Around the W: Week 1
A summary of what took place in the WNBA over the past week.
Welcome back to the “Around the W” column as the 2022 WNBA season is officially underway. This past week the league completed its first full week of play. Every team in the WNBA has played at least two games so far with one playing as many as five. We’ve already seen some unexpected results early in this season. One thing is for certain, it’s great to have the WNBA back in action!
Atlanta Dream
Record: 3-1
The Atlanta Dream have been one of the biggest surprises so far this season. Coach Tanisha Wright has the Dream playing well as they’ve already picked up wins against Dallas, Los Angeles, and Indiana. The number one overall pick, Rhyne Howard, has been everything the Dream could have hoped for (and more) with some outstanding play to begin this season.
Atlanta defeated the Dallas Wings in their first game by a final score of 66-59. Four players scored in double figures led by rookie Rhyne Howard who had 16 points. Nia Coffey (11 points), Erica Wheeler (11), and Cheyenne Parker (10) were the other players to hit double digits. Parker also had a double-double in this game with 10 rebounds. Monique Billings led the team with 14 points in the victory.
They then won their home opener with a razor-thin 77-75 victory over the LA Sparks. Rhyne Howard led the team again in scoring with 21 points. She also had eight rebounds in the game. Megan Walker (11 points), Cheyenne Parker (10), and Kristy Wallace (10) were the other Dream players to reach double figures.
Atlanta really struggled against Las Vegas but that shouldn’t be terribly surprising as the Aces are expected one of the league’s premier teams. The Dream fell 96-73. Aari McDonald led Atlanta with 20 points and Rhyne Howard added 13 points. No other player scored in double figures.
Rhyne Howard impressed in another victory by scoring 33 points. Howard shot 50% (9-18) but also got to the free throw line 17 times (12-17 FT)! Nia Coffey added 14 points and Cheyenne Parker provided 11 points. Aari McDonald (11 points) and Monique Billings (10) both added double-digit scoring off the bench. All of their efforts helped Atlanta defeat the Fever 85-79.
Chicago Sky
Record: 2-1
The defending champions started their season off with an OT loss against the Los Angeles Sparks by a final score of 98-91. All five starters reached double figures including Dana Evans who scored a career-high 24 points while getting the start with Allie Quigley not available. Candace Parker still looked great scoring 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Emma Meesseman (12 points), Azura Stevens (13), and Courtney Vandersloot (11) were the other starters to reach double figures. Vandersloot led the team with eight assists and Meesseman had a team-high eight rebounds.
The Champs were absolutely dominant in their next game walloping the New York Liberty 83-50. Dana Evans once again led the team in scoring with 15 points, this time off the bench. Rookie Rebekah Gardner got the start and scored 14 points. Parker and Meesseman both scored in double figures with 11 and 10 points.
Chicago got another hard-fought victory over the Minnesota Lynx by a final score of 82-78. Four of the Sky’s starters reached double figures with Emma Meesseman leading the way with 17 points, seven rebounds, and seven (!) steals. Courtney Vandersloot had a double-double with 16 points and 11 assists. Azura Stevens (14 points), Candace Parker (11), and Rebekah Gardner (10) all reached double figures.
Connecticut Sun
Record: 1-1
The Connecticut Sun have played the least amount of games than any other WNBA team so far this season. They’ve only had two games over the past 10 days. They lost their first road game of the year in a game that went down to the wire against New York. The Liberty defeated the Sun 81-79. All five starters for Connecticut reached double figures but their bench had just five points total. Alyssa Thomas led the way with 25 points, seven rebounds, and four steals. Last season’s MVP, Jonquel Jones, had 15 points and tied for a team-high with seven rebounds. Jasmine Thomas (13 points), Brionna Jones (11), and Dijonai Carrington (10) were the other players to score 10+ points.
The Sun bounced back in their second game, winning 77-60. Alyssa Thomas led the team in scoring again with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Jonquel Jones also had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Dijonai Carrington added 13 points and Brionna Jones added 10 points in the win.
Dallas Wings
Record: 2-1
The Wings are a team with an upward trajectory. They finally broke through and reached the postseason last year despite having the youngest roster in the WNBA. Dallas lost in the first round but it was the start of something they can build upon in successive seasons.
They lost their home-opener 66-59 against the Atlanta Dream. Marina Mabrey led the team off the bench with 20 points. The only other player to score in double figures was Allisha Gray who had 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Surprisingly, Arike Ogwunbowale was held to just seven points on 3-14 FG shooting. It’s extremely rare for Arike to be held under 10 points as she had one of the longest streaks of multiple games scored in double figures before that streak was broken during last season.
Another storyline worth keeping an eye on this season is the performance of Charli Collier and Awak Kuier who were selected #1 and #2 overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft. Neither player has looked very good up to this point. Collier had zero points and Kuier had just two in the opener.
Dallas’ most impressive win was on the road against the Washington Mystics 94-86. The Wings outscored the Mystics 47-26 between the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the game. All five starters scored in double figures with Arike leading the way with 27 points. Isabelle Harrison had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Allisha Gray (21 points), Kayla Thorton (12), and Marina Mabrey (10) were the others to hit that mark.
The Wings picked up another win on the road, this time against the New York Liberty. Four of the team’s five starters reached double figures with Arike leading the way with 21 points. Isabelle Harrison (18 points), Marina Mabrey (14), and Allisha Gray (11) were the other starters to hit double digits. 2021’s number one overall pick, Charli Collier didn’t play a single minute in this game. She was a DNP - Coach’s decision.
Indiana Fever
Record: 2-3
The Indiana Fever have played more games than any other WNBA team so far. While the Connecticut Sun have only played two games in a week and a half the Fever have played five! While Indiana’s roster is filled with rookies and is not expected to compete for a playoff spot this season, they’ve actually had some solid success so far this season.
Indiana lost to the Washington Mystics in their first game of the season by a final score of 84-70. Three players reached double figures with Kelsey Mitchell leading the way with 18 points. Rookie NaLyssa Smith out of Baylor had an impressive WNBA debut with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Another rookie, Queen Egbo, had a nice debut as well with 10 points and six rebounds while getting the start.
They lost their second game of the season against the Los Angeles Sparks 87-77. Rookie Destanni Henderson led the team in scoring with 19 points, she also connected on 3-4 shots from beyond the three-point arc. Kelsey Mitchel had 15 points and a team-high seven assists. NaLyssa Smith had a near double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Alanna Smith added 10 points off the bench in 17 minutes.
The Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 82-76 to pick up their first win of the season. Kelsey Mitchell led the way with 26 points. The only other player to reach double figures was Crystal Dangerfield who scored 10 points and a team-high six assists against her former team. Dangerfield who was picked up after she was cut by Minnesota would later be cut by Indiana as well despite the nice performance in this game.
The team’s most impressive victory so far came on the road against the New York Liberty where the Fever won 92-86 in OT. Four of Indiana’s starters reached double figures in this game with Kelsey Mitchell leading the way with 24 points. Victoria Vivians had her best game of the season getting the start and scoring 20 points. She also had a team-high three steals. Danielle Robinson added 17 points. Rookies NaLyssa Smith (12 points, 17 rebounds), and Queen Egbo (8 points, 14 rebounds) were both very impressive.
Indiana played a tough contest against the Atlanta Dream but ultimately fell 85-79. Only two players scored in double figures for the Fever. Kelsey Mitchell led the team with 27 points and NaLyssa Smith added 18 points in the losing effort. Smith sadly left the game with a right ankle injury and did not return.
Las Vegas Aces
Record: 3-1
With new coach Becky Hammon at the helm, the Las Vegas Aces have looked excellent. Their fast pace and high octane offense have been a problem for the majority of the league to contend with so far. Less reliant on getting to the foul line and utilizing the three-point shot more has modernized the Aces more than when they were under Coach Bill Laimbeer.
Las Vegas was too much for the Phoenix Mercury beating them 106-88 in Phoenix during the first game of the season. Coach Hammon made changes to the lineup inserting both Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby into the starting lineup. Both players have previously won the 6th player of the year award. All five starters scored in double figures with three of them scoring at least 20 points. Hamby led the way with 24 points. Plum had 20 points as did Jackie Young. Plum also led the team with seven assists. A’ja Wilson added 15 points and 11 rebounds. Chelsea Gray rounded out the group with 11 points.
In the next game, the Aces handled the Seattle Storm using a 27-15 fourth quarter to win the game 85-74. While they got just six points total from their bench, all five starters reached double figures again. A’ja Wilson led the team with 20 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocked shots outplaying her MVP counterpart Breanna Stewart. Dearica Hamby also had a double-double with 10 points and a career-high 19 rebounds. Hamby and Wilson alone combined for more total rebounds than the entire Seattle Storm team in this game. Jackie Young (19 points), Kelsey Plum (18), and Chelsea Gray (12) were the other starters to reach double figures in this contest. Plum also led the team with seven assists.
So far the Washington Mystics have been the only team to solve the Aces as Las Vegas lost this game 89-76 while traveling to Washington D.C. Four of their five starters did score in double figures. Jackie Young led the way with 19 points. A’ja Wilson had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds but didn’t score like she normally does. Kelsey Plum (18 points) and Dearica Hamby (14 points, 8 rebounds) also had strong games despite the loss.
The Aces dominated the Atlanta Dream 96-73. They had six players score in double figures including all five starters. A’ja Wilson led the team with 15 points. Kelsey Plum had a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists. Dearica Hamby also had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Chelsea Gray (14 points), Jackie Young (13), and Riquna Williams (14) were the other players to score 10+ points.
Los Angeles Sparks
Record: 2-2
The LA Sparks started the year off with an impressive 98-91 OT victory over the Chicago Sky. Former Storm player, Jordin Canada, was terrific scoring a team-high 21 points including eight points in the overtime period where the Sparks outscored the Sky 10 to 3. Nneka Ogwumike added 19 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Liz Cambage provided 12 points in her LA debut. Lexie Brown and Chennedy Carter each scored 12 points off the bench helping the Sparks outscore the Sky’s reserves 37-10.
Los Angeles won their second game in a row to begin the year toppling the Indiana Fever 87-77. Liz Cambage was incredibly impressive in this game earning a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds in just 22 minutes of action. Brittney Sykes had 17 points and five steals. Nneka Ogwumike added 13 points and eight rebounds. Jordin Canada contributed with 10 points and a team-high six assists. Chennedy Carter provided the spark off the bench with 12 points in the win.
They were very close to winning three games in a row to begin the season but dropped a tightly contested game against the Atlanta Dream by a final score of 77-75. Jordin Canada continued her success leading the team with 19 points and six rebounds which was second-best on the team. Nneka Ogwumike had a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Liz Cambage was the only other player to reach double figures with 16 points and a team-high five blocked shots. The Sparks had a chance to send this game into OT but they weren’t able to score during the final possession.
LA got beat badly against the Connecticut Sun by a final score of 77-60 to drop their second game in a row. They were really outplayed in the 1st half trailing 49-25 through two quarters. Only three players reached double figures with Nneka Ogwumike leading the way with 12 points and five steals. Jordin Canada has continued her strong start to the season with 12 points. Liz Cambage added 10 points in the losing effort.
Minnesota Lynx
Record: 0-4
The Minnesota Lynx are the only winless team in the WNBA after the first 10 days of the season. That’s not exactly the start the team was hoping for with this being Sylvia Fowles last season. With knowing Napheesa Collier was likely to be out all season as she’s currently pregnant I think most believed Minnesota would take a step back and not likely be a Top 5 team like they were a year ago. However, the amount of chaos and questionable roster moves the team has made makes one really raise an eyebrow or two. There were some surprising roster cuts prior to the season kicking off including former rookie of the year Crystal Dangerfield and Layshia Clarendon who joined the team last season and was a catalyst in their 2nd half success. The team also recently announced they had bought out the contract of their biggest free agent signing, Angel McCoughtry. Similar to what Seattle did last season with Candice Dupree but with a much shorter leash (it happened much faster). The team also cut Odyssey Sims after bringing her on board right before the season began.
The Lynx actually looked really good during the first half against the Storm leading by double digits in the first quarter and keeping the game tied at the end of the first half. An 18-2 run by Seattle to begin the third quarter blew this game wide open. The Storm led by as many as 30 points in the 2nd half with the Lynx ultimately falling 97-74 to Seattle. Sylvia Fowles (16 points) and Aerial Powers (14 points) were the only two Lynx players to score in double figures. Jessica Shepard had a near double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds.
In their 2nd game, Minnesota lost their home opener 78-66 against the Washington Mystics. The Lynx had four players score in double figures led by the 16 points and 12 rebounds of Jessica Shepard. Sylvia Fowles (13 points), Yvonne Turner (11), and Odyssey Sims (10) were the other players to score 10+ points. Angel McCoughtry scored just six points on 1-5 FG shooting in 13 minutes during her Minnesota Lynx debut.
Minnesota lost their third game in a row, this time to the Indiana Fever by a final score of 82-76. Sylvia Fowles continues to dominate the game in the final season of her illustrious WNBA career. Fowles had a double-double with 26 points and 14 rebounds. Jessica Shepard was extremely close to a triple-double with 10 points 10 rebounds, and nine assists. I’ve always liked Shepard’s game dating back to her time at Notre Dame. Her WNBA career has been slowed by injuries but she’s healthy now and has been one of Minnesota’s best players. Rachel Banham added 14 points off the bench in the losing effort. Angel McCoughtry played just seven minutes tallying six points and two rebounds. Coach Cheryl Reeve had seen enough after just two games in a Lynx uniform she negotiated a buy-out to have Angel leave the team.
The Lynx had arguably their best game even in a losing effort against the defending champs. Minnesota lost the game 82-78 but rallied in the 2nd half to make it a tight game. Four Lynx players scored in double figures with Sylvia Fowles leading the way with 16 points. Fowles had a double-double also pulling down 11 rebounds. Moriah Jefferson, who signed with the Lynx after being waived by the Dallas Wings, looked impressive in her Minnesota debut with 16 points and five assists. Rookie Nikolina Milic had a career-high 18 points off the bench. Aerial Powers with a near double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.
New York Liberty
Record: 1-3
The Sandy Brondello era in Brooklyn, New York has not gotten off to a great start so far as the Liberty have only won one of their first four games. The talent is definitely there so it’ll be interesting to see if they can turn things around quickly once they get more time with each other and with their new head coach.
New York did win their first game of the year, earning a tough victory over the Connecticut Sun 81-79. Sabrina Ionescu, now fully healthy, looked excellent leading the team with 25 points and a team-high six assists. Natasha Howard added 16 points and a team-high six rebounds. Sami Whitcomb had a great all-around game with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Jocelyn Willoughby was the last player to hit double-digits with 13 points.
The Liberty had their doors blown off losing to the Chicago Sky 83-50. Only Han Xu reached double figures in this game with 10 points. The Liberty scored in single digits as a team in both the 1st and 2nd quarter and were outscored by 19 in the first half.
New York lost again at home 92-86 in OT against the Indiana Fever. Sabrina Ionescu continued her strong start with 31 points and a team-high seven assists. Betnijah Laney added 16 points and seven rebounds. Stefanie Dolson added 12 points as the only other player to hit double figures.
They then lost to the Dallas Wings 81-71. Sabrina Ionescu led the Liberty with 17 points, seven rebounds, and a team-high six assists. Natasha Howard finished the game with 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Betnijah Laney (13 points) and Han Xu (10) were the other players to reach double figures.
Phoenix Mercury
Record: 2-1
The biggest story this season for not just the Phoenix Mercury but the entire WNBA is the fact that Brittney Griner has been wrongfully detained by the Russian Government and remains in a Russian prison as the WNBA season plays out. Griner is one of the league’s very best players, a constant MVP candidate, and arguably the most difficult player to defend one-on-one. But with such uncertainty regarding her situation, there is really no telling when she’ll be able to return safely to her friends and family back home in the United States. We can only hope that it is as soon as possible!
On the court, the Mercury have a new head coach in Vanessa Nygaard as the team moved on from long-time coach Sandy Brondello. Even though Phoenix reached the WNBA Finals last season, they were one of the more active teams in free agency adding Tina Charles and Diamond DeShields. That depth was supposed to put them over the top but without Griner, we’ll have to wait and see how they stack up against the rest of the league.
In their opening game, they were easily beaten by the Las Vegas Aces 106-88. Skylar Diggins-Smith led the way with 25 points. Shey Peddy added 16 points. Tina Charles gave them 15 points in her Mercury debut and Sophie Cunningham provided 12 points off the bench. Diana Taurasi had a near double-double with nine points and nine assists.
You can call it lucky or good timing but the Mercury then got to play the Seattle Storm two times in a row while Seattle was without Breanna Stewart and leading bench scorer Epiphanny Prince. Both players have had to quarantine due to league Health and Safety Protocols.
The Mercury did what good teams should do. They took advantage of the situation and won both games. First defeating the Storm in Phoenix 97-77 and then 69-64.
In the first game against the Storm, they used a 26-14 fourth quarter to put the game well out of reach. Five Mercury players reached double figures and were led by Tina Charles who had a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds. Skylar Diggins-Smith added 19 points and tied with Shey Peddy for a team-high six assists. Peddy added 10 points and Diana Taurasi had 15. Diamond DeShields contributed with 12 points off the bench.
Phoenix won their third game in a defensive battle against Seattle 69-64. Diana Taurasi was vintage DT scoring a team-high 24 points on 50% (8-16 FG) shooting including six made three-pointers. Skylar Diggins-Smith added 14 points and a team-high five assists. Diamond DeShields continued to be a strong spark off the bench scoring 11 points while Sophie Cunningham added nine.
Seattle Storm
Record: 1-3
The Storm used a huge 2nd half to defeat the Minnesota Lynx 97-74 in the first official game ever played in their brand new building, Climate Pledge Arena. Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd each scored 17 points to lead five players total in double figures. Stewart also had a team-high eight rebounds in the game. Sue Bird almost had a double-double with 11 points and nine assists. Epiphanny Prince (13 points) and Stephanie Talbot (11) provided 24 of the team’s 39 bench points which really helped Seattle get the win.
In Seattle’s 2nd game they faced off with one of their top rivals, the Las Vegas Aces. Vegas got the edge in this one, winning the game 85-74. Breanna Stewart (21 points) and Jewell Loyd (19) combined for 40 points but the rest of the starters had just 11 points total with eight of those coming from Ezi Magbegor. Epiphanny Prince provided some offense off the bench with 11 points as Seattle’s reserves did outscore the Aces 23-6. However, Seattle’s starters were outscored by 28 points (79-51).
Bad luck and unfortunate timing forced the Storm to be without perennial MVP candidate Breanna Stewart and veteran shooting guard Epiphanny Prince who had to sit out two games this past week due to the WNBA’s Health and Safety Protocols.
The team only found out about Stewart being out for their Wednesday matchup against Phoenix as the team got on the bus to head to the arena. Without time to prep or plan and already missing the injured Mercedes Russell, Seattle was beaten down 97-77 for their worst loss of the (early) season. Jewell Loyd did everything she could to keep the team in the game scoring a game-high 26 points. She also had five rebounds which tied with several other players for the team-high. Sue Bird picked up the offensive slack scoring 14 points and a team-high six assists. Ezi Magbegor was the only other player to reach double figures with 11 points.
On Saturday, the Storm dropped their 2nd game in a row against the Mercury (and third overall) by a final score of 69-64. This was a defensive battle as both teams shot under 40% but Seattle really struggled shooting just 31% (24-77) from the floor. Jewell Loyd once again led the team with 26 points but in this game, no one else did a good job of scoring. Not a single other player reached double figures. Australians Stephanie Talbot and Ezi Magbegor did have nice games overall while setting new personal career-highs in stats other than points. Talbot had a team-high 14 rebounds while Magbegor nearly set the franchise record with seven blocked shots. Lauren Jackson owns the record with eight blocks in a single game.
Washington Mystics
Record: 3-1
The Mystics won their home opener against the Indiana Fever 84-70. Elena Delle Donne looked like her former MVP self leading the team with 21 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Natasha Cloud added 17 points and a team-high six assists. Ariel Atkins (15 points) and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (10) were the other two players to hit double figures in the victory.
Washington won their first road game too, defeating the Minnesota Lynx 78-66. All five starters reached double figures in this game with Ariel Atkins leading the way scoring 20 points. Natasha Cloud added 19 points and a team-high six assists. Rookie Shakira Austin had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Myisha Hines-Allen (11 points) and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (10) were the other starters that helped with the victory. This was a strong performance by the Mystics who were without Elena Delle Donne who opted not to travel for the road game against Minnesota.
D.C. won their third game in a row to begin the year by toppling the Las Vegas Aces (the only team to do so this season). The Mystics used a balanced scoring attack with three starters and two bench players all reaching double figures. Elena Delle Donne led the way again with 19 points. Myisha Hines-Allen had 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds and eight assists. Ariel Atkins added 13 points. Tiana Hawkins (10 points) and rookie Katie Benzan (12) provided a combined 22 points off the bench for the victory.
Washington’s lone defeat came against the Dallas Wings, losing the game 94-86. Elena Delle Donne led the Mystics with 20 points and Ariel Atkins was the only other player to reach double figures with 19 points. Their bench did outscore the Wings’ reserves 25-9 but it wasn’t enough to get the W.
WNBA Standings:
Washington Mystics 3-1
Las Vegas Aces 3-1
Atlanta Dream 3-1
Dallas Wings 2-1
Chicago Sky 2-1
Phoenix Mercury 2-1
Connecticut Sun 1-1
Los Angeles Sparks 2-2
Indiana Fever 2-3
New York Liberty 1-3
Seattle Storm 1-3
Minnesota Lynx 0-4
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