Who Ran The WNBA This Week: Minnesota’s Defense Is Scary, Jessica Sheard Makes History, Commissioner’s Cup Takes Over
Three weeks into the season, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is officially about to turn the intensity up another level. The first few weeks were about figuring out who was real, who was still getting their legs under them, and which early surprises had some staying power. Now, with the Commissioner’s Cup tipping off tonight, every game from June 1 through June 17 carries a little extra weight, with regular-season wins also counting toward Cup standings and a spot in the June 30 championship game.
That makes this a perfect time to reset the league’s temperature. Minnesota has jumped to the top of the WNBA’s official Power Rankings despite not having Napheesa Collier yet. Atlanta still looks like one of the toughest teams in the league. Dallas is starting to figure things out fast behind Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers and Jessica Shepard. Portland has six wins already as an expansion team. Meanwhile, Phoenix is searching for answers while carrying the league’s longest active losing streak into Cup play.
The week itself gave us history, big-time bounce-back wins, and a few games that felt way better than early-season basketball usually does. Jessica Shepard put together a stat line you rarely see. Golden State and Indiana gave fans a two-point thriller. The Sparks played back-to-back close games against the Mystics and the Sun. And the Fire kept proving that they are not just happy to be here — they are here to beat people.
WNBA TEAMS & PLAYERS TO HIGHLIGHT THIS WEEK
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota might be the best story in the league right now because the Lynx look this good without Napheesa Collier playing a single game yet. They have won four straight, climbed to No. 1 in the WNBA’s Week 3 Power Rankings, and own the league’s best defensive rating at 96.8. That would be impressive under normal circumstances, but it hits even harder, considering Collier and Alanna Smith were both All-Defensive First Team players last year, and neither is on the floor for Minnesota right now. Olivia Miles has also looked like the early Rookie of the Year front-runner, leading all rookies in points and assists while ranking second in rebounds.
Olivia Miles
Olivia Miles has moved past “good rookie” status already. She looks like somebody Minnesota can trust to run the show right now, which is wild considering how early we are in her career. She leads all first-year players in scoring at 15.4 points per game and assists at 5.9, while also grabbing 5.1 rebounds per game. That is the kind of production that makes the Rookie of the Year conversation feel like it has a clear leader at the moment.
Dallas Wings
Dallas started the season 1-2, but the Wings have gone 4-1 since then and are starting to look like a team nobody should want to deal with. Their week was highlighted by a 95-87 win over the defending champion Aces, and that victory had a little bit of everything: Azzi Fudd scored 22 in her first WNBA start, Paige Bueckers kept settling into the offense, and Jessica Shepard made history. The Wings are now 5-3, sitting third in the official Power Rankings, and they look like they are getting more comfortable with every game.
Jessica Shepard
Jessica Shepard had the game of the week, and honestly, one of the best stat lines the league has ever seen. In Dallas’ win over Las Vegas, Shepard finished with 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming only the second player in WNBA history to post a 20-20-10 game. Alyssa Thomas was the only player who had done it before, so Shepard did not just have a great night — she joined a tiny piece of league history.
Portland Fire
The Portland Fire is still making this expansion thing look way easier than it is supposed to be. Portland went 3-1 last week, beating New York, Connecticut and Indiana, with its only loss coming against Atlanta. The Fire are 6-4 through their first 10 games, and they are also the league’s best clutch team so far at 4-0 in games within five points in the final five minutes. That is a real identity forming early: they are tough, they do not panic late, and they have already beaten some teams with real expectations.
Golden State Valkyries
Golden State had one of those weeks where even the loss said something. The Valkyries beat Indiana 90-88 in a clutch game, then fell 91-81 to Las Vegas after A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young took control in the third quarter. They are 5-3, still sitting top five in the Power Rankings, and they are about to walk into one of the toughest opening Commissioner’s Cup stretches in the league with Portland, Minnesota and Las Vegas all on the schedule this week.
A’ja Wilson
A’ja Wilson keeps finding ways to remind people who she is, even during a week where Las Vegas took a tough loss to Dallas. After the Aces dropped that game, Wilson responded against Golden State with 28 points and 15 rebounds in a 91-81 win. The third quarter was where she really took over, using her size, touch and physicality to help Las Vegas outscore the Valkyries 29-13 in the frame. That is what makes the Aces dangerous: even when they look shaky, A’ja can still swing a game by herself.
Los Angeles Sparks
The Sparks are still trying to figure out who they are without Kelsey Plum, but they gave us two of the best of the week. Los Angeles edged Washington 92-87 behind Erica Wheeler, Nneka Ogwumike, Cameron Brink and Dearica Hamby, then turned around and lost a tight game to one-win (at the time) Connecticut the next night. The big picture is that the Sparks are competitive, but Plum’s ankle is still the thing hanging over them as the Commissioner’s Cup starts. She missed the last two games after spraining her ankle in practice and was set to be evaluated before the Cup opener.
STORYLINES OF THE WEEK
1. The Commissioner’s Cup Is Here, And The Timing Is Perfect
The first few weeks of the season helped separate the early contenders from the teams still searching for rhythm. Now the Commissioner’s Cup gives everybody something immediate to chase. From June 1 through June 17, all 49 Cup games cunt in both the regular-season standings and the Cup standings, with the top team from each conference advancing to the championship game on June 30.
2. Minnesota Is Winning With Defense, Depth & A Rookie Who Looks Ready Right Now
The Lynx being No. 1 this early is impressive enough, but doing it without Napheesa Collier makes it feel even more serious. They are defending at the highest level in the league; they have won four straight, and Olivia Miles is already producing like one of the best young guards in basketball. If Collier returns and Minnesota is already playing like this, that is a problem for everybody else.
3. Expansion Teams Are Not Moving Like Expansion Teams
Portland is 6-4 and already has wins over New York, Connecticut and Indiana. Toronto is 5-4 and coming off back-to-back wins over Chicago and Seattle. These teams were supposed to bring new energy to the league, but they are also bringing real wins, real crowds and real pressure to teams that thought expansion nights might be easier than this.
4. Phoenix Needs To Find Something Fast
The Mercury opened the season 2-2, but they have now dropped five straight games, the longest active losing streak in the WNBA. That is rough timing with the Commissioner’s Cup starting, especially since Phoenix opens Cup play against Minnesota before facing Seattle and Portland. It is still early, but if the Mercury do not stabilize soon, this skid could turn into a real hole.
5. The Fever Have Some Frustration To Sort Through
Indiana went from climbing near the top of the Power Rankings last week to dropping consecutive road games against Golden State and Portland. The Portland loss was especially rough because Caitlin Clark was held to a season-low six points in 22 minutes while dealing with foul trouble. There was also visible frustration between Clark. andStephanie White during that stretch, which made Indiana’s week feel like one of those early-season tests every team with big expectations eventually has to face.
BEST GAMES OF THE LAST WEEK
Golden State Valkyries 90, Indian Fever 88 — May 28
This was one of the best finishes of the week. Golden State held off Indiana 90-88 at Chase Center, with Veronica Burton and Gabby Williams helping lead the Valkyries to their first clutch win of the season. Fr Golden State, it was another sign that the Valkyries are not scared of the moment. For Indiana, it marked the start of a tough two-game road skid that carried into the loss to Portland.
Los Angeles Sparks 92, Washington Mystics 87 — May 29
The Sparks and Mystics gave us a tight one, with Los Angeles pulling out a 92-87 win for its third straight victory at the time, Erica Wheeler had her best game of the season with 21 points and eight assists, Nneka Ogwumike added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Dearica Hamby stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and four steals. Washington kept it close behind Shakira Austin and its young core, but the Sparks had just enough late.
Connecticut Sun 84, Los Angeles Sparks 81 — May 30
The Sparks turned around the next night and got dragged into another close one, this time falling 84-81 to Connecticut. The game had 11 lead changes, and the Sun finally snapped a three-game skid behind Aneesah Morrow, who finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Morrow now leads the WNBA with seven double-doubles, and her fourth straight helped Connecticut pick up just its second win of the season.
GAMES TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS UPCOMING WEEK
Minnesota Lynx at Phoenix Mercury — Monday, June 1
This is a perfect Commissioner’s Cup opener because the two teams are in completely different spaces. Minnesota is the hottest team in the league and is sitting at No. 1 in the Power Rankings. Phoenix is trying to snap the WNBA’s longest active losing streak. If the Mercury want to change the tone of their season, beating the league’s hottest team would be one way to do it.
Portland Fire at Golden State Valkyries — Tuesday, June 2
This might be the best expansion-era test of the week. Portland has six wins already and enters Cup play as the league’s best clutch team, while Golden State is still sitting top five despite the loss to Vegas. The Fire and Valkyries both feel like they are trying to prove the same thing: they are not cute stories; they are actual problems.
Atlanta Dream at Indiana Fever — Thursday, June 4
This is a big one for both teams. Atlanta is still No. 2 in the Power Rankings and has one of the league’s best defenses, while Indiana is trying to bounce back after back-to-back road losses. It also gives fans Caitlin Clark against a Dream team that can defend, force turnovers and make everything uncomfortable.
Golden State Valkyries at Minnesota Lynx — Thursday, June 4
Golden State’s Cup schedule is not giving the Valkyries any warm-up games. After Portland, they get Minnesota, the No. 1 team in the league and the WNBA’s best defense so far. It is a huge test for Golden State’s offense and another chance for Olivia Miles to strengthen her early Rookie of the Year case.
Indiana Fever at New York Liberty — Saturday, June 6
Indiana and New York both enter Cup play needing to clean up some things. The Fever are trying to defend last year’s Commissioner’s Cup title, while the Liberty are trying to get healthy, find rhythm and stack wins again after snapping their three-game skid last week. Caitlin Clark against the Liberty at Barclays is always going to have juice, especially with Cup stakes attached.
Golden State Valkyries at Las Vegas Aces — Saturday, June 6
Golden State gets another shot at Vegas just days after the Aces beat them behind A’ja Wilson’s 28 and 15. That alone makes this worth circling. If the Valkyries want to show they can hang with the league’s true championship tier, this is the kind of game where they can make a loud statement.
SEE ALSO:
An Open Letter To Caitlin Clark From A Black Woman Who Loves The WNBA
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