Seattle Storm vs Golden State Valkyries

Saturday, June 14th at 8:30 pm ET

Seattle is beginning to gel & look like the team we all thought they’d be! Balanced scoring saw a huge upset of [previously] undefeated Minnesota to take the lead in the Commissioner’s Cup Western Conference. They’ll face a pair of Cali teams in LA & Golden State for the first time this season to close out Cup play, but it’s Saturday’s contest vs the surging Valkyries that I’m circling in bright red as must-see TV! The Valks are riding a wave of momentum, beating both Vegas (in blow-out fashion) & LA last week. Rookie Janelle Salaün will be away competing in EuroBasket and leaves a sizeable hole in the offense at 11.8 PPG. This game will be crucial for both teams and could ultimately determine the Top 3 in the leaderboard.

Las Vegas Aces vs Minnesota Lynx

Tuesday, June 17th at 8:00 pm ET

The two leaders in the early race for ROY will clash for the first time this season. Minnesota is one of the hottest teams in the league, while Vegas finds themselves in a struggle and near the bottom of the Commissioner’s Cup standings. Something that may totally change the outcome of this game will be whether or not reigning MVP A’ja Wilson will suit up. She exited Wednesday’s contest vs Los Angeles in what the team called “a head injury.” I don’t think there’s a single player on the Aces roster who can make up for the type of production A’ja brings on both offense and defense, so if she’s out, it could spell big trouble. We haven’t quite seen Jewell Loyd get going, but if she can play like the Olympian she is, Vegas has a shot against anybody. For Minnesota, it’s excellent ball movement and balanced scoring that’s been the catalyst for their early season success. While they have a clear superstar in Napheesa Collier, they have three others averaging at least 11.0 ppg and another three averaging at least 6.0 ppg. Collier (averaging 25.4 ppg) has looked like the best player in the W through one month and has emerged as the leader for MVP.

New York Liberty vs Indiana Fever

Saturday, June 14th at 3:00 pm ET

Sitting at 1 & 2 in the Eastern Cup standings, these two will play in a game that could end up being one of the most-watched of the year! Indy has been without Caitlin Clark or Sophie Cunningham (both have yet to play a Commissioner’s Cup game) for the past two weeks but are hopeful for a return this weekend. It’s likely New York will be missing Jonquel Jones who went down on June 5th with an ankle injury, but receive good news from Nyara Sabally who withdrew from EuroBasket and is marked “available.” With their full lineup in-tact, I think Indiana has a big chance to take down the reigning champs, but if still short-handed, I think Stewie, Sabrina & co. will prove too much to handle. Too many options, too much depth.

Dallas Wings

Make-or-Break Week

Paige Bueckers is back and looking better than before, but Dallas still isn’t winning. While they’re certainly out of Cup contention, games this week against Vegas and Golden State will be crucial to try and swing some momentum and build confidence. It could get ugly quick if they don’t start clicking soon, and if a winless June ensues, it would drop the Wings to 1-17 & all but take them out of playoff contention. We saw what can happen when Paige gets assertive with the ball & dictates the offense: a 35-point explosion vs Phoenix. Dallas’s super-scorer Arike Ogunbowale has struggled with efficiency lately, going 2-10 from the field on Wednesday and 6-20 on Sunday. This team features one of the league’s most prolific scorers, best rookies & best defenders. If they can play to their strengths, the growing pains of playing together could all be worth it come the second half of the season.

Chicago Sky vs Atlanta Dream

Friday, June 13th at 7:30 pm ET

A loss to Atlanta would drop Chicago to 0-3 and out of CC contention. Needless to say, they need this dub badly! They’re on a two-game skid which have both been blowouts, so a win here would do wonders for team morale and renewed focus. But it won’t be easy: The league’s leader in rebounds, Angel Reese, will face a tall task, going head-to-head with 6’9” Brittney Griner on the glass. 6’7” Kamilla Cardoso will have to be aggressive on the boards if Chicago wants to win that battle. Also, losing one of the best pass-first point guards in league history in Courtney Vandersloot (ACL tear) leaves them down a starter and focal point of their offense. Reese is coming off the best game of the season vs NY, while Bec Allen, pushed into the starting rotation for the first time, is coming off her worst.

DPOY Leader: A’ja Wilson

Ranking 3rd in defensive rebounds (7.5 drpg) tied for 2nd in steals (2.0 spg) & leading the league in blocks (2.6 bpg). A’ja is well on her way to winning her 3rd DPOY Award in the past 4 seasons.

Others to watch: Napheesa Collier, Natasha Cloud, DiJonai Carrington, Gabby Williams, Jonquel Jones.

ROY Leader: KiKi Iriafen

Averaging 14.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg & 1.0 apg. She leads the Mystics in rebounds & ranks 2nd in scoring. She also currently ranks 3rd in the WNBA in o-boards, 9th in defensive boards & 4th in rebounds overall.

Others to watch: Sonia Citron, Paige Bueckers, Lexi Held, Janelle Salaün.