What a fun weekend it was to watch the WNBA’s best share the floor at the United Center in Chicago. The game was great, and so were Friday night’s events.
But now that the All-Star Weekend festivities are in the rearview, it’s time for teams to lock in on the final two months of the season. Less than half the season remains for teams to gain ground, hold onto playoff spots, or achieve whatever goal is fit for them.
Which teams will heat up? Which will look different from a roster standpoint? We dive into what’s to come in the near future.
SCHEDULE: Check out the full WNBA on NBC, Peacock slate of games
▶ AUGUST 2 WNBA TRADE DEADLINE
Brionna Jones, Napheesa Collier, Dana Evans, and Ezi Magbegor are among the handful of notable players who began the 2026 season injured and made their debuts at some point in July — these players, in a way, serve as midseason additions to their respective teams, and in most cases, pivotal parts of potential championship runs.
But there are the in-house midseason additions, and the new additions teams acquire via trade. To my knowledge, no actual players have been reported to be on the trade block at this point. But lack of playing time for Betnijah Laney-Hamilton in New York, Skylar Diggins in Chicago, and Alanna Smith in Dallas, just to name a few of the obvious, could lead one to wonder if something could be bubbling for either of those players — changes in scenery could be beneficial for all parties. Or is there a less-obvious trade in the works that could help send a team over the top? Something like NaLyssa Smith’s move to Las Vegas last season. Conversely, maybe there’s a trade out there with long-term effects; I’m thinking of the 2024 trade deadline move between the Sun and Sky that ultimately allowed Chicago to swap picks with the Sky to select Gabriela Jaquez.
There’s no way to know for certain if a transaction is even made by Sunday’s deadline, but it’s a fun thought exercise during this time of the season.
▶ TEAMS THAT COULD HEAT UP AHEAD OF THE POSTSEASON
The Aces went on an unparalleled run to end last regular season en route to their third title in four years, shortly following the 2025 All-Star Break. It’s unfair to expect another team to reel off 16 straight regular-season wins, especially given the amount of parity we’ve seen thus far. But that doesn’t mean that a team can’t hit another gear down the stretch.
Golden State already had an Aces-like stretch, winning nine straight games before falling at home to the Mystics just before All-Star Weekend. But 12 of their final 17 games will come against teams with below-.500 records currently, including three straight when the regular season resumes, and five in a row to finish the schedule. And Dallas has a fairly difficult run of upcoming games but finishes with seven straight games against opponents with losing records.
Teams like Minnesota or Las Vegas could always catch fire and hit their stride down the stretch regardless of scheduling or any sort of advantages. Or maybe there’s a team that comes out of nowhere. Nonetheless, I like the way the schedules set up for the Valkyries and Wings — don’t be shocked to see them close the regular season strong.
▶ WNBA AWARDS RACES
And of course, you can’t talk second-half-of-the-season without discourse around the awards races. There are some races that, from the outside looking in, probably aren’t as competitive at the moment (Olivia Miles vs. the field for Rookie of the Year). But Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year feel far less certain. A’ja Wilson and Cheryl Reeve could get my non-existent vote each year for their respective categories, but that’s not to say there aren’t potentially more worthy candidates. Paige Bueckers and Jessica Shepard have both been outstanding this season, as has Olivia Miles. Natalie Nakase has the Valkyries playing like one of the WNBA’s elite teams more than halfway through the schedule.
Things can change in the blink of an eye in this league, so today’s leaders may not be tomorrow’s. The final two months of the season will be telling.
▶ THE WEEK AHEAD
Atlanta Dream @ Dallas Wings
(Wednesday, July 29 at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network)
Boom. We jump back into the regular-season schedule and are gifted a matchup between two of the hottest teams in the league. Dallas has won seven of its last eight games, with the lone defeat coming in overtime against the Liberty in a game that Paige Bueckers missed due to an injury. Interestingly, the Wings have lost both of their previous two matchups with the Dream this season, who will enter Wednesday’s contest on a three-game winning streak. They’ll also enter the third showdown against the Wings with added frontcourt depth — Brionna Jones made her season debut on July 17 and now has two games under her belt. Atlanta’s defense was the primary reason for its two wins. Can it put the clamps again on a dangerous Wings offense that’s playing some of its best basketball at the moment?
Golden State Valkyries @ Phoenix Mercury
(Wednesday, July 29 at 10 p.m. ET on USA Network)
The Valkyries are 2-0 against the Mercury this season. Alyssa Thomas has played well in each of Phoenix’s losses, but Kahleah Copper has not. Coincidentally, the former Finals MVP is currently operating at one of her highest levels. Copper has scored 20 or more points in 12 of her last 14 appearances and turned in the type of statistics that rival her first year with Phoenix. The Mercury also own a two-game winning streak, albeit against two teams — Los Angeles and Connecticut — that are struggling this season. But the Valkyries are far above the level of either of the three aforementioned teams, and will likely look to use their three-point-heavy approach to pick apart a Mercury defense that may be the worst in the league at defending threes.
New York Liberty @ Las Vegas Aces
(Thursday, July 30 at 10 p.m. ET on Prime Video)
The Aces are playing .500 basketball over their past eight games and have continued to struggle with the size and personnel that the Liberty brings to the table. In particular, the Aces’ elite offense has struggled to get going against New York as it does against most other teams. Sabrina Ionescu often seems to have her way with the Aces, which is something else to watch for if not locked in on the A’ja Wilson vs. Breanna Stewart matchup. Both teams could see a win here — for the Liberty, it would keep them trending in the right direction; for the Aces, it may serve as a confidence builder against this particular opponent.
Dallas Wings @ Washington Mystics
(Friday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION)
Before facing Dallas twice in a row, the Mystics will have had a chance to avenge a loss to the Sun on Tuesday to extend their win streak to three games. Regardless of whether their avenging is successful, Friday’s meeting at the nation’s capital offers the Mystics another opportunity to stack a high-quality win and close the gap between themselves and the few teams directly above them in the standings. But again, here are those well-rounded Wings who leave the All-Star Break only one game out of second place in the standings. Nothing more needs to be said about them that hasn’t already been voiced in this column. The backcourt battle between Paige Bueckers and Sonia Citron should be an entertaining one.
Indiana Fever vs. Minnesota Lynx
(Sunday, August 2 at 1 p.m. ET on ABC)
On Sunday afternoon in front of a national TV audience, the Fever head into Minneapolis to take on the best team in the WNBA. We’ll be treated to the best offensive team in the league trying to overcome one of the league’s elite defenses. And barring anything unforeseen between now and this upcoming weekend, the star power and high-level skill between Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark should lead to a well-played game, while the likes of Olivia Miles and Kelsey Mitchell potentially leave an even bigger mark on the game on the offensive end of the floor. Let’s go ahead and tab this one as the game of the week.
