Who Ran The WNBA This Week

Editor’s note: The WNBA officially labels this as Week 8 because its Power Rankings paused following the lighter Commissioner’s Cup week. Our weekly coverage continued, but we’ll follow the league’s official numbering moving forward.

The WNBA has officially crossed the midpoint of its historic season, and the league is starting to separate into a few distinct groups. Minnesota still owns the best record. Las Vegas and Golden State remain right behind the Lynx. Dallas and Indiana are surging. Meanwhile, the Commissioner’s Cup champion Liberty have stumbled since lifting the trophy, and Atlanta is still trying to rediscover the rhythm that made it one of the league’s best early-season teams.

According to the WNBA’s official Week 8 Power Rankings, Minnesota remains No. 1 at 17-6, followed by Las Vegas and Golden State. The Valkyries own the league’s longest active winning streak at seven games, while Dallas has won five straight and climbed to No. 4. Indiana also jumped two places after going 3-1 on its road trip, while New York fell to seventh after winning just once in four games since the Commissioner’s Cup Final.

The week itself gave us another Jessica Shepard triple-double, a coaching record that may stand for a long time, two more Olivia Miles milestones, A’ja Wilson’s dominant return and several close games that came down to the final possession. It also gave us a reminder that no lead is safe this season, especially when Marina Mabrey gets hot.

TEAMS & PLAYERS TO HIGHLIGHT THIS WEEK

Jessica Shepard

Jessica Shepard continues to put together one of the most unique seasons in the league. Shepard recorded her third triple-double of the year with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists as Dallas beat New York 88-77. It was another all-around masterpiece from a player who has become the engine behind the Wings’ rise, and it helped Dallas extend a five-game winning streak by the end of the week. Shepard also followed that performance with 20 points and 17 rebounds against Toronto, giving her a league-leading 14 double-doubles at the time.

Olivia Miles

Olivia Miles keeps reaching milestones faster than anybody before her. The Minnesota rookie became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 350 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists, accomplishing the feat in her 21st game. Miles then returned from a brief absence to score 23 points in Minnesota’s win over New York, once again showing why she has become the clear Rookie of the Year favorite and an All-Star starter before reaching the halfway point of her first season.

A’ja Wilson

A’ja Wilson returned after missing three games and immediately looked like an MVP again. Wilson finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds as Las Vegas beat Portland 88-80, carrying the Aces through a comeback victory and reminding the league how dramatically she changes every matchup. The rest of the week showed the uneven nature of Vegas’ season, but A’ja’s return was still one of its biggest developments.

Paige Bueckers

Paige Bueckers put together one of her best scoring performances as a professional during Dallas’ 108-95 win over Toronto. Bueckers finished with 34 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Arike Ogunbowale added 20 points and Shepard controlled the glass. Bueckers continues to look more comfortable carrying the offense late in games, and Dallas’ five-game winning streak has firmly pushed the Wings into the league’s top tier.

Marina Mabrey

Marina Mabrey stayed scorching hot during Toronto’s two high-scoring games. She scored 34 points in the loss to Dallas, then followed it with 30 as the Temp beat New York 93-91. Mabrey has averaged more than 26 points over her last 10 games while shooting better than 47% from three, making her selection as Toronto’s first WNBA All-Star feel like an easy decision.

STORYLINES OF THE WEEK

1. Cheryl Reeve now stands alone.

Cheryl Reeve became the winningest regular-season coach in WNBA history when Minnesota beat Connecticut 86-80. The victory was the 380th of Reeve’s career, moving her past former Sun coach Mike Thibault. Reeve already owned the league’s playoff wins record, and she has now guided Minnesota to the best record in the WNBA despite Napheesa Collier not appearing in a game yet this season.

2. Dallas and Golden State are the league’s hottest teams.

The Valkyries have won seven straight, a franchise record and the longest active streak in the WNBA. Dallas is not far behind with five consecutive wins and has climbed from an exciting young team to a legitimate contender. Golden State is 17-2 against everybody outside Minnesota and Las Vegas, while another Dallas win would give the Wings their longest winning streak since the franchise moved to Texas.

3. Indiana continues to win without Caitlin Clark controlling everything.

The Fever earned another tight victory over Phoenix without Caitlin Clark, coming back late to win 92-89. Kelsey Mitchell scored 28 points, Aliyah Boston added 17 and 11 rebounds, and Indiana completed a 3-1 road trip. The Fever have increasingly shown they can survive games without Clark carrying the entire offense, which will matter as they try to remain near the top of the standings.

4. New York’s post-Cup stumble is becoming a concern.

Since winning the Commissioner’s Cup, the Liberty have gone 1-3. They lost to Dallas behind Shepard’s triple-double, fell to Minnesota in a Finals rematch and then watched a 20-point comeback fall short against Toronto. New York still has championship talent, but the offense and late-game execution have not looked nearly as dependable since the trophy celebration.

5. The All-Star break arrives with the award races taking shape.

The WNBA is now past its midpoint, with 174 games completed through Sunday. Olivia Miles has created real separation in the Rookie of the Year race, while A’ja Wilson remains at the center of the MVP conversation. The league will now move through its final pre-All-Star games before its top players gather in Chicago.

BEST GAMES OF THE LAST WEEK

Connecticut Sun 90, Minnesota Lynx 89 — July 6

Connecticut pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the week, beating the league-leading Lynx on the road. Brittney Griner scored a season-high 29 points, while Kennedy Burke hit two late threes to help the Sun survive by one. The loss temporarily prevented Cheryl Reeve from breaking the coaching wins record and gave Connecticut one of its best victories of the season.

Indiana Fever 92, Phoenix Mercury 89 — July 9

Indiana and Phoenix produced another close, physical game that was not decided until the final seconds. Kelsey Mitchell’s late layup put Indiana ahead, and Sophie Cunningham added two free throws to seal the win. The Fever did it without Caitlin Clark, completing a season-series victory over a Mercury team that has repeatedly pushed them to the limit.

Dallas Wings 108, Toronto Tempo 95 — July 10

This was one of the week’s best offensive showcases. Paige Bueckers scored 34 points, Arike Ogunbowale added 20 and Jessica Shepard finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds. Toronto answered with 34 points from Marina Mabrey, 25 from Laura Juskaite, and 18 points and eight rebounds from Isabelle Harrison, but Dallas had too much firepower.

Minnesota Lynx 90, New York Liberty 85 — July 11

Minnesota got some payback after losing by 13 to New York earlier in the month. Kayla McBride scored 14 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter, while Olivia Miles returned for 23 points. The Liberty kept it close, but Minnesota’s late shot-making helped the Lynx reinforce their place at the top of the league.

Toronto Tempo 93, New York Liberty 91 — July 12

Toronto built a 20-point lead, watched New York erase almost all of it and still found a way to finish. Marina Mabrey scored 30 points, while former Liberty forward Nyara Sabally hit the go-ahead layup with 52.5 seconds left. Sabrina Ionescu scored 28 for New York, but the Liberty’s rally came up just short in Montreal.

GAMES TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS UPCOMING WEEK

Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx — July 13

Minnesota remains the league’s top team, while Phoenix enters the matchup on a three-game losing streak. The Mercury badly needs to steady itself, but doing so against Olivia Miles and the WNBA’s best overall team will not be easy.

Washington Mystics at Toronto Tempo — July 14

Washington has hovered around .500 all season, while Toronto just earned a dramatic win over New York. Marina Mabrey’s scoring against Washington’s top-three defense should make this one worth watching.

Golden State Valkyries at Indiana Fever — July 15

This might be the best game of the week. Golden State brings a seven-game winning streak into Indiana, while the Fever have won four of their last five. The league’s hottest expansion team facing one of its hottest offenses should give us a real pre-All-Star measuring stick.

Las Vegas Aces at Minnesota Lynx — July 15

The top two teams in the Power Rankings meet in a heavyweight matchup. A’ja Wilson is back, Minnesota still owns the league’s best record and the Lynx could be getting closer to Napheesa Collier’s season debut. There will not be many better games before the break.

New York Liberty at Dallas Wings — July 16

New York gets another chance at Dallas after Jessica Shepard’s triple-double powered the Wings past the Liberty last week. Dallas will be chasing a sixth consecutive win, while New York is desperate to reverse its post-Cup slide.

New York Liberty at Indiana Fever — July 18

The Liberty’s difficult week continues in Indiana against a Fever team playing some of its best basketball. New York needs to rediscover its rhythm, while Indiana has an opportunity to strengthen its spot near the top of the standings before the All-Star break.

Washington Mystics at Golden State Valkyries — July 18

Golden State’s depth and defense will be tested against a Washington team that ranks third in defensive efficiency. The Mystics have struggled offensively, so this may come down to whether they can generate enough points to keep up at Ballhalla.

Las Vegas Aces at Dallas Wings — July 19

Dallas has already established itself as one of the league’s hottest teams, while Vegas remains one of its most unpredictable. A’ja Wilson against Jessica Shepard, and Dallas’ young backcourt, make this a strong way to close out the week.

SEE ALSO:

The Saxophones Are Getting Louder: How The WNBA’s Leadership Problem Has Become Impossible To Ignore

In A World Full Of Targets, The WNBA Needs To Be A Costco

Who Ran The WNBA This Week: Jessica Shepard Does It Again, Olivia Miles Makes History & Cheryl Reeve Stands Alone was originally published on newsone.com