Napheesa Collier's debut double-double silences the Storm

The Fever’s three All-Stars combined for 72 points in 27 minutes, sending Indiana into the break with a bang.

Napheesa Collier shines in 2026 debut

Minnesota is flying high, as star Napheesa Collier returned from injury to lift the No. 1 Lynx over No. 15 Seattle 86-76 yesterday behind 24 points and 10 rebounds.

• The forward made her 2026 debut after recovering from an offseason double ankle surgery, addressing damaging sprains suffered last season.

• “I felt like a kid in a candy store — I couldn’t wait to get on the court,” Collier said postgame. “I’m just happy to be here.” (Watch full highlights)

Cherry on top: Despite missing its cornerstone all season, Minnesota entered Wednesday’s matchup on a six-game winning streak atop the WNBA standings.

• Rookie phenom Olivia Miles leads the team with 19.6 points per game, while veteran Natasha Howard shoulders the defense with 8.1 rebounds per game.

• “We do recognize the narrative of someone who’s been incredible like Olivia has — to insert Phee, what do they look like together?” said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. “I’m just as excited to find out.” (See full report)

Up next: Minnesota closes out the first half of the season at 22-6, returning to action against No. 10 Toronto on Tuesday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass).

Shooting Stars taps WNBA legends & rising stars

Three generations of talent hit the court Friday, as the WNBA revealed the league icons and up-and-comers set to compete in All-Star Weekend’s Shooting Stars.

• Hall of Famer Elena Delle Donne teams up with Washington’s Shakira Austin, three-time MVP Lauren Jackson with Seattle’s Flau’jae Johnson, five-time champion Rebekkah Brunson with Minnesota’s Courtney Williams, and five-time All-Star Deanna “Tweety” Nolan with Dallas’s Jessica Shepard.

• The event also spotlights young standouts from Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League, including Jezelle “GG” Banks, Ryan Carter, Tatianna Griffin, and Morghan Reckley.

How it works: Replacing the Skills Challenge of years past, the two-round showdown gives teams 70 seconds to score as many points as possible from seven locations around the court.

• Shots range from layups to long-range 3-pointers, with the two highest-scoring teams advancing to the championship.

• 2026 All-Star honorary GMs Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon will serve as designated passers. (See full rules)

Tune in: Shooting Stars tips off on Friday at 8 PM ET, live on ESPN.

AUSL opens postseason with knockout clash

The AUSL playoffs have arrived, as the No. 2 Chicago Bandits battle the No. 3 Portland Cascade tonight for a chance to face the reigning champion Utah Talons in the best-of-three championship series.

• Chicago’s top-ranked offense dominated the pair’s season series, winning five of six games while hitting .359 against Portland — though the Cascade narrowly avoided the sweep with a 5-4 finale win. 

• The Bandits surged up the AUSL standings after ceding last year’s title to Utah, clinching the No. 2 seed off a league-best nine-game winning streak. (See full report)

Big bats: 2026 expansion side Portland has leaned on its pitching, but will look to slugger Megan Grant to keep its title dreams alive.

• The UCLA product finished her first professional regular season second leaguewide in home runs with 10, while reaching base in a league-high 17 straight games.

• “There’s a lot of mental preparation,” Grant said after Saturday’s 10-1 win over the Texas Volts. “I just try to stay disciplined as much as I can and just try to relax and be myself when I get to the game.” (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: Chicago takes on Portland tonight at 9 PM ET (ESPN), before the 2026 title series kicks off on Saturday at 1 PM ET (ABC).

The biggest weekend in women’s basketball deserves a collection to match.

• Inspired by the league’s inaugural 1996 season, the Main Event Collection celebrates 30 years of the players, moments, and fans who built the game.

• Shop select styles online, with the full collection available exclusively at JWS Spot in Chicago. Reserve your free ticket today.

Caitlin Clark lands NBA 2K27 cover

Caitlin Clark is going digital, as NBA 2K tapped the Indiana Fever guard to feature on its Deluxe Edition cover — marking one of pro basketball’s most coveted honors.

• Clark joins Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and former NBA MVP Derrick Rose in the video game’s latest box art, following in the footsteps of prior 2K athletes Candace Parker, A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, and Angel Reese.

• “It’s pretty cool and pretty surreal,” Clark told Bleacher Report. “I think it’s cool to see where the women’s game is at this point in time, too. People are getting excited about what the women’s game can bring.” (See full report)

Check it out: NBA 2K27 launches September 4th, with Deluxe and Ultra Edition owners getting early access starting August 28th via nba.2k.com.

Report: PWHL owner faces federal investigations

The PWHL’s sole owner is under scrutinty, as Bloomberg reported federal prosecutors and the SEC are investigating two of Mark Walter’s companies.

• The probe looks into Delaware Life Insurance Co. and Clear Spring Life & Annuity Co. potentially funneling policyholder money into other Walter-owned ventures, after both companies were served grand jury subpoenas.

• Initial findings pegged Delaware Life’s investments in Walter-tied businesses at 39% — roughly $17 billion — far above the 3% originally claimed. (See full report)

Big picture: Adding to his multi-team portfolio, Walter bankrolled the PWHL’s 2023 launch and continues to own all 12 current and incoming teams outright.

• The report’s timing raises more questions, after the pro hockey league welcomed its first-ever outside investors on June 22nd — four days before the probes were filed. (See full report)

Quote of the day

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu
refuting reports she declined to compete in Friday’s WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest.