Another week has passed, but the top of the standings remain dominated by Las Vegas and Connecticut as the Aces still have just one loss this season – given to them by the Sun.
However, the rest of the standings have been shaken up, from the Lynx going from last to fourth in the Western Conference, the Fever sitting last in the Eastern Conference despite having a better record than four West teams, and the Mystics on the Liberty's heels.
The past week of WNBA action was nothing short of thrilling, including historic milestones, new faces and more. Here are the highlights:
Kelsey Mitchell bringing heat for the Fever
On Thursday night, it looked like a thriller between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky was heading to overtime, but instead Kelsey Mitchell scored a step-back last-second jumper to give the Fever a 92-90 win.
Mitchell leads the Fever in scoring, averaging 19 points per game, and either scored or assisted on eight of the Fever's final 12 points in the last second win, scoring 19 points in the game. Earlier in the week, Mitchell moved into second place on Indiana’s all-time scoring list, passing Katie Douglas, who had 2,564 points with the Fever. Tamika Catchings holds the record, with 7,380 points.
The Fever have now won two games in a row for the first time since May 2022 and are now 4-6 on the season, almost matching last season's win total of five. The last time they made playoffs was in 2016, and this season they are on pace to replicate a similar season.
The Fever aren't just a one-woman show – NaLyssa Smith and Aliyah Boston have been putting up double-doubles, and Erica Wheeler has been solid in both contributing to the scoring and making plays.
Dream upset the Sun
The Connecticut Sun have been dominant this season, and going into their matchup against an Atlanta Dream team they had beat by double digits earlier in the week were looking to pick up another win on the season.
Instead, the Dream broke a seven-game losing streak and beat Connecticut, 92-88, and Allisha Gray had a career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds as Cheyenne Parker and Rhyne Howard both scored 19 points for Atlanta, while Haley Jones had 10 points and nine assists in just her third career start.
The Sun didn't make it easy for the Dream, who had to force overtime, as three Sun players scored 20 or more points in the game as Brionna Jones had 28 points and 13 rebounds, Alyssa Thomas tallied 23 points, six rebounds and seven assists, and DeWanna Bonner scored 20 points.
But Atlanta's shooting of more than 50 per cent from the floor and their tenacity on the boards helped them outlast a Sun defence that is known for making players flustered and creating turnovers, helping the Dream move to 4-5 and win back-to-back road games after their win over New York.
Lynx are starting to get hot
It hasn't exactly been a perfect start to the season for the Minnesota Lynx, but back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Sparks, who sit second in the Western Conference standings, will certainly boost morale.
Napheesa Collier led all scorers, with 25 points, six rebounds and two blocks in their win on Friday night, going 9-13 from the field while Kayla McBride added 16 points and five rebounds. The Sparks now haven't beaten the Lynx at home since September 2019.
While hard to contain, the Lynx held Nneka Ogwumike to eight points, five rebounds and four assists, and she made just her second field goal of the game with 49.9 seconds left in the fourth to get Los Angeles within two points, though the Lynx scored three more to seal the win.
Unfortunately for the Lynx, their next matchup will be against the top-ranked Aces, but wins over top teams such as the Washington Mystics and Sparks gives them momentum for their next string of games, which includes another Sparks matchup as well as taking on the Seattle Storm.
Li Meng and the Mystics come up big
With Natasha Cloud out with an injury, Li Meng started for the Washington Mystics and did not disappoint as she made four three-pointers and scored 14 points in the dominant 88-69 win over the Mercury.
Phoenix was without both Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi, but the Mystics led by 16 at the half as they shot almost 60 per cent from the field, and Brittney Sykes scored all 16 of her points in the first half.
Meng, who averaged 16 points per game in the FIBA Women’s World Cup in October for China and is one of her country's top perimeter scorers, is in her first WNBA season after spending her entire career in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association.
The Mystics are 6-4, winning three of their last four. Ariel Atkins added 11 points for Washington, and is now averaging 10.1 points per game this season. Even Shakira Austin, who did not play after halftime due to a knee injury, had six points and six rebounds in the first half.
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