so just to be able to do other things and use my platform with basketball, with StudBudz, and streaming, and just being able to go down a whole bunch of different avenues. I mean, who knows what I’ll do next? Like, literally, I would have never imagined this. So who knows? Like, I said, I just like to do what’s on my mind, do what I like, do... I don’t know, I just go with things. But this is gonna be fun for a while.”

That could involve more official events in the future for charities.

“Yeah, so, for now, this is all just for fun, you know? But it would be nice to maybe do… start off with a 5K, and then be able to just do something nice with the money, like, you said, charity. I think that’s the goal right now. For now, I just keep having fun with it, but one day, definitely do something bigger,” she added.

With the larger exposure to the WNBA in recent seasons, with more fans and more opinions, we’ve seen a lot of negativity crop up. Whether that’s race issues between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, or Sophie Cunningham and trans rights. Now we’re having former NBA rejects declare for the WNBA Draft, trying to make a mockery of the league. A lot of that has just been hateful rhetoric or trying to create issues where they don’t exist. It can be exhausting, and it’s certainly frustrating. But that’s why I loved witnessing this event. The RunBudz is an example of how the growth of the WNBA can be a positive thing, how it can bring people together, and build a stronger community.

I asked Hiedeman about that.

“Yeah, I feel like, to me, wherever I play, I really try to immerse myself in the community and be a part of the community, because I feel like without our fans and support, and everything, I’m really nothing, you know what I mean? I mean, so just trying to get back into the community, again, people just know me as a basketball player, really. I mean, Twitch has helped people get to know me a little bit more, but to be able to be up close, like this, and personal with people, I feel that’s what I like the most, because they support me. I want to just be able to do something and, you know, kind of support each other in a way.” T said.

And the support isn’t just coming from the fans. At Tuesday’s event, Coach Sonia Raman, Jordan Horston, Taylor Thierry, and Ezi Magbegor all made an appearance to support Hiedeman. During the initial event last week, Zia Cooke and Mackenzie Holmes were there. Natisha spoke on that.

“I mean, our team is super close. Like, on the court, off the court, and I think that’s one thing I can appreciate with our team, even through, like, the struggle of the season, being able to continue to still have fun and show up every single day. I think that goes to the character of a lot of people on this team and just how we show up for each other. So, definitely a lot of support for each other everywhere, on and off the court.”

The Storm’s season may not have turned out the way Hiedeman, fans, and everyone involved would have wanted, but this was an incredible reminder that there is so much more to appreciate in life than just the wins and losses.

Notes:
Photography Credits: Jeff Brown
Thanks to the Seattle Storm and Hiedeman’s team for inviting me to the event.

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Written By: Molly Tepper
Twitter: mollytepper

The Los Angeles Sparks (12-23) dropped all three games on their road trip, and each defeat pointed to the same issue: closing games. On Thursday, August 13th, against the New York Liberty (21-14), LA erased a 28-point deficit and was in position to match the biggest comeback in league history before ultimately losing the game 85-81. Two days later, against the Washington Mystics (20-14), heading into the third quarter, the Sparks were up by three, yet they were held to only 12 points in the fourth, allowing the Mystics to cruise to an 80-70 victory. In the finale against the Connecticut Sun (9-25), LA never got within striking distance nor took the lead, falling 85-77. Despite the different ways they have lost, the issue remains consistent. The Sparks can build runs throughout the game, but are unable to sustain them down the stretch.

In last Thursday’s game, the Sparks were outscored 18-9 in the third quarter and, early in the fourth, were down 69-41. Most assumed it would be an easy victory for the Liberty. However, Los Angeles went on a 21-0 run, dominated by Rae Burrell, who contributed 11 of those points and finished with 20 of her 28 in the fourth quarter alone. With less than 30 seconds left on the clock, the Sparks were down by one possession. A shot from downtown would tie the game and put the Sparks in position to tie the Chicago Sky for the biggest comeback in league history. A reverse layup by Burrell put the Sparks within one; however, Sabrina Ionescu made both her free throws, extending New York’s lead to three once again. With the final possession to tie the game, Ariel Atkins missed a three-pointer, forcing the Sparks to foul Ionescu, which ultimately sealed the game.

Post-game, Coach Lynne Roberts talked about the inconsistency problems this year:

“I know what this team is capable of. I know their hearts and their minds are in the right place. They want to win. They want to do things right, so it’s not them going rogue or doing their own thing. They’re all connected; it’s just sometimes we are inconsistent in the intensity. And for us to be a great team, great teams have to be consistent. You can miss shots. You can have a bad shooting night. But you’ve got to be consistent in your intensity, and that’s something we are still working on.”

In their next matchup in D.C., a tight possession battle kept the first quarter close. A few minutes into the second quarter, however, the Mystics went on an 11-2 run, pushing their lead to 35-26. The Sparks closed the gap to two by halftime, thanks to threes from Erica Wheeler and Burrell. With three minutes to go in the third, LA led by nine. However, the Mystics went on an 8-0 run, and the Sparks were only up 58-55 to close the quarter.

Coach Roberts on being unable to run away with the lead in the third:

“In the third quarter, I thought defensively we were great. We just didn’t convert. I felt like we were getting good looks; it was just kind of unlucky. That’s what I thought allowed them to get back in it is we had control of the game, and we just didn’t convert. I thought we had a chance to really pull away or get a more comfortable lead, but it just sometimes bounces that way.”

In the last six minutes of the game, Shakira Austin made a layup, putting the Mystics up by one for the first time since the half. Sonia Citron would go on to collect seven points, including a clutch three-pointer that put D.C. up 74-69 and pushed their momentum to close it out with a 9-1 run.

In their final game on the road, the Sparks were without Erica Wheeler, Cameron Brink, and Monique Akoa Makani due to injury. The Sparks never had a lead to enhance as they trailed the entire game. The Sun controlled the match from the opening basket, leading by as many as 21. Connecticut went on continuous runs, as LA spent the entire night chasing that lead. Through the three-game trip, the Sparks were unable to find a way to close out the game or make a big run, ultimately contributing to their poor record.

Coach Roberts is looking past the final minutes to the process ahead. In the post-game after the loss to the Mystics, she said:

“It’s another learning experience, another game that we continue. The problem will be if we stop learning and stop fighting like that. We’ve had different lineups. We have had to get creative with just injuries and not having Cam and not having Mo. We’ve had to call on people that need to be ready, and they’ve done a good job. We just have to keep chopping, and if these guys continue to show up the way they’re doing and giving us everything they got, then I’m cool with it. The outcome takes care of itself.”

The Sparks will return to LA for a four-game homestand, taking on the Atlanta Dream on Thursday at 7 p.m.

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The WNBA Playoffs begin at the end of September, but we essentially already know which eight teams will compete for the championship. Only the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun have officially been eliminated from the postseason, but that reality will hit the other five teams by month's end.

Realistically, the Portland Fire are the only team that could sneak in, but it would still be a major uphill climb. The Fire sit in 9th place in the WNBA standings with a 15-20 record. They are 5.0 games behind the Dallas Wings for the final playoff spot. Both Dallas and Portland have nine games remaining. If the Fire were to win out, they’d finish 24-20 and win the season series against the Wings. That means Dallas would have to finish 5-4 to reach 25-19 and clinch the playoffs. But with every Portland loss, Dallas can give away another game. If Portland goes 9-1, Dallas can finish 4-5. If Portland finishes 8-2, the Wings can finish 3-6. You get the point. The numbers don’t favor the team from Oregon.

Assuming no miraculous finishes or complete collapses, the eight WNBA playoff teams will be: Minnesota Lynx, Golden State Valkyries, Las Vegas Aces, Indiana Fever, Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty, Washington Mystics, and the Dallas Wings. As of this writing, that is the order they sit in the standings.

What will be interesting is seeing which of these eight teams finishes in the Top 4. The four best teams of the regular season all get home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Where things stand, all eight teams could finish in the Top 4. Even though the Dallas Wings have had a rough go as of late (3-7 in their last 10), they’re still just 3.0 games out of the 4th seed. But from a practical standpoint, I can’t picture them or the Washington Mystics (20-14) moving all the way up to the fourth spot.

On the opposite end, the Minnesota Lynx (29-7) have been the best team all year long and hold a 3.5-game advantage over the current second seed, the Golden State Valkyries (24-9). With just eight games remaining, if the Lynx finish 6-2, they will clinch the #1 overall seed. For every game the Valkyries lose out of their remaining 11, that’s one fewer win Minnesota needs. The Lynx are a lock for a Top 4 seed. They’re 5.5 games ahead of the current 4th seed, the Indiana Fever (23-12).

The Valkyries are likely to finish as a Top 4 seed as well. They’re 3.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Dream (the 5th seed) with 11 games to play. But they also have the fourth-easiest schedule remaining. They play seven of their remaining 11 games against non-playoff teams. However, they still have some challenges ahead, as they will have to battle the Minnesota Lynx twice (a team they’ve never beaten) and the New York Liberty.

Next up is the Las Vegas Aces. They own the third-best record at 24-12 and have eight games remaining. The Aces have the easiest remaining schedule in the league. They play one playoff team in their last eight games. They face the league-worst Seattle Storm (7-30) twice in September. They also play the Toronto Tempo, who have lost 10 straight, twice as well. As winners of three out of the last four WNBA titles, Las Vegas is battle-tested, has the superstars, and the veteran experience to close out the regular season strong. Last year, they ended the season on a 16-game win streak.

If those three teams all clinch a Top 4 seed, that leaves just one more spot to be battled over between three other teams. The Indiana Fever currently hold the 4th seed with a 23-12 record. They have nine games remaining, and five of them are against playoff teams. That includes two against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. On Sunday, they picked up a huge 95-91 OT victory over the 5th-seeded Atlanta Dream.

The Atlanta Dream (21-13) and the New York Liberty (22-14) both have a chance to sneak into a Top 4 seed. Atlanta has 10 games remaining, with four games against playoff teams. The Liberty have just eight games left on their schedule, but it’s the second-most difficult in the WNBA. New York will battle Minnesota, Golden State, Indiana, and Atlanta twice. It might be difficult for them to move up, especially because Leonie Fiebich and Satou Sabally remain out with injuries. Of the teams that have a legit chance, they have the hardest path to get there.

I think realistically, it’ll come down to Indiana and Atlanta. Those two teams would then face each other in the playoffs if they finish 4th and 5th. The Fever beat the Dream in the first round of the playoffs in 2025. It would be an exciting matchup because the two teams split the season series 2-2. And there would certainly be a little extra drama as it would be the WNBA’s first playoff matchup between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

With that said, I wouldn’t rule out the Fever moving up in the standings either. With their big win on Sunday, Indiana is only 1/2 game behind Las Vegas for the third seed. They’ve also been one of the hottest teams in the league since July 1st. They’ve won 12 out of their last 16 games, and are 8-2 in their last 10.

My prediction is that the Minnesota Lynx, Golden State Valkyries, Las Vegas Aces, and Indiana Fever will earn home court advantage. We might see the Aces move to the two-seed or the Fever supplant the Aces over these final games. I believe the eventual 2026 WNBA champion comes from this group and, more specifically, either Minnesota, Las Vegas, or Indiana.

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(Seattle, WA) - The Seattle Storm (7-30) came out extremely flat and never recovered. The Chicago Sky (13-22) jumped out to a 12-point first-quarter lead, led by as many as 21 points, and never gave the lead back. Seattle was without veteran guard Natisha Hiedeman, and it showed through the first half, where the Storm looked out of sorts, and Chicago was sharp. To Seattle’s credit, they made a huge second-half push, outscoring the Sky 51-36 and nearly coming back to win the game.

Seattle was led by their literal Big 3 lineup. Dominique Malonga led the team with 19 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals. Ezi Magbegor had another impressive performance with 17 points on 7-12 FG. She also had five blocked shots. Awa Fam added 14 points on 5-10 FG and grabbed five rebounds.

Coach Sonia Raman utilized her Big 3 lineup for extended minutes for the first time this season, and they showed great promise. Dominique Malonga, Ezi Magbegor, and Awa Fam shared the court for 11 minutes in the second half of this game. During that time, they scored 33 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, had six blocks, and outscored the Chicago Sky by 17 points. When digging into the advanced stats, they had a 122.2 Offensive Rating, a 59.3 Defensive Rating, and a Net Rating of +63.0. Obviously, it’s an extremely small sample size, and you can find other three-player lineups with similar ridiculous Net Rating scores in limited minutes. But for just a little perspective, the Minnesota Lynx, the WNBA’s best team, has an overall Net Rating of 10.5 for the season.

I spoke with both Ezi Magbegor and Coach Raman about that after the game.

Ezi told me, “Yeah, I think, obviously, saw a little bit of it in the last few games, but I think it was nice to have, like you said, an extended time together. We’re still learning how to play with each other. I think our teammates are as well, but it’s nice.”

“And you can kind of switch it up and, you need a different lineup, or you need something different defensively, offensively. So just being able to capitalize on that and making it harder for the other team to come from.” Magbegor added.

I asked Coach Raman about what she liked about the Big 3 lineup, and she had a lot to say about it.

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Written By: Danny Williams
Twitter: danny_w22

Alex Sarama comes from a unique coaching background. The 31-year-old coach grew up in the United Kingdom, a country not necessarily known for its basketball prowess. So it is only fitting that the head coach’s practice philosophy also comes from a unique background.

Constraint-led approach (CLA) prioritizes uncertainty over repetition. It puts players in the mindset that every shot, play, and possession presents itself differently every time. Instead of practicing the same shot or play over and over with the same parameters, Sarama preaches preparing for real-game scenarios where unexpected variables arise, and his players must be ready for them.

Whether it’s shooting with a different-sized ball or from a different angle, the players adapt to unforeseen conditions that simulate the pressures of a real game atmosphere.

“When you have your shooting routines as a great shooter, it can be hard to come out of that sometimes and then adapt to doing something very different every single practice, and that’s what we’re really trying to do,” Sarama said. “For all our players, the shooting practice is going to be different every single day, and the way I view that, I don’t think it’s anything too radical.”

So far in 2026, the Fire have surpassed expectations, holding the ninth-best record in the league this season at 14-20 on the back of their head-man’s philosophy. However, the strategy only works if the players are bought in, and with just 10 games remaining in the regular season, it appears that the players have taken this strategy in stride.

Sarama first heard of CLA at the Future of Sport Coaching Summit in the United Kingdom eight years ago. At that point, the strategy had only been seen sparingly in sports such as soccer and field hockey – no mention of basketball.

From there, the then 23-year-old rose up the coaching ranks, from youth coach in Belgium and Italy to eventual NBA assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers, perfecting the strategy.

Sarama credits Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson with learning how to implement CLA into a professional atmosphere and having the players' buy-in. Atkinson adopted the strategy and convinced NBA superstar and 17-year veteran James Harden to buy into the unique philosophy.

“I learned a lot from Coach Atkinson. I think Kenny [Atkinson] is one of the biggest proponents of CLA,” Sarama said. “It’s why he’s in player development. The reason he’s the best in the NBA, in my opinion, is because he’s so educated with [CLA], but not only that, the way he pitches it to players, [he] never needs to use complex words.”

No Fire player has seemingly benefited more from CLA than Bridget Carleton. Carleton, only two years younger than Sarama, is now in her eighth season in the league after being selected 21st overall in the 2019 Draft. After adopting CLA, the eight-year veteran has experienced a career renaissance.

Carleton has seen a leap in a plethora of categories in 2026. 14.7 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 2.8 three-pointers made per game are all career highs. Even with the increased usage (30.4 minutes per game), Carleton has posted the best efficiency of her career.

“It’s historical, the jump she has made. If people start diving into the records, Carleton is one of six players in league history where her usage has doubled at this rate, and the incredible thing is she’s actually more efficient than she was in Minnesota.” Sarama said.

Carleton is the most obvious beneficiary of the coaching strategy, but the team as a whole has also reaped the rewards greatly. The Fire rank fourth in three-pointers made and sixth in percentage, with six players shooting over 35% from distance.

Although the Fire still have some improving to do before it wants to be a perennial contender in the league, the blueprint is in place. Sarama’s unique style gives a young, up-and-coming team an identity and a sense of togetherness, knowing it can handle any situation that is thrown its way.

“We’ve only glimpsed the surface and the potential; it’s very, very early days, but I think there are more conversations about what [CLA] is. I think there are a lot of misconceptions as to what it looks like, but I’m really pleased to see how much our players support it.” Sarama said.

(Seattle, WA) - For the fourth time this season, the Portland Fire (14-20) defeated the Seattle Storm (7-29). Like many of their games, this one was competitive for most of the game. Trailing by 12 points with five minutes to play, Seattle used a furious late-game rally (15-5) to set up the dramatic finale. A three-pointer by Natisha Hiedeman cut the deficit to one with six seconds left in the game. The Storm had a chance to send the game to overtime, but Hiedeman missed her final shot as the buzzer sounded. The Fire escaped with an 84-82 victory and a 4-0 season sweep over the Storm.

Rookie Awa Fam had an excellent game, scoring 20 points on 7-12 FG. She knocked down four three-pointers and pulled down nine rebounds. It was her best performance since moving to the bench at the beginning of the month in a game against New York.

I spoke to Fam about the adjustments she’s had to make since being moved to the bench.

“I think that I need to read the game with the defense, with their offense. Just put my 100%, my energy, doesn’t matter if it’s with the Starting 5, it doesn’t matter to be on the bench, just being on the game, then trying to help my team, and trying to do what I like to do and what I need to do. So that’s an adjustment: read the game, being there, trying to help my team all the time, and that’s it.” Fam told me.

This was a difficult game for Storm’s young All-Star, Dominique Malonga. She still finished with nine points, 12 rebounds, and a career-high five assists, but she really struggled with her offense. Malonga missed several shots near the rim and finished 3-15 FG from the floor.

Jordan Horston finished with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Ezi Magbegor had her best performance during this injury-riddled season. Ezi finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Jade Melbourne added 12 points and shot 3-5 FG from beyond the arc.

Seattle out-rebounded Portland 45-43 and pulled down 14 offensive boards. That gave them a 16-10 advantage in second-chance points. While the Storm committed 12 turnovers, most of those came in the first half, and Seattle’s defense was able to force Portland into 15 turnovers. They capitalized on those mistakes, outscoring the Fire 28-12 in points off turnovers. They outscored their opponents 46-36 in the second half of the game, but they still came up short.

Awa Fam said in the post-game that they needed to do a better job of playing the full 40 minutes.

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Written By: Molly Tepper
Twitter: mollytepper

(Los Angeles, CA) In their fourth and final matchup of the regular season, the Los Angeles Sparks (12-20) fell to the Phoenix Mercury (13-22) in a closely contested battle, 94-87. Neither team was able to break away as the game featured 12 ties and 16 lead changes. Poor offensive looks and an inability to convert against the Mercury’s fourth-quarter zone continued to hamper the Sparks down the stretch as they dropped their 20th game in a season that has had no shortage of difficult finishes.

In the pre-game, Coach Lynne Roberts talked about how they were going to have to play differently against the Mercury this time around:

“What crushed us last time was the threes and just not communicating on different actions. We’ve got to clean that up, which we can. And then if [DeWanna Bonner] does end up inside, then we’re gonna have to rotate and do some things.”

In a closely matched first quarter, the Mercury shot 50% from the field, but the Sparks answered with efficient defensive rebounding and smart shot selection in the paint. Off the bench, Cameron Brink had three of the Sparks’ 12 rebounds. On the final possession of the first period, Brink grabbed a defensive board, then ran the floor, collected an offensive rebound, and made a game-tying layup to end the quarter at 23-23.

Brink opened the second quarter with defensive pressure on Kahleah Copper. However, she fell into foul trouble quickly. In recent games, Brink has gotten into foul trouble early, limiting her impact late in the game. So this time, she was pulled early in the second quarter to keep her foul total in check. Thankfully, Burrell was active, and in the final possession of the half, she made a steal and layup on the other end of the court, ending the half with seven points to put the Sparks ahead 47-44. LA’s defense looked consistent as they held Phoenix’s star players DeWanna Bonner, Kahleah Copper, and Alyssa Thomas to only 15 points combined. However, the Sparks’ troubles came from their 15 personal fouls in the first half.

Coming out of the half, problems began to strike as Copper, after a quiet four points in the first half, drove in the paint, cashing 11 points in just the third quarter. As the fourth quarter began, the Sparks trailed by one. In this tight contest, every possession mattered, and in the end, the Sparks did not capitalize on every one of them. Poor looks on offense and sloppy turnovers in crunch time ultimately led to LA’s demise. Phoenix’s Noemie Brochant, who scored a career-high 24 points, made a bucket from downtown, and an easy layup by Thomas put the Mercury up by five. LA had a few more chances to tie the game back up, but they were ultimately handed another loss, 94-87.

Coach Lynne Roberts discussed in the post-game what went wrong in the fourth quarter:

“They went to zone, and we just kind of stopped moving it. We got a little unsure. Zone offense isn’t rocket science. You just got to move the ball. We didn’t shoot well, obviously. We had 14 more shot attempts than them.”

The Sparks will head out on a three-game road trip. On their first stop, they will take on the New York Liberty (20-14) on Thursday, August 13th at 5 p.m.

Final Box Score

Photography Credits: LA Sparks/WNBA Photography

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We are more than six months away from the WNBA Draft. And we’re still a few months away from knowing which team will win the draft lottery. But I figured this would be a fun exercise to try.

I’d say it’s a foregone conclusion that if JuJu Watkins declares for the draft, she will be the #1 overall pick to whichever team wins the lottery. But what happens to all the teams if they were to win the second lottery to claim the #2 overall pick? The top two picks go through the draft lottery process. The first winner gets the top selection, and the second winner earns the second overall pick. From there, all other teams go in the order they were ranked in the lottery, which combines the two-year records of all the teams that missed the playoffs. For the expansion franchises, it is based solely on their overall win percentage from their 2026 season.

As of this writing, this is the draft lottery order:

1. Connecticut Sun (Houston Comets)

2. Chicago Sky (pick goes to the Washington Mystics)

3. Toronto Tempo

4. Seattle Storm

5. Portland Fire

6. Los Angeles Sparks

7. Phoenix Mercury (pick goes to the LA Sparks)

While I am very confident that JuJu Watkins will go #1, I do believe there are multiple options with the second overall pick, and that certainly could change even more after the college season begins. I think it’ll probably depend on the specific needs of each team and how each player fits. I wanted to try to predict what each team would do.

Connecticut Sun (Houston Comets)

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(Seattle, WA) - The Seattle Storm (7-28) finally snapped their 11-game losing streak against the struggling Chicago Sky (12-21). Seattle took the lead early on and stayed one step ahead of Chicago for the entire game. The Sky made it a game late in the fourth quarter. A steal and score by DiJonai Carrington cut the Storm’s lead to two. It looked like Seattle was going to collapse like they have so many times this season. But a low-post score by Dominique Malonga and a corner three by Zia Cooke helped Seattle extend their lead for good. They secured the 97-88 win in front of the raucous home crowd.

Dominique Malonga continued her impressive play with another 20/10 double-double. She finished with 26 points on 9-14 FG and pulled down 10 rebounds. She also had three blocks and two steals. Natisha Hiedeman added 18 points, going 12-12 FT from the foul line. She scored 14 of her 18 points in the second half. She also dished out a game-high nine assists. Jordan Horston got the start in place of the injured Flau’jae Johnson, and contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and two steals. Zia Cooke provided a strong offensive spark off the bench, totaling 16 points on 7-12 FG, including multiple clutch shots late in the game.

The Storm outshot the Sky 45% (32-71 FG) to 42% (30-72 FG). They were also better from beyond the arc, 38% (8-21 FG) to 30% (6-20 FG). They had small advantages in rebounds (36-35), assists (22-18), and free throws (+3). One area that Seattle really capitalized on was points off turnovers, outscoring Chicago 22-9.

I spoke with Coach Sonia Raman after the game about the team’s performance.

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Written By: Molly Tepper
Twitter: mollytepper

(Los Angeles, CA) After defeating the number-one team on the road, the Los Angeles Sparks (12-19) had to come home to take on another challenge: the number-two team in the league. The Golden State Valkyries (23-9) came in with a three-game winning streak and were hungry for more. After a rocky first three quarters, the Sparks were able to cut most of the Valkyries’ 19-point lead in the fourth. Despite coming within one possession of Golden State, LA was unable to make the final push, falling 84-78.

Coach Lynne Roberts pre-game on the difficulty of playing the Valkyries:

“Defense is their calling card, and they’re a team where if you get into a situation where you’re trying to go one-on-one, you’re going to lose. Their defense, their rotations are really on point. So you have to make a move.”

Out of the gate, the Sparks struggled. Due to an inability to keep up with the Valkyries’ fast-paced offense and a lack of ball movement on their own end, the Sparks were held to just 15 points in the first quarter. With only two starters putting points on the board and the team shooting a rough 40% from the field, the Sparks had their work cut out for them if they wanted to avoid a blowout.

Coming into the second quarter, Los Angeles had too many turnovers and not enough defensive rebounds. A bright spot came from Kiana Williams, who scored 10 points off the bench, keeping LA alive. Nonetheless, the Sparks were still shooting below 40% from the field and from downtown, and none of their starters were in double digits.

The rough patch continued as the third quarter came to a close, but Crypto Arena came alive down the stretch in the fourth. Rae Burrell collected her first points of the game with back-to-back layups. LA went on an 8-0 run, cutting the deficit to single digits by attacking the rim and forcing Golden State into turnovers with relentless defensive pressure. Nneka Ogwumike continued to be a playmaker, assisting shot after shot. A bucket from downtown by Ariel Atkins put the Sparks within one. However, the Valkyries had an answer. Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaün came up with clutch shots down the stretch, never allowing the Sparks to take over and ultimately delivering Golden State the win, 84-78.

In the post-game, Lynne Roberts talked about what changed in the fourth:

“We were trying to get Rae going. Trying to get her speed going downhill. Against Golden State, you’re going to have a hard time attacking from the wings. You got to do it in the middle. I think, defensively, we were playing with urgency. And we got to start games with that same level of urgency.”

The Sparks will stay at home to take on the Phoenix Mercury (12-22) for the last time this season on Tuesday, August 11th at 7 p.m. This also marks the return of All-Star guard Kelsey Plum, in her first game back in Los Angeles since she was traded to Phoenix at the deadline.

Final Box Score

Photography Credits: LA Sparks/WNBA Photography

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(Portland, Oregon) - Despite losing budding star Carla Leite in the first quarter to a knee injury, the Portland Fire (13-19) outscored Seattle by 12 points in the second quarter, and executed them over the game’s final five minutes to secure a 100-93 victory over their I-5 rival. For the Seattle Storm (6-28), it was their 11th loss in a row and the second time they’ve lost 11 games or more this season. Before this game even tipped off, Seattle was eliminated from the playoffs after the Washington Mystics (18-12) beat the Atlanta Dream (19-12) on Friday by the final score of 79-74.

I spoke to Coach Sonia Raman about what happened in the second quarter.

She responded, “The three-balls started going for them a little bit in the 2nd quarter, if I’m not mistaken. They started to pack the paint a little bit more, and we just kind of weren’t seeing those quick, early passes. We did sometimes, we didn’t in other times, right? So a work in progress there, but I still think that the battle and the compete was there, but you know, some of the details were a little bit missing in that quarter. Stuff that I thought we did a good job of cleaning up in the 2nd half.”

Jade Melbourne scored a career-high 23 points and dished out five assists. Portland’s defense sagged off of Jade, clogging the paint, and daring the Australian point guard to shoot three-pointers. It was a sound strategy as Melbourne has a career average below 30% from beyond the arc. Jade ended up taking 12 three-point field goal attempts in this game, the most of her career, and to her credit, she knocked down four of them.

Melbourne talked about her strong offensive game.

“I think my teammates are the best. I think for me, I always go in with the mindset of being a pass-first guard, and sometimes it gets me a little stuck because I look to pass too much when I’m wide open, so my teammates, my coaches have been echoing me to like be on the front foot, be aggressive, and tonight I was.”

Jade went on to say, “Yeah, I’ve never put up that many three-point attempts in my life, but you know, when they’re open, you've got to look to take them, and if you can hit some, then it opens up for the rest of the team. So yeah, just being on the front foot, being aggressive, and yeah, just doing what my teammates and my coaches are telling me to do.”

Dominique Malonga finished with 21 points on 7-14 FG, and was a perfect 6-6 FT from the free throw line. She nearly had a double-double and finished with nine rebounds. Jordan Horston had her best game of the season, finishing with a season-high of 17 points on 6-10 FG in 19 minutes. Similar to Melbourne, the Fire’s defense dropped its coverage and challenged Horston to make shots from the outside. She did exactly that, hitting 4-6 FG from beyond the arc.

Unfortunately for Seattle, this was the second game in a row that Natisha Hiedeman really struggled with her offense. She finished with just two points on 1-4 FG. That was after scoring only two points on 1-7 FG against the New York Liberty on Wednesday. Rookies Awa Fam (3 points) and Flau’jae Johnson (8 points) also struggled in this game. Johnson also went down with a lower leg/ankle injury on two separate occasions in this contest. Coach Sonia Raman did not have an update after the game, but just stated that Flau’jae was still being evaluated by the team’s medical staff.

I spoke with Coach Raman after the game about Hiedeman’s recent struggles.

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Written By: Molly Tepper
Twitter: mollytepper

The Los Angeles Sparks (12-18) are 3-7 in their last ten games. From depth issues caused by injury, poor defensive rotations, and turnovers, the trade deadline departure of five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum was the icing on the cake of a rough stretch for LA.

Despite the tribulations, three positive takeaways emerged out of the All-Star break that tell a different story. While this season is not about what the Sparks have been continuously missing, it is about what they are finding in the wake of the future.

In their first game out of the All-Star Break, the Sparks took on Breanna Stewart and an experienced Liberty (20-13) team. Although they came up short, the Sparks shot 60% from the field and had 35 assists. Yet, New York’s deep roster, including 41 points off the bench and crucial threes in the fourth, sealed the game 113-109.

Despite the loss, there was a bright spot in the form of a 6’2” guard from the University of Tennessee. Fifth-year guard Rae Burrell dropped 24 points and led the Sparks on the defensive end, including four steals versus the Liberty.

Burrell’s improvement can be seen directly in her scoring. From the beginning of her professional career in 2022, Burrell’s scoring average has increased from 1.7 points per game as a rookie to 13.3 points so far in 2026, a career high. She is also shooting her best from the field, 46%, and has nearly doubled her assist numbers. For a Sparks team that has had to lean so heavily on its veterans like Nneka Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler, Burrell’s year-to-year growth exemplifies why she has become such a vital player as well as someone to watch going forward.

After the loss to the Liberty, head coach Lynne Roberts praised Rae Burrell:

“Rae was phenomenal. Attacking, and a couple of times she had a turnover, she got both of them back. That’s winning basketball. We didn’t get the reward of the win, but I am proud of the team.”

Then came the trade deadline. The talks of trading Kelsey Plum came to fruition on August 2nd, sending the All-Star guard to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for second-year guard Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick. In a seemingly lost season, the Sparks cashed in on their biggest asset.

Building a team with strong starters that need more depth and playmakers means getting younger and finding cost-controlled players who can continue to grow into bigger roles. Rae Burrell perfectly encapsulates just that. In a season without a clear path to the playoffs, Plum was most likely not going to re-sign with the Sparks in the offseason. Thus, turning her into two future draft picks and a young guard sets Los Angeles up for the next few years.

All the trade talk noise meant nothing to the Sparks once the ball tipped against the Portland Fire. That evening, they snapped their six-game losing streak 106-101. LA had 30+ assists in back-to-back games as well as 16 three-pointers made back-to-back.

Depth on the bench has been a continuous problem for Los Angeles this season. The Sparks fell 95-88 to the Chicago Sky (12-19), but the loss came with a real sign of life from Cameron Brink and Jihyun Park off the bench. Brink, still working back into a rhythm after injury, put together 11 points, six rebounds, and three blocks in 14 minutes. Park added seven points, going 2-of-3 from three, giving the Sparks another shooting option to space the floor.

Coach Lynne Roberts highlighted Park’s recent impact after the game:

“JP’s been great. I think what you’re seeing with her now is her finding more of a rhythm and flow in her game. She’s very, very smart. She always seems to be in the right place at the right time. She just wants to win, and she comes in prepared. Just a true professional. We’re lucky to have her.”

In a back-to-back road game against the Minnesota Lynx (25-7), who had not lost a game since July 6th, the Sparks pulled all their bright spots together for a huge upset, winning 89-82. Persistent defense, forcing the Lynx into late-clock shots, combined with fluid offense, including a 17-point performance from Burrell, pushed the Sparks to victory. The star of the game came from off the bench, as Cameron Brink put up her best outing of the stretch with 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Her size against Naphessa Collier and her discipline to avoid foul trouble defined the game. Monique Akoa Makani added seven points, including multiple clutch field goals down the stretch, fueling LA’s 8-0 run to end the game.

Lynne Roberts on the perseverance of the team:

“Cam was phenomenal. Difference maker. And then I think Monique was tremendous. She’s been with us for four days, and she played down the stretch in the final minutes. I’m really proud of this group. The way we’ve just kind of kept on business and the way we responded to last night- back-to-backs are tough, and our players showed tremendous toughness and fortitude, and I think that’s the thing I’m most pleased with.”

Despite the Sparks’ poor record, there is plenty more to look forward to in the last six weeks of the season. The continued development of Burrell, Brink, and the rest of the bench gives the veterans a chance to rest more and thus play to their full potential. That combination brings a sense of stability and confidence to push LA through the rest of their season.

The Sparks will return home to take on the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday, August 9th at 4 p.m.

Photography Credits: LA Sparks/WNBA Photography

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The Seattle Storm (6-27) fought hard, but still came up short against the New York Liberty (19-13) by a final score of 92-86. Dominique Malonga dazzled with 31 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Storm lost their 10th game in a row. If you missed it, you can read the full game recap at the link below.

For Part 2, I wrote about how Dominique Malonga is the future of the WNBA, I talked about Jade Melbourne’s progress, discussed what Seattle can do if Katie Lou Samuelson’s injury is serious, and gave a quick congratulations to Noelle Quinn. Plus, I’ve included lots of quotes from Malonga, Melbourne, and Coach Raman, and the audio interviews.

The Future is French

The Storm are in the middle of their worst season in franchise history, but watching Dominique Malonga play basketball alleviates a lot of the negativity surrounding that fact. Malonga is just 20 years old, was named to the WNBA All-Star team this season, and is averaging 16.9 PPG and 8.7 RPG. Against New York, she put up 31 points on 70% FG shooting and pulled down 10 rebounds. It was her second 30/10 double-double and 5th 20/10 double-double of the season. Did I mention she is just 20 years old?

As absurd as this sounds, Dom probably won’t even enter the prime of her career for another 4-5 years. While the league is filled with superstars on pretty much every team, five years from now could be the tail-end of some of their careers. Jonquel Jones will be 37 by then, Stewie would be 36, etc.

Malonga talked about competing with Breanna Stewart, who had 28 points and eight rebounds in the Liberty’s victory.

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(Brooklyn, New York) - Another slow start for the Seattle Storm (6-27) put the team behind the 8-ball again. They trailed 21-6 in the first quarter. To their credit, they battled back and tied the game at 50-50 in the third period, but New York used a 12-2 run to reclaim a substantial lead. Seattle fought but came up short, falling to the Liberty 92-86. This was Seattle’s 10th loss in a row, and the second time this season that they’ve had a 10-game losing streak.

French Phenom, Dominique Malonga, led the way for Seattle with 31 points on 14-20 FG and pulled down 10 rebounds. She also had three assists, two steals, and a block for good measure. Jade Melbourne had one of her better games of the season with 13 points and seven assists. Awa Fam added 13 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Flau’jae Johnson chipped in with 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Seattle outshot New York 46% (36-79 FG) to 44% (33-75 FG). They were more efficient from beyond the arc as well, 32% on 7-22 FG compared to 24% on 7-29 FG. The free throw line was the main differentiator as the Liberty made 91% from the line and outscored Seattle by 12.

I spoke with Malonga and Melbourne after the game about each other’s performances.

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The Seattle Storm (6-26) lost their 9th game in a row on Monday in New York. A huge 15-0 run by the Liberty put this game out of reach. If you missed it, you can read the full game recap at the link below.

For Part 2, I wrote about the changes to the starting lineup. I talked about Flau’jae stepping up big when the lights are brightest. And discussed why this matchup is so important for the growth of Dominique Malonga. I’ve included quotes from Flau’jae, Dom, and Coach Sonia Raman, plus the audio interviews.

New Starting Lineup

It was interesting to see a brand-new starting lineup in the game against New York. For the most part, the Storm have consistently gone with the starting lineup of Jade Melbourne, Natisha Hiedeman, Flau’jae Johnson, Awa Fam, and Dominique Malonga since late June. But on Monday, Ezi Magbegor entered the starting lineup for the first time this season. That meant Awa Fam was relegated to the bench.

The result? Well, it wasn’t particularly great. Magbegor finished with four points on 2-6 FG, five rebounds, and was a game-worst -19 (negative 19 in plus/minus) in 21 minutes. Awa Fam also had her struggles coming off the bench. She was in foul trouble through portions of the game and made just 1-8 FG. However, Fam finished with a game-best nine rebounds. And she was a team-best +6 off the bench.

It’s far too early to make any rash judgments after one game.

Coach Raman was asked in the post-game about the lineup changes.

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(Brooklyn, New York) - The Seattle Storm (6-26) lost their 9th game in a row on Monday evening against the New York Liberty (18-13) by a final score of 95-83. While the Liberty led by double-digits in all four quarters, the Storm did cut the deficit to three points late in the third period. Unfortunately, New York went on a 15-0 run between the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter to balloon their lead to 18 points.

Seattle had just three players reach double figures in scoring. Flau’jae Johnson led the way with a superb game of 25 points on 8-15 FG. She also had three rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Natisha Hiedeman finished with 17 points and a game-high seven assists. Dominique Malonga rounded out the group with 17 points on 6-11 FG and six rebounds.

The Storm were beaten in almost every facet of the game. But one area they made a major improvement in from their last game was that they only turned the ball over eight times after giving it away 20 times in Atlanta. Seattle forced New York into 15 turnovers and outscored them 20-12 in points off turnovers.

Flau’jae Johnson spoke after the game about what they’ll need to do differently during Wednesday’s rematch.

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On Sunday, the WNBA trade deadline came and went. There was no major last-minute trade right before the noon deadline. But the biggest rumored trade did take place late on Saturday night. The Los Angeles Sparks traded five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury. In return, the Mercury sent Monique Akoa Makani, their 2027 first-round pick, and their 2028 second-round pick to the Sparks.

It’s an interesting trade, and frankly, I think Los Angeles probably comes out looking better from the move. Which might seem odd at first glance. The Sparks traded away a five-time All-Star, who was averaging 23.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 6.4 APG, for two draft picks and a player who averages 9.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 2.5 APG. But if the reports were accurate that Plum wasn’t going to re-sign with Los Angeles, it was best for them to get as much back in a return as possible instead of losing her for nothing. KP was going to be an Unrestricted Free Agent, and couldn’t be cored with the “franchise tag”. Los Angeles, with a 10-17 record, entering Sunday, was unlikely to reach the playoffs.

If Plum was traded to a playoff contender like Golden State, New York, or Washington, that probably would have made a bit more sense. It’s a larger risk for the Mercury (11-19), who are six games behind the Liberty for the 8th seed and final playoff spot (technically seven games because New York won the season series). It’s a risk because a report from ESPN’s Alexa Philappou says that Plum still fully intends to engage in Free Agency next offseason and did not commit to re-signing with Phoenix before the trade went down. It’s up to the Mercury as an organization to impress Plum enough to convince her that she is better off staying in Phoenix long-term than signing with a different team in 2027. Phoenix has 14 games remaining this season, and they will do everything they can in those 14 games to convince Plum they can build a contender around her, Alyssa Thomas, and Kahleah Copper. If Plum does ultimately re-sign with the Mercury, then the risk of making this trade pays off big time. One can argue that if she does, it would swing the momentum back to Phoenix as far as which franchise “won” the trade.

For Los Angeles, it feels like a win no matter what. It was very unlikely that even if Plum returned to the lineup and they won some games, they still weren’t going to make the playoffs. If she had already told the organization she wasn’t going to re-sign, then they were smart to get anything in return. And the return they got is pretty good, actually. Monique Akoa Makani may not be a superstar or even an all-star, but she’s on a team-friendly contract through 2027, and she becomes a Reserved free agent in 2028. Reserved free agents are basically team-option contracts. If they want the player, that player must re-sign for one more year with the team. Unlike restricted free agents, reserve free agents can only sign a deal with their existing team, unless that team renounces their rights. So they will have Makani for two more years after this season.

The Sparks are also likely to get a lottery pick from Phoenix with that 2027 first-round pick. As I mentioned above, the Mercury are 11-19 and essentially seven games out of a playoff spot with 14 to play. Unless Phoenix finishes something like 13-1 or 12-2, they probably aren’t making the playoffs. Since LA also isn’t likely to make the playoffs, that means the Sparks will probably end up with two lottery picks.

The only downside to that is that, because of the two-year records for both LA and Phoenix, those picks are almost certainly going to be in the five to seven range. Unless they get crazy luck in the draft lottery, they won’t be landing JuJu Watkins or another top player, but the draft seems deep enough that they can still select two quality players to help rebuild the team around.

Aneesah Morrow is Sent to Toronto

The only other major trade took place a couple of days earlier as the Connecticut Sun sent Aneesah Morrow to the Toronto Tempo in exchange for Maria Kliundikova and a future second-round pick in 2028. As I wrote about in my previous article before the Trade Deadline, the entire Aneesah Morrow situation in Connecticut was confusing. She missed some games, some maybe with an injury, but others seemed to be just a coach’s decision. But then, when she did play, she’d put up impressive numbers (she’s averaging nearly 12 PPG and 9 RPG). I don’t know if it was a defensive issue, an attitude issue, or something else, but it felt like the Sun got rid of her without getting a ton in return.

Maria Kliundikova has been a solid backup big, but she also hasn’t played in the WNBA in 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, or 2026. It doesn’t seem to be a priority for her, so it’s unclear if she’s going to play in Houston next season when the Sun move from Connecticut to Texas. If she doesn’t come over to play in the WNBA, then the Sun essentially traded Morrow, the former Top 10 pick, for a second-round pick in 2028. Which may not even make the final roster. I don’t really like the trade from the Sun’s perspective.

Surprisingly Staying Put

Maybe the biggest surprise was that Betnijah Laney-Hamilton didn’t get moved. I would have thought maybe New York could have traded her for a second-round or at least a third-round pick. Laney-Hamilton hasn’t looked great, even when she has played, but she was a key piece to the Liberty’s 2024 Championship team. Clearly, something is wrong because she has been stuck at the end of the bench for New York. Many speculated that she was definitely going to be traded and needed a fresh start, but that didn’t happen.

Similar to Laney-Hamilton, I was also a bit surprised that we didn’t see Skylar Diggins get traded. Skylar clearly hasn’t been happy in Chicago. And she hasn’t played since the Sky’s Coach, Tyler Marsh, decided to bench her in favor of Courtney Vandersloot and Natasha Cloud. The Sky don’t really need Skylar because of those other point guards. It’s possible that Diggins is legitimately injured and can’t play right now. It’s also possible that no other team had any interest in bringing her in.

The biggest question on my mind now is whether or not we’ll see Laney-Hamilton or Diggins return to action this season for their respective teams. Or if they’ll just ride the bench until the season is over.

What do you think? Were you surprised that the Mercury traded for Kelsey Plum? Were you surprised that Betnijah and Skylar didn’t get moved? Let me know in the comments section.

Notes:
Photography Credits: WNBA Photography/Kahleah Copper

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