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I understand why the WNBA follows this format with 72 sportswriters casting one vote each, but with expansion rapidly changing the landscape of the league, I want to see awards voting expanded so that each writer chooses their top 3 for each award, with more points for a first-place vote and fewer for a second or third-place vote, like they do for MVP. These awards are about recognizing excellence and generating discussion around the league, and both of those things would be better served with expanded ballots. September 18, 2025 7 WNBA Gems That Deserve More Recognition Steve Pimental In addition to the first round of the playoffs, we are in the thick of WNBA awards season. Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was named Coach of the Year Wednesday, after Paige Bueckers won Rookie of the Year and Valerie Burton won Most Improved Player earlier in the week. Burton received 68 of 72 votes while Bueckers received 70 and Nakase received 53. I understand why the WNBA follows this format with 72 sportswriters casting one vote each, but with expansion rapidly changing the landscape of the league, I want to see awards voting expanded so that each writer chooses their top 3 for each award, with more points for a first-place vote and fewer for a second or third-place vote, like they do for MVP. These awards are about recognizing excellence and generating discussion around the league, and both of those things would be better served with expanded ballots. Burton was the obvious choice for Most Improved Player, but she wasn’t the only choice. As I mentioned in my Playoff Game 1 notes , Naz Hillmon had by far the best season of her career, but she didn’t get any first-place votes. If we had a deeper ballot, she may have received some second or third place votes, and thus some well-earned recognition. With that in mind, I’m going to highlight the players and coaches who won’t win these awards but deserve a mention anyway for a quality season. These are my “others receiving votes,” if you will. Most Improved Player - Kayla Thornton I already mentioned Naz Hillmon above, and last month, I made the case for Brittney Sykes for most improved. Instead, I will show some love to Kayla Thornton. Like Sykes, Thornton made her first all-star team this season as a 32-year-old. She averaged a career-high 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in 22 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. As good as Burton was this season, she didn’t really explode until after Thornton went down. Thornton literally only played half the season, and she probably wouldn’t make my ballot if it went three or even five deep, but her unexpected production is a huge reason why the Valkyries made the playoffs in their first season. Rookie of the Year - Saniya Rivers Sonia Citron was the only other rookie to receive votes, and Kiki Iriafen, who also was an All-Star as a rookie, almost certainly would have finished third in an expanded ballot. I highlighted Aneesah Morro and Leila Lacan in my Per 36 Minute All-Stars , and my love for Te-Hina PaoPao is well established. Janelle Salaun and Monique Akoa Makani also deserve a shoutout for contributing to playoff teams as a rookie. That being said, Saniya Rivers is fourth in minutes, fifth in points, second in assists, first in steals and first in blocks among rookies. She flew under the radar on a tanking team, but she started 25 games and played 26.1 minutes per game as a rookie while holding her own. That is difficult to do for anyone, but especially for a guard. Casual fans may not be familiar with her game yet, but I suspect they will before too long. Coach of the Year - Nate Tibbetts I probably haven’t written enough about the outstanding job Karl Smesko did in Atlanta. His team finished 30-14 after going 15-25 last season, and it is no wonder he finished with 15 votes. But since he finished second in the voting, I will point out that Nate Tibbetts guided his team to a 27-17 record after they finished 19-21 in 2024. With Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner gone, Tibbetts came into the season with only three proven rotation players in Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas, and Satou Sabally. Phoenix got great contributions from the likes of Natasha Mack, Kathryn Westbeld, Lexi Held, Kitija Laksa, and Monique Akoa Makani, and I believe Tibbetts deserves credit for putting those players in a position to succeed. Defensive Player of the Year - Jordin Canada Canada has made the All-Defensive Team twice, and if she doesn’t make it this season, it will be mostly because she missed 16 games. Canada finished third in steals per game behind Gabby Williams and Leila Lacan, and she led the league with 0.189 defensive win shares, per WNBA.com . She routinely takes the defensive assignment on the other team’s best guard and makes them work for everything. A guard hasn’t won this award since Sheryl Swoopes in 2003, and if anyone is going to break that streak anytime soon, my money would be on Canada. She just needs to stay healthy first. Sixth Player of the Year - Jade Melbourne I wanted to name DeWanna Bonner, but she’s already won this award three times. The last one was 14 years ago, but even so, I feel like she has gotten plenty of recognition, including in my awards article when I mentioned her along with Hillmon, Jessica Shepard, and Natisha Hiedeman. Jade Melbourne is not as good as those players, but she trailed only Natisha Hiedeman and Dana Evans in minutes off the bench this season. Melbourne still needs to shoot the ball better if she is going to be a contributor on a playoff team, but she was an underrated part of Washington’s surprising success this season. She was third in the league in assists off the bench, and as the league continues to expand, solid backup point guards who can make the correct reads and take care of the basketball will only become more valuable. Executive of the Year - Jamila Wideman I think my actual vote would go to Nick U’Ren with the Mercury, for surrounding his big three with enough talent to contend, even though none of them were proven coming into the season. Ohemaa Nyanin with Golden State and Cheryl Reeve in Minnesota deserve a lot of credit as well. Wideman gets the nod here for drafting two All-Stars with the third and fourth overall picks, including fleecing the Sky for the pick that became Sonia Citron. Washington played surprisingly well for most of the season before Wideman traded away Brittney Sykes, opting to chase the draft lottery rather than a first-round playoff exit. I wouldn’t have blamed them for staying the course and trying to get some playoff experience for Citron and Kiki Iriafen, but by committing to the rebuild, Wideman put the Mystics in a great position moving forward. Most Valuable Player - Kelsey Mitchell The top three in MVP has to be, in some order, Napheesa Collier, A’ja Wilson and Alyssa Thomas. I think I’d have them in that order, but I wouldn’t argue with anyone who felt differently. I think there’s an argument to have Paige Bueckers fourth, considering she averaged 2.0 more assists per game than Mitchell and was arguably surrounded by worse talent even when Caitlin Clark was out. Ultimately, I think I’d have Mitchell fourth in part because she was great next to Clark and shouldering more of the offensive load when Clark was injured. That is no easy feat. Mitchell finished third in points per game, thanks in part to shooting 39.4 percent on 6.4 threes per game. Through all of Indiana’s injuries this season, Mitchell and Aaliyah Boston still dragged this team to the third-best offensive rating in the league. I would not have thought that would be possible with all the games Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari Macdonald and others missed this season. Mitchell deserves a lot of credit. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepard mix, Hootie.

RotoWire expert Joe Mayo picks his top WNBA risers and fallers for the first round of the playoffs, including DeWanna Bonner, who should play a key role for the Phoenix Mercury against the New York Liberty. The WNBA playoffs are here, and with them comes a heightened sense of urgency. Several key names will be worth monitoring as rotations shrink and players are asked to step up. September 16, 2025 Fantasy WNBA: Top Risers and Fallers for the First Round of the Playoffs Joe Mayo Top Fantasy WNBA Risers for the First Round of the Playoffs Veronica Burton , Golden State Valkyries: Burton is fresh off winning the 2025 WNBA Kia Most Improved Player award following an impressive regular season, during which she averaged 11.9 points, 6.0 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, shooting a career-best 38.7 percent from the field in 44 outings. She also put together a well-rounded performance in the Valkyries' Game 1 loss to the Lynx on Sunday, posting 14 points (3-13 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 5-5 FT), seven assists, five rebounds, three steals and one block across 34 minutes. Golden State will need Burton to continue stuffing the stat sheet to stave off elimination in Wednesday's Game 2, and it wouldn't be surprising if she saw a slight bump in minutes in the elimination game. The 25-year-old guard has recorded 14 consecutive outings with 25-plus ESPN fantasy points, and she'll look to continue that trend in Game 2. NaLyssa Smith , Las Vegas Aces: Smith was productive in Sunday's Game 1 blowout win over the Storm, recording 11 points (4-6 FG, 3-6 FT), nine rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 25 minutes. The 25-year-old forward has reached double-digit points in four straight appearances dating back to the regular season, averaging 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 63.3 percent from the field during that span. Additionally, she's logged at least 16 ESPN fantasy points in each of those four matchups. The Baylor product will likely continue to be an important factor against a talented Storm frontcourt as the Aces look to close out the first round in Game 2 on Tuesday. DeWanna Bonner , Phoenix Mercury: Bonner is coming off a productive performance in Sunday's Game 1 loss to the Liberty, during which she posted 12 points (5-7 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds and three steals across 31 minutes. The 38-year-old has also been consistent recently, logging at least 20 ESPN fantasy points in eight of her last nine appearances dating back to Aug. 22. While she's taken a significant step back this season, Bonner remains a sparkplug and an important veteran presence. The forward will likely continue to see increased playing time off the bench as the Mercury aim to stave off elimination in New York during Wednesday's Game 2. Key Fantasy WNBA Fallers to Avoid This Week Te-Hina Paopao , Atlanta Dream: After starting eight of her last nine regular-season outings, Paopao retreated to the bench for Game 1 of the playoffs. She logged only six minutes in Sunday's win over the Fever, notching two points (1-2 FG) and one rebound. While buried behind Rhyne Howard , Allisha Gray , Jordin Canada and Maya Caldwell , Paopao isn't expected to play a large role in the postseason. The rookie saw inconsistent playing time throughout the regular season, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Dream shorten the rotation in the playoffs. Aaliyah Nye , Las Vegas Aces: After starting the Aces' final two regular-season outings with Kierstan Bell sidelined due to a leg injury, Nye went scoreless (0-2 FG) and grabbed one rebound in only five minutes during Sunday's Game 1 win over Seattle. Her extremely limited playing time in a 25-point win is a bad sign for her minutes moving forward, and it wouldn't be shocking to see Las Vegas' rotation continue to shrink as the postseason moves along. While she received double-digit minutes in four consecutive appearances to end the regular season, the rookie isn't expected to play a meaningful role in the playoffs. Monique Billings, Golden State Valkyries: Billings returned from a 14-game absence Sept. 2 and immediately saw 15-plus minutes of playing time in five consecutive games to end the regular season. However, the 29-year-old forward logged just four minutes in Sunday's Game 1 loss to the Lynx. The Valkyries will aim to stave off elimination in Game 2 on Wednesday, and Billings' role appears to be diminishing in the postseason. She's competing for limited playing time with Laeticia Amihere while buried behind Iliana Rupert , Janelle Salaun and Temi Fagbenle in the frontcourt. Fantasy WNBA Player to Watch in the First Round of the Playoffs Brittney Griner , Atlanta Dream: The veteran center is coming off the least productive regular season of her decorated career, and her role is in question following Atlanta's Game 1 win over the Fever on Sunday. Griner logged just eight minutes and struggled in her limited run, totaling two points (1-4 FG), two rebounds and one assist. Only six players recorded double-digit minutes for Atlanta in the win, and Griner's minutes will be critical to monitor moving forward -- especially if the Dream advance past the Fever in the first round. Those looking for up-to-the-minute fantasy WNBA news can check out RotoWire's WNBA Injury Report and WNBA Lineups . RotoWire also features Top WNBA Picks and Player Props on a daily basis to help find the best betting lines for each night's slate. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

After the longest regular season in WNBA history, Sunday was our first chance to see how all eight teams would respond to playoff basketball. As such, there was a lot to learn from the four games. These observations are loosely ordered by game, so if you don’t see notes from the game you’re looking for, keep scrolling. September 16, 2025 What We Learned From Day 1 of the WNBA Playoffs Steve Pimental The LPGA needs to move the Kroger Queen City Championship. I believe it is one of the best tournaments on the schedule, as was borne out by a crazy 72nd-hole finish featuring two of the biggest stars in women’s golf. Unfortunately for us, it was completely overshadowed by the first day of the WNBA Playoffs. After the longest regular season in WNBA history, Sunday was our first chance to see how all eight teams would respond to playoff basketball. As such, there was a lot to learn from the four games. These observations are loosely ordered by game, so if you don’t see notes from the game you’re looking for, keep scrolling. No one can compete with Minnesota’s bench. Golden State got off to a great start in their first playoff game in franchise history. Thanks to some hot shooting and swarming defense, the Valkyries were able to take advantage of Minnesota’s poor attention to detail and jump out to an 18-9 lead. That was when Natisha Hiedeman entered the game, and Minnesota never looked back. With 1:29 remaining in the third quarter and the Valkyries struggling to stay in the game, Napheesa Collier went to the bench with her fourth foul. If there was any chance for the Valkyries to make a comeback, it would be with Minnesota’s MVP candidate on the bench. Instead, DiJonai Carrington made two three-pointers, assisted by Heideman and Jessica Shepard, to keep Golden State at bay. Overall, the Lynx bench outscored the Valkyries bench 42-17, but it was even more lopsided than that in the competitive portion of the game. The Valkyries did not score their first points off the bench until Kate Martin’s three-pointer with 3:04 left in the third quarter. The Lynx had 15 points off the bench in the first half alone. Hiedeman and Shepard were arguably Minnesota’s best players in this game outside of Collier. Carrington didn’t even play in the first half after missing her last four games with a shoulder injury, but her defense at the point of attack was a big reason Minnesota outscored Golden State 31-18 in the third quarter. Minnesota cannot help off Golden State’s shooters. Temi Fagbenle had some success early making contested layups, but she is not going to beat you consistently, especially when she is being guarded by the reigning defensive player of the year in Napheesa Collier, or DPOY candidate Alanna Smith. So many of the Valkyries’ open shots in the first quarter came when Minnesota sent help, often unnecessarily. In the second quarter, I thought Minnesota did a better job defending the pick-and-roll two-on-two. In the third quarter, they defended Golden State’s bigs one-on-one, even when they would get a guard on a switch. I think that needs to continue for the rest of the series, even if the Valkyries’ bigs have more success inside. Did Natalie Nakase pull a J.J. Reddick? I thought Golden State actually played pretty well overall, and it is difficult to be too critical of any coach in such a big blowout. Nakase’s rotation was not the reason the Valkyries lost this game. That being said, Most Improved Player Veronica Burton played the first 34 minutes and 29 seconds of this game. By the time she was finally subbed out, Golden State was down by 28. Burton made her first two shots (both threes) but finished the game with just 14 points on 3-13 shooting with five rebounds, seven assists, and seven turnovers. We’ll never know if she would have taken care of the ball or knocked down more shots if she had gotten a rest in the first half, but it probably couldn’t have hurt. There is no doubt she was tired when DiJonai Carrington entered the game for the first time midway through the third quarter and took on the defensive assignment on Burton. If Tiffany Hayes is able to return from her knee injury for Game 2, the Valkyries should have no problem finding some rest for Burton. If Hayes remains out, I would try to steal a few minutes with Burton on the bench by letting Kaila Charles run the offense. Charles struggled on Sunday, but I think she has a good chance to bounce back at home. The Valkyries need to shelve their zone defense until next season. Golden State played more zone defense than any team in the regular season, but as we pointed out in our preview, you just cannot play zone against this team. They tried it a few times as a change-up out of timeouts, and it resulted in a wide-open three every time. It's probably worth trying a few times in live-ball situations, maybe after free throws, but there is no reason to believe it will work much better. Minnesota is probably the smartest team in the league and they have too many knockdown shooters for Golden State to get away with playing zone for long. Anastasiia Olairi Kosu looks like a player. Reading anything into garbage time in a 30-point blowout is a fool’s errand, but if you are a WNBA fan in Toronto or Portland, you may have seen one of your team’s future players in the fourth quarter of this game. Anastasiia Olairi Kosu looked athletic and assertive offensively, scoring six points on 3-of-3 shooting in four minutes. She also committed three fouls, which is something she’ll need to work on, but I think the 20-year-old could be a rotation player as soon as next season. She averaged 15.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 blocks, 3.2 turnovers and 4.1 personal fouls per 36 minutes in the regular season. Those last two numbers are a problem, and almost all of those minutes came in garbage time, but there is plenty of room for growth for the rookie. We don’t know what the rules will be for the expansion draft, but I suspect she will get selected if she is not protected. If she is protected, there is a good chance she finds her way into Minnesota’s rotation next season. Golden State’s defense is legit. This may seem like a crazy assertion for a team that allowed 101 points in a 40-minute game, but I was so impressed with the Valkyries’ defense, especially in the first half. They did a great job of swarming to the basketball and then recovering to jump the passing lanes. There were several plays when Minnesota created an advantage and made the correct pass, only to have a defender apparate out of nowhere to intercept the pass. The Lynx did a better job taking care of the ball in the second quarter, but I didn’t think they were doing much wrong initially. They were making the correct passes, and the Valkyries were still intercepting them. Atlanta’s court looks awesome. I know it isn’t new, but considering how many more people are watching during the playoffs, I thought this deserved mentioning. I’m not usually the type of fan to care or even really notice things like the court, jerseys, etc… That being said, Atlanta’s home court immediately stood out, especially after watching Minnesota’s more traditional court for two hours. The ATLANTA in black font across half court was still visible against the dark background, and the blue at the top of the key really popped. I also liked that the key faded near the basket. If the entire key was blue, I think it would have been too much. I don’t necessarily want every court to look like this, but whoever designed this court deserves a raise. Replay reviews take way, way, way too long. “This review is taking longer than I thought it would,” said Pam Ward during the Liberty/Mercury game. Truer words have never been spoken. By the third game of the night, long reviews had already marred an already strong slate of games. It eludes comprehension that in the year 2025, we still haven’t figured out a better way to handle reviews. I’m all for getting a call correct, but it is not worth stopping the game for 3-5 minutes at a time so that we can see the replay a dozen times. If you can’t find enough to overturn a call in 60 seconds, just let the call stand and move on. All four games got bogged down by both coaches' challenges and reviews for possible flagrant fouls. This issue is not limited to the WNBA, but that doesn’t make it any palatable. In a season marked by record viewership, the WNBA isn’t helping its cause by wasting so much time on reviews. Playoff Atmospheres have been great I feel sorry for the players, coaches and broadcasters who have tried to conduct interviews between quarters. It was nearly impossible for them to hear the questions or answers because the home crowds were so loud. Not that anyone who has paid attention to the WNBA for more than three seconds was surprised, but it was still great to see. Much has been made of Golden State’s home crowd this season, and I cannot wait to see how they show up in San Jose, but the four crowds on Sunday showed up for their teams in a big way. Naz Hillmon is underrated. We have discussed at length the struggles that led to Brittney Griner being benched this season, but the other side of that coin is Naz Hillmon's career year. I’m kind of shocked Hillmon didn’t receive any votes for Most Improved Player as she set career highs in minutes, points, rebounds, and assists while committing just 1.1 turnovers per game. In this game, Hillmon scored 16 points on 5-7 shooting with nine rebounds, three assist,s and three blocks. If she’s going to play that well on defense, Atlanta may not need to play Brittney Griner much after all. Indiana isn’t going away quietly. I don’t think I was alone in dismissing Indiana’s chances of pulling off an upset in the wake of all of their injuries. I don’t really think they can win back-to-back games in this series, but I won’t be surprised if they pull out a win in game two. Indiana gave Atlanta all they could handle through three quarters before Atlanta was able to get a few key stops and knock down big shots to earn the double-digit win. The Fever are four-point underdogs at home Tuesday, and I’m not sure they should be. The Liberty and Mercury are very evenly matched. These teams had identical records in the regular season, so it wasn’t shocking to see that game go to overtime. In most circumstances, I would say a home team losing Game 1 of a three-game series was in deep trouble, but there is reason for optimism for Phoenix. The Mercury’s big three of Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas, and Kahleah Copper combined for 38 points on 14–for-48 shooting. Meanwhile, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionesc,u and Natasha Cloud combined for 57 points on 22-for-44 shooting. Phoenix won’t possibly shoot that poorly again, and they might even get some regression from the Liberty. Obviously, they have very little margin for error, but I am optimistic they can send this series back to Phoenix. Liberty need more from Emma Meesseman. This is especially true if Breanna Stewart’s knee injury keeps her out. We never want to read too much into +/- in one game, but Meesseman was a team-worst -17 in 12:51 Sunday. She’s been a Finals MVP in the past, and the Liberty will need her at some point if they want a repeat championship. Phoenix attacked her defense a bit, but she finished with eight rebounds. Despite pulling away in overtime, New York managed just 10 points in the fourth quarter. If the offense struggles on Wednesday, they may look to get Meesseeman more minutes. Monique Akoa Makani is a vital member of this team. Akoa Makani shot just as poorly as the other starters, going 2-for-11, and lost some playing time to Sami Whitcomb late. Even so, she still played a career-high 33:30. Phoenix needs her defense if they are going to have any chance of slowing down Sabrina Ionescu. She’ll probably shoot better on Wednesday as well. Nneka Ogwumike still has it. Just about all of the good shots Seattle generated in the first half were taken by Ogwumike. She has a very difficult matchup with A’ja Wilson, but she still needs to be more aggressive looking for her own shot. If Seattle is going to have a chance to extend this series, I think Ogwumike needs to lead the Storm in usage. Seattle needs to switch up its defense. To be fair, I’m not sure there is much anybody could do against A’ja Wilson and the Aces offense, but there is no doubt that what they did try didn’t work. I think the first thing I would do is try zone defense, especially when Dominique Malonga is in the game. Seattle has a long team with a lot of smart veterans, and I think they could be effective in a zone. More importantly, I’m not afraid of the Aces shooting Seattle out of the zone. Las Vegas shot the ball well in Game 1, but I would make them do it again. When they’re in man-to-man, I would try Gabby Williams on A’ja Wilson. Williams made an all-defensive team in 2022, and even if she gives up some size to Wilson, I think Williams is strong enough and athletic enough to make Wilson work on offense. She did have a few possessions on Wilson Sunday, but I would start with that assignment Tuesday. Seattle could hide a defender on Kierstan Bell or Dana Evans, or they could play small with Williams at the four. Brittney Sykes needs to play more. Sykes had zero points, five turnovers, and five personal fouls in Game 1. Seattle needs her to play 30+ minutes, even if her shot isn’t falling. Sykes averaged 5.6 free throw attempts per game this season, and I would like to see her get into the paint and initiate more contact. Seattle needs to take more threes. The Storm were actually fifth in three-point percentage in the regular season, but ninth in three-point attempts per game. Seattle has even fewer knockdown shooters than Las Vegas, but there were far too many times a Seattle guard got into the paint only to be met with five Aces defenders. Seattle’s shooters need to make them pay if they’re going to have any chance in Game 2. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepard mix, Hootie.

Though most of the playoff teams clinched their postseason berths days or even weeks ago, we had to go to the last day of the regular season to learn three of the four matchups. With all eight playoff teams sporting winning records, this is shaping up to be the most compelling first-round in WNBA playoff history. With that in mind, we will break down each first-round matchup and predict which teams will advance. September 12, 2025 WNBA Round 1 Preview Steve Pimental Though most of the playoff teams clinched their postseason berths days or even weeks ago, we had to go to the last day of the regular season to learn three of the four matchups. With all eight playoff teams sporting winning records, this is shaping up to be the most compelling first-round in WNBA playoff history. With that in mind, we will break down each first-round matchup and predict which teams will advance. New York Liberty (5) vs. Phoenix Mercury (4) Either one of these teams would have a decent shot to make the WNBA finals if they had avoided the 4-5 game. Instead, one of these teams will lose in the first round and the other will face an uphill battle against Minnesota in the next round. Time has run out for the Liberty to act like an elite team and reigning WNBA champions. They have the most decorated starting five in the WNBA with two former MVPs, a Finals MVP, an All-WNBA player and an All-Defensive Team player. But even with all that talent, they finished the season fourth in offensive rating and sixth in defensive rating. That was good enough for the fifth seed but is significantly lower than the last two seasons, when they made it to the WNBA finals. The biggest difference for the Liberty offensively has been the decline of Breanna Stewart. At 31 years old her career is far from over, but it is fair to question if her days of being the best player on a title team are. Stewart is a career 34.9 percent shooter on threes, but she shot just 24.1 percent this season. Her 18.3 ppg matched her career-low she recorded as a rookie in 2016, while her rebounds per game and effective field goal percentage were the lowest of her career. Stewart is certainly capable of getting hot in the playoffs, but I would bet against it. Phoenix isn’t quite as big as the Liberty but they have plenty of size to match up with Stewart and her teammates, most notably Satou Sabally and DeWanna Bonner. I don’t think Stewart is going to get many easy looks in the half-court. New York will likely look to push the pace as a way to juice their offense. They ranked fourth in pace during the regular season, one spot behind the Mercury. With the possible exception of Stewart, we pretty much know what to expect from New York’s offense. They will play big lineups at times with 6’4” Leonie Fiebich at the two, and they will look for backup point guard Marine Johannes to provide a spark off the bench. The rest of the rotation will be quite interesting. Emma Meesseman came off the bench Thursday with Sabrina Ionescu back, and they could continue to play that way in an effort to get more defense in the starting lineup and more offense off the bench. What I really want to see, however, is how deep the Liberty go into their bench. Kennedy Burke is a three-and-D wing who ostensibly replaced Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, but she is not nearly as effective as Laney-Hamilton, especially on defense. Burke does provide yet more size on the wing and she shot 41.4 percent on 5.1 three-point attempts per 36 minutes, but I think Phoenix is going to make her prove it in the playoffs. Burke is a career 34.9 percent three-point shooter. I’m still banging the drum for Rebekah Gardner to play more minutes. Gardner and Natasha Cloud are the only players I trust to defend the opposing team’s best guards, and she made 43.6 percent of her threes on 3.0 attempts per 36 minutes. Gardner probably needs to up her frequency to not be a negative on offense but given New York’s offensive firepower, I think they can afford to play her quite a bit. Last week I called Kahleah Copper Phoenix's X-Factor, and I feel even better about that call after seeing their first-round matchup. Copper was not great against New York earlier in the season, but she scored 22 points on 7-15 shooting in their matchup two weeks ago. Copper is Phoenix’s third option on offense, but she is a former Finals MVP who is capable of taking over games or series. Perhaps more importantly, New York doesn’t have any great matchups for her. I think Natasha Cloud will get the first crack at slowing her down, but I’m not sure anyone can do it. Alyssa Thomas is Phoenix’s de facto point guard, but I think sometimes the rest of the team gets caught ballwatching when she is running point. On the other hand, if she doesn’t start with the ball in her hand, there are too many possessions where the ball never finds her. Thomas averaged 17.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 9.8 assists in four games against the Liberty. New York actually matches up with her pretty well, but I think Thomas is matchup-proof at this point. At the end of the day I think New York has too much talent, so I’ll pick Liberty in three. Minnesota Lynx (1) vs. Golden State Valkyries (8) I’m not sure any team had a chance against Minnesota in the first round, but I think this is an exceptionally poor matchup for Golden State. The Valkyries earned a winning record in their inaugural season by being very good on defense and shooting a ton of threes. The problem is that they are facing a team that does both of those things better than they do, and Minnesota doesn’t everything else well too. The Valkyries are third in defensive rating this season, behind just Atlanta and Minnesota. The difference is Minnesota is first in offensive rating while Golden State is 10th. Golden State leads the league in three point attempts but they finished 11th in three--point percentage. The Lynx slipped to seventh in three-point attempts but led the league in percentage. Minnesota won all four regular-season meetings with Golden State, including two in the last five days. The Lynx won by 11.75 points on average. The Lynx can guard Golden State one-on-one while not helping off of shooters. The only player who could cause Minnesota some trouble is Veronica Burton, but the deadline trade for DiJonai Carrington gave Minnesota a lockdown defender they can put on the opposing team’s best perimeter player. One of the reasons Golden State’s defense was so good this season was that they played the most zone defense in the entire league. That doesn’t work against Minnesota. The Lynx have at least four shooters on the floor at all times, and they are the best passing team in the league. Only the Liberty recorded assists on a higher percentage of their makes than the Lynx this season. Passing and outside shooting are the most surefire ways to beat a zone, and Minnesota will be prepared. Minnesota might not be quite as inevitable as I thought earlier in the season, but they should still advance to the next round with no problem—Lynx in two. Atlanta Dream (3) vs. Indiana Fever (6) They were overtaken and overshadowed by the Las Vegas Aces, but Atlanta finished with a six-game winning streak of their own to finish comfortably in third. They were second in net rating at 9.3, and while they weren’t close to Minnesota (12.1) they were much better than third-place New York (5.2). Atlanta finished second in offensive rating and second in defensive rating, and if that’s not a title contender, I’m not sure what is. That being said, I’m still not sure how Atlanta got there. Rhyne Howard led the league in three-point attempts but shot just 32.2 percent on 9.6 attempts. As a team, Atlanta was second in attempts and seventh in percentage, just slightly better than Golden State. I wonder if they will have to cut back on their diet of threes later in the playoffs. Then again, their ability to get up threes in bunches could give them an advantage if they advance to face the Aces or even the Lynx. Defensively, this team has been outstanding despite playing Brittney Griner a career-low 20.8 minutes. I think Atlanta is going to need to dust Griner off in the playoffs at some point, but I just don’t think Indiana has enough healthy players to force Atlanta’s hand. I believe it is a credit to the Fever and also a testament to the depth of talent in the league that Indiana was able to continuously pluck contributors off the scrap heap throughout the season. Odyssey Sims is averaging 26.4 minutes for the Fever, while Aerial Powers is averaging 20.0 minutes, her most since 2022. I picked ball movement as Indiana’s X-Factor but now i think it might be Aerial Powers. She has averaged as many as 14.4 ppg in the league, but that was the aforementioned 2022 season. Indiana’s starting lineup is good enough to compete with Atlanta but I don’t think the bench is. Powers is Indiana’s only real two-way player off the bench, and she’ll need a vintage performance if Indiana is going to take even one game. Dream in two. Las Vegas Aces (2) vs. Seattle Storm (7) This is another matchup of two similar teams. Both teams are six-deep with high-level talent but have very little at the end of the bench. Both teams shoot a decent percentage on threes but do not shoot a high volume. Neither team really has anyone who scares you behind the arc. Both teams underachieved for large swaths of the season. The biggest difference is that Seattle struggled down the stretch, going 7-10 since August 1. Las Vegas, on the other hand, ended the season on a 16-game winning streak, becoming just the fourth team in league history to win 15 games in a row. The other major difference between these teams is their crunch-time performance. Seattle saw 29 of their 44 games go to clutch time, defined as a margin of five points or fewer with less than 5 minutes remaining. No other team had more than 25 such games. The Storm were 14-15 in those games, which is a big reason they struggled to make the playoffs even after they traded for a fourth All-Star in Brittney Sykes. The Aces, on the other hand, went 14-5 in clutch games, including 7-0 during their 16-game winning streak. While I might be tempted to write this off as a small sample, there is some evidence to suggest this could carry the Aces through the playoffs. The last three champions all led the league in regular season clutch win percentage, including two Aces teams. The Aces worked their way up to fifth in net rating for the season, and they have the best net rating in the league over their last 15 games. I’m still not convinced they are as good as Minnesota, but they should probably be considered the favorites to face Minnesota in the finals. The Aces’s winning streak coincided with Jewell Loyd going to the bench and much like Brittney Griner in Atlanta, I want to see how far the Aces can go before they have to start Loyd again. Kierstan Bell has been getting the Kieth Bogans treatment and while “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” probably applies to this situation, I think Loyd is going to have to reenter the starting lineup at some point. She has been more effective off the bench, averaging 16.3 points per 36 minutes. She is shooting better from the field and from three and is attempting a lot more threes per 36 off the bench. If she can carry that performance over into playing 30+ minutes per night, the Aces will be as formidable as any team in the playoffs. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepard mix, Hootie.

September 12, 2025 Jaden's Picks - 3 Fav WNBA Teams To Watch In The Playoffs Jaden Fode SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

When Money Martin gets clicking early, it can be a long night for opponents. She's known for that devastating 3PT shot, something she's surely displayed throughout the season. She's been a little cold heading into the postseason which I imagine can only mean one thing: a big game is looming! September 12, 2025 WNBA Playoff X-Factors For Every Team EJ Arocho Minnesota Lynx: Jessica Shepard If things get tight in any game this week, look for Jess to step up in a big way. She is fresh off arguably her best season to date equipped with multiple double-doubles and even a triple-double. What makes the 6POY contender super dangerous is her ability to score at a high clip. She's shooting a career-best 64% from the field, also the highest % in the league this season and the only player over 60%. Atlanta Dream: Te-Hina Paopao There's three things Paopao always brings to the table: 3-point shooting, dime-dishing & lockdown defense. Her minutes have been positive, giving the Dream a reliable option off the bench for the majority of the season before working her way into the starting rotation as of recent. Far from your average rook, her IQ has paved the way for a seamless transition from college to the pros. Las Vegas Aces: Cheyenne Parker-Tyus Parker-Tyus returns at precisely the right time, making a red-hot Aces team even hotter. She made her season debut on Tuesday vs Chicago, scoring 8 points in 8 minutes and giving us a glimpse of what's yet to come! She's a seasoned player with over a decade in the league and is coming off a 2024 season where she was an important piece to Atlanta's puzzle at 9.2 PPG, mostly off the bench. New York Liberty: Kennedy Burke KB really proved herself this season with career-best numbers across the board. She's been a steady force off the bench and a few times throughout the year has shown to be the difference-maker: 13 points in an 84-76 win over Seattle, 14 points in an 81-79 win over CT, 10 points in an 87-78 win over Vegas, 20 points in an 81-78 win over Golden State. Phoenix Mercury: Natasha Mack While DeWanna Bonner has certainly established herself as THE sixth player on this team [and in the league], I feel Nat Mack is the most underrated player for the Merc. While she may not be a prolific scorer, she possesses something that may be crucial for this team heading into the postseason: strong rebounding. Phoenix is the 5th best rebounding team in the league, largely in part to Alyssa Thomas's 9.0 RPG. If AT [or Satou] get in foul trouble early, they'll look to Mack to step up and hold it down on the glass. Indiana Fever: Aerial Powers The newest addition to the injury-stricken Fever has been a great one through 8 games so far. She's averaging 7.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG & 2.0 APG off the bench and helped them lock in a playoff spot. Powers brings ten years of experience in the league and was a dynamic player during her stints with Dallas, Washington and Minnesota. Her leadership can help elevate this team and if they need someone to ice it at the line, she;s the girl for the job [career 84% FT]. Golden State Valkyries: Kate Martin No surprise here! When Money Martin gets clicking early, it can be a long night for opponents. She's known for that devastating 3PT shot, something she's surely displayed throughout the season. She's been a little cold heading into the postseason which I imagine can only mean one thing: a big game is looming! Seattle Storm: Gabby Williams Two things can be true: Gabby is one of their stars and also their x-factor. Her terrific two-way game has carried Seattle to lots of wins in the regular season, something she'll look to replicate in these playoffs. A contender for DPOY, she certainly knows how to apply pressure and disrupt the opponents' offensive flow. If they need a crucial stop down the stretch, look for Gabby to make that play! SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author EJ Arocho is Mr. Women’s Basketball and lives in New Jersey. Lives by the shore but looking to make waves everywhere!

September 5, 2025 Jaden's Pick - The WNBA's Final Week Jaden Fode SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

September 11, 2025 Aaron Must-See Moments - Oliva Smith's Arsenal Debut Aaron West SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

September 2, 2025 Aaron's Must-See Moment - Jaelin Howell Volley Aaron West SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

September 3, 2025 Aaron's Must-See Moments - Ludmila's Equalizer Aaron West SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

September 11, 2025 Aaron's Must-See Moment - Chicago's Scores 5 Goals in 45 min to Win! Aaron West SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

One of my favorite tools for uncovering underrated role players is examining their statistics per 36 minutes. This eliminates the role of minutes played in accumulating stats and helps us find players who are thriving in a more limited role... September 9, 2025 Per 36 Minute All-Stars Steve Pimental One of my favorite tools for uncovering underrated role players is examining their statistics per 36 minutes. This eliminates the role of minutes played in accumulating stats and helps us find players who are thriving in a more limited role. This is especially useful for fantasy basketball. If you see a player who has great per-minute production who suddenly finds more playing time due to injury or other circumstances, that can be a great buy-low opportunity. With the season winding down, now is our last chance to look at some players who excelled despite not playing heavy minutes. This offseason figures to have as much turnover as the league has ever seen, but when the dust settles, I will be paying close attention to these players and their new situations. Aneesa Morrow is second in the WNBA in Rebounds per 36 minutes. To no one’s surprise, Morrow is behind only Angel Reese, at 14.3 rebounds per 36. Back at the start of the season, I wondered if Morrow would be a poor-man’s Reese , and that has borne out through her rookie season. Morrow averaged 14.7 points, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks per 36, comparable to Reese’s numbers of 16.7, 1.7, and 0.8. Reese far outpaced Morrow in assists and turnovers, though those are fairly similar to what Reese did as a rookie. Hopefully, next season, we can see what Morrow can do with more minutes. She averaged just 18.3 minutes per game this season while playing behind Tina Charles and Olivia Nelson-Ododa. If nothing else, I think Morrow has established herself as a valuable piece of Connecticut’s rebuild who has to be protected in the upcoming expansion draft. Connecticut is likely looking at a lengthy rebuild, and I would hope they give her a chance to start in 2026 rather than signing a veteran or two to play ahead of her. Leila Lacan leads the WNBA in steals per 36 minutes, among players with at least 60 minutes played this season. I think Connecticut has largely been forgotten this season, and I certainly didn’t expect they would come up twice in this article. They didn’t have the drama of the Sky, the star power of the Wings or the surprisingly competitive start of the Mystics. Instead, the Sun just quietly took their lumps in the first year of a rebuild despite owing a pick swap to the Chicago Sky. I’m not certain Connecticut has anyone who will be a starter on the next good Sun team, but they look to have a few good young rotation pieces, including Leila Lacan.Lacan has very good hands on defense, both at the point of attack and especially on double-teams. If you try to spin while Lacan is in the vicinity, she will take the ball away. It also helps that she is long and often guards smaller point guards.Offensively, Lacan is more limited. To be a starter in this league, she will almost certainly have to improve her catch-and-shoot three-point shooting. She averaged just 3.6 three-point attempts per 36 minutes, making 22.4 percent. She never looked comfortable, even when she was wide open, taking a long time to load up her shot.Lacan will often dribble out of open threes to attack the rim, but she rarely gets all the way there. She has the handle to navigate tight spaces, but is not quick enough to get all the way to the basket unless she already has an advantage. Fortunately, she doesn’t need to get all the way to the rim. Lacan is very comfortable pulling up at the elbows, and her jump shot looks smooth off the dribble. She is also a willing passer with good vision, especially once she gets in the paint. In addition to the three-point shot, Lacan needs to improve her dribbling with her left hand. She can go that way, and some of her best highlights have come when opponents tried to force her left and couldn’t stop her from getting to the rim. However, she much prefers to go to her right and it makes her easier to guard. At the very least, Lacan should be a backup point guard in this league for a long time. If she can improve as a shooter and ballhandler, she could be a starting-caliber guard. Lacan is another player who could benefit from expansion . As I pointed out in that article, there aren’t that many players who can start at point guard in this league. As more teams need a starting point guard, there is a decent chance one of them turns to Lacan. Eight of the top 14 players in the WNBA in +/- per 36 minutes play for the Minnesota Lynx. Even if you limit the sample to players with at least 65 minutes played, Minnesota has six of the top eight. Karlie Samuelson is out of the season but the next four, Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Bridget Carleton and Courtney Williams, have played 515 minutes together. It is Minnesota’s third-most-used four-player lineup, with a net rating of 16.4. I think one of Minnesota’s strengths is their ability to fill the fifth spot in that lineup with four different players who would all be starting for most teams and who all bring a slightly different skill set. Alanna Smith will almost certainly start, and that lineup has a 15.5 net rating in 438 minutes. Smith spaces the floor while allowing Minnesota to play three players over 6-foot tall. Jessica Shepard doesn’t shoot threes like Alanna Smith but she is a monster in the paint. Her 12.5 rebounds per 36 minutes rank fourth in the WNBA among players with at least 25 minutes played. Shepard is also one of the better ball-movers on the team, with 4.6 assists per 36 minutes. If Minnesota wants more ballhandling and playmaking, they can play Naisha Hiedeman. She is averaging 5.4 assists per 36 minutes while shooting 49 percent from the field and 37.1 percent on threes. Her 2.41 assist-to-turnover ratio is third on the team, behind Carleton and Williams. If Minnesota instead needs a defensive stopper, they can turn to reigning Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington. Carrington is averaging 1.8 steals per 36 minutes this season, and much like Hiedeman, her athleticism is an asset in transition. I suspect all four players will get a chance to close games during Minnesota’s playoff run, and that versatility could be the difference if they go on to win the WNBA title. Illiana Rupert is second in the WNBA with 3.4 3PM per 36 minutes. I could just as easily have taken this opportunity to highlight Chloe Bibby, who is first in 3PM per 36 and second in 3PA per 36. I feel like Rupert has actually flown more under the radar than Bibby, despite playing 290 more minutes. Of course, nobody who plays on Caitlin Clark’s team will stay under the radar for long, while Rupert missed much of the season to play for France in Eurobasket. Golden State is 13-6 when Rupert plays and 10-13 when she doesn’t. Rupert is a 40.3 percent three-point shooter in her three-year WNBA career, and even if she regresses a bit next season, her floor spacing at 6’4” is invaluable. Cameron Brink leads the league with 3.8 blocks per 36 minutes. Between her injury and the fact that the Sparks have been dreadful defensively all season, it is easy to forget she was named the 2024 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at Stanford. She probably needs to get stronger to defend the best post players, but I love her rim protection as a help defender. Brink is fifth in rebounds per 36, and while the Sparks still struggled defensively with her on the court, I have no doubt she will contribute to a winning defense soon, perhaps even next season. Dominique Malonga is third in FGM per 36 minutes at 8.8 per game. Malonga is just ahead of teammate Nneka Ogwumike despite having slightly fewer attempts per game. Malonga is averaging 19.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks per 36 minutes. She is also averaging 5.3 personal fouls per 36, which may be one reason she played so few minutes. Even so, I can’t help but wonder if Seattle would have comfortably made the playoffs if they had played Malonga more. Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor are both free agents, and even if one of them returns, I have to imagine Malonga will start next season. If she can avoid fouling, she could be a difference-maker. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepard mix, Hootie.