Who Ran The WNBA This Week: Week 6

The WNBA is now more than one-third of the way through its historic 30th season, the Commissioner’s Cup Championship matchup is set, and the top of the standings is starting to get real separation from the rest of the pack.

The WNBA has officially moved from early-season feel-out mode into the part of the schedule where every result starts to say something. The Liberty and Aces are headed to the Commissioner’s Cup Championship, Minnesota is back at No. 1 in the official Power Rankings, Atlanta is on its first three-game winning streak of the season, and Dallas keeps stacking wins behind one of the most exciting young backcourts in the league. The Cup Final is set for June 30 at Barclays Center, with New York hosting Las Vegas at 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video.

The week itself had a little bit of everything: close finishes, statement wins, comeback losses, milestone nights and a few monster individual performances. Marina Mabrey went back to Connecticut and cooked her former team for a career-high 37. Nneka Ogwumike delivered a buzzer-beating moment in the same matchup that opened the WNBA 30 years ago. Angel Reese made more league history. Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd pushed Dallas past Seattle in overtime. And Washington quietly put together one of the most impressive road stretches of any team in the league.

WNBA TEAMS & PLAYERS TO HIGHLIGHT THIS WEEK

Atlanta Dream

Atlanta has been one of the steadiest teams in the league, and now the Dream are starting to look like a real top-tier threat. They moved up to No. 3 in the WNBA’s Week 6 Power Rankings after sweeping a home-and-home set against Indiana and entering the week on a three-game winning streak. The loudest win came in an 113-96 victory over the Fever, where the Dream set a franchise record for points in a game and had four of their five starters score at least 18.

Angel Reese

Angel Reese keeps stacking historic moments like it’s normal. In that Dream win over Indiana, Reese became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 career rebounds, getting there in just 79 games — 10 games faster than any player before her. She also had 21 points and 11 rebounds in Atlanta’s earlier 108-101 win over Indiana, continuing what has become one of the league’s most reliable double-double machines.

Marina Mabrey

Marina Mabrey had the individual performance of the week. Facing her former team in Connecticut, Mabrey erupted for a career-high 37 points and broke the WNBA single-game record with nine made threes in Toronto’s 101-97 comeback win over the Sun. That is not just a hot shooting night — that is the type of performance that gives a new franchise a moment it can build around.

Minnesota Lynx

Minnesota did not make it back to the Commissioner’s Cup Championship, but the Lynx still returned to the top of the WNBA’s Power Rankings because their full-season résumé is impossible to ignore. They lead the league in offensive rating, defensive rating and net rating, and they are still doing all of this without Napheesa Collier, who is working her way back from offseason surgery on both ankles. Their win over Portland was a blowout, and even after a tough loss to Washington, Minnesota still looks like the league’s most complete team.

Washington Mystics

Washington deserves more attention after the week it just had. The Mystics closed out a four-game road trip with back-to-back wins over New York and Minnesota, two of the league’s top teams. Kiki Iriafen came through with clutch buckets in both wins, and the Mystics have now won four of their last five. That is a serious stretch, especially for a team still building around a young core.

Dallas Wings

Dallas is still one of the league’s most fun teams to track. The Wings edged Chicago by one, then beat Seattle 112-110 in overtime behind 27 points from Paige Bueckers and a career-high 26 from Azzi Fudd. Bueckers also reached 1,000 career WNBA points in her 52nd game, tying Elena Delle Donne for the fourth-fastest mark in league history, while Fudd hit the go-ahead basket with 13.2 seconds left in overtime.

STORYLINES OF THE WEEK

1. The Commissioner’s Cup Final is set, and Liberty-Aces is exactly the matchup the league wanted.

New York went a perfect 6-0 in Cup play and will host Las Vegas on June 30 at Barclays Center. The Aces came out of the West behind another MVP-level Cup run from A’ja Wilson, who averaged 27.7 points and 10.1 rebounds in Cup play while leading the competition in both steals and blocks. It feels like a midseason trophy game, but it also has the potential for a Finals preview.

2. New York’s perfect Cup run did not erase its late-game issues.

The Liberty opened the week by surviving Chicago 96-95 to complete a perfect Cup run, but then they dropped back-to-back heartbreakers to Washington and Los Angeles. New York is now 1-3 in games decided by three points or fewer, and Sunday’s loss to the Sparks came after blowing a 17-point lead. That does not mean the Liberty are in trouble, but it does mean they have some clutch-time cleanup to do before hosting Las Vegas for the Cup.

3. The Dream are starting to look like more than a hot-start story.

Atlanta’s sweep of Indiana was the type of week that makes people adjust expectations. The Dream are defending, running, rebounding and getting production from everybody. When a team sets a franchise scoring record and gets historic rebounding from Angel Reese in the same week, that is not just a cute early-season headline. That is a team telling the rest of the league it will be around for a while.

4. The bottom of the standings is getting rough.

Chicago has dropped five straight and 10 of its last 11, though the Sky have been painfully close lately with an overtime loss to Indiana followed by one-point losses to New York and Dallas. Connecticut has lost seven straight and 10 of its last 11, even though most of those losses have been close. Seattle is in an even tougher spot, with its losing streak reaching 11 after the overtime loss to Dallas.

5. The WNBA’s 30th anniversary moment delivered.

The Sparks and Liberty meeting was already special because it matched the two teams from the league’s first-ever game. Then Nneka Ogwumike turned it into one of the best moments of the season, hitting a buzzer-beating three to complete a 17-point comeback. With legends from both franchises in the building, it was the kind of full-circle moment that made the 30th season feel even bigger.

BEST GAMES OF THE LAST WEEK

New York Liberty 96, Chicago Sky 95 — June 17

The Liberty survived a scare from Chicago and completed their perfect 6-0 Commissioner’s Cup run. Sabrina Ionescu did not score until late in the third quarter, but she still hit a clutch go-ahead three and the eventual game-winning layup with 10 seconds left. For New York, it was a tough win that punched up the Cup résumé. For Chicago, it was another brutal close loss in a season full of them.

Atlanta Dream 108, Indiana Fever 101 — June 18

This was one of those games where the score was high, the pace was fast and both teams had moments where they looked ready to run away with it. Atlanta ultimately closed the deal behind a balanced starting lineup and a big Angel Reese night, with Reese finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds. It was also part of a larger story for Indiana, which has now played in four games in which both teams scored 100 or more points — more than almost anyone else in the league.

Washington Mystics 86, New York Liberty 83 — June 19

Washington’s win over New York deserves love because it snapped the Liberty’s eight-game winning streak and showed the Mystics are not scared of big moments. Kiki Iriafen scored the decisive bucket late, Sonia Citron added 16 points, and Washington took advantage of New York’s late turnovers and missed chances. This was the kind of win that makes a young team believe it can close against anybody.

Dallas Wings 93, Chicago Sky 92 — June 20

Chicago keeps coming painfully close, but Dallas found a way to survive. This win helped the Wings stay in the top-six mix and showed again why their offense can be difficult to deal with when things get tight. For the Sky, it was another one-point loss during a stretch where they have been more competitive than their record looks.

Los Angeles Sparks 98, New York Liberty 97 — June 21

This was probably the moment of the week. The Sparks trailed by 17, rallied all the way back, and Nneka Ogwumike hit a buzzer-beating three to beat the Liberty on the WNBA’s 30th anniversary night. Ogwumike finished with 24 points, six rebounds and three steals, and the emotion afterward made the whole thing feel bigger than just one regular-season win.

Dallas Wings 112, Seattle Storm 110 (OT) — June 22

Dallas and Seattle gave fans a wild one to close the week. Paige Bueckers scored 27, Azzi Fudd added a career-high 26, and Fudd hit the go-ahead basket with 13.2 seconds left in overtime. Seattle’s Dominique Malonga had a career-high 37, but the Storm still dropped their 11th straight game.

GAMES TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS UPCOMING WEEK

New York Liberty at Las Vegas Aces — Tuesday, June 23

This is the perfect teaser before the Commissioner’s Cup Championship. New York and Vegas are already set to meet for the Cup next week, but this one still matters because both teams need some answers: the Liberty are trying to clean up late-game execution, while the Aces are trying to keep building rhythm behind A’ja Wilson.

Minnesota Lynx at Washington Mystics — Wednesday, June 24

Washington just beat Minnesota last week, so that gives the Lynx a quick revenge opportunity. The Mystics have been one of the better stories recently, with their young core closing out tough games, while Minnesota remains the league’s No. 1 overall team and has the best full-season profile.

Atlanta Dream at Golden State Valkyries — Wednesday, June 24 & Friday, June 26

This two-game set should tell us a lot about both teams. Atlanta is trying to keep proving it belongs near the top of the league, while Golden State gets two home chances to finally grab a statement win against one of the WNBA’s best teams.

Dallas Wings at Las Vegas Aces — Thursday, June 25

Dallas already handed Vegas a rough loss earlier this season, so this rematch has real juice. The Wings are young, confident and dangerous, while the Aces are still the defending champs with A’ja Wilson playing MVP-level basketball.

Los Angeles Sparks at Indiana Fever — Saturday, June 27

This is a solid weekend spotlight game. Indiana is trying to steady itself after an up-and-down stretch, while the Sparks have been competitive and already showed they can steal big games late.

Minnesota Lynx at Dallas Wings — Sunday, June 28

This is probably the best game of the week. Minnesota is back on top of the league, Dallas has been one of the hottest teams over the last few weeks, and the guard talent in this matchup is crazy. Olivia Miles, Paige Bueckers, Courtney Williams, Azzi Fudd, and Arike Ogunbowale all in one game makes this a must-watch.

New York Liberty at Golden State Valkyries — Sunday, June 28

Another strong test for Holden State, and another big road game for New York before the Cup Final. The Liberty need to sharpen up before seeing Vegas again, while the Valkyries will be looking for that signature win against a top-tier opponent.

SEE ALSO:

Why Choosing A’ja Wilson As The WNBA Logo Should Be A No-Brainer

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