The 'Ball-Knowers' WNBA Weekend Watch Guide: Weekend of June 27-29
Injuries are starting to change the landscape of the WNBA regular season and cause some teams to rise and fall. How will that factor into the games this weekend? We tell you how...
Injuries suck. We all know this.
As we continue to barrel towards the halfway mark of the WNBA regular season, we’re starting to see those injuries play a major role in who is rising and falling across the league. Unfortunately it does change the watchability of certain games and that can take the wind out of the sails of specific matchups.
But at the end of the day, there is still plenty of ball to watch and that’s why we’re here! To help you cut through the noise and get you an idea of what to prioritize this weekend in the WNBA.
So let’s get to it!
Friday, June 27
Indiana Fever (7-8) vs. Dallas Wings (4-12): 7:30 PM ET, ION
Why it’s worth a watch: If Caitlin Clark didn’t play in the first half of the Fever’s back-to-back, I’d be surprised if she played in this one. Especially when you consider her injury is groin related. Any time you hear something that’s centered around a quad, hamstring or groin, you know that return timetables can vary wildly. In short, it’s not really an injury you want to play with and while Clark is the ultimate competitor, Indiana has larger aspirations than beating the Wings on a Friday night in June.
If she isn’t involved in this game, then it’s very likely the Wings have a shot to win outright. The Sparks got the better of Indiana on Thursday and the vibes with the Fever as a whole aren’t great right now. DeWanna Bonner is gone, Aari McDonald is back but the team just doesn’t feel cohesive right now. Believe it or not, this is actually an interesting schematic matchup between Stephanie White and Chris Koclanes. Which coach is going to be able to get the most out of their group? After the debacle in Las Vegas, Koclanes seems to have found some things that work as the Wings are three points away from being on a four game losing streak.
Must-Watch Score: 7/10
Minnesota Lynx (12-2) vs. Atlanta Dream (10-5): 7:30 PM ET, ION
Why it’s worth a watch: I did not have the Dream’s red hot shooting crash to earth against the Wings on my bingo card this past week but here we are. As a team, Atlanta went 15-64 and 7-34 from 3 point range. Oddly enough, this was the concern of Karl Smesko’s offense coming into the league. What happens when everyone happens to go cold? What’s kept the Dream afloat is All-WNBA play from Allisha Gray, hot bench shooting from Te-Hina Paopao and the explosive scoring potential of Rhyne Howard.
Napheesa Collier is still questionable with a lower back injury as of Friday morning so that has the potential to change the complexion of this game significantly. But even if the MVP frontrunner is out of the lineup, Atlanta fans need to keep an eye on the evolving Brittney Griner situation. The 34 year old center has cleared 20 points just once this season, hasn’t registered a single double-double and hasn’t gathered double digit rebounds at any point this year. What we’re learning is that if Atlanta doesn’t get good Brionna Jones games, they’re susceptible to frontcourt mismatches. If Collier returns and links back up with Jessica Shepard, this could be trouble for the Dream.
Must-Watch Score: 8.5/10
Chicago Sky (4-10) vs. Golden State Valkyries (7-7): 10:00 PM ET, ION
Why it’s worth a watch: We’ve played 14 of 44 WNBA regular season games and I still have no idea how to interpret the Chicago Sky. I think at this point their ceiling is clear this season: they can beat the teams in their weight class but haven’t punched above on a single team this year. With Kamilla Cardoso away from the team for her FIBA Americup obligations, I’m fascinated to see how the Sky operate. The reason their games are so watchable and interesting is because I still can’t tell if this duo of Cardoso and Angel Reese can work yet. They have good, bad and great games together and apart. The inconsistency is such that there’s no real pattern to identify.
Golden State should win this one pretty comfortably but without Temi Fagbenle, who is listed as out for a rest night, I’m curious how Reese performs. Natalie Nakase has the Valkyries in a tier with the Aces and the Fever at this point in the season. Imagine telling someone that with a straight face before the year started. Since that four game losing streak back towards the end of May, the Valks are 5-2 and looking the part of a competitor.
Must-Watch Score: 7.5/10
New York Liberty (11-3) vs. Phoenix Mercury (11-4): 10:00 PM ET, ION
Why it’s worth a watch: Without Jonquel Jones, the Liberty are a very different team. We know this. Sabrina Ionescu didn’t show up on the Friday morning injury report so it’s likely she’ll be back for this one. Leonie Fiebich also remains abroad as Germany continues to advance deep into the Eurobasket knockout rounds. Will they truly have enough to compete against one of the best stories of the WNBA season so far?
It’s a worthwhile question. Phoenix is expected to have their full superstar complement but are without Lexi Held who has a pneumothorax (also known as a collapsed lung). But what’s made the Mercury special this season is their ability to compete with a seemingly ragtag group of bench players. In the last matchup between these two teams, Monique Akoa Makani went for 21 points on 8/12 shooting to power Phoenix to a win over New York. If the Liberty want to prove that they’re more than Jonquel Jones, this is the matchup you need to win this weekend. Otherwise, the trendlines of both these teams may continue to diverge from one another.
Must-Watch Score: 8/10
Connecticut Sun (2-13) vs. Seattle Storm (9-6): 10:00 PM ET, ION
Why it’s worth a watch: I don’t have a ton for this one. The Sun have more or less stabilized into a team that just isn’t very good. It’s not a massive surprise given the state of the roster coming into the season. But as big of a fan of Rachid Meziane as I am, I’d love to see them be able to win some games against teams in their weight class. It’s actually pretty strange that Connecticut is winless against the likes of the Wings and Aces but managed to beat the Fever and Dream.
As for Seattle, I think I’m comfortable just sort of watching them in the background until we get to the later end of the season. They’re somewhat inconsistent and frankly should be better than 9-6 given their roster construction. But they keep winning games and will probably be a top five team heading into the fall. Keep an eye on this score and flip over to it if it’s interesting late. Otherwise, it’s a second screen or box-score watcher.
Must-Watch Score: 6.5/10
Saturday, June 28
Washington Mystics (8-8) vs. Dallas Wings (4-12): 8:00 PM ET, League Pass
Why it’s worth a watch: Washington is fun as shit. I can’t even couch the language anymore. Jade Melbourne takes an elbow and loses a tooth so in comes rookie Lucy Olsen who proceeds to torture the Aces en route to a 94-83 win. What was so interesting about the win was the fact that all five de facto starters ended with double digit scoring nights. The Mystics share the ball, play an insanely fun style and just seem to really enjoy one another on the floor. The vibes are great!
I have a feeling Washington may roll in this one given that Dallas will be on the second leg of a back-to-back but I’m really interested in the potential Paige Bueckers - Sonia Citron matchup. With Brittney Sykes’ status still up in the air, I wonder if Johnson gives his rookie the assignment to cover the Wings backcourt engine. With Kiki Iriafen, Citron and Bueckers on the floor, it’s a fun game to draw some true battle lines on the 2025 Rookie of the Year debate.
Must-Watch Score: 7.5/10
Sunday, June 29
New York Liberty (11-3) vs. Atlanta Dream (10-5): 3:00 PM ET, ESPN3
Why it’s worth a watch: The last time these two teams met, Sabrina Ionescu exploded for 34 points as Sandy Brondello went with a big starting five. The Liberty are one of the few teams that can handle the Dream’s frontcourt but without Jonquel Jones they’ll need a huge day out of Nyara Sabally. I have a feeling she’ll pick up the Brionna Jones assignment but that leaves the issue of guarding Griner. Jones is such a force multiplier against Atlanta specifically because of her ability to stretch the floor and hurt you at all three levels.
If you look back at the fourth quarter of the last matchup, the key difference was offensive rebounds down the stretch which led to second chance Liberty points. Jones was a key part of that and Sabally will be asked to play a similar role. Even though these games are hard to assess because of injuries, you’ll still be able to glean some interesting notes if Atlanta cruise to a win here. But much like the game they play Friday, the Brittney Griner of it all is still worth watching.
Must-Watch Score: 8/10
Chicago Sky (4-10) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (5-11): 4:00 PM ET, ESPN
Why it’s worth a watch: Once again, we get to see an interesting case study of Angel Reese as Chicago centerpiece. It’s a plus matchup because the Sparks are so bereft of true center talent in the frontcourt that the Sky have an easy place to attack. Their last game against each other was earlier this week where Cardoso put up 27 points on 10/15 shooting to go along with 7 rebounds, 5 of which came on the offensive boards. Reese finished with 18 points, 17 rebounds and 6 assists in another point forward type performance.
Will she be able to find the same degree of success without Cardoso there to take advantage of the clear frontcourt mismatch? I expect to see healthy doses of Elizabeth Williams to help fill the Cardoso sized void. For Los Angeles, I just need to see some signs of life defensively. They have all the firepower they need but, to quote the great Bart Scott, they can’t stop a nosebleed. We talked about it on Ball Up Top this week that the return of Cam Brink might not be the fix-all wer think it can be. Which makes me wonder why we aren’t seeing more Sania Feagin. It’s way past time.
Must-Watch Score: 7/10
Las Vegas Aces (7-8) vs. Phoenix Mercury (11-4): 6:00 PM ET, NBATV
Why it’s worth a watch: I think it’s remarkable that the Aces are kind of occupying the same No Man’s Land as the Indiana Fever so far this year. A’ja Wilson is still working her way back to MVP form after she suffered a concussion against the Sparks a couple weeks ago. But her 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks is a good baseline. She just needs help from the rest of the team. It’s interesting to see Becky Hammon dip into the bench in ways she hasn’t in prior years but the construction of the team is still too stilted for me to truly take them seriously as title contenders even with Wilson fully cooking.
In a lot of ways, it feels like the Mercury are perfectly built to take advantage of where the Aces are light. Phoenix’s role players are excellent at spotting up and hitting threes when needed while playing pesky and active defense on the other side of the ball. You can stick Wilson on Satou Sabally on both ends but that leaves the issue of Alyssa Thomas who is doing exactly what she’s always done: average about 15-8-7 and open the floor up for everyone else. If Phoenix is able to beat the Liberty and Aces this weekend in successive matchups then the narrative on them will change in a hurry.
Must-Watch Score: 8.5/10
Connecticut Sun (2-13) vs. Minnesota Lynx (12-2): 7:00 PM ET, League Pass
Why it’s worth a watch: This game feels like a pretty big blowout waiting to happen. What I’m actually interested in is if Cheryl Reeve dips into the bench a little more again. The Lynx have gotten some nice minutes out of Diamond Miller recently and it’s been great to see. She’s always been a favorite of mine since her days at Maryland and was in line for a regular role with Minnesota before her injury last year. To see her now getting some burn again is great and this might be a matchup where we see healthy doses of her, Alissa Pili and some of the other bench components of this Lynx team.
Must-Watch Score: 6.5/10
Seattle Storm (9-6) vs. Golden State Valkyries (7-7): 8:30 PM ET, League Pass
Why it’s worth a watch: This is one of great narrative games because while it doesn’t make or break anyone’s position in the standings or playoff seeding, it can give us a good week or so of talking points. The Valkyries have been an extremely fun cast of characters and their front office have already staked a legit claim as being one of the best overseas scouting and talent identification departments in the league. Natalie Nakase has been one of the best stories of the year and feels like a coach we’re going to enjoy having in the league for a long time.
Seattle is so much more talented from a roster construction standpoint. Everything points to the idea that they should cruise to a win here. But that just isn’t the Golden State team we’ve become accustomed to watching this year. They regularly meet moments they have no business even glancing at. That’s what makes me excited for this one on a Sunday night.
Must-Watch Score: 8.5/10
And no CC confirmed right call. They gotta make sure 100 percent healthy