The Guru’s WNBA Roundup: Indiana Without Clark Snaps 16-Game Losing Streak to ‘Vegas; Cloud Leads New York Out of Three-Game Losing Streak; Dallas Wins Starting Four Rookies; Olsen Stars in Washington Loss at Minnesota

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

A day ahead of the nation’s birthday which is associated with an array of celebratory fireworks across the country, the WNBA’s five-game package Thursday night was explosive all by itself.

The recently crowned Commissioner’s Cup champion Indiana Fever (9-8), still missing Caitlin Clark to a groin injury, her fourth straight game, erupted at home in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse before a crowd of 16,5009 in Indianapolis to defeat Las Vegas 81-54, ending a 16-game losing streak to the Aces (8-9).

In New York, the defending WNBA champion Liberty (12-5) parted with a three-game losing streak at the back end of a recent road trip and erupted in the third quarter to rally on the way to an 89-79 win over Los Angeles (5-13) before a near-sellout crowd of 15,956 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Minnesota (15-2) erupted from its Commissioner’s Cup loss at home to Indiana by cruising to a 92-75 win over the Washington Mystics (8-10), who dropped to ninth a half-game behind Las Vegas, holding the eighth and final playoff spot, albeit a long way to go before the seeds are determined in early September.

A crowd of 8,824 at the Target Center in Minneapolis watched the game.

Dallas (6-13) set a WNBA record starting four rookies, including overall No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers out of NCAA champion UConn, and the Wings took flight upsetting Phoenix 98-89 at home before a crowd of 6,162 at College Park Center in on the campus of Texas-Arlington in the suburbs, dropping the Mercury (12-6) to third a half-game behind New York and 3.5 behind Minnesota.

The two teams meet again Monday night at 10 p.m. in Phoenix.

The change in the standings between second and third on the deadline date to name the two All-Star coaches with the best overall records for the game in Indianapolis on July 19 (8:30 p.m., ABC) made New York’s Sandy Brandello the second coach joining Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve, the formal La Salle Star from South Jersey.

Dallas, since mid-June, has won five of its last seven games and is now just three games behind the eighth playoff spot held by Las Vegas.

The other game on Thursday was a thriller, Seattle (11-7) edging Atlanta 80-79 at Gateway Center in suburban College Park before a crowd of 3,265, and moving into a fourth-place tie with the host Dream (11-7) a game behind Phoenix and one ahead of the expansion Golden State Valkyries (9-7), which was idle but after the the WNBA is dark Friday for the holiday, visits Minnesota Saturday at 8 p.m., while the other game that day has Los Angeles at Indiana at 7 p.m. on NBA-TV.

Indiana Blasts Way out of a 16-Game losing Streak to Las Vegas

No Caitlin Clark again, no problem, the same unintended formula that succeeded two days ago in Minnesota, the Lynx defended into their lowest scoring total of the season, worked again at home against the Aces, who shot a season-low 26 percent from the field and committed 17 turnovers.

Kelsey Mitchell scored 25 for the Fever, who shot 49 percent, while Aliya Boston scored 20, and Commissioner’s Cup MVP Natasha Howard double doubled with 11 points and 10 boards.

Indiana couldn’t ‘t stop Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson, the reigning WNBA MVP who scored 29 points, shooting 9-18 from the field and 11-13 from the line, but the rest of the Aces were held in check shooting 16 percent and no one scoring more than six points.

Closing the first half on a 25-7 run Indiana led 46-24.

The last Indiana series win came in 2019, and Mitchell is the only player from that team still on the Fever roster.

The Fever host Las Angeles in Saturday’s other game at 7 p.m. on NBA-TV.

Three Sunday games have New York hosting Seattle at 1 p.m. on CBS, Las Vegas at Connecticut at 4 p.m., and Minnesota hosting Chicago at 7 p.m.

Monday’s other game has Golden State at Atlanta at 7:30 p.m.

Cloud and Ionescu Lead New York Rally Over Los Angeles

Besides her skill as one of the WNBA’s top point guards, Saint Joseph’s alum Natasha Cloud out of Broomall in suburban Philadelphia has been on a scoring burst in recent games, Thursday, scoring 11 of her 23 in the third quarter to light a comeback for the Liberty against the visiting Sparks.

Sabrina Ionescu collected 20 points and Breanna Stewart scored 17 with 14 boards.

Trailing 53-42 in the middle of the third quarter, Cloud completed a three-point play and New York continued a 13-0 run followed by Ionescu scoring 10 straight as the Liberty went up 63-59 and by the end of the third extended it to 69-59.

“I don’t think there’s complacency on this team, there just has to be attention to detail,” Cloud said of the way things were going and the turnaround. “From the moment we tip off we have to bring it defensively.

“We started slow today, obviously, so we have to figure it out in our locker room. Everyone locked in from the middle of the third and we took it from there.”

 

Los Angeles cut that in half with 3:30 left in regulation but Leonie Fiebich, recently returned from an international tourney in Europe, zipped a 3-pointer to claim the win.

Dearica Hamby scored 25 for the Sparks, which had former Tennessee star Rae Burrell return from injuring her knee in the league opener, playing 12 minutes after entering the game in the first quarter and scoring five points.

Julie Vanloo, who came on a long flight from the same tourney all the way to San Francisco to learn she had been waived by expansion Golden State and then was claimed by the Sparks two hours before Thursday’s tipoff, played two minutes in the second quarter.

Jonquel Jones, MVP of the Finals for New York, continues to be sidelined with a sprained ankle, telling the media Wednesday, she’s making progress but did not put any forecast of when she’ll return.

Minnesota and Collier Bounce Back from Cup Loss

Napheesa Collier, who was muffled by Indiana in the Commissioner’s Cup game, regained her high-scoring ability at the expense of visiting Washington collecting 28 points, while Courtney Williams had 10 points, six boards, eight assists and five steals for the Lynx’s third straight regular season win.

“Obviously, she was a little more aggressive and it was good she got back in that mold,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said of Collier. “Phee got it going and that’s what you need, you need the MVP to be the MVP.”

“I like coming into the stretch we are getting quality minutes for players.”

The only statistic associated with the in-season tournament Cup crown was the records of the two teams to award the better one hosting rights.

Minnesota blew the game wide open in the third outscoring the Mystics 27-14.

Alanna Smith and Kayla McBride each scored 10 points or the Lynx, who converted 28 points out of 20 Washington miscues.

In her second big performance to date, rookie Lucy Olsen, the former Villanova and Iowa star, came off the bench scoring a career-best 19 points, shooting 7-10 from the field, while Aaiyah Edwards, reported to be involved in Mystics trade talks, scored 15, while Shakira Austin scored 10.

Brittney Sykes, Washington’s leading scorer at 18.6 per game, was held to 2-9 from the field and produced just seven points.

The Lynx finished the first half on a 17-5 run.

Minnesota, in one of two games Collier missed with a back injury, had lost to Washington earlier.

Dallas Rookies Shine Over Phoenix

 Newcomer Aziaha James, drafted in April out of N.C. State, exploded for 20 of her 28 points in the first half against visiting Phoenix, which lost its second straight after a six-game win streak.

Paige Bueckers, the overall No. 1 pick, scored 23, while JJ Quinerly, taken out of West Virginia, scored a personsal-best with 17 points, while Luisa Geiselsoder scored four among the rookie starting contingent with second-year pro Li Yueru, who scored 10-12 from the line and contributed 12 points with 11 boards.

James had five from deep and grabbed six boards with six assists.

Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper, the Rutgers grad from North Philadelphia, had 33 points, the 11th 30+ game of her career.

The Mercury’s Satou Sabally scored 20 and rookie Monique Akoa Makani had 14 points. Alyssa Thomas added nine points, 10 assists and seven boards.

Dallas shot to a 32-20 lead following the first quarter, making 10-13 from the field, including three from deep, and was also 9-9 on the line.

In the third quarter, Thomas got the Mercury within four at 6-7-63 but James, who took over in the second quarter, got the Wings on the day to a double-digit 82-71 lead heading to the final period.

Seattle Nips the Dream

In the Storm edging Atlanta on the road, Nneka Ogwumike scored 24 points and moved into seventh place on the WNBA’s list of all-time scorers.

The winning play came from Skylar Diggins, scoring on a driving layup with 3.4 seconds left.

Erica Wheeler collected 21 points for the Storm, while Diggins and Gabby Williams each scored 11.

“Skylar’s going to do Skylar things,” Ogwumike said of Diggins, who had been ill. “She’s relentless. She just keeps going. There’s just a dog and fire in her that’s lit all the time. You know she is literally the head of our snake.”

As the game wound down to its final minute, Ogwumike had a three-point play, Naz Hillmon scored for the Dream and then Ogwumike connected to make it 77-75, the home team still in front.

The Dream’s Jordin Canada hit two foul shots with 51 seconds left.

Ogwumike missed a shot from deep, but Diggins got the offensive board and Wheeler hit a three that was tightly contested to trail 79-78 with 32.1 second left in regulation.

Maya Caldwell missed a long-range attempt for Atlanta and then Diggins got the ball to score the game-winner.

Canada had 25 points for the Dream, while Brionna Jones scored 18 with 10 boards.

Ogwumike now has 6,815 points passing former Rutgers star Cappie Pondexter (6,811), recently inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and Sue Bird (6,803), who was also inducted and will be welcomed into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with the 2025 Class in Springfield, Mass., in early September.

The game was tight all night with nine ties and 25 lead changes and neither the Storm nor Dream led by more than seven points.