The first full week of the WNBA season is officially in the rearview, but the thrill of the early-season competitiveness still lingers close by.
There were seven games decided by five or fewer points following the opening weekend, with Sarah Ashlee Barker’s game-winning buzzer-beater in Tuesday’s Liberty-Fire matchup delivering Portland the 98-96 victory, its first win as a second-time expansion team. Days later, Washington survived a fourth-quarter Caitlin Clark takeover to secure a gritty 104-102 overtime win at Indiana. Finally, the Aces’ 85-84 win over the Dream on Sunday handed Atlanta, the final remaining undefeated team, its first loss of the season, quickly ending any potential for a team threatening the Lynx’s record-setting 13-0 start to the 2016 season.
ACES DEALING
The Las Vegas Aces opened up their title defense on what they hoped to be more than just a celebratory ring ceremony, only to be held to 66 total points by a motivated Mercury squad that had been swept in the 2025 Finals by those very Aces. Whether the 99-66 beatdown was a reality check or simply an off-performance on an emotional night, the defending champions took it on the chin and responded very strongly in the following games.
An obvious, and predictable, reason for the Aces’ post-opener success is A’ja Wilson’s return to (four-time) MVP form. The reigning Finals MVP averaged 26.5 points over the last four victories, including a 45-point masterpiece in a second contest against the Sun. But even with Wilson’s brilliance and the strong play from Chelsea Gray, we can’t talk about the Aces’ early-season success without recognizing Chennedy Carter’s contributions.
Similar to franchise-legend Kelsey Plum’s 2021 Sixth Player of the Year campaign, Carter’s purpose and value have been clear — score the ball, which she’s done at an incredibly high level in her first season back in the league after playing professionally overseas in 2025. Per WNBA.com’s advanced stats, Carter ranks 11th in the league in points per game, trails only KiKi Iriafen and Natasha Howard in points in the paint scored per game, and ranks 3rd in field goal percentage for any player who has attempted at least five shots this season. History suggests that this type of shooting efficiency that Carter is playing won’t sustain at this high a level for someone taking as many shots as she does. Regardless, her outstanding athleticism and ability to consistently dart past defenders and into the lane will be critical to the Aces’ offense throughout the season.
CAITLIN CLARK FINDS HER TOUCH
It had been a while since Clark had showcased the type of shot-making from beyond the arc that made her one of the most hyped prospects we’ve ever seen. The former first-overall pick had only made more than two three-pointers in a game four times during her injury-plagued sophomore season, and entered Friday’s game against the Mystics having connected on just 10 of her last 65 three-point attempts — three quarters into Game No. 3 of the season wasn’t much different, as reflected in her 2-of-7 three-point shooting heading into the fourth quarter. Clark caught fire in the fourth, where she shot 5-of-7 from deep to help the Fever erase an 11-point deficit in the frame to force overtime. She struck out in the extra period (0-of-3 from distance) before Indiana ultimately lost by two points. Yet, Clark felt “proud” of shooting out of the slump, and that fourth-quarter surge appears to have put her back on the right path. She followed Friday’s shooting breakthrough with an efficient 2-of-4 three-point performance in the Fever’s 89-78 victory over the Storm on Sunday.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Washington Mystics @ Dallas Wings
(Monday, May 18 at 8 p.m. ET on Peacock, NBCSN)
Standard discourse last season was whether Paige Bueckers or Sonia Citron was more deserving of the Rookie of the Year award. Bueckers’ highs versus Citron’s consistency on a better-performing team was often the debate. Bueckers would ultimately take home the honor, but their matchup on Monday evening should be just as fun as the talking points from their rookie seasons. The two individuals are off to strong starts, and both teams have improved on paper — Dallas added three proven vets to their starting unit via free agency before drafting Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 pick this past offseason, while Washington selected a couple of accomplished college prospects, Lauren Betts (No. 4 overall) and Rori Harmon (No. 34 overall) in the 2026 draft. The Wings may be in bigger need of a win on Monday, given first-year head coach Jose Fernandez’s dissatisfaction with the team through three games. Nonetheless, viewers should be in for an entertaining matchup.
Golden State Valkyries @ New York Liberty
(Thursday, May 21 at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video)
It took until their fourth attempt last season for the Valkyries to secure their first-ever win over the Liberty. Their offense didn’t produce at a high level against New York’s defense in either of the four 2025 matchups, but Golden State’s offense is showing more promise through three games this season than it did in its inaugural season. But for the Valkyries, defense has to be the primary focus on Thursday if they want their cross-country trip to be worth the travel. Even as Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally have yet to log a minute this regular season, the Liberty are off to a blistering start to the season on the offensive end of the floor — Breanna Stewart is leading the way from a scoring standpoint, but Marine Johannes, Pauline Astier, and Julie Vanloo have done an outstanding job of creating easy looks for others to keep the trains running on offense. It’ll be worth paying attention to whether or not Golden State’s offseason additions of Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes can prove beneficial in slowing down a scorching-hot New York offense.
Golden State Valkyries @ Indiana Fever
(Friday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION)
Less than 24 hours after traveling across the country to face the Liberty in Brooklyn, the Valkyries head to the Midwest for a showdown in Indiana against the Fever. Will they be fatigued on the second game of a back-to-back? Jetlagged, perhaps? We won’t know until we see them take the floor. Yet, we can imagine that Golden State, with the league’s slowest pace, will prefer to play at a slower tempo and keep possessions down against one of the W’s highest-paced teams, Indiana. The Fever will have rest, travel, and home court in their favor on Friday before receiving a five-day break prior to their next game. Both teams will look to take away threes from the other in this matchup while simultaneously looking to activate their respective offenses from the perimeter — the three-point shot will be the area to monitor.
Portland Fire @ Toronto Tempo
(Saturday, May 23 at 6 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)
The two expansion teams will go at it for the first time this season. Will Portland have its leading scorer and primary facilitator, Carla Leite, back from injury by the time Saturday rolls around? The Fire offense would certainly benefit from Leite’s services, as they play a Tempo defense that forces turnovers and disrupts at a high level, contributing to their overall quality defense. Meanwhile, the Fire rank next to last in defensive rating as of this writing — their inability to defend the three-point line is one of the team’s biggest issues. Brittany Sykes shot 3-of-8 from beyond the arc on Sunday against the Sparks before finishing with 38 points, and could come across similar opportunities to capitalize on when facing Portland’s unproven defense. Marina Mabrey could also be a benefactor.
Phoenix Mercury @ Atlanta Dream
(Sunday, May 24 at 3 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)
In my unbiased opinion, these are two of the most fun teams to watch in the W. Their entertainment value is backed by fantastic play. Atlanta’s defense has fueled the team’s overall success so far, while Phoenix’s offense remains at a high level thanks to the system built around Alyssa Thomas. Even without Brionna Jones’ services, the Dream will look to dominate the offensive interior with rebounding and paint scoring, areas where the Mercury have performed well defensively. Yet, the level of shooting from both teams, which returns most of their core pieces from successful 2025 seasons, could open the door to plenty of surprises in game flow. This matchup should be the perfect one to kick off Sunday’s slate.
