The Guru’s WNBA + UPSHOT Reports: Miles Only Rookie on 10 WNBA All-Star Starters; Dallas and Washington Rally While Phoenix Cruises to Third Straight
By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsgurux
With the first stage of the WNBA 30TH anniversary season concluded earlier in the week, 13 teams at rest except for New York Tuesday snapping out of its recent funk to become the first to win two Commissioner’s Cups, beating Las Vegas 93-85 at home before 15,112 at home in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn a week after beating the defending season champs out West, three games were played Thursday to start the next stage running to the All-Star game late this month in Chicago at the NBA Bulls’ United Center (July 25, 8:30 p.m., ABC).
Earlier Thursday, the ten starters for that game were revealed from a combination vote of 50 percent by fans, and 25 percent each from media and current players.
Voters had to name four guards and six front court players with Indiana leading with representatives Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell in the backcourt and Aliyah Boston up front, followed by Dallas with guard and second-year pro Paige Bueckers and forward Jessica Shepard, and first-place Minnesota landing forward Natasha Howard and guard Olivia Miles, the second overall pick last April and only rookie in the group of ten.
Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, who missed Tuesday’s game with the Aces due to a minor injury in Chicago Sunday, two-time MVP Breanna Stewart, who was the Cup MVP with New York, and Gabby Williams of second-year Golden State were the other three named.
Coaches will select 12 reserves for the rest of the roster, prohibited from picking their own players in the vote for three guards, five front court players, and four without regard to position with picks announced next week.
In recent years the top two were named captains and chose their teams from the pool but this year legends Teresa Weatherspoon and Cynthia Cooper will serve as honorary general managers with the coaches being the two with the best records after next Friday’s games without regard to conference affiliation, which is the same as the eight seed determination in this fall’s playoffs.
While Atlanta will likely have reserves picked, free agent signee Angel Reese, the double-double leader, called it “disrespectful” no one from the Dream was picked, speaking more on behalf of teammates Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray.
Azzi Fudd, the number one pick overall in April by Dallas out of UConn was hurt by ranking 28th by players, many of whom didn’t vote for varying reasons, while fourth with fans and 15th by media.
In casting ballots, players are not ranked but a weighted system determines the outcome.
Yours truly had a ballot and was 8-for-10, the difference voting for Reese and Jonquel Jones, whose season profile was higher at the time of the vote, and missing on Shepard and Williams, who were considered before making the choices.
Dallas Led by Bueckers Rallies on Connecticut
Reigning rookie of the year Paige Bueckers made her second return to her collegiate roots, this time the game moved from the Mohegan Sun Arena to the nearby PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford before a crowd of 14,578 and scored 11 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter while Jessica Shepard collected 14 as the Wings (12-8) rallied to an 86-83 victory over the Sun (4-16).
Connecticut is playing several games away from home in the state in its last season before undergoing new NBA ownership in Houston next season.
In a wild finish, Beckers’ three-point play with 1:18 left put Dallas up 81-78, its first lead since 16-15, but Aaliyah Edwards knotted the game with a 3-point shot.
There were 25 seconds left when Connecticut guard Leila Lacan, the Sun down a point, missed a shot after dribbling down the clock and Shepard grabbed the rebound and scored two from the line with 2.9 left to seal the outcome.
The UConn affiliation of Bueckers and Fudd, the last two No. 1 picks, was the prime motivation for the game in Hartford.
Dallas trailed by as many as 14 and Bueckers also had seven boards and seven assists while reaching 25 points her fourth straight game.
Reserve Alanna Smith had 11 for the Wings and reserve Maddy Siegrist, Villanova’s all-time scorer, had seven points in 13 minutes.
Siegrist’s alma mater recently reported raising a record $36.4 million during fiscal year 2026 in its athletic fund, according to a national daily athletic director newsletter, raised from 7,411 donors making 13,535 gifts, including 62 gifts of at least $100,000 reaching $24 million.
The same publication Wednesday reported Penn State A.D. Pat Kraft in a letter to fans says the athletics program has gained more than $1 billion in future revenue.
The school recently left Nike after 33 years for a10-year partnership with adidas worth up to $300 million.
Back to the game, Connecticut’s Lacan scored 18, Edwards had 11 off the bench, rookie Charlisse Leger-Walker, one of a record six WNBA draftees from NCAA champion UCLA, including a record five first-rounders, scored 14, Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 11, while Brittney Griner had 13 points and 11 boards.
“Down the the stretch, I thought we were really good coming out of timeouts and executing on the road,” said first-year coach Jose Fernandez. “Third and fourth quarter we made shots, which were huge, but we also made defensive stops, which were needed.”
Austin and Iriafen Lead Washington in Rally Over Atlanta
Shakira Austin had 21points while second-year pro Kiki Iriafen had 14 points and 10 boards as the host Mystics (10-9) took an 86-71victory over the Dream (12-8) before 4,200 at the small CareFirst Arena in the nation’s capital.
Iriafen has eight double-doubles on the season.
Washington has the youngest WNBA roster.
Iriafen’s layups on consecutive possessions made it 78-74 with 1:20 left and Georgia Amoore, who scored 11points, clinched it with a pair from the line with 11.4 left.
The Mystics were without second-year pro Sonia Citron due to right knee soreness after scoring 32 in Sunday’s one-point marathon home win in four overtimes.
Reserve Alicia Florez added 13 points and seven assists while Lucy Olsen, the former Villanova and Iowa player, made a 3-pointer in her only attempt in five minutes off the bench.
The Dream’s Rhyne Howard scored 24 propelled by five makes from deep while Allisha Gray had 17 points while Angel Reese had 13 points and 13 boards and Jordin Canada had 10 points.
A first-half deficit of nine at 41-32 at the break was caused by 18 turnovers, Washington finished with 27, and taking 22 less shots than the visitors.
But the home team responded in the third with five threes to move in front 60-56 and go on to hand Atlanta its fourth straight loss -all on the road.
“Atlanta did a really good job speeding us up,” Washington coach Sydney Johnson said, afterwards. “We were incredibly reckless with the basketball. But this is a team that did not quit. And while we weren’t playing well and kind of set the game back a few years I just thought our togetherness and toughness – there wasn’t any finger pointing, there was accountability and ownership and if you can kind of have character and overcome things.”
On the other side, Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said, “Obviously, a disappointing loss, disappointing fourth quarter.
“They played hard and got some big baskets down the stretch and got the win today.”
Copper Leads Phoenix Over Seattle
Suddenly the Mercury (8-13), who advanced to the finals last season but has struggled in the front end of this one, are starting to stir with a third-straight win, gaining an easy 90-67 triumph over visiting Seattle (5-16) before a crowd of 10,055 at Mortgage Matchup Arena in the Arizona desert.
Rutgers grad Kahleah Copper out of North Philadelphia had 23 of her 30 points in the first half and Valeriane Ayayi overall had 18 points.
Phoenix dominated the boards 40-29.
The Mercury’s Lexi Held scored17 propelled by a career-high five makes from distance.
Additionally, Alyssa Thomas just missed another triple double with nine points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists.
Seattle has won just a single game in 10 road stops to date.
Rookie Awa Fam and Natisha Hiedeman got 13 points each for the Storm while rookie Flau’jae Johnson out of LSU and Jade Melbourne each scored 11 points.
Seattle’s Ezi Magbegor, who missed her first 20 games with a foot injury, debuted with eight points in 17 minutes.
Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts was out with an illness as former Maryland star Kristi Tolliver, the associate head coach filled in and Thomas returned from a one game suspension on a defensive play on Indiana’s Clark.
“Having AT on the floor is important,” Copper said. “To have her back out there is everything.”
Looking Ahead
On Friday night on the ION doubleheader, New York gets another challenge on a visit from first-place Minnesota at 7:30 p.m., followed at 10 p.m. by Chicago at Las Vegas.
The league has two games on the July 4th holiday Saturday, Atlanta hosts Golden State at 1 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+ followed by expansion Portland at Seattle at 9 p.m. on League Pass.
On Sunday, two more games have Indiana at Las Vegas at 7 p.m.and Disney+ coming after Dallas earlier in the day visits expansion Toronto at 3 p.m. on League Pass.
Monday has three games with League Pass carrying Golden State at Washington at 7:30 p.m., Connecticut at Minnesota at 8 p.m., and at 10 p.m. on USA Net Seattle visits Los Angeles.
Looking Ahead UPSHOT
With Jacksonville (11-3) holding a wide first-place lead by 4.5 games in the new four-team developmental UPSHOT League, on Friday, the Waves, who ended Charlotte’s six-game run with a two-game sweep last weekend, host the Crown (7-8) at 7 p.m., while at the same time the Savannah Steel (7-8) host the Greensboro Groove (5-11).
Everyone stays in place Sunday with Jacksonville tipping off at 2 p.m. against the Crown, while Savannah hosts Greensboro at 3 p.m.
Games can be viewed free on the league’s YouTube channel.
posted by Mel Greenberg | 9:48 AM
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