WNBA roundup: last night’s terrible Mercury loss, Liberty-Aces today, and more

September 8, 2024

NEW YORK — We WNBA Today at the Barclays Center, a rematch of the Finals will see the top-ranked New York Liberty host the streak-winning Las Vegas Aces, while Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever bounces back from their first loss in as many weeks to take on the Atlanta Dream. With just two weeks left in the regular season, the four games played today will have major implications on the seeding order, especially for the Minnesota Lynx, who recently secured the No. 2 seed.

Before we get into today's jam-packed schedule, here's a look at the results of last night's lone game: The Seattle Storm defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 90-66. The Storm were led by Jewel Loyd (20 points) and Skylar Diggins-Smith (12 points, 11 assists). Jordan Horston added 16 points off the bench.

The loss dropped the Mercuries to two games below .500, marking their second straight loss by double digits and their fifth loss in six games.

Phoenix's Sophie Cunningham seemed to suggest that an attitude problem was rife in the Mercury dressing room.

“We need to learn how to be great teammates,” Cunningham said. “At the end of the day, we play basketball for a living, so we should be grateful. Maybe changing our perspective to be a little more grateful would be a good start.”

Considering the Mercury's depth, it's notable that they're having more success on the court.

Today's WNBA games

Minnesota Lynx (25-9) vs. Washington Mystics (11-23) 3 p.m. ET

The Lynx have been the league's best team since the Olympic break, winning nine of their last 10 games and underlining the impressive performance of local MVPHEE Napheesa Collier, who is averaging 22 points and shooting 54.7% from the field since the break, the best percentage among the top 14 scorers.

But the Mystics have been playing pretty well lately. After starting the year 0-12, they've won five of their last six games and are playing well together. Four Washington players are averaging double figures in scoring during that span: Brittney Sykes (13.8 ppg), Emily Engstler (11.8 ppg), Arielle Atkins (11.3 ppg) and Shakira Austin (10 ppg).

Atlanta Dream (12-22) vs. Indiana Fever (18-17) 4:00 PM ET

The Fever will be looking to bounce back from their loss to the Lynx on Friday night when they host the Atlanta Dream this afternoon. Despite being down 17 points in the third quarter, Caitlin Clark and the Fever have looked like heavy favorites to win since the Olympic break.

Atlanta hasn't written off the playoffs yet, but they've been unable to string together consecutive wins and beat the Chicago Sky to clinch the final playoff spot. With Rhyne Howard regaining her rhythm and Tina Charles turning back the clock, the pieces are in place, but will it be enough to pull off a win? They'll face a tough challenge against the Fever, who have been rocking Gainbridge Fieldhouse all season, especially recently.

Las Vegas Aces (22-12) vs. New York Liberty (28-6) 4:00 PM ET

The Aces and Liberty will meet again in the Finals, but a win in Las Vegas would go a long way to show the team has made a significant jump in the second half of the season. The Aces have won four straight games after starting the season 6-6, most recently a come-from-behind win on the road against the Connecticut Sun on Friday. Things are looking up. A'ja Wilson is in the midst of a historically dominant MVP season and Kelsey Plum is coming off one of her best games of the year.

The Liberty has won both meetings this season, but Las Vegas beat New York in last year's finals. A'ja Wilson hurt her foot on Friday, but she is not on the injured list and should be OK to play. A win would be huge for the Liberty, who have been winless in their last six games and haven't looked as dominant as they were earlier in the season.

Dallas Wings (9-25) vs. Chicago Sky (12-22) 6 p.m. ET

The Sky will be without Angel Reese tonight, who is out for the rest of the season with a wrist injury. Reese has been Chicago's most impactful player this season, so without her this final stretch looks extremely tough for Chicago. With just six games remaining, every game will be important if the Sky want to defend the WNBA's final playoff spot (though not doing so could have a negative impact on their draft prospects).