Around the W: Week 2
A summary of what took place in the WNBA over the past week.
As we finish up what I consider Week 2 (05/16/22-05/22/22) of the WNBA season we start to learn a bit more about all 12 of our WNBA teams. The best teams remain at the top of the standings but the rest of the league standings have shifted around. If you have a favorite team you can scroll down to them or read the entire article if you want an idea of how every team is doing and which players are playing the best right now. I also provide some additional commentary for most teams.
Atlanta Dream
Week 2 Record: 1-1
Overall Record: 4-2
Atlanta won their first game of this past week in impressive fashion. The Dream easily defeated the Indiana Fever 101-79. Four of Atlanta’s starters reached double figures with rookie Rhyne Howard leading the way with 19 points. She was very efficient connecting on 7-10 FG including 3-5 from beyond the three-point arc. Cheyenne Parker had 17 points and Erica Wheeler added 16 more. Both Parker and Wheeler led the team in assists with five each. Kristy Wallace was the other starter to hit double figures with 15 points.
The Dream looked like they were well on their way to improving their record to 5-1 when they faced the Washington Mystics on Friday. They had a double-digit lead in the 2nd half but got really cold in the 4th quarter. Washington (D.C.) would outscore them 24-15 in the final period as they defeated the Dream 78-73. Howard continued her strong start to the season with 21 points to lead Atlanta. However, she did struggle to make shots in the 2nd half which was a key factor in the Mystics stealing the victory away. Mia Coffey had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Cheyenne Parker (13 points) and Erica Wheeler (11 points) were the other players to reach double figures in the losing effort.
I’ll be really curious to see where Atlanta is ranked in the standings two weeks from now. Entering this year I was not certain they would be a playoff team. If we get into June and they are multiple games above a .500 record then I think they’ll have a great shot to compete for a playoff spot this season. If they do that, it’ll be a huge testament to first-year head coach Tanisha Wright.
Chicago Sky
Week 2 Record: 1-1
Overall Record: 3-2
The Chicago Sky split last week’s slate of games. On Wednesday, they lost a close contest against the Seattle Storm. Seattle had control of most of the game but the Sky used a 22-16 rally in the 4th quarter to make it a one-possession game at the end. Allie Quigley had a chance to send the game to OT but Gabby Williams and Seattle’s defense made the stop as Chicago fell 74-71.
Four Sky players scored in double figures with Azurá Stevens leading the way with 18 points. Candace Parker added 11 points and nine rebounds. Courtney Vandersloot had a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. Emma Meesseman was strong in the first half and finished the game with 11 points.
Meesseman returned to Washington D.C. as the Sky faced the Mystics on Sunday and helped Chicago defeat her former team by scoring 11 points including a basket that essentially sealed the game with 40 seconds left. Six Sky players reached double figures with Candace Parker leading the way. Parker had a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. She got her 10th assist in the final minute of the game as Vandersloot converted a layup.
Kahleah Copper returned for her first game this year and immediately had a positive impact scoring 12 points. Allie Quigley (10 points), Azura Stevens (13), and Rebekah Gardner (11) all scored 10+ as well.
Connecticut Sun
Week 2 Record: 3-0
Overall Record: 4-1
The Connecticut Sun went a perfect 3-0 with two of their victories being massive blowouts on the road. They had the best odds in Vegas to win the WNBA Championship prior to the start of this season and they certainly look the part right now.
On Tuesday they went to New York and crushed the Liberty 92-65. They had five players score in double figures. DeWanna Bonner led the team with 16 points. Natasha Hiedeman (15 points), Brionna Jones (14), Jonquel Jones (13), and Alyssa Thomas (12) were the other four players to hit double digits in the victory.
Friday, the Sun beat the Indiana Fever in a relatively close game with a final score of 94-85 in favor of Connecticut. The Sun had six players reach double figures. Jonquel Jones led the way with 19 points and a team-high eight rebounds. DeWanna Bonner (18 points), Alyssa Thomas (17), Brionna Jones (11), Dijonai Carrington (11), and Hiedeman (10) all had double digit scoring. Hiedeman also led the team with four assists and four steals.
Those two teams rematched again on Sunday and this one wasn’t even close. Connecticut dominated on their way to a 92-70 victory. Alyssa Thomas 18 points, six assists, and six rebounds left the team. Brionna Jones added 18 points and Jonquel Jones added 13 points and nine rebounds. Courtney Williams was the 4th player to reach double figures with 15 points.
Over the next couple of weeks, they’ll face the Dallas Wings, Washington Mystics, and Las Vegas Aces which should be a stronger test to see where they stack up against the league.
Dallas Wings
Week 2 Record: 2-1
OverallRecord: 4-2
I’ve been pretty bullish about the Dallas Wings since last season. Their matches against the Seattle Storm were really impressive. They took the Storm to OT in two games before ultimately losing both games and then beat Seattle in the third matchup. Dallas could have easily won two of three or even all three games. When their offense is working, they are one of the more difficult teams to compete with because of all the young talent they’ve added to their roster.
The Wings went 2-1 this week to improve their overall record to 4-2. On Tuesday, they lost a tough game to the Washington Mystics by a final score of 84-68. Four starters reached double figures and surprisingly, Arike Ogunbowale wasn’t one of them. Marina Mabrey and Isabelle Harrison led the way with 16 points each. Mabrey also had five assists to lead Dallas. Kayla Thorton added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Allisha Gray contributed with a balanced effort of 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Later in the week, they picked up two WNBA Commissioner’s Cup wins with victories over the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx.
Thursday, they beat the Mercury 94-84. Arike responded after her poor performance on Tuesday. She scored a season-high 37 points including knocking down five shots from long distance. Mabrey had a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists. Allisha Gray finished with 16 points and five rebounds. Thorton had six points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
Then on Saturday they took care of business easily defeating the Minnesota Lynx 94-78. The Notre Dame sisters did most of the damage for the Wings. Marina Mabrey led the way with 22 points on a hot-shooting night making 9-14 FG including 3-5 from the 3-PT range. Ogunbowale was also fantastic with 20 points and a team-high seven assists. Kayla Thorton (12 points) and the returning Satou Sabally (11 points) were the other players to reach double figures for Dallas. Sabally had just won the Turkish League Championship and joined the Wings after missing the first week of the season.
Indiana Fever
Week 2 Record: 0-3
Overall Record: 2-6
The Fever dropped all three games this week and were clearly missing 2nd overall pick NaLyssa Smith who leads the league in rebounding for all rookies this season. Smith is currently averaging a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds per game but missed all the games this week after suffering a right ankle injury last week.
On Tuesday, Atlanta thrashed the Fever 101-79 points. Indiana was led by Victoria Vivians with 16 points and six rebounds. Danielle Robinson added 12 points and rookie Queen Egbo had an efficient 12-point game on 5-7 FG and five rebounds.
On Friday, they dropped a close game to the Sun in Connecticut 94-85. Kelsey Mitchell led all Fever scorers with 23 points. Victoria Vivians 15 points and Danielle Robinson 10 points and a team-high six assists were the other players to reach double figures in the game. Indiana played a good game they just didn’t have enough firepower to compete against one of the deepest teams in the WNBA.
Then on Sunday, the two teams faced each other again and it resulted in Connecticut blasting the Fever 92-70. Victoria Vivians continued her impressive season with 15 points to lead her team. Emily Engstler added 11 points and seven rebounds in a losing effort.
No one expected the Fever to be a playoff competitive team this season. Especially with half of their roster filled with rookies. But they’re putting together some building blocks for the future. Just as the San Antonio Stars/Las Vegas aces did by landing the #1 overall seed three years in a row (2017-2019). Or similar to the Dallas Wings who have built through the draft with several Top 5 picks since 2019 that eventually led them back to the playoffs last year. If Indiana could land Aaliyah Boston in the draft that could change their fortunes rather quickly.
Las Vegas Aces
Week 2 Record: 3-0
Overall Record: 6-1
Becky Hammon has led the Aces to the best record in the WNBA through the first two and a half weeks of the season. They currently look like the best team in the league with the strongest starting five.
Kelsey Plum is having the best season of her career! Over the past two seasons, Plum is finally looking like the dominant player she was at the University of Washington and worthy of that number one overall selection during the 2017 WNBA Draft. Plum is averaging 18.3 PPG, 5.4 APG, and 3.3 RPG - all career-highs. But she’s not the only dominant Aces player. Far from it.
The growth we’re seeing out of Jackie Young is incredible. The 2019 #1 overall pick has really started to hit her stride after a slow start to her WNBA career. Young is averaging a career-high 19.3 PPG. That’s a full 7.1 PPG more than her previous career-high. Obviously, they are just seven games into this season and her average could regress to the means. But everything we’ve seen out of Jackie Young indicates a player that has continued to develop and get better and better each season. Young’s height at 6’0” and strength have allowed her to bully a lot of the smaller WNBA guards that are under six feet tall. I don’t see any reason why Young can’t average at least 15 PPG this year.
What about former WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson? Oh, she’s just averaging 14.6 PPG, 9.7 RPG, and 2.4 APG. Basically averaging 15/10 every single game. The Aces are so stacked with talent that Wilson hasn’t had to score quite as much to begin this season. But that doesn’t mean she’s any less dominant. She can still give them 20+ points and double-digit rebounds in just about any game she wants to.
Two-time 6th player of the year Dearica Hamby is putting up numbers almost identical to A’ja Wilson. She’s currently averaging 14.1 PPG and 10.0 RPG. The Aces essentially have two players in their starting lineup that are averaging 15 PPG/10 RPG. Do you know how freaking ridiculous that is!? It’s no wonder they’re currently the best team in the WNBA.
It’s absurd when four-time WNBA All-Star Chelsea Gray is the least impactful player on a team’s starting five. That’s not because Gray isn’t playing well. No, Chelsea Gray remains of the league’s Top 5 best point guards. She is averaging 11.9 PPG, 5.6 APG, and nearly one and a half steals per game. Those are All-Star numbers still!
OK, enough praising the Aces’ starting lineup. Let’s take a look at how their three victories played out this week.
Vegas beat the Phoenix Mercury 86-74 this past Tuesday. All five starters hit double figures. Kelsey Plum led the way with 20 points. Jackie Young added 19 points and Dearica Hamby had 13. A’ja Wilson earned a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds and Chelsea Gray nearly did with 14 points and nine assists. The Aces bench scored a total of four points and was outscored 21-4.
Minnesota gave Las Vegas a tough challenge in Nevada but the Aces walked away with another win on Thursday by a final score of 93-87. They had a strong 2nd quarter where they outscored Minnesota 28-18 which was the biggest difference in the game. Tell me if you’ve heard this one before, all five starters scored in double figures with Jackie Young leading the way with 25 points. A’ja Wilson added 17 points and nine rebounds. Chelsea Gray scored 17 points and dished out a team-high seven assists. Dearica Hamby contributed with a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds. Plum added 14 points and five assists. The reserves for Vegas scored a grand total of six points and were outscored 14-6.
Vegas easily dispatched of the Phoenix Mercury for the second time this past week on Saturday by a final score of 100-80. The schedule makers have had Las Vegas and Phoenix play each other three times already this season and the Aces have swept the season series. Plum led the team in this game with 24 points. Young added 20 points and tied with Chelsea Gray for a team-high five assists. Hamby and Gray each added 13 points. Theresa Plaisance scored 11 points in the game. The Aces bench scored 21 points in the game but was still outscored 30-21. It was a significant improvement from what we’ve seen so far.
In other news, Bill Laimbeer officially announced his retirement from coaching basketball. The Las Vegas Aces celebrated his coaching career and retirement this week. It’ll be interesting to see if in another year or two he changes his mind or just takes on a different role. Love him or hate him, Bill Laimbeer has not only had a historic playing career in the NBA but a historic coaching career in the WNBA. He really has meant a tremendous amount to the game of basketball.
Los Angeles Sparks
Week 2 Record: 0-2
Overall Record: 2-4
After starting the season 2-0 with nice wins on the road against Chicago and Indiana they have now lost four games in a row. They lost both games this past week by a total of six points.
On Tuesday, they fell to their arch-rivals - the Minnesota Lynx 87-84. Three players scored in double figures. Nneka Ogwumike led the team with 22 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Liz Cambage added 12 points and seven rebounds. Lexie Brown also added 12 points including connecting on 4-6 from beyond the arc.
Then on Friday, the LA Sparks lost 83-80 at Seattle. In a game where they trailed by 18 points, the Sparks rallied late in the 4th quarter to cut Seattle’s lead down to two points in the final minute. They had an opportunity to send the game to overtime on the final possession but Nneka just missed a shot. That shot took place right in front of me while I was on press row and I thought for certain the game was headed to OT.
Liz Cambage had probably her best game of the season with 25 points and eight rebounds. Nneka, who always seems to be underrated, added 20 points for the Sparks. Brittney Sykes contributed with 10 points, six rebounds, and some fantastic defense against Jewell Loyd.
It’s unclear how good the Sparks are going to be this season. They are a team with a lot of talented pieces that aren’t used to playing with one another. It’ll be up to Coach Derek Fisher to get them to mesh together and it’ll be fun to watch things play out this season.
Minnesota Lynx
Week 2 Record: 1-2
Overall Record: 1-6
Minnesota picked up their first win of the season in Los Angeles in a fun game that went right down to the wire. The Lynx won the game 87-84 with four players scoring in double figures. Kayla McBride led the team with 24 points including the game-winner. Sylvia Fowles had a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Moriah Jefferson added 20 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Jessica Shepard had a near double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
On Thursday, Minnesota had one of their best games of the season but ultimately fell to the Aces in Las Vegas by a final score of 93-87. Aerial Powers had a monster game with 25 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Sylvia Fowles added a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds. Jessica Shepard continues to impress with a double-double of her own putting up 14 points and 14 rebounds. Shepard has to be the best story for the Lynx in an otherwise disappointing start to their season. Moriah Jefferson who recently joined the team after being waived by Dallas has looked good. Jefferson added 14 points and a team-high seven assists.
Over the weekend, they traveled to Dallas to face the Wings. Minnesota struggled in this game and lost 94-78. All five starters scored in double figures showing a nice balance with their team. Unfortunately, no starters scored more than 14 points. Sylvia Fowles, Jessica Shepard, and Kayla McBride all scored 14 in the game. Moriah Jefferson and Aerial Powers each added 12 more points.
The Lynx currently hold the worst record in the WNBA at 1-6. This certainly wasn’t what Cheryl Reeve and the team envisioned for Sylvia Fowles's final season. Could they end up like the Washington Mystics who have one single bad year and end up landing the #1 overall pick? Adding Aaliyah Boston to the Lynx would be one of the best ways to try and fill the shoes of Sylvia Fowles. Could Minnesota, rally just like they did last season? They started the 2021 season 0-4 and finished with the 3rd best record in the entire WNBA. With 36 games this season there’s plenty of time left to turn things around. The other question to throw out there is if Minnesota continues to struggle, would they consider trading Sylvia Fowles (if she was interested) to a team that had a legit shot at winning the championship?
New York Liberty
Week 2 Record: 0-1
Overall Record: 1-4
The New York Liberty had just one single game this week and it was a very ugly loss to the Connecticut Sun. They were home in Brooklyn and lost by nearly 30 points with a final score of 92-65. The team had 29 turnovers! For whatever reason, things have not been clicking for the Liberty this season.
Betnijah Laney was the leading scorer with 16 points. Stefanie Dolson scored 13 and had a team-high seven rebounds. Their performances were the only bright spots for New York. Sabrina Ionesco had a disappointing performance with just two points and five turnovers. All five starters committed at least four turnovers. That’s a stat you don’t want to be remembered for.
It may not get any easier for New York as they head out for a three-game road trip against the Minnesota Lynx and then the Storm twice in Seattle. They could be looking at a 1-7 start to their season if they’re not careful.
Phoenix Mercury
Week 2 Record: 0-3
Overall Record: 2-4
Phoenix lost on Tuesday to the Las Vegas Aces by a final score of 86-74. It would be the first of two losses to the Aces during the week. Four Mercury players did score in double figures. Tina Charles led the team with 17 points and nine rebounds. Diamond DeShields scored 11 points and Skylar Diggins-Smith added 10 more. Shey Peddy provided a spark off the bench with 13 points.
In this game, Phoenix actually looked fantastic through the first quarter leading Vegas 29-21. However, things started to fall apart in the 2nd quarter and by the 3rd period, they were outscored 30-12 which gave Vegas full control of the game.
This game is most noticeable for what happened not specifically on the court but on the Mercury’s bench where Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi got into an extremely heated argument as Phoenix started to struggle.
In between their two Vegas losses, the Mercury were also defeated by the Dallas Wings while playing at home. They lost this game 94-84. Mercury’s starters actually played great in this game with four of them scoring in double figures. Diana Taurasi led the way with 31 points. Diamond DeShields added 22 points. Tina Charles gave them a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Shey Peddy was the fourth player in double figures with 10 points and tied Taurasi with a team-high five assists. Phoenix’s big problem in this game was a lack of bench production. Their reserves played minimal minutes and only added two points total.
Without Skylar Diggins-Smith the Mercury had no chance against the Aces. They lost to Vegas 100-80. Diamond DeShields had another great game with 19 points. Sophie Cunningham added 17 points off the bench to lead the second unit. Diana Taurasi added 14 points and a team-high seven assists. However, Tina Charles was limited to just nine points. Charles isn’t quite playing as well this season. She led the WNBA in scoring last year averaging nearly 23.5 PPG. This season she’s only averaging 14.0 PPG (nearly a 10-point drop-off).
Seattle Storm
Week 2 Record: 2-0
Overall Record: 3-3
The Storm got their record back to .500 by winning both their games this past week. It certainly helped that Breanna Stewart and Epiphanny Prince returned from Covid Health & Safety protocols.
Seattle beat the Chicago Sky (minus Kahleah Copper) by three points 74-71 on Wednesday. The Storm led by 15 points but nearly gave the game away in the 4th quarter. Ezi Magbegor was the hero of the game with 21 points on 9-13 FG. Breanna Stewart wasn’t quite herself as she was still recovering from being sick the week before but she still managed to score 13 points in the victory. No other player scored in double figures.
Then on Friday, they had a narrow win by defeating the LA Sparks 83-80. Similar to the Chicago game, they had a huge lead and nearly blew it in the 4th quarter. Stewie was in MVP form leading all scorers with 28 points and adding seven rebounds. Jewell Loyd was the only other Storm player to reach double figures with 11 points but struggled to be her normal dominant self going up against Brittney Sykes. Ezi Magbegor had a near-double-double with nine points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
Washington Mystics
Week 2 Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 5-2
Washington started this (past) week off by getting revenge against the Dallas Wings by defeating them on Tuesday 84-68. The Mystics had five players score in double figures including three bench players! Shakira Austin led all scorers in this game with 20 points and eight rebounds. Elena Delle Donne added 14 points. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough added 11 points and both Natasha Cloud and Kennedy Burke gave them 10 points each. Cloud also finished with a game-high seven assists.
The Mystics had a great game against the Atlanta Dream where they overcame a double-digit deficit to beat Atlanta 78-73. Four players scored 10+ points in this game with Ariel Atkins leading the way with 18 points. Cloud added 16 points and a team-high five assists. Tianna Hawkins added 11 points off the bench and Shakira Austin continued her strong rookie season with 10 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. EDD did not play in this game as she is sitting out most road games to start the year in order to keep her fresh and healthy with her known back problems.
On Sunday, during their final game of the week, the Washington Mystics lost a great clash between the 2019 WNBA Champions and the 2021 WNBA Champion Chicago Sky. Washington lost the game 82-73 as they ran out of steam in the 2nd half. Elena Delle Donne returned to the lineup but Alysha Clark was out again. Injuries are going to be a key factor with the Mystics this season and something to keep an eye on.
Three D.C. players reached double figures. Ariel Atkins led the way with 20 points, and EDD had 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Shakira Austin continued her impressive rookie season with 14 points and five rebounds.
WNBA Standings:
Las Vegas Aces 6-1
Connecticut Sun 4-1
Washington Mystics 5-2
Atlanta Dream 4-2
Dallas Wings 4-2
Chicago Sky 3-2
Seattle Storm 3-3
Phoenix Mercury 2-4
Los Angeles Sparks 2-4
New York Liberty 1-4
Indiana Fever 2-6
Minnesota Lynx 1-6
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