We’ve essentially reached the quarter-way mark of the season, with all but one team having played at least 11 of their scheduled 44 regular-season games. There’s already a lot to analyze. Some players have been steady, while others are experiencing the highs and lows of the season. Let’s pinpoint a few players trending up and a few trending down.
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▶ HEATING UP 🔥
A’ja Wilson — C, Aces
Just as one could reasonably make a case each year for Wilson being an MVP candidate, she could conceivably keep a place on the “HEAT UP” list every week. Be that as it may, the four-time league Most Valuable Player gets her first shoutout of the season. The recognition comes at maybe the most appropriate time of this young WNBA season — she has led Las Vegas to four straight wins, posting averages of 28.8 points, 14.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 3.0 blocks on 51.3/46.2/82.9 shooting splits. Of all the stats listed, the one that really catches my attention is the three-point percentage. Wilson has expanded her range in Year 9 and is efficiently knocking down a career-best 1.4 triples on average — unlocking, or further improving on, a new skill after three WNBA titles and four MVPs has to be a nightmare for coaches to game-plan against. As Wilson rolls, so do the Aces.
A'ja Wilson went OFF in the 1H 💅
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 9, 2026
She brought in 21 PTS, 6 REB, and 3 AST for the @LVAces!
SEA-LVA | USA Network | 2026 WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by @coinbase
Tap to watch: https://t.co/nxBKgAHV8o pic.twitter.com/st0P07ACQT
Natisha Hiedeman — G, Storm
Seattle owns a league-worst seven-game losing streak, has one of the lowest-rated offenses, and is scoring the fewest points per game in the W. Yet, none of those negatives have prevented Hiedeman from finding success. Even on a bad offense, someone has got to do the scoring — that’s Hiedeman, who leads the Storm in assists and is second in points per game. She’s already logged multiple 20-point games this season and is averaging 15.3 points and 4.1 assists over her last seven appearances. The first-year Storm point guard has settled in nicely to an expanded role after thriving as a reserve for the past couple of seasons in Minnesota. Without many other reliable options in the backcourt, Hiedeman could realistically retain the keys to the offense as the season progresses. More individual success should be on the way.
Angel Reese — F, Dream
It seems as though we can rotate a new Atlanta player into this section each Thursday, which is a credit to the team and a reflection of the success it’s enjoyed through the first quarter of the regular-season schedule. Reese gets the nod today, and rightfully so. She recently returned to Chicago for a matchup against her former employer and left the building with 17 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a win. That was on the heels of an 18/17 double-double, which followed 11/10, 12/13, and 18/12 double-doubles. In other words, the third-year pro is doing exactly what she’s done throughout her career, except now she’s enjoying team success while surrounded by more top-tier talent. How long can she extend her double-double streak?
RELATED: Check out Jackie Powell’s WNBA Notebook about the parity across the W this season!
▶ COOLING DOWN ❄️
Carla Leite — G, Fire
Leite’s recent slowed production has coincided with Portland’s three-game losing streak. She’s shot only 8-of-25 from the field over that stretch while averaging 9.0 points. Compare those aforementioned numbers to the 15.9 points on 55.1 percent shooting in the eight games prior, and you’ll see more vividly the drop in performance. Leite has remained a quality facilitator, despite her recent shooting struggles, with assist numbers during the losing streak matching the season-long average. But for a team failing to reach even 80 points in each of the past three games, getting more contributions on the offensive end of the floor from arguably its best player would likely go a long way.
Ariel Atkins — G, Sparks
It’s been a tough season for Atkins, who was traded from the Sky over the offseason. Her struggles on the offensive end have mostly been due to inefficient shotmaking. She’s shooting sub-40.0 percent from the field and under 30.0 percent from deep for the first time in her career — specifically, 34.8 percent overall and 27.9 percent from beyond the arc — leading to a career-low 9.4 points per game. Atkins’ track record as an efficient scorer suggests she will eventually find her rhythm. If she does indeed return to form, it’ll make this already-dangerous Sparks offense even more so.
Alanna Smith — F, Wings
The season started poorly for Smith and hasn’t gotten better. After entering with a nose injury, she struggled to find her way early on the offensive end, and has now lost her starting spot in the frontcourt. But even in a reserve role, the veteran forward is mostly playing less than half of the available 40 minutes of late — she saw just nine minutes of action in Tuesday’s loss to the Lynx. The drop in production has been a fair steep one thus far, as Smith, who averaged 9.6 and 10.1 points per game over the last two seasons, has yet to reach double figures in scoring through 10 games. Given her large contributions to recent successful Minnesota teams, it would make sense for Smith to improve on her 33.3/9.5/60.0 shooting splits and eventually turn things around in what’s been a really tough start to her tenure with the Wings.
