WNBA Preview: Lynx try to stay undefeated, Caitlin Clark nears return from quad injury

NBC Sports

2 days ago

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.