The WNBA’s All-Star break is well in the rearview, and the trade deadline has also come and gone. Now a week into August, the focus for the rest of the regular season is clear: the race to the playoffs.
Which players are starting to find their way, and which find themselves in a funk as we near the fourth quarter of the season?
We dive into the recent performances.
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▶ HEATING UP 🔥
Nyara Sabally — C, Tempo
Toronto hasn’t been able to stop the bleeding, now with seven straight losses, including four straight following the All-Star break. But amidst the team’s slide, Sabally has been a bright spot for the Tempo. The fourth-year center has scored in double figures in eight of her last nine appearances, while averaging 20 points and 7.0 rebounds on 58.3 percent shooting from the field in Toronto’s most recent couple of games (both losses to Golden State). Should health be a non-concern for Sabally, she’ll likely hold on to her starting spot in the Tempo’s frontcourt. If that’s the case, she’s proven to be capable of functioning as one of Toronto’s primary scoring options on a nightly basis. Expect more of the same from her.
DeWanna Bonner — F, Mercury
A major shoutout to Bonner for recently surpassing Lindsay Whalen to become the WNBA’s all-time winningest player (regular season and playoffs combined). The history-making feat has appropriately come during one of the veteran forward’s best stretches of basketball during the 2026 season. Since the All-Star Break, Bonner is averaging 16.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and has accumulated 14 stocks across the four games. She’s also added a pair of three-pointers in three of the four games. To summarize: Bonner is playing high-level basketball at the moment. The team’s implementation of Kelsey Plum, who Phoenix traded for, should open up even more space for Bonner to operate going forward.
DeWINNER BONNER.
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) August 4, 2026
When it comes to winning…look no further. DB is the winningest player in @WNBA history 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xpDSlXwTdk
Janelle Salaün — F, Valkyries
Do we have a leading candidate for Sixth Player of the Year over in the Bay Area? It seems like Salaün, averaging 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 three-pointers off the bench for one of the best teams in the league, is making her case. And if the season-long numbers don’t paint the picture, perhaps her recent performances do — the second-year forward just went off for 20-plus points and four triples in back-to-back wins over the Tempo following the All-Star break. Aside from the August 9 game against the Sparks, the Valkyries will face some quality defensive opponents over the next couple of weeks. It’ll be interesting to see if Salaün can keep up the strong play over that upcoming stretch.
▶ COOLING DOWN ❄️
Marina Mabrey — G, Tempo
Mabrey has scored the ball decently of late, but not at near the same level as she has done consistently throughout her first season in Toronto. She’s reached the 20-point mark only once over the past four games and has shot below 43.0 percent from the field in three of the four. Mabrey struggled particularly against the Valkyries earlier in the week after returning from a neck injury. Especially with Brittney Sykes still sidelined with a foot injury, it’s likely that by volume and usage, Mabrey will soon begin to log up the type of production that made her a WNBA All-Star this season. But for now, she’s in a slight funk amidst Toronto’s current seven-game losing streak.
Jordin Canada — G, Dream
While Canada’s been one of the W’s best facilitators this year, she’s struggled lately to complement her passing with strong ball security and efficient scoring. She entered Wednesday’s game against Phoenix having totaled 17 turnovers and shooting 4-of-18 over Atlanta’s past three contests, before finishing the win against the Mercury with 17 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Undoubtedly, the veteran guard has had a positive impact as the Dream has gotten back on track following the team’s difficult stretch in late June and early July, but her contributions could be even greater once she breaks out of the shooting slump. Better care of the ball could also benefit this Dream offense — she’s had more turnovers than made field goals in four consecutive games.
Azzi Fudd — G, Wings
Although other rookies have put together more eye-popping performances and better scoring numbers this season, Fudd’s played her complementary role well and produced fairly consistently up to this point. But there have been occasional valleys for every few peaks that she’s had, and she’s currently in the midst of one following Wednesday’s loss to the Mystics. Over the past three games, the 2026 first-overall pick has scored in single digits twice, largely a result of subpar three-point shooting. Fudd has been a higher and more efficient scorer in Dallas’ wins than its losses — finding the touch again, particularly from beyond the arc, would be good news for the Wings.
