The 'Ball-Knowers' WNBA Weekend Watch Guide: Weekend of June 20-22
We've passed the quarter mark for the WNBA regular season this weekend and we got some good midweek action. What's worth watching this weekend? We got you covered.
There’s 44 games in the 2025 WNBA regular season and we’re officially past the quarter part of the year. The Commissioner’s Cup Final is on the way and we have enough data points to make accurate judgements on how good certain teams are. Pretty nuts, right?
We’re starting to see a multitude of things take shape. There’s a compelling MVP race, an even more interesting Rookie of the Year race now that Paige Bueckers has returned from injury, and a variety of interesting (for a number of reasons) teams across the league.
So let’s break it all down for you and get you ready for a big weekend of matchups ahead…
Friday, June 20
Washington Mystics (5-7) vs. Atlanta Dream (8-4): 7:30 PM ET, ION
Why it’s worth a watch: After a fantastic start to the season it feels like Washington has fallen back to earth a little bit. Brittney Sykes remains the lynchpin of this Mystics offense but it feels like some of the rotational pieces need to rediscover their early season form. The rookie tandem of Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron have been nothing if not consistent but it’s been a mixed bag for the likes of Shakira Austin, Sug Sutton and Stef Dolson.
These two teams met last week and Atlanta promptly ran Washington out of the gym to the tune of an 89-56 win. I don’t think it’ll be that egregious this time around but the ‘ATLytics’ clearly is here to stay in the WNBA. Behind Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, the Dream are a tough team to beat. But there’s plenty to like here from a matchup perspective. Good guards, Kiki gets another interior test and the pace of both teams will always promise some degree of fireworks.
Must-Watch Score: 8/10
Dallas Wings (2-11) vs. Connecticut Sun (2-11): 7:30 PM ET, ION
Why it’s worth a watch: We’ve got a tank off in Uncasville! The Wings finally managed to right the ship after a truly messy loss in Las Vegas with a win over the surging Golden State Valkyries. Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale combined for 39 points in the victory while, notably, DiJonai Carrington came off the bench. I’m curious if Chris Koclanes continues that trend or if that was a one-time piece of discipline after a clear fracturing between the two late last week.
Meanwhile, Connecticut’s vision is clear: the tank is on. The Sun still compete and do everything they can to remain competitive in every game they play. But it’s clear the roster is just not up to par with the rest of this league. If you’re watching this game for anything, it’s the rookies. Wings guard Aziaha James entered the starting lineup in the place of Carrington against the Valkyries while Aneesah Morrow and Saniya Rivers continue to provide good returns for the Sun. Both teams are setting the table for the future and that’s what’s worth watching for any time they play.
Must-Watch Score: 7/10
Seattle Storm (7-5) vs. Las Vegas Aces (5-6): 10:00 PM ET, ION
Why it’s worth a watch: A’ja Wilson was listed as questionable this week as she continues to recover from her concussion so we’ll get a little more clarity about her status as we get closer to game time. But both teams are at a bit of a crossroads which makes this game interesting. The Aces feel positively broken beyond repair (at least in terms of being a bonafide title contender) and the Storm just kind of feel…okay? Without Wilson in the lineup, there are encouraging signs that Vegas can figure some things out. But it’s clear that the guard rotation is aging and doesn’t possess some of the same juice they had during the title runs.
With that said, Jewell Loyd vs. Seattle always promises drama. After the last matchup between these teams, Li Yueru asked for a trade and a complaint was filed with the league about a Storm assistant allegedly shit talking Loyd. And that’s before we add Skylar Diggins into the cocktail of mess. Beyond that, both teams could use this win in a variety of ways. Seattle needs a win to get back into the upper echelon of the standings and to be right in the mix with Phoenix and Atlanta. The Aces need a win like this (even without Wilson) to show that there is still some top end fight left.
Must-Watch Score: 8.5/10
Saturday, June 21
Phoenix Mercury (10-4) vs. Chicago Sky (3-8): 1:00 PM ET, ABC/ESPN+
Why it’s worth a watch: Phoenix, as we mentioned on Ball Up Top, has been one of the best stories of the year. The win over New York last night proved that the Mercury are definitely worth consideration as a title contender. Yes, it came with Jonquel Jones being out of the Liberty rotation for a huge chunk of the game but a win is a win regardless. What makes this game particularly fun is how the Angel Reese point-forward experiment meets its forerunner in Alyssa Thomas.
All week, the vision of what Reese can be has been pegged to what AT is and how she’s become an elite floor raiser in the WNBA. In Chicago’s last two games, we’ve really started to see that comparison take shape. Reese netted her first triple-double in a win over Connecticut and followed it up with a 17-10-5 performance in a loss to Washington. Given how most of the Sky’s losses have been blowouts up to that point, a seven point defeat while Reese commanded the offense from that position is progress. How she handles it against Thomas and this Mercury team will be a blast. It’s also worth noting that Chicago nearly knocked off Phoenix earlier in the year when they last played.
Must-Watch Score: 8/10
Los Angeles Sparks (4-9) vs. Minnesota Lynx (11-1): 8:00 PM ET, NBATV
Why it’s worth a watch: I haven’t written much on it yet but the Rickea Jackson story in Los Angeles is worth watching. After a set of cryptic moves on social media regarding her shots and allowing some of the offense to run through her, it looked like things in L.A. were starting to stabilize. It felt like Lynne Roberts listened and got her more shots and active looks within the offense. In the last three games Jackson has averaged a shade over 20 points per game and mostly gotten those looks on her terms. With Kelsey Plum out of the lineup for the time being, she’ll be looked at as a leader on this team going forward.
I don’t expect this game to be particularly close if KP doesn’t play and even then, the frontcourt of this Sparks team is still a mess defensively until Cam Brink returns. But the evolving storyline to watch with the Lynx is just how vulnerable they become up front without Jessica Shepard. With the 6’4 forward in the lineup, Minnesota looked virtually unbeatable. But without her they go back to having the same issues they did last season. I don’t think that will rear its head fully in this matchup but possession-by-possession it’s something worth keeping an eye on.
Must-Watch Score: 7/10
Sunday, June 22
Chicago Sky (3-8) vs. Atlanta Dream (8-4): 3:00 PM ET, ESPN3
Why it’s worth a watch: As long as we have this progression of Angel as a point forward, the Sky are back into a tier of team worth watching on the strength of interest alone. They’re still talent-deficient in the backcourt when stacked up against a team like the Dream but the vision of the future is what we’re watching. In a lot of ways, Chicago has returned to what they were at the end of last year: a team with a unique and high ceiling core that might not be contenders immediately but have pieces that could. Instead, they muddied the waters by making a series of win-now moves that didn’t pan out in the first quarter of the year.
But they are an interesting matchup against Atlanta with Angel playing this role because there isn’t really an analogous matchup for the Dream. Will you stick Brionna Jones or Brittney Griner on Reese and hope for the best? Or will you try to go small and allow a more nimble defender to battle her all over the floor? Granted, I think Atlanta is just going to sink Chicago on the strength of their perimeter shooting but how teams decide to guard this evolving version of Angel is worth watching.
Must-Watch Score: 7.5/10
Dallas Wings (2-11) vs. Washington Mystics (5-7): 3:00 PM ET, ESPN3
Why it’s worth a watch: While they don’t play the same position, this feels like one of those games that will be pointed to as a key data point in the Rookie of the Year debate. If Dallas really managed to have the come to Jesus conversations needed after Vegas to turn the ship around, they have the chance to be a little bit more competitive and cohesive the rest of the year. Paige is going to get a tough defensive assignment in either Brittney Sykes or Sonia Citron while Kiki is going to face some new size in the form of Li Yueru.
If we’re judging the Rookie of the Year race like a Tour de France, you could say Paige has pulled ahead of Kiki in the peloton but isn’t too far ahead. But more than that, the narrative implications here for Dallas are big. Wshington, despite being a shade under .500 at this point, is viewed as a team on an upward trend. They’ve got exciting young pieces and feel like they’ve committed to a true rebuild the right way. If the Wings can build off that Sun win earlier in the week and grab one from Washington, then maybe we will start to see signs of life in Dallas.
Must-Watch Score: 7/10
Indiana Fever (6-6) vs. Las Vegas Aces (5-6): 3:00 PM ET, ESPN
Why it’s worth a watch: This matchup, widely held as one of the most interesting at the start of the year, feels like it’s lot a considerable amount of juice. Caitlin Clark has returned and I have a feeling Wilson should be ready by Sunday. But, at the time of this writing, both teams are a combined 11-12 on the season. Hardly what we expected them to be when we saw this matchup on the schedule.
But even with that in mind, I’m excited to see Caitlin’s continued evolution and performance against elite defensive guards. In this case, I anticipate a healthy amount of Jackie Young against the Fever’s point guard. I don’t think we’ll see another 3-14 and 0-7 3PT performance from Caitlin, nor are we likely to see an 8/29 team shooting performance from beyond the arc.
Must-Watch Score: 7.5/10
New York Liberty (10-2) vs. Seattle Storm (7-5): 7:00 PM ET, League Pass
Why it’s worth a watch: It’s become abundantly clear that Jonquel Jones is the straw that stirs the Liberty drink. Without her, New York is a legitimately good team that can make a WNBA Finals. But with her, they might as well be 2024 South Carolina but in the W. She makes that much of a difference. Nyara Sabally has a bright future in this league but she’s not quite towards JJ’s level just yet (and that’s no knock on Nyara, JJ is a former MVP!). Which is why her status for this game against Seattle feels like the difference between a win and a loss.
If there is one place the Storm can kill teams, it’s in the frontcourt. Jones has the height advantage on Nneka Ogwumike and JJ’s versatility can contain the latter’s ability to score and move around the floor at all three levels. It becomes a much harder task to contain Nneka if you don’t have Jonquel in the lineup. If Seattle can manage a win over Vegas and New York in the same weekend to go 9-5 on the year, then I’ll start to feel much better about their prospects as a top end contender. The Liberty, on the other hand, need to start showing that they have the ability to overcome not having JJ on the floor for any amount of time.
Must-Watch Score: 7.5/10
Connecticut Sun (2-10) vs. Golden State Valkyries (6-6): 8:30 PM ET, League Pass
Why it’s worth a watch: With Eurobasket fully underway, the Golden State Valkyries went out and grabbed a bunch of journeywomen who promptly arrived and played a key role in beating Indiana. It’s clear that there’s a gap between teams that are good international scouters and those that aren’t. Put the Valks in the former category. That they’re able to find above-replacement-level WNBA players that are just parked over in Europe and plug them in is a testament to the organization and Natalie Nakase’s ability to coach.
It wouldn’t surprise me if this game got lopsided in a hurry but the thing about these types of players that jump right into a lineup is that inconsistency tends to be a feature. As well as they played against Indiana, they could also have a rough day against Connecticut and that would be pretty par for the course. But as much as the Sun play whistle-to-whistle, I think I may have started to drink the Golden State kool-aid. I love this team and believe in their ability to plug and play. We’ll see how well they can this weekend.
Must-Watch Score: 6.5/10