What's Going On With The WNBA
ATLANTA, GA â OCTOBER 04: Atlanta forward Angel Reese 5 reacts during the WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA second round playoff game between the New York Liberty and the Atlanta Dream on October 4th, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA. Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire WNBA: OCT 04 New York Liberty at Atlanta Dream EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon261004085 ©IMAGO/Icon SportswireAngel Reese knows what it feels like to stand on the brink of a championship. As the leader of the LSU Tigers, she led them to the programâs first womenâs basketball national title in 2023. Now the Atlanta Dream forward believes she sees something familiar ahead of her first WNBA Finals appearance, and highlighted her teamâs chemistry ahead of Game 1.
âI know thereâs a lot of special things coming. I have the LSU feeling that when I won that championship. So Iâm feeling it right now,â Reese told Amazon Prime during an interview, which was clipped and posted to Instagram.
âWeâre super talented, but I think the difference is the connectivity in the locker room. Adding DeWanna [Bonner], a vet that has played in many playoffs, has played in many championships as well, she knows what it takes. So I think a sister in the locker room is now better than ever. We have a lot of fun together. We genuinely love each other, and we want each other to win. So I think weâre gonna do it together.â
The connection Reese described has been on full display during the teamâs postseason run. They have swept both the Washington Mystics and the New York Liberty, and they head into the finals against the Golden State Valkyries undefeated.
What makes their series sweep over the Liberty even more impressive is the fact that Allisha Gray, who led the team in scoring in the regular season and first round, was forced to sit out due to an injury to her shooting hand. She logged just 10 minutes in the series, yet the team rallied together. As Reese pointed out, Bonner was the catalyst.
The Dream entered halftime of Game 1 in that series down 40-37, and according to Jordin Canada, Bonner had some fiery words from the team, which eventually led them to turn the game around in the third quarter.
âDB got into us at halftime, Iâll just say that,â she said.
âWe knew we didnât play our best in the first half⊠We just werenât being aggressive enough on the defensive end and offensive end. We talked about a second-half surge, that the first three minutes of the second half are going to be really important, and so we came out ready to go.â
Bonner herself stepped up that game, finishing the game with 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting, grabbing nine rebounds and two steals. However, her leadership also extends off the court in more subtle ways.
After the Dream beat the Mystics in Game 2 to eliminate them, Reese and Gray waved goodbye to the Washington crowd. Almost as soon as they started it, Bonner stepped in, forcing their hands down and taking them back to the locker room with the rest of the team.
Meanwhile, Bonner sees Reese as the clear leader, and has drawn attention to her relentlessness on all ends of the floor.
âSheâs the motor [of the team],â Bonner said after Game 2 against the Liberty. âHer defensive presence is unmatched. ⊠She brings the toughness. She brings the umph. As long as sheâs out there, we see her go hard; itâs like, âMan, I want to dive on the floor for a ball.â Thatâs rare. Thatâs kind of hard to find ⊠we feed off her, and she gets us going every single game.â
Now, Reese is headed to the WNBA finals in her third season, after winning the national championship in her third year at LSU. Thereâs a pattern of success there, and itâs one Atlanta will count on as the franchise looks to bring home its first championship in the teamâs first finals appearance since 2013.
The Golden State Valkyries await the Dream at Chase Center on October 17, and only time will tell if what Reese feels translates to the court.
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The post âI Have That LSU Feelingâ: Angel Reese Reflects on the Possibility of a First WNBA Championship appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
DiJonai Carrington was limited to just 11 games for the Chicago Sky this season due to injury. She missed the first 27 games of the campaign after suffering a left foot injury in the 2025 WNBA season.
The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 8.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game. Despite her limited run, she emerged as an important player for the team. The six-year veteran also supported her younger teammates, including rookie guard Sydney Taylor.
After college, Taylor played professionally in Lithuania and Poland. She then signed a training camp contract with the Sky for the 2026 season. She made Chicagoâs opening-day roster after impressing the team in the preseason.
Taylor was one of the bright spots for the Chicago squad that missed the playoffs this year. The 5-foot-9 rookie averaged 13.6 points. 1.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists. She played in 37 games for the Sky, starting in 26.
Her hard work paid off when Taylor earned a spot on the 2026 WNBA All-Rookie Team. She joined Olivia Miles, Azzi Fudd, Flauâjae Johnson, Pauline Astier and Kiki Rice as the best rookies this year.
The Sky shared the news on Instagram, which drew a reaction from Carrington. The 28-year-old shared the Skyâs post on her Instagram story, along with a wordless reaction.
âđđđđđ,â she posted.
Carringtonâs future with Chicago is still uncertain as her one-year contract expires this offseason, making her an unrestricted free agent. The 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player said sheâs open to staying with the Sky.
Related: DiJonai Carrington Draws Reaction From Former Indiana Fever Player
This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Breanna Stewart - Image © Imagn ImagesThe New York Liberty won two straight games to eliminate the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx in the first round of the playoffs. However, they found themselves on the wrong end of a sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Dream.
This setback has the WNBA community buzzing about potential changes that could take place in the Liberty camp this offseason. On Wednesdayâs episode of âWNBA on CLNS,â Liberty beat reporter Madeline Kenney speculated on the moves that the front office could make.
âNobody except Breanna Stewart should be comfortable heading into this offseason. I think that, if youâre Clara Wu (team owner), everything has to be on the table to be evaluated and analyzed.â
Kenney went on to bring up the position of head coach, something that has been talked about ever since Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones deflected a question about Chris DeMarco in the media session after Game 3.
âIf youâre going to go forward with another coaching search process, this would be the third coach in three years. If you want to be a championship contender, continuity matters.â
Though Stewart, Ionescu, and Jones are all under contract next year, some members of their supporting cast (such as Rebekah Gardner and Rebecca Allen) are entering free agency. Even the status of three-time All-Star Satou Sabally, who played just 13 games with the Liberty before sustaining a concussion and focusing on head injury recovery, is up in the air.
Chris DeMarco Says That Returning as Liberty Coach Is His âExpectationâDeMarco himself doesnât appear to be fazed by the possibility that he could be removed from his post.
Last Friday, ESPNâs Alexa Philippou reported that DeMarcoâs âexpectationâ is to return to the post of Liberty coach next year.
Prior to joining the Liberty, DeMarco had been an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors for over a decade. In his first season in New York, DeMarco guided the Liberty to a 26-18 regular season record, securing the eighth seed.
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Angel Reese © Atlanta Dream/XAngel Reese and the Atlanta Dream are in the 2026 WNBA Finals and one step away from the title. Her rivalry with Caitlin Clark has been the talk of the town since the two stars joined the league. Clark leads the matchup by a big margin, 6-3. However, if Reese wins a title in her first season with the Dream, her fans will surely have bragging rights, and WNBA analyst Jemele Hill agrees.
The center has had a stellar postseason, as she stepped up when Allisha Gray was out with a finger injury. She averaged 20.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in the semifinals against the New York Liberty, as per CBS Sports. Hill pondered the possibility of Reese winning the championship on her YouTube livestream.
âIf Angel Reese wins this title, I donât know if Iâd want to be an Indiana Fever fan because we see how those fan bases go at it,â she said. âAnd thereâs going to be, and I am very curious as to what that is going to look like online because I have my own assumptions in mind about what will happen. But itâs not going to be a good time to be an Indiana Fever fan because the Dream fans and the Angel Reese fans are going to let them have it. They are going to be unrelenting on them.â
The 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year has impacted the teamâs overall production on both sides of the floor. She averaged 2.0 steals and 2.3 blocks per game in the semifinals. The Dream have an opportunity to win it all after 13 years, and the team will look to put its best foot forward.
Angel Reese calls for fans to join her in State Farm ArenaAfter much discussion and a little controversy over the Dreamâs home arena for the final series, the team eventually secured State Farm Arena, the Atlanta Hawksâ home arena, for Games 3 and 4. Speaking to WSB-TV, Angel Reese shared her feelings about leaving the Gateway Arena.
âItâs a bittersweet moment because I do love Gateway so muchâŠ.but I am looking forward to everyone showing up and supporting us at State Farm,â she said.
Reese has expectations to meet from both her game and her fan base. State Farm Arena holds more than 17,000 fans, per Yahoo Sports, and everyone will be watching her play. The finals begin on Saturday.
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Paige Bueckers. | NBAE via Getty Images The Dallas Wings have struggled to find their footing in the WNBA. Since the franchise moved to Dallas in 2016, theyâd had just one winning season.
Now theyâve had two.
The 2026 campaign ended with the Wings at 27 wins and the franchiseâs fourth-best record. The other above .600 seasons occurred way back when they were known as the Detroit Shock.
The Wingsâ season still ended with a dud. They lost to the Golden State Valkyries in the opening round of the postseason. However, Golden State is still playing in the WNBA Finals, which makes that an easier pill to swallow. All things considered, the Wings have to be happy with the progress they made.
What went right in Dallas?
Paige Bueckers continues to ascend, and thatâs lifting the Wings up.
She averaged 20.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists, all up from her rookie campaign. She made her second All-Star team and was sixth in MVP voting. Once the All-WNBA Teams are revealed, she will most certainly be on it.
Bueckers was superb with her backcourt pairings.
Rookie Azzi Fudd had a strong showing this year. The chemistry they built at UConn certainly translated to the pros. Fudd averaged 13.1 points per game and shot 39.7 percent from 3-point range. She also made the All-Rookie team.
Some were surprised Arike Ogunbowale signed a two-year deal with the Wings last offseason. Was she okay with taking a backseat to Bueckers and being less on-ball? It turns out that wasnât an issue for her. Ogunbowale remains a bucket getter with an otherworldly ceiling. She averaged 15.3 points per game, but on any given night she can be the best player on the Earth.
This was on full display in the playoffs when she scored 45 points in a Game 2 win over the Valkyries in the first round, forcing the winner-take-all Game 3, when she dropped another 30 points in the eventual loss.
The season didnât end in a title, but with this trio, the best should be yet to come for the Wings.
What went wrong in Dallas?
Injuries dashed the Wingsâ hopes of maximizing their potential.
Fudd hurt her knee and underwent an arthroscopic procedure, ending her year after 30 games. Had she been healthy, perhaps Dallas would have shocked the world, beaten the Valkyries and gone on a historic postseason run.
The Wings also struggled with pace and clutch-time execution. Dallas was one of the slower teams in the WNBA, with a pace of 95.70, the third-slowest in the league. In clutch games, the Wings were 14-10. Thatâs not a bad record, but subpar for a playoff team.
There was also the exuberance of their first-year coach Jose Fernandez. He had some tiffs with the media and didnât hesitate to aggressively call out or criticize players. Itâs hard to quantify how much, if at all, this affected their ability to win.
Whatâs next for Dallas?Bueckers, Ogunbowale and Fudd are an elite backcourt trio. Forward Jessica Shepard had her best year yet as a pro.
If they can add another big or a wing this offseason, theyâll be in prime position not just to advance in the playoffs, but to compete for a title.
Nothing is broken in Dallas, so donât try to fix a problem thatâs not there. All thatâs needed are a few tweaks for optimization.
After the Golden State Valkyriesswept the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA playoff semifinal series on Friday, Aces head coach Becky Hammon tipped her hat to Natalie Nakase's squad.
"(Nakase) had her club playing at a really high level all year. It's a number one defense in the league all year," Hammon said after the Valkyries' 87-77 overtime win in Game 3. "And look, if you want to win championships, you need to be a top three, top four defense. And we weren't this year. We weren't."
The No. 2 seed Valkyries, who had the best defensive rating in the regular season, advanced to the WNBA Finals to face the No. 4 seed Atlanta Dream, who've had the best defensive rating in the postseason. One franchise will walk away with their first WNBA title. The best-of-seven series, which tips off Saturday, Oct. 17, in San Francisco, will likely come down to who does a better job defending.
Defense, after all, wins championships.
"We're the top two (defenses) in the league," Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton said. "It comes down just to details and who wants it more."
Six of the 10 players named to the 2026 WNBA All-Defense teams on Thursday were from the Dream and Valkyries. After winning Defensive Player of the Year, Angel Reese made the first team along with teammate Rhyne Howard and Valkyries forward Gabby Williams. Dream guard Jordin Canada and Valkyries teammates Veronica Burton and Kiah Stokes are on the second team.
Let's take a look at how the Valkyries' and Dream's defenses stack up against each other:
Atlanta Dream trio leads pesky defenseAfter Reese was named the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, she said Howard and Canada should have their name etched on her trophy. "They deserve it just as much as I do," Reese said.
The trio has powered the Dream's disruptive defense, which has turned over opponents at an unbelievable rate with Howard (2.3 steals per game), Canada (1.9) and Reese (1.8) leading the league in regular-season steals. The Dream has turned up the pressure during the postseason, improving the team's average of 9.1 steals per game to 10.4 steals per game in the playoffs. Atlanta has the highest opponent turnover percentage in the postseason (22.4%), forcing a playoff-high 18.2 turnovers per game.
"We have to get in the passing lanes. We have to force turnovers. We have to get out in transition," Howard said after the Dream's Game 3 win over the New York Liberty on Oct. 9, describing how the team's active defense will show up in the WNBA Finals. "We have to make our presence felt on the defensive end. That's going to give us the confidence to go. It's going to wear into the other team... it's going to kill their confidence."
Defense fuels the Dream's offense. Not only can they turn opponents over, Atlanta is highly efficient in capitalizing on those opportunities with a playoff-high 24.4 points scored off turnovers. During the Dream's semifinal sweep of the 2024 WNBA champion Liberty, Atlanta forced New York into double-digit turnovers in each of the three games and averaged 24 points off turnovers per game in the series.
Look no further than Game 1 between the Dream and Liberty. Canada intercepted a pass from Liberty guard Sabrina Ionesco with 4:22 remaining in the first quarter and took the ball coast-to-coast for a layup. Canada finished with 25 points and five steals in the Dream's 92-82 win, becoming the sixth player in WNBA postseason history to record 25-plus points and five-plus steals in a game.
"To use my quickness to my advantage. If I can get downhill and attack the basket and get a layup, I'll get a layup," Canada said on Oct. 4. "If someone comes to try and help, kick it out. It's just simple as that, just reading the floor. But I know that my quickness is my strength and I know that I bring that to this team. So I just try to do that as much as I can and yeah, just making the right play at the right time."
JC doin' the work on defense! pic.twitter.com/tFmsYVHKb1
â Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) October 4, 2026The Dream averaged 10.6 fast break points per game through five playoff games. On the flip side, Atlanta is able to get back on defense and get set, leading to the fewest fast break points allowed in the postseason (2.6).
"Like people say, defense wins championships. It's (expletiv) true. It is. And Atlanta, they have ... the top three (players) in steals," Breanna Stewart said after Game 3.
Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco added, "They play a different brand of basketball with some of their switchability on the ball with their physicality."
Valkyries' defense fueled by 'never satisfied mindset'When Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase assembled the Valkyries' inaugural roster, she told USA TODAY Sports in December 2024 she was building a culture rooted in a "never satisfied mindset."
"Itâs not just a skill set we are looking for. Iâm looking for ultra competitive. Iâm looking for that player that is diving on the floor and getting the rebound," said Nakase, who went on to win 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year and lead the Valkyries to the playoffs in their first year of existence. "High character. Iâm looking are they picking their teammates up or are they high-fiving their teammates? Just putting the team before self at all times,"
The offseason additions of Williams and Stokes has only boosted the grittiness of Golden State, which allowed the fewest overall points (75.1) and lowest opponent field goal percentage (41.4%) in the regular season.
The Valkyries have been relentless on the glass this postseason, averaging 37.8 rebounds, 10.5 offensive rebounds and 13 second-chance points per game, the most of any playoff team. Stokes has led the charge, upping her regular-season rebound average from 5.8 to 9.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs. Stokes finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals in the Valkyries' Game 3 win over the Las Vegas Aces â her former team.
BLOCKHALLA TRAVELS @kstokes41pic.twitter.com/7vBoDnIyQB
â Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) October 10, 2026"(Stokes) is the reason we're here. She makes the clutchest plays out of all of us ... sometimes they just don't show up on the box score," said Williams, who finished second in DPOY voting this season. "The way she communicates her activity on defense, the way she's just so unselfish on offense, she's just always doing something to make someone else's life easier. There's a reason that she is a three-time champion."
Golden State outrebounded the Las Vegas Aces 125-85 (37-18 offensive rebounds) across three games in their semifinal sweep. And their interior defense has limited opponents to 29.3 paint points per game in the postseason, the second fewest of any playoff team. The Valkyries' have allowed 3.7 fast break points per game, the second fewest behind the Dream.
"(The Atlanta Dream) is a great defensive team. They're physical. They rebound really well. They have great shooters," Stokes said on Oct. 9. "It's two top defensive teams. It's definitely going to be a battle."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA Finals between Valkyries, Dream will be defensive masterclass. Who has the edge?
September 23, 2026, Seattle, Washington, USA: Dallas Wings guard PAIGE BUECKERS 5 warms up prior to the WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA match between the Seattle Storm and Dallas Wings at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. WNBA 2026: Dallas 103:91 Seattle PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY â ZUMAd218 20260923_zsp_d218_001 Copyright: xRichardxDizonx ©IMAGO/ZUMA PressPaige Bueckers has long been regarded as one of the best players in womenâs basketball, and there are several reasons behind that reputation. One of them is her pass-first mentality. The very trait that makes her such an effective playmaker, however, also presents an opportunity for growth as the Dallas Wings continue to build their team around her.
The Wings performed much better in 2026 than they did during Bueckersâ rookie season, when they finished with one of the worst records in franchise history. Despite losing Azzi Fudd for the remainder of the season in August, Dallas still made the playoffs, although its run ended with a first-round loss to the Golden State Valkyries. So now, as the Wings head into the offseason, forward Alysha Clark has identified what she believes should be the next step in the 24-year-old guardâs development.
âFor me personally, I feel her next step in her growth is to be able to command and direct a team. She has the work ethic and the mentality, and all of that down,â Clark said in her conversation with Candace Parker & Aliyah Boston on Post Moves. âAnd then yeah, to your point about the selfishness, I mean the unselfishness, itâs like yeah, like sometimes you got to insert, and this is where you need to push and pull, but I think that learning lesson of when do I insert and go do this myself and then when do I get them involved and get them where they need to be to make sure that we get what it is that this team needs on whatever possession.â
âBut I mean thatâs just a young point guard in a professional league that I feel like everybody has that growth. So Iâm excited to see just how she grows in that space because she has everything else down. There were moments throughout the season I was like, I keep forgetting this is only her second year. Like just her presence, the way that she can command a game, and the way she can take over so easily â you see that in the greats that have been playing five, six, 10 years. Thatâs something that she has now. And so just that extra added layer. I think itâs going to be insane when she can get that,â she added.
Paige Bueckers averaged 20.9 points and 5.9 assists per game in 2026, leading the Wings in both categories. She established herself as a reliable scoring option without losing the playmaking instincts that make her so valuable to the team.
Dallas has also seen what can happen when Bueckers gets more opportunities to focus on scoring. In a July win over the Toronto Tempo, she poured in a season-high 34 points while playing more off the ball. But Bueckers has previously explained that keeping the ball in one playerâs hands for too long can make an offense easier to defend.
That balance is at the heart of Clarkâs observation. It is also an area Bueckers recognized she needed to work on earlier in the season. The Wings guard admitted that she was still finding her footing and wanted to become more aggressive, both as a scorer and as a playmaker.
âI feel stuff out first, and then this is obviously a new team, and we didnât have everybody in preseason,â she said. âSo I think I gradually made my way through the first two games of the season. I feel like I can be more aggressive.â
âBut not just for me, but also for creating for others. So again, itâs something that I have battled with my whole life⊠I am just being more selfish, taking more shots, so itâs something that Iâm very aware of, and I want to improve on as well,â she added.
Now, with the Wingsâ 2026 campaign over, Paige Bueckers has a clearer picture of what her next stage of growth could look like. She does not need to abandon her instinct to create for others. Instead, learning when to take over a possession herself could make her even harder to defend as Dallas looks to build on its return to the playoffs.
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The post âGoing To Be Insane When She Get Thatâ: Paige Bueckersâ Future With the Dallas Wings Draws Honest Observation From Teammate appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith is calling out WNBA reporters just in time for the Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries.
While on his SiriusXM show this week, Smith ripped WNBA reporters for taking a passive approach to hot topics such as Kelsey Mitchellâs end-of-season press conference and Sophie Cunninghamâs stance on transgender inclusion in womenâs sports.
âIâm going tell you something else, too. And itâs going to be a very unpopular position, but I donât I could give less than a dân. Iâm going to say it. And this just ainât to the players. This just ainât to the leagues, but itâs the pundits covering the WNBA, too. Whatâs the appropriate word for that fudge? What is it? Some dân guts. Sophie Cunningham for the Indiana Fever makes noise without political positions. And you got a whole bunch of people cowering away from it. Kelsey Mitchell speaks out about how uncomfortable itâs been to be a member of the Indiana Fever, even from her own fan base. And it takes Caitlin Clark sitting at a podium answering questions for people to be willing to talk about it,â Smith said, via HITC.
âYou got elected officials sticking their nose where it doesnât belong and we got a bunch of people cowering away from tackling the issue. Well, what are you here for? Every single controversial, supposed controversial issue that has come associated with the WNBA, we see the league cowering away from the issue. What you there for? No wonder Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is stepping down. Go ahead and step down then. You got to be willing to tackle these issues fearlessly. Itâs your league.â
Jun 5, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Stephen A. Smith looks on before the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks in game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images© Scott Wachter-Imagn ImagesStephen A. Smith isnât the only person who feels this way.Former NBA champion Stephen Jackson put the WNBAâs media members on blast after Las Vegas Aces star Aâja Wilson had an incident with a Fever fan in the first round of the playoffs.
âHow come the women announcers not holding these WNBA players accountable when they do something?â Jackson said. âYâall want to be treated like NBA players, but yâall donât want to be accountable.â
Weâll see if the WNBAâs daily coverage changes ahead of the Finals.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Oct 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.