Teams are back in full swing two weeks removed from the short All-Star Break, and while top contenders Las Vegas and New York are still running the table, other teams are making themselves seen in different ways.
From milestones to celebrations to question marks, here is everything happening in the last week of WNBA action.
Rhyne Howard is Atlanta's superstar
It's no secret what Rhyne Howard brings to the Atlanta Dream — her athleticism, versatility, defensive skills and shooting ability give her the length and options to be able to play multiple positions on the floor.
Apart from her skills on the floor, she's been historic in her short time in the league: she became the fastest player in WNBA history to make 150 career three-pointers, and most recently, became the fastest player in Dream franchise history to score 1,000 career points.
Howard, who was initially snubbed as an All-Star, replaced an injured Elena Delle Donne in the 2023 game and contributed 16 points and 15 minutes.
Averaging 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season, Howard is looked at as a top-five player in the league and the Dream are currently 14-11 thanks to her efforts.
Wings are back on the rise
The Dallas Wings have won six of their last eight games, securing second in the Western Conference and fourth overall in the WNBA standings as head coach Latricia Trammell has made herself a candidate for coach of the year.
Led by Arike Ogunbowale averaging 21.6 points per game, the Wings won five straight games, including Commissioner's Cup wins over Las Vegas and Minnesota, before dropping two of their last three games to top-ranked Las Vegas and Connecticut.
Players like Satou Sabally are thriving. She recorded her first career triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against the Washington Mystics.
The Wings also held Washington to a season-low 62 points, proving that they are a real playoff threat under Trammell after first-round exits the last two years.
What do the Indiana Fever still need to do?
With a threat like Aliyah Boston, scoring talent like Kelsey Mitchell, and other talents across the floor, the Indiana Fever have had quality wins over teams like the Mystics and Dream, but still sit at just 6-19 on the season.
Many of the Fever's losses are by fewer than 10 points — they have lost by a single point against the Los Angeles Sparks and Wings, and by fewer than three points against the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun as they figure out their chemistry.
After snapping their eight-game losing streak against an injury-riddled Mystics team, the Fever have fallen back into old ways as they lost another four straight, losing to the Sparks twice as well as the Seattle Storm, two teams well below .500.
With NaLyssa Smith out since July 9 with a foot injury, her absence has allowed defences to target rookie of the year front-runner Boston in the paint and keep her from being as much of a scoring threat. If they want to make the post-season for the first time in nearly a decade, they need to figure out how to navigate the floor without her.
Who can sneak into the playoffs?
While the likes of the Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty and Sun are confident in their efforts of coming through during the post-season, many teams will still have to earn their spot to play past September with such a competitive field.
The Minnesota Lynx have crawled their way back from their disappointing first part of the season to currently sit 13-13, led by Napheesa Collier's 21.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks a game. Rookie and second-overall pick Diamond Miller has proved her worth, averaging 13.2 points per game even after suffering a lower leg injury.
With Los Angeles the biggest outsider looking in, sitting right behind the Sky for the final seed for the playoffs, the Sparks will need to defeat the likes of New York, Washington, Indiana, Las Vegas and Atlanta in their next six games in order to try and make a push, which will be difficult. The team is averaging three fewer points and four fewer rebounds than their opponent per game.
The Mercury, Storm and Fever all only have six wins this season, making them the first three to wave the white flag when it comes to the playoffs. But they could still mathematically make an attempt at the post-season.
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