The WNBA is at a recess until mid-August for the Olympics, but so far, through 62.5% of the season, some ladies have separated themselves from their peers. A former MVP is hellbent on seizing her crown. The rookie class is outstanding, with multiple All-Stars. And tons of people are watching- the All-Star Game on Saturday had its largest audience ever, which was a 305% increase from 2023, and the match between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky on June 23 was the most-viewed WNBA game in 23 years, per ESPN Press Room.

Let’s review the difference-makers in the league…

A’ja Wilson is having a season for the ages:

She’s the most dominant force in the league and cannot be stopped with double teams or physical action. Wilson is on pace to have the highest-scoring season in WNBA history, surpassing Jewell Loyd’s 2023 campaign with the Seattle Storm. And she’ll easily outdo Sylvia Fowles’ 2018 rebounding record (404) if she keeps the pace of snagging 12 nightly. Note: the WNBA season was 34 games in 2018 instead of 40 now. Even at a 34-match clip, Wilson is on track to claim the glass crown by a few boards. 

The Las Vegas Aces are a loaded outfit with four stars and last season’s Sixth Woman of the Year winner, Alysha Clark, but they struggled without the help of W’s top playmaker, Chelsea Gray. In that span, the reigning Finals MVP (Wilson) carried the group, but it was to a 6-6 record. It’s unclear how much the voters will punish her for that. Yet, she’s a massive favorite in the sportsbooks to win her third MVP trophy.  DraftKings and FanDuel have her odds at -3000. Caesars Sportsbook has her at -3500.  

On defense, Wilson is a shot blocker, which means she stays in the backline unless caught in a switch or covering an outside option. Still, she can hedge to contest in time, but if her teammates aren’t maneuvering past screens well then Wilson is compromised. 

Wilson is averaging 27.2 points on 52.2% accuracy for the season, including 39.5% from deep, with 12 boards, 2.9 blocks, 1.9 steals and 2.4 assists per game.  

Since Gray’s comeback, her first outing since Oct. 15, 2023 (Game 3 of the Finals), Wilson is putting up 26.4 points on 53% shooting, with 36.4% from 3-point range, 12.4 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, two steals and 2.2 assists. 

Not many guards better than Caitlin Clark: 

Caitlin Clark ended the rookie of the year race in July with her triple-double in a win against the New York Liberty and her 19-assist outing in a loss versus the Dallas Wings. Her helpings output is the new WNBA record, passing Courtney Vandersloot’s 18 against the Indiana Fever on Aug. 31, 2020. The only other players to register a triple-double this season are Alyssa Thomas (2) and Layshia Clarendon (1).

She is the most doubled perimeter player in the league, yet seven ballers ((with at least 20 games played) are logging a higher usage percentage (Sabrina Ionescu, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd, Arike Ogunbowale, Chennedy Carter, A’ja Wilson and Kahleah Copper).

Clark is a superior playmaker to all of them because of her impact on her teammates and she’s the flashiest passer in the W, despite her high turnover count. To boot, the twice AP Player of the Year, is first in assists, first in double-doubles by a guard and third in minutes averaged. 

In transition, Clark will advance upcourt, producing herself or hitting a teammate in stride for an easy basket. Her most effective scoring method is attacking the rim, converting 63.2% of those attempts and that spot is second in her shot diet. Jumpers, pull-ups and step-back looks are taken with higher frequency, but supplied at an ineffectual rate, partly because of how close she is covered. Still, she’s tied for third in the league with Ogunbowale in 3-point baskets (71).

As her rookie campaign has progressed, she’s improved her assist/turnover numbers (2.27 through six games in July). That stat sits at a low 1.47 for the season, yet 99 of her 145 turnovers came from bad passes, per Basketball Reference.

So far, the latest number-one overall pick has been better than advertised, and her work is electrifying. Anyone who doubted her skills was worthy enough to make TEAM USA when the roster was released should review the fundamentals.

Chennedy Carter’s comeback is the best story this season:

The Atlanta Dream drafted Chennedy Carter fourth overall in 2020, but she didn’t last with the club because of conduct issues. Her next stop in Los Angeles ended prematurely for the same reason and she was out of the league in 2023. But this year, Carter is back and she’s been one of the best in the business and is at the top of her squad. 

Coach Teresa Weatherspoon initially had her coming off the bench for the first 12 games and then wised up because no one on the team breaks down a defender like her. The deep shot isn’t one of her weapons, but she supplies 72% of attempts in the restricted area, taking 29.8% of tries from that zone. Also of note: Carter hasn’t been a reserve since June 14, and she’s still second in bench points scored (155), trailing Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (185).

As a starter (12 games), Carter averages an insufficient 30.3 minutes per game. The former Aggie needs more time because she is likely the fastest player in the league with the ball, allowing her to create separation against her matchup without a screen. Her burst also establishes a lethal pick-and-roll ball handler option.

Her top game of the year was a winning effort on July 16 in Las Vegas against the Aces. Carter was the best guard in a game that featured Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. She scored on backdoor cuts, mid range jumpers, drivebys and fastbreak opportunities.

Not all young people are ready to be professionals when they land a top gig because they are late bloomers, too. Carter is capitalizing on her chance at redemption and becoming the player she was destined to be.

Marina Mabrey on the Connecticut Sun: 

Marina Mabrey asking out of Chicago is an organizational failure because the team was more talented than its record indicated.

Before the exchange that brought Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun for Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, and two first-round picks, the squad had a puncher’s chance to come out of the East. The New York Liberty is still favored, but the Sun is a more formidable rival with extra firepower.

Mabrey’s shooting splits aren’t stellar, as she is more of a wildcard sniper, but she catches lots of attention and sets up her teammates well. A third of her made triples were unassisted, and she led the Sky in assists before the trade, too. 

For Connecticut, the scoring burden is loosened off DeWanna Bonner, Brionna Jones and DiJonai Carrington’s shoulders because of Mabrey’s gravity plus scoring competence. Alyssa Thomas doesn’t have to work as hard to get them involved, which should conserve some of her energy for the fourth quarter as well.

The Sun made the right move to maximize its championship window by bringing in a player not far from All-Star caliber. She might blossom into one playing on a squad as deep and well-coached as Connecticut’s.

Further comments:

Angel Reese is a winning player and an All-Star rookie. She’s a high-level defender, gets others open with screens, limits opponents’ possessions and buys more for her team by pounding the glass. She’ll ascend into the league’s first echelon when she polishes her scoring near the rim and connects on open jumpers regularly. 

Don’t underestimate the Minnesota Lynx. The recent Commissioner’s Cup champs are the top defense and passing unit in the WNBA but are weak on the glass. 

It’s a lost season for the Wings as its record sits at 6-19. Satou Sabally’s shoulder injury has decimated the defense and the offense lacks significant help. Wings games this season are about watching Ogunbowale, who leads the WNBA in minutes (38.4,  field goal attempts (20.1) and steals (2.7), try to drag her team to the finish line. 

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The Orlando Magic have surpassed the Miami Heat as the top team in Florida with the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the sharpshooting, defensive ace. He leaves the Denver Nuggets after two seasons, registering 313 trifectas, 253 steals and 95 blocks combined between the regular campaign and Playoffs.

In year one as a Denver Nugget, the two-way guard instantly became the release valve on the perimeter, downing open trays. His screen navigation bought Nikola Jokić, a reputable weak defender before 2022, the spare moment to get into position, and the latter stopped being a liability. And the Pope also brought leadership- during the Playoff run, he wore his championship ring with the Los Angeles Lakers to inspire his teammates and keep them focused on the mission.

That quest ended with the Nuggets as champions. KCP was the sixth leading scorer (10.6) in the postseason and converted 38% of 3-point attempts. One of his finest moments of the ride was Game 4 of the Finals at Miami. He had three takeaways, blocked Bam Adebayo’s layup as a helper and rejected Jimmy Butler on a post-up with over five minutes left.

The Nuggets wanted to re-sign him, but at their end-of-the-season presser, hinted it wouldn’t be easy. President and owner Josh Kroenke said, “the core of this team was assembled under a different CBA, and we drafted and we developed, and we built this team under a different set of rules.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone once called KCP the missing piece.

Life without him will stress the starters. The squad has no replacement that matches his defensive persistence and marksmanship.

But now he wears Magic blue and supplements a 47-win group.

In 2023-24, Orlando deployed the third-strongest defense, had Paolo Banchero break out into an All-Star and capped out at Game 7 in the first round against the Cavaliers in Cleveland. Also, the Magic’s defensive rating (100) through seven Playoff matches was the sharpest of 16 qualifying teams. On top of that, they recorded 35.2% of hoisted threes through 82 outings and 30.9% against the Cavaliers.

KCP is a perfect match for the Magic. He and Jalen Suggs’ stinginess on the perimeter would rouse medieval lords. His deep shooting will enhance his teammates, particularly Banchero, because rival defenses won’t be able to trap low off the sniper.

So how do the Magic compare and contrast with the Heat?

Orlando’s backcourt- Suggs and KCP- is mightier defensively than Miami’s Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier. The former are more accurate from deep, too.

The shot creator category slightly favors Miami. The Heat have Butler, who can get what he wants against most matchups, and Adebayo fits here because of his rim attacks, screening and handoff action. The Magic have Banchero and Franz Wagner. Both have big man size and a vast arsenal with moves off the dribble.

The backline defense edge goes to the Magic due to their mobile size. Even if the club loses Wendell Carter Jr, Jonathan Isaac can be pushed into the starting unit. Isaac would have been a serious candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year crown if he had logged seven more games to meet the requirement.

The Heat’s Adebayo is arguably the top disruptor in the NBA. His backline partners were Nikola Jović, Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith. Jović is a developing pupil with promise as a helper but lacks experience. Martin was effective handling switches but will likely leave in free agency. Highsmith, who is 6-foot-7, showed instances of dominating one-on-one and helping defense, yet his issue is that some matchups are too strong or too tall for him.

The bench advantage goes to the Heat. Jaime Jaquez Jr. should emerge as its primary scorer because of his advanced footwork. Duncan Robinson is a shooting stimulus, yet he is the wildcard if coach Erik Spoelstra wants to get creative. As a reserve, Robinson was decent, recording 11.1 points nightly on 36.2% accuracy from 3-point range. But as a starter, he was among the finest marksmen in the NBA, downing 42% on over seven tries. And veteran Kevin Love is coming back, providing quality board work and deep shooting.

The Magic declined Mo Wagner’s team option, making him an unrestricted free agent. Reportedly, talks of a new deal with Wagner are possible, but a new squad could and should scoop him up. He was impactful, throwing his weight around on the glass, disrupting actions, and was an irritant. And Cole Anthony is a mid-level reserve.

Coaching is even. Spoelstra overachieves with his units and is likely keeping trusted lieutenant Chris Quinn around.

In 2023-24, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley led his troops to a 13-win improvement over the previous campaign, which was the highest mark in the Eastern Conference. His 2022-23 band improved by a dozen victories after the 2021-22 season.

Key player attendance is on the side of the Magic. Banchero is a 1A who logged 80 matches last season. Suggs made Second Team All-Defense and suited up for 75 nights. The other top three starters in games played appeared in a combined 153.

The Heat’s starters fused 245 outings. Word on the street is Butler wants to have a bounce back season for a new deal next summer. That would mean raising his rim pressure frequency plus efficiency and showing up in at least 75 games. He has only hit the latter marker twice in his career since draft night.

Banchero and Butler are in the same tier, but the former gives his club a significant lead if he is playing 24% more of the season.

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Three hours before Miami Heat games tip-off, assistant coach Chris Quinn is one of the team’s personnel, located on the hardwood, working out with a player or reviewing material on an iPad. On special occasions, Quinn will break out his old moves and challenge a player.

On Feb. 28, 2022, before the then FTX Arena was filled for the match against the Chicago Bulls, Quinn showed Heat forward Duncan Robinson a bit of his handle as Bam Adebayo diligently worked on his free throws. And when Dwyane Wade was on the team during the 2015-16 season, Quinn would warm up with him prior to game time.

Quinn is coach Erik Spoelstra’s trusted lieutenant- a liaison between the head and the players when a message needs to be understood and an advisor with whom to consult ideas. Given Quinn’s calm, cordial, public demeanor, he is Spoelstra’s Tom Hagen. Yet, he still jokes with his boss and friend about how he traded him in 2010 before the Big Three era. Spo’s counter is that he “didn’t have much pull” in the organization.

Quinn is a married, family man with three children. Professionally, he has been Spoelstra’s assistant since the 2014-15 campaign, the first following LeBron James’ departure to Cleveland. He’s developed players and his skills as a coach for seven Playoff trips, including two visits to the NBA Finals. When the Heat beat the Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, Quinn and the other Heat assistants congratulated Spoelstra on not being the first NBA coach to give up a 3-0 lead and lose a series.

In the past, former Heat captain Udonis Haslem said that whenever Quinn speaks, Spoelstra’s words fall from his lips. This is the same as back in the day with Pat Riley and his star center, Alonzo Mourning.

Quinn has a 2-0 record when put in charge of the team in Spoelstra’s absence for COVID protocols in 2022. After one of the games, Spo said, “He has the full trust of everybody… This is something that he has been developing for several years.”

Before that game, Quinn had a few hours to prepare.

When Quinn took over for the Heat’s match, hosting the Charlotte Hornets on April 5, 2022, the crew set a franchise record for made 3-pointers and points scored. “It’s 2022,” Quinn said jokingly. “You pass up the layups to get the threes.”

On another occasion Spoelstra missed because of personal matters, the Heat were beaten by the Brooklyn Nets in Miami by 15 points. At the postgame presser, Quinn somberly talked about giving up 40 marks in the second quarter, but his message was clear: there were no excuses to be made.

Before that, he was a four-year collegiate athlete at Notre Dame, playing point guard under coach Mike Brey. At school, he was named to the All-Big EastFirst Team and finished sixth in true shooting percentage (58.9), sixth in Fighting Irish history in steals (155), eighth in steals per game average (1.3), and ninth in made 3-point field goals (239). In his freshman year, the team made it as far as the West regional semifinal, losing to Arizona.

He advanced to the NBA, playing for the Heat as one of their undrafted gems in a year they had no picks. In fact, he earned his gig by performing well in the summer league. He later worked for the San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets, and Cleveland Cavaliers over six seasons. Quinn also had a stint in Russia during the lockout season and then played in Spain the following year.

As a former pro, Quinn has credibility with players because he understands the business and the anxieties that come with it, making him relatable.

Given the type of player he was as an off-ball shooter, he must see the game through the lens of a marksman. Lots of misdirection and off-ball movement would likely be an emphasis of his half-court offense.

“A lot of us in the Heat culture have in common [that] we are super competitive,” Quinn said during a summer league interview with ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez. “For better or worse, if things aren’t going the way we all think they should be going, we have a level of accountability. We talk to each other…”

In the summer of 2024, Quinn’s name surfaced for potential head coaching vacancies. The Heat gave permission to the Lakers and Cavaliers to interview him. The former post went to ESPN broadcaster, podcaster, and former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick. Redick’s only coaching prior experience is instructing youth basketball. The latter spot went to Kenny Atkinson.

Last year, the Milwaukee Bucks were granted permission to interview him for their spot after Mike Budenholzer’s dismissal, but they chose Adrian Griffin, who lasted 43 games as head coach.

When an organization takes a chance on Quinn, they’ll have someone with credible coaching insight who has paid his dues. He is ready to lead or fill any need.

The WNBA players chosen to represent the United States in Olympic competition are a supergroup that can decimate any squad in their way and should leave Paris with another gold medal.

Yet Caitlin Clark’s absence has upset people. Their ire should not be directed at the decision-makers who excluded her but rather at the league’s TV partners and editors/producers who decided what got covered throughout the years.

Clark did not attend Team USA camp because she played in the NCAA tournament. Still, had she gone, it would have been difficult to snag a spot from any top-shelf players with experience in Olympic competition or the first-timers because of her slight frame, which could allow opponents to take advantage of her on defense and her high turnover rate.

To Clark’s credit, she is the most schemed player in the league, ensuring one of her teammates is open. But because the Indiana Fever is a rebuilding outfit, its depth is weak, and many of Clark’s passes aren’t converted into baskets. If her squad didn’t have so many scoring liabilities or suspect coaching, Clark would shine brighter in the assist and field goal percentage department while already having a notable rookie campaign.

But when news of the roster dropped, it was like a grenade burst. The pundits on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe, probably mean well, but they are so misguided that they gaslighted their expert panelist, Andraya Carter, and the WNBA with comments, “Do they want to grow the game?”

I’m glad they went there, even after Monica McNutt told SAS on his show that he could have done more to highlight the WNBA.

The problem with “Do they want to grow the game?” is that it indicates the coverage is a failure. Clark is not the W’s first superstar, nor its best currently, yet she’s treated like it by people with a large platform. If those like Smith, Sharpe and others were sincerely interested in championing women’s basketball, where were they when A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart were rookies? They were better at the time than what Clark is currently.

So how do great players like Wilson and Stewart remain behind Clark in popularity? Clark finished her collegiate career as one of the best players ever and the all-time leader in NCAA Division 1 scoring, surpassing “Pistol” Pete Maravich. Still, this is about partners and the media not understanding how sweet the product is.

I contacted First Take’s producer, Mike Foss, and ESPN’s public relations multiple times, asking on how many occasions was the WNBA or its subjects discussed on the show in 2022, 2023, and 2024. No answer was returned.

Wilson is the top player in the league; Alyssa Thomas is a quarterbacking big who has led her team to the top record in the WNBA; Stewart is the reigning MVP, and she came back from an Achilles tear in 2019; Sabrina Ionescu is a historical sniper with excellent playmaking skills; Arike Ogunbowale is a fierce scorer; Diana Taurasi is still blasting; And Brittney Griner remains a force.

Imagine how ahead the WNBA would be if a league partner or regular media highlighted those women’s professional activities correctly.

Wising up now would go a long way because growing a league takes a lot of years. For example, when the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers won the 1977 championship over the Philadelphia 76ers, TV coverage didn’t follow to the locker room for the party. The broadcast cut to a live feed of golf’s Kemper Open, per David Halberstam’s The Breaks of the Game. The NBA was 28 years old at the time.

The WNBA is in its 28th season, growing slowly but surely. Hopefully, people like Smith and Sharpe cover the W’s ladies competing in the Olympics no differently than if Clark had made the team.

Pity those who missed out on Thursday’s Commissioner’s Cup action.

The Indiana Fever got their fourth win (4-10). Jackie Young went ballistic in the second quarter of the Aces’ dub over the Mercury. And the Storm countered Arike Ogunbowale’s production with six triples and 13 points on the break in their victory.

Let’s review what happened…

Aliyah Boston returns to form + Kelsey Mitchell’s big night in the Fever’s win:

First-quarter foul trouble sat Boston down for a few minutes, but she was confident and hungry, leading her team to a victory against the Atlanta Dream. She threw her weight around setting on plus off-ball screens, powered through the post, recovered five extra possessions and protected the lane well.

Her best spurts came in the second and fourth quarter. During the former sequence, Boston nailed two free throws, made a putback, and scored on Tina Charles twice at close range on post and face-up plays. In the latter interval, she bailed out the squad after the offense fell apart, bludgeoning the square on drives and a putback to outduel Rhyne Howard.

After the game, Fever coach Christie Sides said Boston was undeniable. “She played extremely well, really physical, didn’t back down and finished great, great shots at the rim tonight.”

Boston finished with 27 points on 12 of 21 tries, with 13 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a turnover. Ten of her points came in the fourth quarter.

And Mitchell detonated for 24 points on seven of 14 shots. She was explosive off the dribble and connected on a mid-range shot plus three trays, including fumbling up one from the left corner to end the first half. Subsequently, Mitchell scored on a broken play at close range with 45 seconds left and earned multiple trips to the line, burying six freebies.

The Las Vegas Aces go on tour, beating the Phoenix Mercury:

A’ja Wilson carried her group to start, scoring 10 of their first 12 first-quarter points by converting two mid-range and two turnaround jumpers in the paint and scoring a putback. The rest of the Aces registered zero of 11 buckets partly because Brittney Griner was causing havoc as a low help defender. Kelsey Plum logged the team’s other two points at the line, yet the squad fell behind by 16 points to end the frame.

On the other side, Diana Taurasi hit a baseline jumper in transition, flared into the lane for a layup, scored against drop coverage at the cup and canned a right-wing trifecta, totaling 10 points through 10 minutes. Sophie Cunningham chipped in with seven points on three of four attempts.

Then Jackie Young dribbled into five triples between the top of the key and left side and burst into the lane in transition, making a bucket with contact. She had 21 points in the second quarter, and the Mercury tallied 23.

In the second half, Wilson and Young combined for 30 of the Aces’ 49 points on 45% accuracy. Young’s jumper in the paint over Kahleah Copper gave the Aces a four-point edge with 46 seconds left.

Wilson had 32 points on 10 of 17 attempts, with 15 rebounds (six on offense), two assists, one steal, two blocks and three turnovers. And Young notched 34 marks on 47.8% accuracy, with eight rebounds (four on offense), four assists, one steal and three turnovers.

Seattle Storm shoot down the Wings in Dallas:

For the Wings, Arike Ogunbowale made a left-corner banger, banked in a half-court heave, and dribbled past Jewell Loyd to the cup for a left-handed layup. And Teaira McCowan and Maddy Siegrist kept the understaffed Wings in the first half, scoring off-ball and recording four fastbreak points.

But the Storm were up 48-40 at halftime, led by Loyd’s 15 points and Skylar Diggins-Smith’s dozen. Additionally, the visitors had 16 points off turnovers and two via an extra try.

Next, Ogunbowale scored 14 second-half points, making one freebie plus two mid-range shots and recording three trifectas. Kalani Brown added four of five baskets. And McCowan made three offerings at close range.

But it wasn’t enough.

Defensively, the Storm forced seven turnovers in the second half. On offense, the group supplied seven points on the break between Sami Whitcomb, Jordan Horston and Diggins-Smith. Diggins-Smith hit a floater on the baseline and another in the paint on a pick-and-roll set with Ezi Magbegor as well. And Nneka Ogwumike connected on a 3-pointer, putback, two layups and two free throws. Ogwumike’s freebies came with under two minutes left, putting the Storm ahead by nine points.