Phoenix humbles defending WNBA champs New York

She’s carrying the team on her back.

Phoenix humbles New York to force WNBA playoffs Game 3

No. 5 New York failed to clinch a first-round sweep last night, after No. 4 Phoenix downed the Liberty 86-60 at Barclays to force a winner-take-all WNBA playoffs Game 3.

• The Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally combined for 30 points in the win, with midseason signing DeWanna Bonner adding 14 off the bench.

• “The hope is when you get to the playoffs, you level up,” said Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts. “I think we’ve done that.” (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: New York’s title defense took a hit well before tip-off, with injured forward Breanna Stewart playing just 20 minutes and limiting the offense’s ability to execute.

• “They came in and they embarrassed us on our home court,” Stewart — who picked up an MCL sprain in Sunday’s Game 1 victory — said afterwards. “Now we have to go back there for Game 3, winner take all.”

Tune in: New York heads back to Phoenix for tomorrow’s 9 PM ET tip-off, live on ESPN2.

Minnesota sends Golden State packing with 1st round sweep

No. 1 Minnesota punched a second-round ticket with last night’s come-from-behind Game 2 win, fighting back from a 17-point deficit to sneak past No. 8 Golden State 75-74.

• Bolstered by a strong crowd traveling down to San Jose for the relocated home matchup, the Valkyries broke out into an early lead, but the 2026 expansion side couldn’t hang on in the final seconds as the Lynx rallied.

• “I am just so proud of our effort,” Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier said postgame. “It shows the grit and the resilience that this team has and what we’ve been talking about for two years.” (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: The Lynx secured the only sweep in this year’s best-of-three opening round, with every other series moving to a Game 3 decider.

• “The games that we’ve watched demonstrate that level of desperation for teams in elimination games,” Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve reflected.

Tune in: Minnesota will next face the lowest seed to advance past this week’s first round, with the semifinals set to tip off on Sunday.

Can underdogs Indiana and Seattle seal the deal?

The WNBA’s new home-away-home first-round format has upped the postseason dramatics, as multiple home court upsets forced Game 3 deciders.

• No. 6 Indiana’s Game 2 win over No. 3 Atlanta set up tonight’s elimination game, with the injury-riddled Fever taking down the Dream 77-60 on Tuesday to keep their playoff dreams alive.

• No. 7 Seattle also landed a Game 3, facing No. 2 Las Vegas on Thursday after snapping the Aces’ 17-game winning streak in Tuesday’s 86-83 Game 2 shocker.

Big picture: Indiana and Seattle remain the underdogs, ceding home court advantage as Atlanta aims to build on their first playoff win since 2016 while Las Vegas shoots for a third title in four years.

• “This is a group that’s confidence has really never wavered. We’ve been in every kind of situation you can imagine, and we’ve been able to find ways to put ourselves in position to win,” said Fever coach Stephanie White ahead of Thursday’s clash. “And this will be no different.”

Tune in: The first round wraps up tonight, as the Fever face the Dream at 7:30 PM ET before the Storm take on the Aces at 9:30 PM ET, live on ESPN2.

Golden State’s Natalie Nakase wins WNBA Coach of the Year

Golden State’s Natalie Nakase ended her season with a win, as the WNBA named the first-year boss 2025 Coach of the Year earlier this week.

• Nakase received 53 of the media panel’s 72 votes, with Atlanta’s Karl Smesko taking second with 15 and Las Vegas’s Becky Hammon and Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve tying for third with three each.

Big picture: Nakase led Golden State to a 23-21 regular season, setting a new expansion team record for most inaugural wins while also becoming the first-ever expansion team to make the playoffs in their debut season. 

• Nakase previously served as an assistant coach for the Aces, helping guide Las Vegas to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.

High praise: “Natalie has been a fierce leader from the very moment she was announced as head coach,” said Golden State GM Ohemaa Nyanin. “Her core philosophy of connectivity and emphasis on high character has created an environment where everyone can thrive.”

• “I love playing for a fiery coach who always wants to win and believes in her players so much,” said Valkyries — and former Aces — guard Kate Martin. “That hasn’t strayed from Vegas to here.”

NWSL replaces draft with first-ever player combines

The NWSL is changing up its player acquisition process, with the league announcing plans to replace the CBA-abolished draft with a pair of combines this December.

• Dividing prospects into two groups — adults (U18-23) and youth (U13-17) — the three-day programs will showcase player talent while allowing teams to sign standouts as free agents.  

• To maintain competitive balance and set 2026 expansion sides Boston and Denver up for success, the league already revised some roster-building mechanisms, including adopting a new allocation money structure and intra-league loans.

Upping the stakes: The move is intended to give players more freedom over their careers while also better aligning the growing US league with the global game.

• “This initiative is about widening the lens of who gets seen and ensuring that talent, wherever it resides, has a continued pathway to our league,” said director of youth development Karla Thompson in Wednesday’s statement.

Quote of the day

New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud
on Breanna Stewart deciding to play through an MCL strain in last night’s Game 2 against Phoenix.