WNBA Preview: Lynx try to stay undefeated, Caitlin Clark nears return from quad injury
The WNBA's third week of action came and went, providing us viewers with five days' worth of on-court entertainment and two game-less days that allowed us to catch our breath. And while the off-days forced many WNBA followers to await more action eagerly, the week's scheduling didn't impact everyone equally.
'Cathy (Engelbert) added a lot of games. Nine games in 18 days; that's not really responsible for a commissioner,' said the Mercury's Satou Sabally following a 77-89 loss on Saturday to the Storm. Sabally's comments came on the heels of Phoenix's fourth game of the week, which led the team to reach ten games played before any other league member.
Each WNBA team is slated for a record-setting 44-game schedule this regular season, and there's no reason to believe that anything would cause the schedule to become shorter anytime soon. Yet, with so many injuries across the league despite not even being a full month into the season, Sabally's call-out shouldn't be dismissed. It'll be worth paying attention to how, or if, the commissioner can tinker with the schedule on the margins in the coming years to prevent situations.
The injury-plagued Mercury will play just two games this week.
Satou Sabally on the scheduling early in the season
"This is a conversation that could also be important for the next CBA... we had 9 games in 18 days, that isn't really responsible for a Commissioner..."
Also mentions other teams having multiple back-to-back's + more pic.twitter.com/65oYeVwVkR
The Commissioner's Cup was also one of the bigger storylines of the week. Phoenix has logged four Cup games, though most teams are either two or three games in. Unsurprisingly, the Liberty and Lynx (both undefeated this regular season) sit atop their respective conferences in the Cup's standings. The coincidence is that both franchises are the two most recent Cup champions, with Minnesota winning last season and New York in 2023. Both used their Commissioner's Cup titles to assemble WNBA Finals runs in those same seasons, but ultimately came up short. With the 2024 WNBA Finals participants seemingly on track to link back up on familiar stages, it's fair to wonder if, realistically, there is a team that could ruin those plans.
The third week also saw several well-traveled veterans sustain their early-season production to continue putting together somewhat unforeseen seasons deep into their careers.
Erica Wheeler's re-emergence after mostly being a veteran depth piece a season ago with the Fever has been fun, as she's grown into an actual offensive focal point in her debut season with the Storm — she averaged 10.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in two games this past week while making her way to the starting unit. On the heels of a 32-point showing, Odyssey Sims had another exceptional week and is quietly thriving as a reliable combo-guard alongside Kelsey Plum in her second stint with the Sparks. And how about Bria Hartley, who, after two years out of the league, found her way into the Sun's starting five and helped them secure their first couple of wins?
Week 3 left us plenty to discuss, and this upcoming round of games should be no different. The fourth week of the season will take most teams a quarter of the way through their schedules, putting us at the point where the early-season data is long enough not to be considered insignificant.
Below are five games this week to circle on your calendars.
(Monday, June 9 at 10 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)
Perhaps you had a chance to take in the Valkyries' win on national television over the Aces on Saturday. Their 27-point thumping of Las Vegas ended a four-game skid and served as perhaps the signature win of this franchise's inaugural season. And what better momentum to ride into a tie-breaker tonight against the team that handed you your first-ever defeat? But viewers aren't tuning into this one only for what Golden State has to offer — the Sparks bring plenty to the table. More on the Valkyries' debut game referenced above — Kelsey Plum logged her first regular-season minutes for the Sparks and pieced together a memorable, 37-point performance to bring in the new season before the Valkyries avenged that loss exactly a week later on the backs of rookies Carla Leite and Janelle Salaun. Plum's ability to electrify as a scorer and the two-way versatility of players like Dearica Hamby and Azurá Stevens make the Sparks an incredibly entertaining team to watch, and the trilogy a must-see.
(Tuesday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3 and WNBA League Pass)
Speaking of trilogies, how about another? The Fever and Dream engaged in battle twice during the first full week of the season, with both teams capturing a victory on the other's home court. Both Indiana and Atlanta have had to endure key injuries since then, but they each managed to stay afloat. Specifically, the Fever playing .500 basketball in the four games Caitlin Clark missed is noteworthy, and their two-game winning streak heading into Tuesday's contest only adds to the hype. Meanwhile, a healthy Dream roster is making a case to have their name thrown into conversations when discussing championship contenders. Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray have the best seasons of their careers, while Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner make up one of the most challenging frontcourts in the WNBA to play against. The first two meetings provided top-tier basketball; the third should as well.
(Wednesday, June 11 at 10 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)
The Lynx look like a team on a mission to right the wrongs of how last season's WNBA Finals concluded — they sit at 9-0 with Napheesa Collier once again dialing up MVP-like performances to begin the season, Courtney Williams is orchestrating the offense, while the remaining pieces are falling seamlessly into place. The results have equaled the storied franchise's best start to a season since 2017, the last year they won a WNBA championship. Seattle played Minnesota tough in the first go-around, though. And on the heels of back-to-back wins, their veteran make-up could serve as the ideal team construction to rise to the occasion of a big regular-season matchup such as this one.
(Saturday, June 14 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS)
While Candace Parker and Sylvia Fowles are long-removed from their days representing Los Angeles and Minnesota, it's hard not to think about them and the back-to-back WNBA Finals matchups they gifted us in the mid-2010s when seeing the words 'Lynx' and 'Sparks' next to one another. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve and Sparks guard Odyssey Sims are the only ones left from the battles mentioned above, yet the two rosters that will share the floor feature several high-caliber performers. Minnesota served Los Angeles a double-digit beatdown on the season's third day. What can the Sparks do differently this time to make this one uncomfortable for the Lynx?
(Saturday, June 14 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC)
We were treated to one of the most entertaining games yet when the Liberty and Fever met in Indiana on the second Saturday of the season. Both teams held double-digit leads and appeared on their way to victories before allowing massive runs to swing the momentum in the opposite direction. An outstanding fourth quarter from Jonquel Jones, go-ahead free throws from Sabrina Ionescu, and Natasha Cloud's game-winning defensive stop on Caitlin Clark on the following possession ultimately kept New York unbeaten. The two retake center stage three weeks later for another nationally televised showdown. And it could mark the return of Clark from her quad injury. The Fever were moments away from logging the win during the first meeting, so a victory and possibly New York's first loss feels like a realistic potential outcome. However, dealing with the league's No. 1 offense and defense will be quite the task for Indiana.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sue Bird Sends Clear Message on Caitlin Clark Potentially Breaking Her WNBA Record
Sue Bird Sends Clear Message on Caitlin Clark Potentially Breaking Her WNBA Record originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It didn't take long for Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark to translate her game from college to the WNBA. Advertisement After four seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Clark was selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. In her rookie year, she earned All-WNBA First Team honors after averaging 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and a league-leading 9.3 assists per game. Clark also set numerous records during her rookie season, especially with her playmaking. With 337 assists in 2024, she became the WNBA's single-season assist leader. Clark also owns the single-game assists record, tallying 19 in a July 17 win over the Dallas Wings. However, just two seasons into her career, Clark does not own the WNBA record for most career assists just yet. That honor belongs to Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird, who recorded 3,234 assists from 2002-2022. Yet Bird seems to think Clark will eventually break her record. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin ClarkGrace Smith / USA Today Network via Imagn Images On Thursday, Bird appeared on "No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show" to discuss a variety of topics, including Clark. When one of the hosts brought up the possibility of Clark breaking her record, Bird shared her thoughts. Advertisement "These records have no chance, they play way more games," Bird said. "I don't want to get too caught up in the games played because it is what it is. I don't feel a way about it. Records are meant to be broken. I think I played like 34 games majority of my career... They're on the clock. They better break those things in like five years." Including her four games played in 2025, Clark has totaled 374 assists in her young career, tying her with Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard for 169th on the all-time assists list. While she still needs 2,861 more to break Bird's record, Clark is certainly on track to do so. Related: Fever Coach Stephanie White Makes Strong Brittney Griner Admission This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Indiana Fever President Sends Six-Word Message After WNBA's Kelsey Mitchell Announcement
Indiana Fever President Sends Six-Word Message After WNBA's Kelsey Mitchell Announcement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Fever went undefeated last week, winning both of their games without star guard Caitlin Clark, who has been out since suffering a quadriceps strain on May 24. Advertisement One player who stepped up in her absence is Kelsey Mitchell. On June 3 against the Washington Mystics, she scored 24 points, two rebounds and three assists. Meanwhile, against the Chicago Sky on Saturday, she put up 17 points, five rebounds and two assists. Mitchell outperformed her season averages over the two-game stretch, scoring over three additional points and grabbing nearly two more rebounds per game than usual. Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell shoots against the Connecticut Rutherford-Imagn Images On Tuesday, Mitchell was awarded the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award. The announcement came hand in hand with the league also announcing the winner on the Western Conference side: Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier. Advertisement "For the first time this szn, Kelsey Mitchell is named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week," the WNBA wrote on social media. After the announcement, Fever president Kelly Krauskopf had high praise for the eighth-year guard, congratulating Mitchell for her level of play on social media. "Yes ma'am Kelsey. More to come," Krauskopf said. Mitchell has seen a significant increase in free-throw attempts during her award-winning week, a clear sign that she's been more aggressive offensively with the basketball in her hands. Against the Mystics, she went 6-of-10, and then against the Sky, she went 6-of-7. Advertisement Mitchell looks to ride high on her best week of the season yet and help her Indiana squad navigate Caitlin Clark's absence in any way she can. Related: Updated WNBA Power Rankings Make Clear Choice Between Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky Related: Lexie Hull Reacts to Sophie Cunningham's Struggling Admission This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Kate Martin reflects upon first Caitlin Clark impression
Kate Martin reflects upon first Caitlin Clark impression In a recent recording of the "Bird's Eye View podcast with Sue Bird," former Iowa women's basketball guard Kate Martin spoke on her experience playing alongside Caitlin Clark when the two current WNBA stars were teammates on the Hawkeyes from 2020-24. Martin, who spent five years at Iowa, thanks to the extra year of eligibility granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, finished her tenure averaging 8.0 points per game on 46.4% from the floor, including 35.5% from 3-point territory, and 82.4% from the charity stripe through 139 starts in 163 games. Martin also averaged 4.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.1 blocks per contest throughout her career in Iowa City. Most notably, Martin's best offensive season at Iowa was during the 2023-24 campaign when she averaged 13.1 points per game on 50.7% from the floor, including 37.0% from beyond the arc, and 86.4% from the free-throw line, en route to the Hawkeyes' second consecutive appearance in the National Championship game. When Bird asked what her first impression of Clark was when the Hawkeyes recruited the eventual program-altering guard, Martin explained that she did not know much about Clark's skillset outside of film, but was amazed by her ability to live up to the hype. "Yeah, she had come on a couple of visits, and she was like a big name in Iowa. So I had heard about her. I wasn't from Iowa, so I didn't know as much, and that, like, All-Iowa Attack AAU program is, like, so big, and I'd never heard of it," Martin explained. "And so I had heard about this Caitlin Clark, and I was, like, watching videos of her just have like 40 points, averaging a million in high school, and I was like, 'oh, this girl thinks she's going to come here and rule the world.' And there she did, came in right away and ruled the world, and I was like, all right, here we go." Martin continued by explaining that she was in awe of Clark's ability to become an immediate game-changer on the court for the team during her freshman year and eventually alter the trajectory of the program moving forward. "I just remember you have that summer before, and she was doing things that I had never seen anybody do before. And as a freshman, to come in and have that kind of confidence, like, not everybody has that. I was like, I haven't really seen anything like this. And so we knew she was going to be outstanding. And then, yeah, at the beginning of the year, we had some big wins, and there were highs and lows that year for sure. But, you know, it took us a little bit to figure it out. But, yeah, it obviously turned out better than I could have ever expected or thought." With the two now in their second WNBA season, Hawkeyes fans can proudly watch both stars shine on their respective teams as Clark headlines the Indiana Fever and Martin provides a sharp-shooting offensive jolt off the bench for the Golden State Valkyries. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews