I was a guest on The Forecast, Seattle’s Weekly Women’s Sports Show with Maggie Mertens, to discuss the Seattle Storm’s 2026 WNBA season. Maggie hosted Bella Munson (of the IX Sports) and me to chat now that the Storm’s season has come to an end. We talked about the players, the coach, exit interviews, and the potential future of the team.

You can click the image above, which should take you directly to The Forecast’s podcast page. Or you can listen to the audio file below as an alternative option.

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The first round of the WNBA playoffs concluded on Friday night with an exciting game between the Dallas Wings and the Golden State Valkyries. Despite the lower-scoring affair, the game was filled with plenty of drama. The underdog 7th-seeded Wings team got off to a strong start and led by five at the end of the first period. They increased that lead to seven at the half. Things started to look bleak for the Valkyries as the Wings went on a 20-0 run between the end of the 2nd quarter and the beginning of the third. The crowd in Ballhala was stunned as their team trailed by 16 points nearly midway through the third period. Fortunately for Golden State, they had plenty of time left to right the ship, and they outscored Dallas 40-20 over the final 16 minutes of the game to win 77-73. With that outcome set, we now know which final four teams have advanced to the semifinals.

#4 Seed Atlanta Dream versus #8 Seed New York Liberty

The Atlanta Dream swept the Washington Mystics 2-0 in their first-round matchup. And somewhat surprisingly, the New York Liberty swept the #1 seed Minnesota Lynx 2-0 in their series. The two Eastern Conference teams will battle it out for a chance to play in the WNBA Finals.

Atlanta won the season series 2-1:
Liberty 104 - Dream 90
Liberty 84 - Dream 95
Liberty 65 - Dream 83

The Dream won two out of the three games these two teams played, but the two they won were at the very end of the season, with the final game being the last game of the regular season, and New York not having anything to play for. The Liberty sat Breanna Stewart, their best player, so I’m not sure how much value we can gain from that 18-point Atlanta win.

But it should also be noted that in New York’s lone win, they still had a healthy Satou Sabally, who scored 19 points in 17 minutes off the bench. The Liberty were without Sabrina Ionescu in that game.

I feel the middle game is the best one to go off of, as both teams played their expected starters and most played over 30 minutes. In that game, the Dream beat the Liberty in New York by 11 points. They had extremely balanced scoring with five players scoring 14+ points. Jordin Canada led the way with 19 points and nine assists. Angel Reese had 18 points and 10 rebounds. And DeWanna Bonner added 17 points off the bench. For the Liberty, Stewie finished with a game-high 27 points and 14 rebounds. Jonquel Jones added 18 points and 12 rebounds. Sabrina Ionescu and rookie Pauline Astier combined for 30 points.

I’m excited to watch this series play out. I think both teams can win, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it goes the full five games. Atlanta will have homecourt advantage in the 2-2-1 format (first two in Atlanta, next two in New York, and last one in Atlanta). The Liberty have more playoff experience as the core group of Stewie, Jonquel, and Sabrina won the WNBA Championship in 2024, and Stewart won two additional titles with the Seattle Storm. Atlanta has some experience as Jordin Canada won two titles with Seattle in a reserve role, and DeWanna Bonner was an important piece on the 2014 Mercury championship team, but I’d still give the edge to New York in that regard.

This one is tough for me to predict. I think Breanna Stewart is the best player on either team. I think Jonquel Jones at her best is better than anyone on the Dream roster as well. Those two likely push the edge in favor of the Liberty. However, Atlanta has the youth, energy, and speed advantage. It wasn’t that long ago, maybe a month or two ago, that I started to question whether the Liberty’s championship window had closed. We might learn that in this series. I wondered if the Indiana Fever could topple the defending champions to take the crown away from them, similar to what the Aces did to the Storm in 2022, or what the Storm did to the Mercury in 2018. As it turns out, Las Vegas is still the team to beat. Indiana failed to take that next step. Now we’ll find out if Atlanta can take down New York or if the Liberty remain a top title contender.

The Dream have the pieces to win this series. Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray are excellent perimeter players, Angel Reese’s hustle and energy can turn the tide in their favor, and Jordin Canada is a strong floor general. Breanna Stewart has still shown signs of what made her the best player in the world. Jonquel Jones can take advantage of her size down low as Atlanta is without Brionna Jones. If Sabrina is knocking down threes, New York becomes a very dangerous team. This one should be fun!

Prediction: Liberty win series 3-2

#2 Seed Golden State Valkyries versus the #3 Seed Las Vegas Aces

The Golden State Valkyries survived a tight three-game series 2-1 over the Dallas Wings. The Las Vegas Aces continue their quest to repeat as champions and win their fourth title in five years after toppling the Indiana Fever 2-1. Becky Hammon’s former top assistant coach, Natalie Nakase, will try to take down her mentor in a battle of two Western Conference teams with a trip to the WNBA Finals on the line. The Valkyries are trying to win a championship in just their second year of existence, something unheard of for an expansion franchise. Meanwhile, the Aces are looking to prove they are the most dominant WNBA team since the Houston Comets won four championships in a row to begin league play.

Las Vegas won the season series 3-0:

Aces 91 - Valkyries 81
Aces 84 - Valkyries 79
Aces 92 - Valkyries 73

Vegas swept Golden State in the regular season, and they did it relatively easily, with two of the three victories being in double digits. It should be noted that all three games were played earlier in the season, with the last game taking place on June 21st. I was curious to go back and see if Chennedy Carter had played a big role in any of those games, as she was putting up huge numbers early in the season for the Aces. However, as it turns out, she only played in one of these three games and didn’t have great numbers in that lone game. Carter played just nine minutes in the first matchup and scored six points off the bench. Chennedy was technically on the roster for the other two games, but didn’t play in either due to injury or disciplinary reasons.

The hope is that this series can be competitive instead of another lopsided victory for Las Vegas. It’ll likely be a significant challenge for Golden State as A’ja Wilson is by far the best player on either team. The Valkyries don’t have anyone who can go tit-for-tat against the four-time (likely soon to be five-time) MVP. To make matters worse for Golden State, I would argue that Jackie Young is a better player than anyone on the Valkyries’ roster. That means Vegas will have the two best players on the court pretty much at all times. Is all hope lost for the Valkyries? Not exactly.

What will (hopefully) make this series exciting is that Golden State will have a couple of things going in its favor. Because they finished one game above Las Vegas in the standings (32-12 to 31-13), the Valkyries will own homecourt advantage with the first two games taking place in Ballhalla. Games 1, 2, and 5 (if necessary) will take place at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The other thing they have going for them is that the Valkyries have always been greater than the sum of their parts. They don’t have the massive superstar player like A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, etc. But as a team, they were better than their competition in almost every game this season.

This matchup truly will come down to whether the Valkyries’ depth can outweight the Aces’ superstar players. Becky Hammon has been notorious for riding her superstars and not utilizing her bench, but that strategy has clearly worked as the Aces have won three titles in four years. Hammon played Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young all 40 minutes. A’ja Wilson would have likely played all 40 as well, but was in a little bit of foul trouble, so she “only” played 37 minutes in the decisive Game 3 against the Fever.

Golden State’s best shot is probably to slow down at least one of Chelsea Gray or Jackie Young. I don’t think anyone is stopping A’ja Wilson, but if they can hold her under 30 points and limit Gray or Young to under 15 points, they might be able to win that way. We know Las Vegas will be without NaLyssa Smith for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Don’t underestimate that fact, as she had 15 points and nine rebounds in one of the games against Golden State, and 14 points in another Aces’ victory.

On top of being without Smith, Las Vegas might be without other key supportive pieces. Stephanie Talbot was a surprise last-minute scratch in Game 3 and was seen in some type of boot or foot brace on the sidelines. Dana Evans has missed most of the season. If they are without both of those players, the Valkyries’ depth may be able to pull this off, but I feel it’s still a long shot.

Prediction: Aces win series 3-1

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I jumped on the Bleav in the W podcast with Tyler Byrum last night after the Las Vegas Aces eliminated the Indiana Fever. We talked about Game 3, the series, Caitlin Clark, and if anyone can stop A’ja Wilson and the Aces. Plus, a little on Thea playoffs in general. You can listen at the link below or search in Apple Podcasts.

The regular season may have ended, but the WNBA Playoffs begin on Sunday. The Las Vegas Aces look to go back-to-back for the second time in five years. Will the dynasty continue, or will a new team take the crown this year?

The playoffs have several storylines heading into Sunday. The Minnesota Lynx aim to become the first franchise to win five WNBA Championships. The Golden State Valkyries want to win their first title in just their second season. New York will try to win their second title over the last three years, similar to what the Seattle Storm did in 2018-2020. Atlanta looks to win its very first WNBA title, while the Dallas Wings hope to win their first since the franchise relocated two times since their time as the Detroit Shock. Will the Washington Mystics win their second title after quickly rebuilding the franchise around their talented draft picks? Can the Indiana Fever repeat history and win the title after successfully landing the #1 overall pick in consecutive drafts? The first round matchups are revealed below.

#1 seed Minnesota Lynx versus the #8 seed New York Liberty

New York won the season series 2-1:
Liberty 99 - Lynx 86
Liberty 85 - Lynx 90
Liberty 93 - Lynx 81

We get a rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals, but this time it’ll be a Best of 3. New York had homecourt advantage in that series, and they needed it as Minnesota pushed them to overtime of the decisive Game 5 before the Liberty won their first WNBA Championship.

This should be a fascinating rematch because the Lynx have been by far the better team throughout the regular season. New York struggled to find their rhythm for most of the year and had players in and out of the lineup. The Liberty have a lot of new players this season, but their core of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu remains. Stewart and Jones’s height can cause some problems for the Lynx. They will absolutely be a live underdog in this series, but they’ll need Ionescu to be at her absolute best. Something we haven’t seen most of this year. Statistically, it’s been her worst season since 2021, her second season in the WNBA.

Olivia Miles has been incredible all year and should receive consideration for the MVP award. The fit since Napheesa Collier returned from injury hasn’t been seamless, but they still finished as the top seed. While Minnesota lost several key supportive pieces like Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepard, Bridget Carleton, and Natisha Hiedeman, they’ve barely missed a beat. And they still have arguably the best coach in the WNBA, certainly the most experienced.

I don’t think it’s far-fetched to say either team can win this series, but I lean towards Minnesota because they have the better coaching, homecourt advantage, and more well-rounded roster.

Prediction: Lynx win series 2-1

#2 seed Golden State Valkyries versus the #7 seed Dallas Wings

Golden State won the season series 3-0:

Wings 80 - Valkyries 91
Wings 76 - Valkyries 94
Wings 70 - Valkyries 78

On paper, I’d say this is the least interesting series in the first round. Partly because the Valkyries are a defensive-oriented team that can slow things down and make things “ugly”. But also because Dallas has suffered some injuries (Azzi Fudd, Alanna Smith), reducing their realistic title chances. With that said, Paige Bueckers is the best player on either team and has proven she can will a team to a victory. If Arike gets on one of her hot streaks, she can do the same.

The Valkyries are the deeper team, have arguably the best homecourt advantage in the league, and a coach who is very good at taking away the opposing team’s top scoring options.

I still have my doubts that Golden State will win the entire thing. If it comes down to winning a game or the series is on the line, I would trust A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, etc., over Gabby Williams or Veronica Burton. Even still, I fully expect the Valkyries to get past the first round.

Prediction: Valkyries win series 2-0

#3 seed Las Vegas Aces versus the #6 seed Indiana Fever

Indiana won the season series 2-1:

Fever 84 - Aces 68
Fever 109 - Aces 75
Fever 84 - Aces 86

This is the series that has me the most excited. It features two of the main teams I feel have the best odds of winning the championship. It’s crazy that one of them will be sent home after just two or three games.

I’ve been higher on Indiana than most and maybe even more than they deserve. I thought for certain they’d finish in the Top 4. I had them third overall in my preseason rankings. I think the Fever have every piece they need to win a championship. They have a dominant low-post player (Aliyah Boston), an incredible floor general (Caitlin Clark), and a dominant perimeter scorer (Kelsey Mitchell). Plus, they have solid role players like Sophie Cunningham, Monique Billings, Lexie Hull, and Myisha Hines-Allen.

For Las Vegas, what more can you say about them? They’ve won three titles in the past four years. They have the best player in the world, A’ja Wilson. Jackie Young is arguably the best perimeter player in the league. And Chelsea Gray might just be the clutchest player in WNBA history. Even though they are “only” the 3 seed, I think they should be considered the favorites to win it all. It ultimately comes down to, in a multi-game playoff series, is another team going to be able to beat A’ja and the Aces three or four times?

With that in mind, that is how Indiana can win this series. By facing Las Vegas in the first round, they don’t have to find a way to beat the Aces three or four times. They only need to beat them twice. Going back to last year, once Las Vegas made it to the Finals against the Phoenix Mercury, it was a wrap. Even if Phoenix had managed to steal Game 1, which they nearly did, they were never going to be able to take down A’ja, Jackie, and Chelsea four times to win a Best-of-seven series. But Seattle nearly beat Las Vegas in the first round and had a lead in the decisive game 3 with less than 30 seconds to play, before giving up the offensive rebound and score to Young that ended Seattle’s season. They were one play away from being eliminated in the opening round and rallied to win the whole tournament. Indiana may be able to do what Seattle could not.

Boston can hold her own defensively against Wilson. Clark and Mitchell can likely match what Young and Gray do from a production standpoint. It could come down to the role players. If Jewell Loyd can find her shooting stroke, she might be the difference maker. But if she can’t, I think Indiana has the better depth pieces that could turn the tide in their favor. I also believe the NaLyssa Smith injury (torn ACL) is being massively underrated. Without Smith, other teams will be able to send more post help against Wilson. Smith is too talented and skilled to be left unguarded and is a much more serious threat than when the team previously had Kiah Stokes in that role, or even when they have Brianna Turner there now. If the Aces are eliminated, it might be because they really missed Smith’s rebounding and scoring production.

I am very tempted to pick the Fever to pull off the upset, and I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if they do. But until someone takes down the champs for good, it’s hard to pick against the Aces and A’ja Wilson.

Prediction: Aces win series 2-1

#4 seed Atlanta Dream versus the #5 seed Washington Mystics

Washington won the season series 2-1:

Mystics 77 - Dream 109
Mystics 81 - Dream 76
Mystics 79 - Dream 74

If there is a sleeper team that has a legitimate shot at winning the title, I think it could be the Atlanta Dream. Their easiest path to the finals would be if the New York Liberty upset the Minnesota Lynx in the first round, and Atlanta takes care of business against the Mystics in their series to face New York in the semi-finals.

Atlanta’s big problem has been getting it done in the postseason. They’ve been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. They’re 1-6 in their last 7 playoff games. Will they finally turn things around this year?

The Dream made one of the biggest moves in the off-season by acquiring Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky. Reese has continued her impressive play, which includes an unstoppable motor and the will to be better than her competition. Atlanta has elite perimeter players in Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. Jordin Canada is one of the most underrated point guards in the league. Is Reese the missing piece they needed to make a deeper playoff run? I think she is.

Meanwhile, the Washington Mystics feel ahead of schedule. After missing the playoffs over the past two years, they not only clinched a playoff spot this season, but finished as the 5th seed. Drafting Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen in 2025 has completely turned their franchise around. They’ve continued to build depth through the draft. They are talented defensively, and might be so inexperienced in the playoffs that the pressure doesn’t get to them.

Atlanta hasn’t been out of the first round of the playoffs since 2018. Washington hasn’t done it since they won the championship in 2019. One of these two teams will make it to the semi-finals this year. I feel the Mystics have already overachieved this season and that the Dream finally have what they need after adding Reese.

Prediction: Dream win series 2-0

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(Seattle, WA) - The Storm’s worst losing season in franchise history came to a close on Wednesday night as the Dallas Wings defeated the Seattle Storm 103-91. In defeat the Storm lost their 36th game of the season, the most in WNBA history. While it’s not the worst win percentage in league history, that still belongs to the 2011 Tulsa Shock, who finished 3-31(.088%). With this latest loss, this became the worst Storm season in franchise history surpassing the inaugural year where they finished 6-26 (.188). With an 8-36 record, Seattle finished with a .182 win percentage. And yet, there is a lot of hope surround the franchise.

That hope and joy could be seen in the team’s post-game press conference, where Flau’jae Johnson, Awa Fam, and Dominique Malonga were all smiles. It was the first time all three had scored more than 20 points in the same game. A positive sign for the franchise’s future. Malonga led all scorers with 29 points on 11-18 FG. She also had a team-high eight rebounds. Fam finished with 22 points on 8-13 FG, including 4-7 FG from beyond the arc, and grabbed seven rebounds. Johnson rounded out the group with 21 points and six rebounds. Flau’jae set the Storm franchise record for most points scored in a rookie season (626), surpassing Breanna Stewart (621).

Johnson made sure to shout out Natisha Hiedeman, who dished out a career-high 14 assists. Hiedeman tied Sue Bird and Skylar Diggins for the most assists in a regular season game in franchise history. Hiedeman added 10 points, scoring all of those in the 4th quarter.

The home team lost the rebounding battle 33-30, but outscored the Wings 18-9 in second-chance points. They also held the advantage in fast break points (9-4).

Dallas Wings

Paige Bueckers led the Wings with 25 points on 9-15 FG and seven assists. Arike Ogunbowale contributed 23 points on 8-15 FG and six assists. Jessica Shepard had a triple double with 20 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds.

Dallas’ offense shined as they outshot Seattle 57% (39-69 FG) to 50% (34-68 FG). They were also better from beyond the arc, where they hit 50% (9-18 FG) of their three-point field goal attempts compared to 35% for Seattle. They dished out 32 assists and were a +9 in that category.

All five starters reached double figures, as Awak Kuier chipped in with 14 points on 5-8 FG, including 4-6 FG from beyond the arc. She also had a game-high three blocks. Maddy Siegrist added 11 points on 50% shooting to round out the group.

The Wings went from 10 wins in 2025 to 27 wins in 2026. I spoke with both Awa Fam and Coach Sonia Raman about that and if that’s the trajectory the Storm want to aim for next season. The video to their answers is posted below.

Game Breakdown

Dominique Malonga got on the board first making one of two free throws. Paige Bueckers slipped to the rim and finished at the rim for a layup. Malonga scored inside, but Dallas responded with a 6-0 run with baskets from Bueckers and Jessica Shepard. Natisha Hiedeman found Malonga inside for another score. The Wings answered back with a corner three from Arike Ogunbowale and a basket inside by Awak Kuier. With the Wings leading 13-5, Coach Sonia Raman called a timeout.

Malonga added three more with one free throw and another score at the rim. The Wings’ hot shooting continued with midrange jumpers from Bueckers and Shepard, and a three-pointer from Maddy Siegrist. As the Storm continued to miss shots, Arike Ogunbowale finished with a finger roll at the rim to put Dallas ahead 24-8.

Kuier sank a three-ball and Shepard had an And-1 opportunity but missed the extra free throw. Even still, the Wings pushed their lead to 19 near the end of the first quarter. Dallas led 29-12 at the end of the opening frame.

Flau’jae Johnson knocked down a midrange jumper to open up the second period. Haley Jones scooped in a layup. Jade Melbourne connected on a three-pointer to cut the Storm’s deficit down to 14. Johnson then used a beautiful crossover to beat Kitija Laksa down the baseline and finished with a reverse layup. Johnson found Awa Fam in transition under the rim for two. Paige Bueckers drew a foul off Taylor Thierry and added two points from the line. Fam answered back with a wing three and Flau’jae added a deep two to cut the Storm’s deficit to single digits, forcing Wings’ Coach Jose Fernandez to call a timeout.

Out of the timeout, Paige Bueckers knocked down a midrange jumper. Fam hit another three-pointer for Seattle. Dominique Malonga scored inside and was fouled but missed the extra free throw, which would have cut the Wings’ lead to three. Bueckers converted an And-1 on the other end. Johnson added a couple more scores, including catching a missed shot by Hiedeman in mid-air and putting it back in. Kuier hit her second three-pointer of the first half to maintain Dallas’ lead.

Arike added two more at the line to put the Wings ahead 45-37. Malonga glinded through the paint and banked it off the glass. Paige hit another jumper. Fam knocked down her third triple of the first half. Ogunbowale bullied her way to the rim. The Storm outscored the Wings 30-20, but Dallas led 49-42 at the midway point.

Ogunbowale opened up the third quarter with another three-pointer. Maddy Siegrist scored off the mismatch down low. Dominique Malonga answered back with a three-pointer and a score down low with the assist from Hiedeman. Fam was fouled down low and made both free throws. Siegrist made a three and Arike scored off the offensive rebound. Shepard scored on a strong drive to the rim. Fam and Johnson converted for Seattle.

Bueckers drew the defense in and found Shepard open under the rim for the easy score. Paige added two more from the line to put the Wings back ahead by double digits at 65-55. Aziaha James got on the board with a pull-up jumper. Flau’jae and Paige swapped And-1 opportunities on each end. Odyssey Sims scored after Seattle turned it over to put the Wings ahead by 14. Taylor Thierry drilled a corner three, but Ogunbowale scored in the lane. Shepard and James added more points from the free throw line as Dallas extended its lead to 15. The Wings led 76-63 at the end of the third period.

Malonga scored, but Arike countered with an And-1. After Dom scored again, Shepard added another And-1. Natisha Hiedeman finally got on the board with a drive to the rim, and then quickly scored again. Awak connected on another corner three. That was followed up with an And-1 by Odyssey Sims.

Seattle made one late push, a 17-4 run, that cut the Wings’ 19-point 4th quarter lead down to six. During that run, they got big baskets from Jade Melbourne, Natisha Hiedeman, Dominique Malonga, and Awa Fam. The Storm needed just a couple of more stops to potentially send the game to overtime, but Awak Kuier and Paige Bueckers hit back-to-back three-pointers in the final 1:40 left to seal the victory for the Wings.

Maddy Siegrist added one last And-1 in the final 30 seconds to put the cherry on top of the Wings’ 27th victory on the season. At the final buzzer, Dallas had won 103-91.

Final Box Score

Player Interviews

Flau’jae Johnson, Awa Fam, Dominique Malonga:

Coach’s Quotes

Coach Raman post-game:

Up Next

For the Storm, it’ll be the off-season. The WNBA playoffs kick off on Sunday, September 27th as the Las Vegas Aces will look to defend their championship and go back-to-back for the second time in the past five years.

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(Las Vegas, Nevada) - The Las Vegas Aces (29-13) cruised to another dominant win over the Seattle Storm (8-35) on Sunday night to sweep the season series 3-0. The Aces have ended Seattle’s season in the playoffs in each of the past two years. That won’t happen this year, but there is something fitting about the Aces and Storm playing multiple games in September. Las Vegas beat Seattle 114-77 last Thursday, and while the Storm made this one much more competitive through the majority of the game, the Aces ultimately pulled away late to win the game 98-77.

The best part of this game was that we saw the Storm’s young duo of Dominique Malonga and Flau’jae Johnson go toe-to-toe with the best players in the world, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young. Those two along with Chelsea Gray are the reason the Aces have won three out of the last four championships. Gray may have been the difference maker for Las Vegas as Seattle didn’t have that third major scorer.

The postive is that Flau’jae Johnson scored a career-high 29 points on 10-21 FG, that included 5-8 FG from beyond the arc. She added six rebounds, a team-high six assists, four steals, and one impressive block on A’ja Wilson. Dominique Malonga added 25 points on a highly efficient 10-13 FG. Malonga added a team-high eight rebounds.

Johnson talked about herself and Malonga being compared to Wilson and Young.

“You’re talking about two of the best players in the world, so that’s an amazing compliment. I mean, just seeing A’ja go to work out there is just like, wow, like she not real. But I do feel like Dom is that caliber player. I feel like me just being here, I’m going to push her. She gonna push me. And Coach Sonia talked to me before the game and just like, we got to figure out how to get Dom involved more because we’re not going to win without her. And I think for me, that was just my mindset going into the game, like get Dom involved.” Flau’jae answered.

“I mean, it’s a great comparison, but I’m no Jackie Young right now, but in a few years, I feel like, I could be one of the best players in the league alongside Dom, nobody could guard her. I think that’s what we’re trying to ascend to.” She added.

Awa Fam and Natisha Hiedeman both struggled with their offense. Fam went 3-14 FG and 0-5 FG from three-point range. Hiedeman hasn’t quite been the same since injuring her shoulder. She went 1-8 FG and 0-6 from beyond the arc.

Seattle out-rebounded Las Vegas 35-28. They had an 11-3 advantage in offensive rebounds and outscored the Aces 12-4 in second-chance points. The road team outscored Vegas 36-30 with points in the paint.

Johnson set a new Seattle Storm franchise rookie record for the most games with 25+ points in a season, surpassing Breanna Stewart. This was her 6th game this year tallying at least 25 points. She has particularly been strong to end the year.

After the game, I spoke with Malonga and Coach Raman about the growth they’ve seen from Flau’jae in these recent games.

Malonga told me, “She’s amazing. She doesn’t look like a rookie at all. She really embraced her role this year. She came in, had a big role, and directly been one of our leaders, like we lead by her energy. She knows that, and so she leads us by that. She’s a leader by example. She’s always going hard and I think that’s what got her, got her there and now we know that we can really count on her.”

Dom went on to say:

Read more

Written By: Danny Williams
Twitter: danny_w22

In its first game back from the FIBA World Cup, the Seattle Storm (8-33) were without multiple key players and it showed, falling to the Las Vegas Aces (28-13) by a final score of 114-77.

On Thursday, Seattle would be without Jade Melbourne, Ezi Magbegor, and Jordan Horston. At the end of the first quarter, Vegas held a 25-13 advantage and never looked back. Vegas looked like a team destined for a title run, and the Storm looked like they were still on the FIBA break.

Flau’jae Johnson was the main offensive engine for the Storm in the loss. The rookie scored 25 points on volume efficiency (9-21 FG). Natisha Heideman and Dominique Molanga both scored in double figures, but shot poorly (8-22 FG combined). Stefanie Dolson had a nice game off the bench with 11 points on 3-5 FG.

The only category the Storm bested the Aces were in steals where the Storm led 9-7. Newcomer, Jalyn Sherrod, had five steals in her debut with Seattle.

Las Vegas Aces

From start to finish, Vegas put on an absolute clinic. The 114-point onslaught was headlined by guard Jackie Young who scored a career-high 35 points and hit four three-pointers. Young did most of her work in the first quarter, scoring 22 of the Aces’ 25 points.

A’ja Wilson did A’ja Wilson things, scoring 29 points (9-13 FG, 10-10 FT) and grabbing seven rebounds and dishing five assists. Kalani Brown and Dana Evans each scored 10 points off the bench.

Vegas shot 58% (40-69 FG) from the field and 46% (13-28 FG) from three-point range. Vegas not-only dominated on the offensive end, but forced 13 Storm turnovers and held it to 38% (27-71 FG) from the field and 30% (8-27 FG) from three.

“114 points for [the Aces], I mean, that’s like a record this year probably, or something close…114 points is terrible,” Heideman said.

Hiedeman later called the performance embarrassing.

Game Breakdown

Stephanie Talbot kicked off the scoring with a corner three for the Aces. Jackie Young followed suit and Las Vegas shot out to a quick 6-0 advantage. Zia Cooke scored first for the Storm in response and Natisha Heideman followed with an AND-1 layup. Young scored five straight and Flau’jae Johnson answered with a bucket inside to make the score 11-7 Aces.

Taylor Thierry drew a blocking foul and made both free throws for Seattle. Young once again scored twice to push the lead to six. Heideman was fouled and made both shots, but Young answered, this time with a three-pointer. Mackenzie Holmes drove for two, but Young responded again for seven straight points. The Aces ended the quarter up 25-13, with Young scoring 22 of the 25 points.

Dominique Malonga scored in transition to start the second quarter for the Storm. Dana Evans was fouled and split her free throws for the Aces. Malonga scored inside again and Chelsea Gray responded with a baseline jumper. Stefanie Dolson nailed a trail three and cut the Vegas’ lead to eight. A’ja Wilson drew a foul and hit both for Vegas on back-to-back possessions. Awa Fam scored inside for Seattle and Gray hit a three in response. Wilson went back to the line, this time for an AND-1, and pushed the Vegas lead to 15.

Wilson hit the free throw out of the break and Malonga countered with a score inside. Wilson answered and Heideman drove past the defense for two. Wilson hit a jumper and Cooke drew a foul, but landed awkwardly. Cooke was able to hit both free throws and was promptly subbed out. She did not return.

Wilson made two more foul shots and a scored bucket inside. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus finished with a layup and Johnson hit a three in response. Parker-Tyus scored again and Young made two foul shots to push the Aces’ lead to 21. Thierry drilled a three and Malonga split free throws to end the half, as the Storm trailed, 52-34.

Las Vegas dominated in just about every category in the first half. They shot 52% (17-33) from the field and 38% (5-13) from three compared to Seattle which shot 33% (12-36) from the field and 20% (2-10) from three. Vegas also out-rebounded Seattle, 21-13. Young led the way with 24 points for the Aces and Malonga and Heideman both had seven for the Storm.

Talbot started the second half the same way as the first, with a corner three. Wilson scored in transition and Young scored off a steal for a quick 7-0 Vegas burst. Johnson added the first points in the half for Seattle with a pair of free throws. Fam made it five straight Storm points, making a three. Wilson and Young scored again, but Johnson scored five in response. Talbot hit another three and Johnson connected on a jumper.

Young hit another three and Wilson got back to the line and made both. Johnson made a jumper and Parker-Tyus shot two more free throws and split. Heideman hit a three and Johnson drew a foul and made one of two. Parker-Tyus drove for two and Wilson scored again inside to give Vegas a 23-point advantage. Dolson buried a three, and Young hit a smooth reverse layup. Hiedeman scored and Jewell Loyd made a three for Vegas. Johnson split another pair of free throws and Wilson went back to the line for an AND-1. Holmes scored on a put-back and Dolson made two free throws. Young hit two at the line, Malonga split a pair, and Vegas maintained their dominance after three quarters, 85-63.

Kalani Brown started the scoring in the final quarter with a bucket inside for Vegas. Malonga hit a smooth turnaround jumper and Brown scored again inside. Brown was a force down low, scoring seven consecutive after an AND-1 layup and 10 total in the final period. Johnson nailed a three, and then drove for a reverse lay-in. Wilson scored five straight in response. Evans knocked down a three-pointer and Dolson mirrored her on the other end. Loyd hit a three of her own and Johnson scored off a fast break.

Evans buried another triple and Jaylyn Sherrod went coast-to-coast. Evans hit from outside again and Loyd scored off a steal. Brown split two free throws, and Vegas closed out a dominant win with a final score of 114-77.

Final Box Score

Player Interviews

Flau’jae Johnson and Natisha Hiedeman:

Coach’s Quotes

Coach Raman post-game:

Up Next

The schedule doesn’t get any easier as the Seattle Storm (8-33) go on the road to Golden State to face the Valkyries on Saturday, 9/19 at 6 p.m. Then they’ll rematch the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, 9/20 at 6 p.m.

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Thanks to Her Hoop Stats and Across the Timeline for being great resources!

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The 2026 FIBA World Cup has concluded. Unfortunately, the much-anticipated Gold Medal rematch between the USA and France turned into a blowout in the second half, where the United States outscored France 54-34. USA defeated France in the Gold Medal game by a final score of 97-79. The best team in the world proved it once again, winning its 5th consecutive Gold Medal in the World Cup games.

The good news for Storm fans was that Dominique Malonga played very well in the game. She led France with 21 points and six rebounds. While she scored a fair amount of those points in the 4th quarter once the game was all but decided, she did have some strong moments in the third period to keep France’s head above water before the USA put the game out of reach.

Former Storm legend, Breanna Stewart, proved she is still arguably the best player in the world. She led the USA to the Gold medal with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Stewart was named the tournament MVP. Jackie Young could have earned that honor, as she was excellent throughout the tournament. Young was named the player of the Gold Medal game and finished with 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

Three other USA players scored in double figures: Kahleah Copper added 16 points, Chelsea Gray had 12 points, and Caitlin Clark contributed 12 points off the bench. Besides Malonga, Gabby Williams was the only other player for France who scored in double figures. She scored 16 of her 20 points in the first half. The USA’s defense held her to four points over the final 20 minutes, and that played a huge factor in how the game became a blowout.

USA’s Path to the Gold:

USA beat China 94-61
USA beat Italy 55-52
USA beat Czechia 105-64
USA beat Hungary 108-56 - Quarter-Finals
USA beat Spain 76-66 - Semi-Finals
USA beat France 97-79 - Gold Medal Game
Final Record: 6-0

France’s Path to the Silver:

France beat Hungary 99-53
France beat Korea 95-69
France beat Nigeria 111-56
France beat China 90-61 - Quarter-Finals
France beat Germany 86-64 - Semi-Finals
France lost to USA 97-79 - Gold Medal Game
Final Record: 5-1

Bronze Medal

Earlier in the day, the Storm’s Awa Fam won the Bronze Medal as Spain beat Germany 81-58. This game had a similar story to the USA/France game as the two teams played a competitive first half against one another. After Spain jumped out to a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter, 25-15, Germany outscored them 21-15 to close the gap to four at the midway point (40-36). It was all Spain in the second half, as they outscored Germany 41-22 over the final 20 minutes.

Iyana Martín, the Portland Fire’s first-round pick, was sensational throughout the tournament and led Spain with 22 points on 8-15 FG. She also had a game-high nine assists. The Liberty’s Raquel Carrera pitched in 15 points and five rebounds. The Toronto Tempo’s Maria Conde added 12 points and five rebounds. Seattle’s Awa Fam nearly had a double-double with 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Awa made 5-6 FG in the game.

Spain’s Path to the Bronze:

Spain beat Germany 83-53
Spain lost to Mali 82-73
Spain beat Japan 79-59
Spain beat Australia 89-66 - Quarter-Finals
Spain lost to USA 76-66 - Semi-Finals
Spain beat Germany 81-58 - Bronze Medal Game
Final Record: 4-2

Storm Injuries

Unfortunately, Ezi Magbegor’s injury-plagued year that started in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in March ended in Berlin, Germany, after Magbegor suffered a torn ACL in her right knee in Australia’s narrow 82-80 win against Italy that sent the Opals to the Quarter-Finals. That’s where Australia’s World Cup run ended as they were without Magbegor. Storm point guard, Jade Melbourne, only played three minutes in the Quarter-Finals matchup due to flu-like symptoms.

Magbegor suffered a left foot injury in March, a facial fracture and broken nose in July against the Atlanta Dream, and now a torn ACL. Unsurprisingly, the Storm announced that she would miss the remainder of the 2026 WNBA season (Seattle has four games remaining). Between all three injuries, Ezi only played 14 of the team’s 44 games this season. Worse yet, since she suffered a torn ACL in September of this year, that significant injury will almost certainly cost her most, if not all, of the 2027 WNBA season. The recovery timetable for a torn ACL is usually between 9 and 12 months. I believe both Jordan Horston and Katie Lou Samuelson ended up taking at least 12 months (if not 13-14 months) before they were able to return to 5-on-5 professional basketball. Realistically, Magbegor will miss at least 1/2 of the 2027 season.

Speaking of Katie Lou, the team also announced on September 11th that Samuelson had successful arthroscopic surgery on her left knee. Samuelson tweaked her left knee in August and missed a few games, but was able to return. However, with the Storm already eliminated from the playoffs, Samuelson and the team decided to do a cleanup procedure. This surgery will keep Samuelson out of the team’s final four games of the 2026 season, but should not be severe enough to cause her to miss any games in 2027 (to my understanding).

The Storm return to action on Thursday, September 17th, as they host the Las Vegas Aces at 7 p.m.

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Written By: Danny Williams
Twitter: danny_w22

Winners of four straight and eight of their last 10, the Golden State Valkyries (29-11) have the second-best record in the WNBA and might be the only team in the league that wishes the FIBA break ended before it even began.

Golden State didn’t just win their last four games; they completely dominated. They won by an average of 19 points. Two wins in that span came against current playoff teams, the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty. Golden State also dismantled Connecticut by 25 points and Portland by 17.

Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was just named WNBA coach of the month in August after a 10-2 campaign, and has her team ready to compete for a championship in just its second season as a franchise.

On August 24, Golden State went to Minnesota to take on the number one seed Lynx and completely dominated them. The Valkyries won 80-66 and held the best offense in the league to 36% shooting and forced 18 turnovers.

Three days later, Golden State went to New York and made quick work of the Liberty, 79-60. The Liberty shot a putrid 30%, and the Valkyries led for 89% of the game, a true non-contest.

When looking at the record against the other top-four teams in the league (Minnesota, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Indiana), the Valkyries are 9-7 overall, despite starting 2-6. A large factor in Golden State’s impressive record against the league’s best is its stellar defense.

Golden State leads the WNBA in defensive rating at 99.8. This stat adjusts for how many points a team gives up per-100 possessions. The next closest team is Minnesota with a 103.5 rating, a 3.7-point difference. The difference between Golden State and Minnesota is the same as the difference between the second and seventh best teams in the league.

Another reason for the Valkyries’ dominance is their ability to take care of the basketball. Golden State is tied with Dallas for the league-lead in turnover percentage at just 15%.

Part of the reason Golden State ranks among the top of the league is its league-slowest pace of play. Like the Memphis Grizzlies of the early 2010s, the Valkyries take time off the shot clock and work to get a great look while hounding the opponent on the other end.

The ability to lock down on defense and take care of the basketball on offense should create a recipe for success come playoff time. Despite the Valkyries’ league-average marks offensively, their style of play is conducive to winning tight games in the playoffs.

When play resumes on September 18, Golden State’s four remaining games come against teams currently out of the playoff picture (Portland twice, Seattle, and Los Angeles). Minnesota, on the other hand, plays three teams currently in the playoffs (Indiana twice and New York) to end the season.

If Minnesota were to fall in all three of the games and Golden State were to win out, the Valkyries would end the year as the league’s number one overall seed, an extremely impressive feat considering this is only the franchise’s second season.

Nakase may not have the star power on her roster that many of the other top teams in the league boast, but she does possess the blueprint for a team that will be a nightmare to face in the playoffs.

Photography Credits: Golden State Valkyries/WNBA

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It’s been a rough season for the Seattle Storm this year. It can be difficult to find the words to write during a long season that’s witnessed more than 30 losses, the most in franchise history. But it’s been a little while since I’ve chimed in with some additional thoughts and commentary, and with the FIBA World Cup break and the new week ahead, I thought now would be a good time to get back to that.

In this one, I give an update on the WNBA Draft Lottery process and where the Storm stand, discuss Jade Melbourne’s progress, and contemplate the Storm’s post depth moving forward.

Draft Lottery Update

With recent outcomes, I think we can narrow down where Seattle is going to finish no matter what happens over the team’s final four games in September. All 15 teams have now played 40 of their 44 regular-season games. We know the eight teams that will battle it out in the playoffs, and which teams are hoping for some lottery luck.

With the Toronto Tempo’s complete collapse this season, they have locked themselves into Top 3 lottery odds. The Connecticut Sun and the Chicago Sky are also guaranteed to finish in the Top 3 thanks to their subpar play for two consecutive seasons. This doesn’t mean these three teams will all finish with a Top 3 pick, but their lottery odds give them the best shot to do so.

This means that no matter what the Storm do, even if they lose all four of their remaining games and finish the season with the worst record in the league, the best odds they can finish with would be the fourth-best odds to win the lottery.

The WNBA has not officially announced how the lottery odds will work with seven teams missing the playoffs for the first time since 2002. For now, we have to go off an estimate that says the Storm would likely have around an 11% chance at the #1 overall pick and a 13% chance at the #2 pick. Maybe the Storm will get lucky, and the league decides to spread the odds more evenly instead of weighting them heavily toward the bottom two teams. Or maybe Seattle will get extremely lucky, and the WNBA will remove the two-year lottery rule entirely, handing Seattle the best odds to land the top pick in the draft.

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(Seattle, WA) - Another poor start by the Seattle Storm (8-32) cost them again. This time in a Sunday matinee matchup against the LA Sparks (15-25). Los Angeles jumped out to an 18-2 lead and never looked back. Seattle only rarely cut the deficit to single digits, and the Sparks led by as many as 26 points in the 2nd half. The road team eventually cruised to a 90-74 victory over the Storm.

Coach Raman talked about her team’s poor start.

“Credit to LA, you know, defensively. I thought they came out with just a lot of pressure, physicality, but I still thought we generated enough good shots, didn’t fall. I think that we know we can’t let our offense dictate our defense. So I think that we started to let up, give up some transition buckets. Their shots were just too easy in that 1st quarter while we were struggling. So being able to find ways to continue to impact the game when shots aren’t falling is really important.” Raman stated.

Rookie Flau’jae Johnson led the team with 19 points on 7-18 FG shooting. She was one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise lackluster effort by Seattle. Dominique Malonga finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocked shots. Zia Cooke was the only other Storm player to score in double figures in this game. She added 14 points, but was inefficient with her shot, making just 6-17 FG.

Johnson also talked to the media in the post-game about the team’s rough start.

“That’s inexcusable. But they shot lights out. Nneka came back and was like, ‘This is my court’, you know what I’m saying? Barely missed. But no, I think it’s just really on us. We gotta be accountable. We’re never gonna win games when we start like that. It’s not gonna happen because we gotta dig to get back up when we shouldn’t be that down, so it was terrible. I don’t think we was all ready, like all here to play today.” She said.

Flau’jae went on to say, “We got to look in the mirror and go on this break and be like, what are we gonna do for the rest of the season? Because that’s where my mind is at. What are we gonna do? How are we gonna end this? You know what I’m saying, going into next year? Because that’s what I’m focusing on, like, getting better to go back into next year.”

Natisha Hiedeman missed her fourth consecutive game as she remains out with a left shoulder injury. Seattle’s offense has really struggled in her absence, especially to start games where they have fallen behind by double-digits in three of their last four games in the first period. The Storm have lost all three of those games.

I asked Coach Raman about the team’s struggles with offensive execution.

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Written By: Danny Williams
Twitter: danny_w22

(Seattle, WA) – It wasn’t pretty, but the Seattle Storm (8-31) found a way to pull out the victory over the Toronto Tempo (11-27), 90-78. A 46-37 second-half showing from Seattle propelled it to victory after a lack-luster first half which saw it shoot just 40%. The Storm were without starting point guard Natisha Hiedeman, but Zia Cooke and Jade Melbourne combined for 26 points in her absence.

Flau’jae Johnson led the team in scoring with 20 points (9-15 FG), her second-straight 20-point performance. Johnson also becomes just the second Storm rookie to score over 500 points in their rookie season, joining Storm legend Breanna Stewart as the only other player in franchise history to accomplish the feat.

Dominique Malonga scored 18 points (9-19 FG) and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Melbourne contributed 16 points (5-10 FG) and grabbed six rebounds and dished out a game-high seven assists. Off the bench, Awa Fam and Zia Cooke both scored 10 points while Katie Lou Samuelson added eight points and hit two three-pointers. The Storm outscored the Tempo 30-11 in bench points.

“I thought Zia made a heap of big plays tonight which was really cool, but it’s a collective effort, we’re 1-12 deep, so when [the bench] comes in we’re getting just as excited as they are for us to start the game.” Melbourne said.

The Storm defense hounded the Tempo offensive attack. The Tempo shot just 37.1% (26-70 FG) and 15.4% (4-26 FG) from three-point range. The Storm also blocked eight shots and racked up a whopping 13 steals, forcing 17 turnovers. The Storm scored 25 points off turnovers to the Tempo’s 15.

“I thought we had really good rotations, I felt like we were all helping each other out, one person went out, another person was rotating or even overrotating sometimes. We were just over-helping each other, knowing that they have a lot of hot players and players that shoot the three really well, so being in our shifts and being where we’re supposed to be really helped us,” Johnson said.

Toronto Tempo

The Tempo were without their leading scorer Marina Mabrey and the offense suffered because of it. Rookie Kiki Rice led the Tempo with 24 points (6-12 FG) and went 11-11 at the free throw line. The Tempo shot 28 free throws to the Storm’s 18.

Isabelle Harrison scored 17 points (5-16 FG) and grabbed 14 rebounds, five offensive. The Tempo out-rebounded the Storm 43-37. Laura Juškaitė scored 14 points (6-11 FG).

Game Breakdown

Laura Juškaitė kicked off the game with a driving layup for Toronto. Flau’jae Johnson answered with a mid-range jumper. Maria Conde scored inside and Johnson went to the line for two and split the pair. Kiki Rice drove for a score and Johnson scored on a fast break. Melbourne scored seven consecutive points, and Juškaitė answered with five for Toronto. Dominique Malonga got on the board with a put-back. Isabelle Harrison was fouled and the Storm led 14-11 at the media timeout.

Harrison made both and scored again to give the Tempo the lead, 15-14. Harrison made it five-in-a-row with another free throw. Melbourne got back to the line and made both. Zia Cooke scored her first point at the foul line, giving the lead back to the Storm. The next trip down she drilled a three. Kiana Williams dashed to the hoop for two, but Katie Lou Samuelson responded with an AND-1. Temi Fágbénlé split two free throws for the Tempo and the Storm ended the first quarter up 23-19.

Harrison started the second quarter with a bucket inside. Rice added two more free throws, and Harrison scored again inside. A 6-0 run gave the Tempo a 25-23 lead. Malonga responded to quickly tie it back up and Ezi Magbegor scored inside to give the Storm back the lead. Juškaitė tied it once again and Rice went back to the line for an AND-1. Johnson drilled a jumper, but Rice hit a three, her eighth point of the quarter. She quickly made it 10 with a nifty reverse layup and forced the Storm to call a time out, trailing 35-29.

Magbegor scored on a nice feed from Jordan Horston out of the break. Malonga drove to the hoop and Johnson drilled a three to cap a 7-0 Storm run. Teonni Key scored out of the break for the Tempo. Melbourne finished at the rim on a backdoor cut and Kia Nurse hit a three-pointer for the Tempo. Rice scored at the rim and Malonga followed suit on the other end. Awa Fam ended the half with a corner three and gave the Storm a 43-42 lead at the midway point.

Neither team shot well in the first half, 40% (16-40 FG) for the Storm and 39% (16-41) for the Tempo. The Tempo out-rebounded the Storm 27-16. The Tempo committed eight turnovers to the Storm’s five and the Seattle scored 12 points off turnovers.Rice ended the first half with 14 points and Melbourne had 11 for the Storm.

Fágbénlé scored inside to start the second half for Toronto and Rice made two more free throws. Conde drove inside and the Tempo got out to a 6-0 start. Malonga finally got the Storm on the board. Magbegor drove for two and Fágbénlé answered. Johnson hit a mid range jumper and Harrison finished inside for the Tempo. Rice went back to the line after a Horston turnover and made both. Fam had an offensive putback off a Malonga miss and Johnson drove to the basket to cut the Tempo lead to one. Juškaitė got to the rim for an AND-1 and the Tempo led 56-53 at the media timeout.

Cooke scored the first points out of the break and Fam got two more at the foul line. Cooke fed Dolson with a nice pocket pass and the Storm took the lead 59-57. Nurse drew a foul and stopped the Storm run and split the free throws. Cooke continued her stellar third quarter, drawing a foul and hitting both shots. Fam hit another three and Harrison answered for Toronto. Ornella Bankole split free throws for the Tempo and the Storm led after three quarters, 64-61.

Cooke picked up right where she left off, heading to the line for two more to begin the fourth quarter. Malonga scored again inside and Samuelson nailed a three, giving the Storm a 71-63 lead. Melbourne drove to the rack for an AND-1 and put the Storm up a game-high 10 points. Fágbénlé responded with a three, but Cooke found Malonga for two more and Melbourne scored again. Juškaitė drove for two and two missed layups for the Storm forced head coach Sonia Raman to call a time out.

Johnson followed her own shot for two out of the break and Malonga hit a short jumper to put the Storm up by 13. Harrison was fouled and split. Johnson drove for two more, but Rice answered on the other end. Harrison got to the line back-to-back times and made three out of four. Samuelson scored inside and the Tempo called time. Rice got the Tempo in the bonus and made four more free throws. The Tempo sent Melbourne to the line and she split a pair. Johnson nailed a jumper with 22 seconds left to seal the win for the Storm, 90-78.

Final Box Score

Player Interviews

Jade Melbourne and Flau’jae Johnson:

Coach’s Quotes

Coach Raman post-game:

Up Next

The Seattle Storm (8-31) have one more home game before the FIBA World Cup break. They host the Los Angeles Sparks (13-25) on Sunday, August 30th at 2 p.m.

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(Arlington, Texas) - Defense was optional for the Seattle Storm (7-31) as they got out to another slow start and trailed by 20 points in the first quarter and by as many as 35 points in the game. The Dallas Wings (22-16) led 56-21 before they let off the gas. The home team shot 60% FG overall and 75% from beyond the arc in the opening period and never looked back. Despite a 14-0 run at the end of the first half, Seattle never seriously threatened to make the game competitive. Dallas cruised to a 92-70 victory over Seattle.

Rookie Flau’jae Johnson led the way with 23 points on 9-19 FG, including tying a career-high with five made three-point baskets. She also led the team in steals with three and tied for a team-high with six rebounds. At times, it felt like she was the only one really putting forth much effort.

I asked Flau’jae about her positive performance, but she wasn’t looking for any moral victories.

“Just try to put the ball in the basket every night. Take the same shots that I’ve been taking. I make them; it’s a good game. I miss them. It’s a bad game, so just, you know, just continue to do what I do.” Johnson said reluctantly.

Outside of Flau’jae, Jade Melbourne was the only other bright spot from this game. She finished with 15 points on 6-12 FG and knocked down 3-7 FG from beyond the arc.

I spoke to Seattle’s coach about the progress she’s seen from Melbourne regarding her outside shooting.

Coach Raman replied, “Jade’s one of those players that she’s getting coming in, she’s getting extra work in. She’s been working on that 3-ball with Marcus Tibbs, like any time that she can, whenever she can get into the gym. They catch and shoot, the off the dribble, understanding coverages and how teams guard her, and that’s a good shot for her, and she’s going to get those open looks. And then, you know, as coaches, like, we want our players to shoot with confidence and understand they have a green light. So, she knows she has that, and if that’s the right shot to take, like, we want Jade to take it, and it’s been really great to see the work she’s been putting in, translate on the court as well.”

Seattle started their Big 3 post players, dubbed the “Seattle Skyline” by play-by-play man Dick Fain, for the first time this season. Unfortunately, it did not go well. While those three completely dominated their minutes on the court together against the Chicago Sky last week, it was the total opposite in the game against Dallas. Rookie Awa Fam was held scoreless on 0-5 FG and 0-3 FG from beyond the arc. She tied Flau’jae for a team-high six rebounds, but otherwise had minimal impact on the game. Ezi Magbegor finished with just two points on 0-4 FG. Dominique Malonga was the best of the big three, but still struggled with her efficiency and foul trouble. Malonga finished with 12 points on 4-10 FG, 0-3 FG from the 3-PT line, and had just five rebounds.

Despite the poor overall record, Seattle has been competitive in most of these games. However, there seems to be some regression in recent games. I asked Coach Raman about that after the game.

Raman said, “

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Written By: Molly Tepper
Twitter: mollytepper

(Los Angeles, CA) On Thursday night, after the announcement of Nneka Ogwumike’s retirement, the Los Angeles Sparks (12-24) rough patch continued as they dropped one of their worst blowouts of the season to the Atlanta Dream (23-13), by a final score of 124-88. The 124 points were the highest total in Atlanta Dream franchise history and just one short of the WNBA record for a regulation game (125).

LA converted the first layup of the game, and then never took the lead again. Sloppy early choices, including missing easy layups on the Dream’s minimal turnovers and committing nine turnovers of their own by the end of the first, limited them to just 12 points in the quarter. They shot 31% from the field, and the struggles continued as they were unable to box out on Atlanta’s free throws. As Madina Okot missed her second free throw, Allisha Gray grabbed the offensive rebound as no Sparks players attempted to rebound, and Jordin Canada banked in a three, putting the Dream up 28-9. Rhyne Howard knocked down two more three-pointers, including one at the buzzer, to put them ahead 34-12 at the end of the first period.

Problems continued for Los Angeles as Angel Reese erupted in the second quarter. After scoring 10 points in the first four minutes, Reese would go on to score 20 points for the game, going 9-for-9 from the field and 2-for-2 from three, with ten rebounds and eight assists. Reese became the third player in WNBA history to have a 20-10 double-double with perfect field goal shooting (9-for-9), while the last player to do it was LA’s own Nneka Ogwumike. Additionally, her three offensive rebounds in the first half broke her own WNBA season record of 172 set in 2024.

Coach Lynne Roberts on Angel Reese:

“There’s always a lot of narrative about Angel, but man, she competes, and she plays so hard, and I respect the hell out of that. Even when she wasn’t in the game, she’s the loudest on the bench, and she’s a competitor. I just have a lot of respect for that.”

While the Sparks were able to regain some of their momentum from off the bench, they continued to struggle with errant passes and were never able to overcome the hole they dug themselves in the first quarter. The Dream shot an impressive 62% from three (16-26), and that almost perfect shooting set a tone LA could never climb back from.

A bright spot came off the bench from the play of Tonie Morgan and Chance Gray, who had eight points apiece. Nonetheless, it was not enough to close the gap against a Dream team that was doing everything right.

Chance Gray spoke about the different roles she’s played this season:

“Honestly, I look at it as a positive, being able to be utilized in different ways. I think that can be something that can help the team. So I’m ready to do whatever the team needs me to do in that moment, whether it’s be on the ball, just be a defender, be a spot-up shooter. I just try to play for my teammates, my coaches, as hard as I can, and that’s what I like to do.”

Coach Lynne Roberts commemorated the Dream’s night:

“I do want to give Atlanta Credit. They were good tonight, and their shooting to maintain that three-point shooting in about 40 minutes is impressive. They were really good, and so sometimes you just have to take it on the chin and turn the page.”

The Sparks will remain at home on Saturday to take on the Connecticut Sun at 6 p.m.

Photography Credits: LA Sparks/WNBA Photography

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The StudBudz (Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams) have exploded in popularity since the creation of their Twitch Channel and Livestream in May 2025. Back then, they were teammates on the Minnesota Lynx’s roster. They would stream during off days, during their road trips, and most famously during All-Star Weekend, where they hosted a 72-hour event.

Like any YouTuber or Twitch Streamer, it’s all about personality, and Hiedeman and Williams are excellent in that regard. But it’s also about community engagement. Something that Twitch exemplifies with its online chat rooms. It allows fans to feel they’re truly part of the group. And it gives them a unique opportunity to interact with their favorite celebrities/athletes. As of this writing, the duo has nearly 120,000 followers on Twitch. They have over 160,000 followers on Instagram.

While the StudBudz remain, the two are no longer playing on the same WNBA team. During the offseason, Natisha Hiedeman signed a two-year deal with the Seattle Storm. With her strong play on the court and her fun personality off of it, “T” quickly became a fan favorite in the Pacific Northwest. And she endeared herself to the community early on by admiring the beautiful nature of the region. More specifically, The Mountain.

That would be Mount Rainier for those unfamiliar. The tallest mountain in Washington State stands at more than 14,400 feet. It is also considered one of the most dangerous active volcanoes in the United States. But it’s also a thing of beauty. And something that Natisha fell in love with after moving to Seattle.

Because of the weather in this region, Mount Rainier can “disappear” from time to time. That fact blew Hiedeman’s mind, and she would start asking every day if the mountain was out. Fans loved it, and it became a regular bit early on during the Storm’s season.

As we’re about to enter the final month of the WNBA season, Hiedeman has found another way to endear herself and engage with the community. She has apparently started a Run Club; RunBudz to be exact!

What started as maybe a joke, or just a whim, has become the next big thing in Seattle. On Tuesday evening, I was invited to come to Green Lake and interview Hiedeman alongside other members of the media. What I witnessed was something very cool.

When asked why she started a run club, Hiedeman responded, “Honestly, just sitting at home one day. I’m like, let’s just go for a little run. First one, I think 23 people were there. And then I did another one a couple days later, which is why we’re all here. As you can see, a lot of people here already. We got a little bit of time, so I just want to bring people together, community together, get out, exercise, be outside, have a good time, and I mean, I just think it’s important to get outside and exercise as well.”

There were a lot of people there. It looked to be at least 150-200 people.

T was asked if she enjoyed running.

“I feel like when I did it the first time, we ran 1.55, and it was like, I felt like so accomplished, because I’m not really, y’all know, I’d be sprinting on the court. I never ran like a mile or a mile and a half ever... So I just felt super accomplished after that.”

It’s one thing to want to get out and exercise for one’s own personal gain. But to encourage a large group of people to better themselves is even more impressive. And Natisha really appreciates the love and support she’s received.

“I mean, it’s just exciting. Like, people really showing up for (me) just to be outside, exercise, community together, like, and this is just all for fun. So, I mean, I don’t know, just seeing all these people, it’s like, it’s the support, you know? And I really feel it, and I think that Seattle has embraced me. So to be able to do this here definitely means a lot to me,” Hiedeman shared. “We go out there on the court and try to perform for our fans and for ourselves. So just to come do something off the court and have people show up the same way, I think that’s what matters most because it’s, like, people are seeing you and supporting you more than just the basketball player.”

While she is training to compete with herself, better herself, and potentially run in a marathon one day, there are more important goals in mind with this. It’s about the betterment of others and bringing people together.

“I think that’s just the best part about it. I feel like we’re bringing out people that don’t normally run or don’t normally get outside, but just to be able to come, enjoy each other. Again, we accept all, just walk, walk it if you want to, run it, do whatever, so I just feel like that’s huge because, again, you’re just bringing the community together. And I feel, in a sense, I’m like a connector, so to be able to bring all these people together and connect people, again, that’s what my biggest goal in life, really. So, it’s super special.” Hiedeman told us.

Natisha spoke about her close connection to the Seattle fans and how it happened so quickly.

“I mean, honestly, I would say kind of quick because of the mountain. I feel like that experience in itself, like, seeing the mountain for the first time, and people were kind of making that my thing. I felt super connected right away, but just being outside, going places, people saying, ‘Hey, we love the Storm’, and just, ‘we love you’. I think that being in Seattle, just how much people are around and outside, like, you get that a lot. So it’s, you feel special.”

Building up the community online through Twitch and the chat rooms has allowed T to branch out into these more public community-facing events.

“I just never want to be, like, in a box, so just to be able to do other things and use my platform with basketball, with StudBudz, and streaming, and just being able to go down a whole bunch of different avenues. I mean, who knows what I’ll do next? Like, literally, I would have never imagined this. So who knows? Like, I said, I just like to do what’s on my mind, do what I like, do... I don’t know, I just go with things. But this is gonna be fun for a while.”

That could involve more official events in the future for charities.

“Yeah, so, for now, this is all just for fun, you know? But it would be nice to maybe do… start off with a 5K, and then be able to just do something nice with the money, like, you said, charity. I think that’s the goal right now. For now, I just keep having fun with it, but one day, definitely do something bigger,” she added.

With the larger exposure to the WNBA in recent seasons, with more fans and more opinions, we’ve seen a lot of negativity crop up. Whether that’s race issues between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, or Sophie Cunningham and trans rights. Now we’re having former NBA rejects declare for the WNBA Draft, trying to make a mockery of the league. A lot of that has just been hateful rhetoric or trying to create issues where they don’t exist. It can be exhausting, and it’s certainly frustrating. But that’s why I loved witnessing this event. The RunBudz is an example of how the growth of the WNBA can be a positive thing, how it can bring people together, and build a stronger community.

I asked Hiedeman about that.

“Yeah, I feel like, to me, wherever I play, I really try to immerse myself in the community and be a part of the community, because I feel like without our fans and support, and everything, I’m really nothing, you know what I mean? I mean, so just trying to get back into the community, again, people just know me as a basketball player, really. I mean, Twitch has helped people get to know me a little bit more, but to be able to be up close, like this, and personal with people, I feel that’s what I like the most, because they support me. I want to just be able to do something and, you know, kind of support each other in a way.” T said.

And the support isn’t just coming from the fans. At Tuesday’s event, Coach Sonia Raman, Jordan Horston, Taylor Thierry, and Ezi Magbegor all made an appearance to support Hiedeman. During the initial event last week, Zia Cooke and Mackenzie Holmes were there. Natisha spoke on that.

“I mean, our team is super close. Like, on the court, off the court, and I think that’s one thing I can appreciate with our team, even through, like, the struggle of the season, being able to continue to still have fun and show up every single day. I think that goes to the character of a lot of people on this team and just how we show up for each other. So, definitely a lot of support for each other everywhere, on and off the court.”

The Storm’s season may not have turned out the way Hiedeman, fans, and everyone involved would have wanted, but this was an incredible reminder that there is so much more to appreciate in life than just the wins and losses.

Notes:
Photography Credits: Jeff Brown
Thanks to the Seattle Storm and Hiedeman’s team for inviting me to the event.

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Written By: Molly Tepper
Twitter: mollytepper

The Los Angeles Sparks (12-23) dropped all three games on their road trip, and each defeat pointed to the same issue: closing games. On Thursday, August 13th, against the New York Liberty (21-14), LA erased a 28-point deficit and was in position to match the biggest comeback in league history before ultimately losing the game 85-81. Two days later, against the Washington Mystics (20-14), heading into the third quarter, the Sparks were up by three, yet they were held to only 12 points in the fourth, allowing the Mystics to cruise to an 80-70 victory. In the finale against the Connecticut Sun (9-25), LA never got within striking distance nor took the lead, falling 85-77. Despite the different ways they have lost, the issue remains consistent. The Sparks can build runs throughout the game, but are unable to sustain them down the stretch.

In last Thursday’s game, the Sparks were outscored 18-9 in the third quarter and, early in the fourth, were down 69-41. Most assumed it would be an easy victory for the Liberty. However, Los Angeles went on a 21-0 run, dominated by Rae Burrell, who contributed 11 of those points and finished with 20 of her 28 in the fourth quarter alone. With less than 30 seconds left on the clock, the Sparks were down by one possession. A shot from downtown would tie the game and put the Sparks in position to tie the Chicago Sky for the biggest comeback in league history. A reverse layup by Burrell put the Sparks within one; however, Sabrina Ionescu made both her free throws, extending New York’s lead to three once again. With the final possession to tie the game, Ariel Atkins missed a three-pointer, forcing the Sparks to foul Ionescu, which ultimately sealed the game.

Post-game, Coach Lynne Roberts talked about the inconsistency problems this year:

“I know what this team is capable of. I know their hearts and their minds are in the right place. They want to win. They want to do things right, so it’s not them going rogue or doing their own thing. They’re all connected; it’s just sometimes we are inconsistent in the intensity. And for us to be a great team, great teams have to be consistent. You can miss shots. You can have a bad shooting night. But you’ve got to be consistent in your intensity, and that’s something we are still working on.”

In their next matchup in D.C., a tight possession battle kept the first quarter close. A few minutes into the second quarter, however, the Mystics went on an 11-2 run, pushing their lead to 35-26. The Sparks closed the gap to two by halftime, thanks to threes from Erica Wheeler and Burrell. With three minutes to go in the third, LA led by nine. However, the Mystics went on an 8-0 run, and the Sparks were only up 58-55 to close the quarter.

Coach Roberts on being unable to run away with the lead in the third:

“In the third quarter, I thought defensively we were great. We just didn’t convert. I felt like we were getting good looks; it was just kind of unlucky. That’s what I thought allowed them to get back in it is we had control of the game, and we just didn’t convert. I thought we had a chance to really pull away or get a more comfortable lead, but it just sometimes bounces that way.”

In the last six minutes of the game, Shakira Austin made a layup, putting the Mystics up by one for the first time since the half. Sonia Citron would go on to collect seven points, including a clutch three-pointer that put D.C. up 74-69 and pushed their momentum to close it out with a 9-1 run.

In their final game on the road, the Sparks were without Erica Wheeler, Cameron Brink, and Monique Akoa Makani due to injury. The Sparks never had a lead to enhance as they trailed the entire game. The Sun controlled the match from the opening basket, leading by as many as 21. Connecticut went on continuous runs, as LA spent the entire night chasing that lead. Through the three-game trip, the Sparks were unable to find a way to close out the game or make a big run, ultimately contributing to their poor record.

Coach Roberts is looking past the final minutes to the process ahead. In the post-game after the loss to the Mystics, she said:

“It’s another learning experience, another game that we continue. The problem will be if we stop learning and stop fighting like that. We’ve had different lineups. We have had to get creative with just injuries and not having Cam and not having Mo. We’ve had to call on people that need to be ready, and they’ve done a good job. We just have to keep chopping, and if these guys continue to show up the way they’re doing and giving us everything they got, then I’m cool with it. The outcome takes care of itself.”

The Sparks will return to LA for a four-game homestand, taking on the Atlanta Dream on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Photography Credits: LA Sparks/WNBA Photography

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The WNBA Playoffs begin at the end of September, but we essentially already know which eight teams will compete for the championship. Only the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun have officially been eliminated from the postseason, but that reality will hit the other five teams by month's end.

Realistically, the Portland Fire are the only team that could sneak in, but it would still be a major uphill climb. The Fire sit in 9th place in the WNBA standings with a 15-20 record. They are 5.0 games behind the Dallas Wings for the final playoff spot. Both Dallas and Portland have nine games remaining. If the Fire were to win out, they’d finish 24-20 and win the season series against the Wings. That means Dallas would have to finish 5-4 to reach 25-19 and clinch the playoffs. But with every Portland loss, Dallas can give away another game. If Portland goes 9-1, Dallas can finish 4-5. If Portland finishes 8-2, the Wings can finish 3-6. You get the point. The numbers don’t favor the team from Oregon.

Assuming no miraculous finishes or complete collapses, the eight WNBA playoff teams will be: Minnesota Lynx, Golden State Valkyries, Las Vegas Aces, Indiana Fever, Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty, Washington Mystics, and the Dallas Wings. As of this writing, that is the order they sit in the standings.

What will be interesting is seeing which of these eight teams finishes in the Top 4. The four best teams of the regular season all get home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Where things stand, all eight teams could finish in the Top 4. Even though the Dallas Wings have had a rough go as of late (3-7 in their last 10), they’re still just 3.0 games out of the 4th seed. But from a practical standpoint, I can’t picture them or the Washington Mystics (20-14) moving all the way up to the fourth spot.

On the opposite end, the Minnesota Lynx (29-7) have been the best team all year long and hold a 3.5-game advantage over the current second seed, the Golden State Valkyries (24-9). With just eight games remaining, if the Lynx finish 6-2, they will clinch the #1 overall seed. For every game the Valkyries lose out of their remaining 11, that’s one fewer win Minnesota needs. The Lynx are a lock for a Top 4 seed. They’re 5.5 games ahead of the current 4th seed, the Indiana Fever (23-12).

The Valkyries are likely to finish as a Top 4 seed as well. They’re 3.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Dream (the 5th seed) with 11 games to play. But they also have the fourth-easiest schedule remaining. They play seven of their remaining 11 games against non-playoff teams. However, they still have some challenges ahead, as they will have to battle the Minnesota Lynx twice (a team they’ve never beaten) and the New York Liberty.

Next up is the Las Vegas Aces. They own the third-best record at 24-12 and have eight games remaining. The Aces have the easiest remaining schedule in the league. They play one playoff team in their last eight games. They face the league-worst Seattle Storm (7-30) twice in September. They also play the Toronto Tempo, who have lost 10 straight, twice as well. As winners of three out of the last four WNBA titles, Las Vegas is battle-tested, has the superstars, and the veteran experience to close out the regular season strong. Last year, they ended the season on a 16-game win streak.

If those three teams all clinch a Top 4 seed, that leaves just one more spot to be battled over between three other teams. The Indiana Fever currently hold the 4th seed with a 23-12 record. They have nine games remaining, and five of them are against playoff teams. That includes two against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. On Sunday, they picked up a huge 95-91 OT victory over the 5th-seeded Atlanta Dream.

The Atlanta Dream (21-13) and the New York Liberty (22-14) both have a chance to sneak into a Top 4 seed. Atlanta has 10 games remaining, with four games against playoff teams. The Liberty have just eight games left on their schedule, but it’s the second-most difficult in the WNBA. New York will battle Minnesota, Golden State, Indiana, and Atlanta twice. It might be difficult for them to move up, especially because Leonie Fiebich and Satou Sabally remain out with injuries. Of the teams that have a legit chance, they have the hardest path to get there.

I think realistically, it’ll come down to Indiana and Atlanta. Those two teams would then face each other in the playoffs if they finish 4th and 5th. The Fever beat the Dream in the first round of the playoffs in 2025. It would be an exciting matchup because the two teams split the season series 2-2. And there would certainly be a little extra drama as it would be the WNBA’s first playoff matchup between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

With that said, I wouldn’t rule out the Fever moving up in the standings either. With their big win on Sunday, Indiana is only 1/2 game behind Las Vegas for the third seed. They’ve also been one of the hottest teams in the league since July 1st. They’ve won 12 out of their last 16 games, and are 8-2 in their last 10.

My prediction is that the Minnesota Lynx, Golden State Valkyries, Las Vegas Aces, and Indiana Fever will earn home court advantage. We might see the Aces move to the two-seed or the Fever supplant the Aces over these final games. I believe the eventual 2026 WNBA champion comes from this group and, more specifically, either Minnesota, Las Vegas, or Indiana.

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(Seattle, WA) - The Seattle Storm (7-30) came out extremely flat and never recovered. The Chicago Sky (13-22) jumped out to a 12-point first-quarter lead, led by as many as 21 points, and never gave the lead back. Seattle was without veteran guard Natisha Hiedeman, and it showed through the first half, where the Storm looked out of sorts, and Chicago was sharp. To Seattle’s credit, they made a huge second-half push, outscoring the Sky 51-36 and nearly coming back to win the game.

Seattle was led by their literal Big 3 lineup. Dominique Malonga led the team with 19 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals. Ezi Magbegor had another impressive performance with 17 points on 7-12 FG. She also had five blocked shots. Awa Fam added 14 points on 5-10 FG and grabbed five rebounds.

Coach Sonia Raman utilized her Big 3 lineup for extended minutes for the first time this season, and they showed great promise. Dominique Malonga, Ezi Magbegor, and Awa Fam shared the court for 11 minutes in the second half of this game. During that time, they scored 33 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, had six blocks, and outscored the Chicago Sky by 17 points. When digging into the advanced stats, they had a 122.2 Offensive Rating, a 59.3 Defensive Rating, and a Net Rating of +63.0. Obviously, it’s an extremely small sample size, and you can find other three-player lineups with similar ridiculous Net Rating scores in limited minutes. But for just a little perspective, the Minnesota Lynx, the WNBA’s best team, has an overall Net Rating of 10.5 for the season.

I spoke with both Ezi Magbegor and Coach Raman about that after the game.

Ezi told me, “Yeah, I think, obviously, saw a little bit of it in the last few games, but I think it was nice to have, like you said, an extended time together. We’re still learning how to play with each other. I think our teammates are as well, but it’s nice.”

“And you can kind of switch it up and, you need a different lineup, or you need something different defensively, offensively. So just being able to capitalize on that and making it harder for the other team to come from.” Magbegor added.

I asked Coach Raman about what she liked about the Big 3 lineup, and she had a lot to say about it.

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Written By: Danny Williams
Twitter: danny_w22

Alex Sarama comes from a unique coaching background. The 31-year-old coach grew up in the United Kingdom, a country not necessarily known for its basketball prowess. So it is only fitting that the head coach’s practice philosophy also comes from a unique background.

Constraint-led approach (CLA) prioritizes uncertainty over repetition. It puts players in the mindset that every shot, play, and possession presents itself differently every time. Instead of practicing the same shot or play over and over with the same parameters, Sarama preaches preparing for real-game scenarios where unexpected variables arise, and his players must be ready for them.

Whether it’s shooting with a different-sized ball or from a different angle, the players adapt to unforeseen conditions that simulate the pressures of a real game atmosphere.

“When you have your shooting routines as a great shooter, it can be hard to come out of that sometimes and then adapt to doing something very different every single practice, and that’s what we’re really trying to do,” Sarama said. “For all our players, the shooting practice is going to be different every single day, and the way I view that, I don’t think it’s anything too radical.”

So far in 2026, the Fire have surpassed expectations, holding the ninth-best record in the league this season at 14-20 on the back of their head-man’s philosophy. However, the strategy only works if the players are bought in, and with just 10 games remaining in the regular season, it appears that the players have taken this strategy in stride.

Sarama first heard of CLA at the Future of Sport Coaching Summit in the United Kingdom eight years ago. At that point, the strategy had only been seen sparingly in sports such as soccer and field hockey – no mention of basketball.

From there, the then 23-year-old rose up the coaching ranks, from youth coach in Belgium and Italy to eventual NBA assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers, perfecting the strategy.

Sarama credits Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson with learning how to implement CLA into a professional atmosphere and having the players' buy-in. Atkinson adopted the strategy and convinced NBA superstar and 17-year veteran James Harden to buy into the unique philosophy.

“I learned a lot from Coach Atkinson. I think Kenny [Atkinson] is one of the biggest proponents of CLA,” Sarama said. “It’s why he’s in player development. The reason he’s the best in the NBA, in my opinion, is because he’s so educated with [CLA], but not only that, the way he pitches it to players, [he] never needs to use complex words.”

No Fire player has seemingly benefited more from CLA than Bridget Carleton. Carleton, only two years younger than Sarama, is now in her eighth season in the league after being selected 21st overall in the 2019 Draft. After adopting CLA, the eight-year veteran has experienced a career renaissance.

Carleton has seen a leap in a plethora of categories in 2026. 14.7 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 2.8 three-pointers made per game are all career highs. Even with the increased usage (30.4 minutes per game), Carleton has posted the best efficiency of her career.

“It’s historical, the jump she has made. If people start diving into the records, Carleton is one of six players in league history where her usage has doubled at this rate, and the incredible thing is she’s actually more efficient than she was in Minnesota.” Sarama said.

Carleton is the most obvious beneficiary of the coaching strategy, but the team as a whole has also reaped the rewards greatly. The Fire rank fourth in three-pointers made and sixth in percentage, with six players shooting over 35% from distance.

Although the Fire still have some improving to do before it wants to be a perennial contender in the league, the blueprint is in place. Sarama’s unique style gives a young, up-and-coming team an identity and a sense of togetherness, knowing it can handle any situation that is thrown its way.

“We’ve only glimpsed the surface and the potential; it’s very, very early days, but I think there are more conversations about what [CLA] is. I think there are a lot of misconceptions as to what it looks like, but I’m really pleased to see how much our players support it.” Sarama said.