Bueckers trusts the process

And they say lightning never strikes twice.

Bueckers trusts the process in Dallas

Coming off a five-game losing streak, the No. 12 Dallas Wings — and star rookie Paige Bueckers — are trusting the process, hunting an upset as they take on the No. 5 Indiana Fever tonight.

• “I think we have a really good young core, we have great pieces to build around, good complementary pieces,” Bueckers told reporters on Sunday. “We’re all really excited that the front office has doubled down on who we have here right now. I think that’s what we’re gonna build around.”

• “We’ve talked about it enough," Bueckers continued. “We need to put action behind our words.” [Read more]

Big picture: First-year Dallas head coach Chris Koclanes has taken much of the heat, walking off the court to fans chanting “We want Nola” — a plea for assistant coach Nola Henry to take over the team.

• “Stepping into this leadership role, [I’m] being challenged to step outside of character at times and when to hold people accountable in different ways and when to discipline in different ways, so I'm learning," said Koclanes.

• “You know we didn’t start the season off well, we’re not playing how we should be playing. But we need the fans to support us,” Dallas forward Myisha Hines-Allen was captured on video telling the crowd. "Because at the end of the day, Chris is still our head coach. We still need him.” [Read more]

Tune in: The Wings take on the Fever tonight at 7:30 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Sparks keep the surge alive

The No. 9 Sparks are hitting their stride, riding a recent 8-2 record into tonight’s home matchup against the No. 2 Liberty.

• Despite falling to No. 7 Golden State over the weekend, LA has risen to No. 9 in the WNBA standings, with four of their last five wins coming against teams above the playoff line — including late July’s 101-99 victory over New York.

• “That’s just learning how to win,” Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said on Sunday. “The worst thing you can do is fear losing.”

Big picture: Bolstered by Cameron Brink’s return, a win tonight could launch the Sparks into postseason positioning, but they’ll have to top a motivated Liberty team looking to avenge Sunday’s home loss to No. 1 Minnesota.

• “I think the most important part is when it gets hard for us, tough for us, we don’t really stay together, and I think we have to do a better job,” New York guard Marine Johannes told reporters.

• New York will take the court without veteran forward Breanna Stewart, who is targeting an end-of-August return from a bone bruise in her right knee. [Read more]

Tune in: The Sparks host the Liberty tonight at 10 PM ET, live on NBA TV.

Golden State hatches a mascot

The mysterious large purple egg stashed inside the Chase Center has hatched, revealing the Golden State Valkyries’ first-ever mascot: a bespectacled raven named Violet.

• “Ravens are commonly known as Valkyries’ helpful and savvy counterparts in Norse mythology,” Golden State wrote in Tuesday’s press materials, also noting that “because she is near-sighted, she dons sports glasses helping her achieve the excellent eyesight that ravens are known to have.” [Watch more]

Big picture: WNBA mascots have stepped into the spotlight in recent years, ever since the New York Liberty debuted Ellie the Elephant in 2021.

• “She’s become such an integral part of our game-day experience that the energy and atmosphere within our game I don’t think would be the same without Ellie,” Liberty chief brand officer Shana Stephenson told Andscape last year.

• Chicago has also undergone a mascot revamp, replacing the team’s old Sky Guy mascot with Skye the Lioness.

Basketball is so back. And whether it's smashing viewership records or dropping logo threes, there's never been a better time to highlight all the blockbuster moments that move the WNBA.

This major moment is presented by State Farm.

Clark reveals injury challenges

Fever star Caitlin Clark is feeling the pressure, joining retired WNBA legend Sue Bird’s podcast this week to discuss her recent injury’s impact on league attendance and viewership.

• “That’s definitely been hard,” Clark said on being sidelined. “I’m going to go to every road game no matter what, whether I’m playing or not.”

• “I sign autographs for way longer when I’m hurt than when I’m active,” she continued, referencing her outsized popularity. “That’s never something I wish for, but I still want to make as much time as I can for people.” [Read more]

Big picture: Clark has missed 19 of Indiana’s 32 games plus this year’s Indianapolis-based All-Star Game while managing three separate muscle injuries.

• The Fever’s season opener against Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky remains 2025’s most-watched game with 2.7 million viewers, while all three following rematches were played without one or both of the popular 2024 draft picks.

• Despite the absences, however, ratings are up across all WNBA teams, with national networks averaging 794,000 viewers per game through July — a 21% increase over 2024's full-season average. [Read more]

Sabalenka feels the heat in Cincy

Tennis fans were treated to an epic battle on Tuesday, as world No. 39 Emma Raducanu pushed No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to a third-set tiebreak in the third round of the Cincinnati Open.

• “She’s world No. 1 for a reason and I pushed her more than I did at Wimbledon so that’s an improvement,” said Raducanu, ultimately falling to the 2024 Cincinnati Open winner in a tight 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (5) loss.

• “At the end I went for crazy shots,” Sabalenka said after the US Open tune-up match, which lasted more than three hours. “I think that it was a little bit risky from me and it really helped to put a lot of pressure on her.” [Read more]

Up next: Sabalenka will face Spain’s Jessica Bouzas tomorrow in the US Open tune-up tournament’s Round of 16, live on the Tennis Channel.

Quote of the day

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark
talking to retired WNBA legend Sue Bird about “coaching the refs” from the sidelines while out with injury.