Welcome! 🎉 In an effort to stop spamming my friends with constant women’s basketball updates, I’ve created this newsletter. I know—so generous of me. No need to thank me! I’m here to keep you informed on most things WBB.

Table of Contents

• WNBA Preview: Commissioner’s Cup, All-Star Voting …

• Fred’s Power Rankings

  • New York Liberty 9-1

  • Minnesota Lynx 10-1

  • Atlanta Dream 8-3

  • Phoenix Mercury 8-4

  • Seattle Storm 6-5

  • Indiana Fever 5-5

  • Las Vegas Aces 5-5

  • Washington Mystics 4-6

  • Los Angeles Sparks 4-8

  • Chicago Sky 3-7

  • Connecticut Sun 2-8

• Hoops & Hype: Media Picks

  • Film Session: WBB Highlights & Insights 📽️

  • Booked & Busy: WBB Reads 👓

  • Drip Report 💧

WNBA Preview: Commissioner’s Cup, All-Star Voting & Eurobasket

All-Star voting is open! It closes June 28th

It’s Commissioner’s Cup season, and teams are battling it out for a shot at the $500,000 prize pool. I’ll save y’all some time—it will be Lynx vs. Liberty at Barclays, unless one of them goes on a wild losing streak.

Learn more on the WNBA website

What to Know 

• Commissioner’s Cup games run from June 1–17

• It’s East vs. West

• Point differential matters in case of a tie

• The #1 team by point differential gets to host the Cup

• Each team selects an organization to donate winnings to

Another event impacting the WNBA right now is the start of EuroBasket, a biennial international women’s basketball competition between national teams in FIBA Europe.

It matters because it takes place during the WNBA season, and several international players (plus some Americans with dual citizenship) will leave for about two weeks to compete.

Most international teams have a rule of 1 to 2 foreign players, which is why you’ll see some WNBA players pick up second citizenships. For example, Dallas’ Teaira McCowan holds Turkish citizenship so she can compete.

Fred’s Power Rankings

New York Liberty 9-1

Rough game for the Liberty this week, as we were without Leo (EuroBasket) and JJ (ankle), leaving our defense weakened against the Fever—and Caitlin Clark, who went Super Saiyan on us. My god. Luckily, Sabrina matched her energy, so it wasn’t as completely embarrassing.

It further proves that Jonquel is our MVP, Leo anchors our defense, and without them, we’re just OK. Stewie and Nyara also looked good, but Natasha Cloud did a disappearing act. Everyone has a bad game—I’m not worried. I’m very happy that Jonquel will be returning for the game against Atlanta on Tuesday. It’ll be an entertaining game that I truly think could go either way. I feel like the Libs will pull it off after being embarrassed on national TV Saturday.

The reason I still have us at number one, as opposed to the 10–1 Lynx, is because we lost without key starting pieces. The Lynx lost with their starters playing. Lol.

Oh, and I hope Germany loses soon so Leo can come back. Germany hosts the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2026, so they made the tournament anyway.

 International Leaves: Leonie Fiebich left for EuroBasket to play for Germany.

Nyara Sabally withdrew from Eurobasket and will remain with the team

Marine Johannes will NOT be leaving to play for France

Minnesota Lynx 10-1

The Lynx suffered their first loss of the season after getting hit with a sneak attack from the Seattle Storm. Once again, when both Courtney and Natisha are off their game, the Lynx become noticeably more vulnerable—something I still believe cost them the championship last season. It begs the question: is Court truly a championship-level point guard? They need more consistency from her if they want to go all the way.

That said, it was obvious the Lynx were pissed about the loss, because they turned around and gave the Sparks an all-time ass whooping. Napheesa had 26/6/6 by halftime. At this rate, the only way Phee’s losing the MVP is if she gets injured and misses a chunk of the season.

Update: The Lynx signed Russian player Maria Kliundikova, and you can already see how seamlessly she fits into the squad. They desperately needed a backup big who can give them solid minutes, especially with the always-injured Alanna Smith constantly sidelined. Kliundikova looks like she might be exactly what they’ve been missing.

International Leaves: Marième Badiane was waived. She will also be playing in Eurobasket. Jessica Shepard was temporarily waived for Eurobasket to play for Italy.

@kclo239

“That little crush, that I thought I had. Is out the window!” 😤👋🏽🪟Natisha on being done with her crush on Skylar Diggins. 6/12 #studbudz #... See more

Atlanta Dream 8-3

Y’all… the Dream look so damn GOOD. They are the real deal. The Rhyne and Allisha duo has been absolutely nuclear to start the season. In the game against the Mystics, Allisha dropped 32 points on 71% shooting. Then against Chicago, Rhyne went off for 36 points and 8 rebounds, hitting NINE threes to tie the WNBA record. (Sure, she went 9-for-19 from deep—but hey, that’s what the Celtics do and they win, so no complaints lol.)

Rhyne’s also putting together an All-Defense–type season, leading a team that currently ranks second in defensive rating, just behind the Liberty.

With the return of Jordin Canada—who’s clearly still working back into game shape—Rhyne finally gets the chance to play more off the ball, where she thrives. And let’s not forget: Bri Jones is HOOPING and locking down the paint alongside BG. This is exactly the kind of support Rhyne has needed for years, and I’m so glad Smesko saw the vision.

Today (June 17th) is going to be a real test for the Dream as they face the Liberty. But without Leonie, I honestly think they have a great shot at taking the W.

International Leaves: 0

Phoenix Mercury 8-4 

Coming off two strong games, the Mercury are finally whole again with the return of Kahleah Copper, Natasha Mack, and Alyssa Thomas. Satou meant it when she said she’d hold it down until they got back—and she absolutely did. We only saw limited minutes from Kah on Sunday, but that’s to be expected as they ease her back in.

Phoenix honestly has my favorite group of role players this season. I've loved watching Sami, Westbeld, Lexi Held, and Monique Makani show out. The big question now is how Nate Tibbetts will balance all this talent—who gets the ball? One thing I noticed and really liked: Nate always had at least one of his Big 3 on the bench at all times. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: prioritizing rest and smart rotations is going to be crucial to playoff success this year.

We’ll get a good look at where they stand on Thursday when they face the Liberty—Natasha Cloud’s first game against her former team. Unfortunately, this is on Juneteenth, so I’ll be on somebody’s brownstone in Harlem instead of at the game Riiiipppp

UPDATES: 

International Leaves: Natasha Mack will NOT be leaving for EuroBasket to play for Montenegro. Sevgi Uzun was waived because she will be playing for Turkey. 

Seattle Storm 6-5

This week was a tale of two Storms. They handed the Lynx their first loss of the season behind a monster performance from Erica Wheeler—and honestly, the whole squad. This is the Storm team people are afraid of. They used Domonique’s length to basically take Phee out of the game, holding her to an uncharacteristic 9-of-23 from the field. And let’s not forget—this was also the game where both Court and Natisha had abysmal performances. Gabby Williams, on the other hand, put up 12/8/7 and is making a very solid case for All-Star this year.

Unfortunately, that version of the Storm stayed in Seattle, because when they went down to Golden State, they got beat by a team of role players (complimentary). This inconsistency is something the Storm still have time to work through, but it also shows how much they miss Jordan Horston this season.

They should get back on track tonight—they’re playing the Sparks and, in theory, should absolutely murder them. But in this league, anybody can get got on any given night.

International Leaves: Coach Pokey Chapman will be leaving to coach the Brazlilian National Team sometime between June 28 and July 6.

@wnba

After nailing the dagger to break the Lynx's win streak, Erica Wheeler delivered an emotional postgame interview 🔥 #WNBA #Basketball

Indiana Fever 5-5

She’s bacccccckkkkkkkkkk. Caitlin Clark returned to action on Saturday and went on an absolute heater to torch the Liberty. She finished with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, shooting 7-of-14 from three. With Leonie out of the Liberty lineup, CC had the green light to go off—until they finally put Stewie on her (which, in my opinion, Sandy did way too late).

Most notably, it wasn’t just Caitlin who showed out—the entire team stepped up. They got strong minutes from AB, Syd Colson, Lexie, Kelsey, and even Sophie Cunningham, who was a wild +31 on the night. This was exactly the bounce-back game the Fever needed after a rocky, Caitlin-less stretch.

Let me tell you something, I didn’t watch this game for my mental health, but I just watched some clips of Marine guarding CC, and I am mad at Sandy lmfao. Be Serious!! No wonder she was just shooting that bitch.

This game showed that the Fever can be considered legit playoff contenders when everything’s clicking. Their schedule gets a bit easier over the next few games, so they should be able to rack up some wins. That said, I’m curious to see how they match up against the Valkyries on Thursday.

As for the rivalry talk, Fever fans are really trying to force a Liberty–Fever rivalry, but honestly, they should be cultivating that energy with the Dream. Those two teams are bad matchups for each other, and every game feels like a true chess match. Let’s be real: the Liberty were down two starters. If we’re talking about building rivalries, the Dream might be the better bet.

International Leaves: Domntas Domas will be leaving the team between June 28th and July 6th to play for the Brazilian national Team

@wnba

All facts. 25 PTS | 5 REB | 3 AST | 6 3PM at the HALF! #caitlinclark #WNBA

Golden State Valkyries 5-5

The Golden State Valkyries continue to be impressive as hell. They temporarily lost four players to EuroBasket and still haven’t missed a beat. In a big win over the Storm, we got a breakout game from French rookie Carla Leite, who helped lead the Valks to victory. One of my favorite things about this season has been watching folks who don’t follow international hoops discover players like Carla. She led her team to a EuroCup win this winter and was named EuroCup Finals MVP, so it’s no surprise that all she needed was playing time to show us what she’s got.

Kayla Thornton has also been playing out of her mind, finishing with a 22 and 12 double-double—her third straight this season. She’s stepped up in a major way, embracing a leadership role and playing her best basketball yet. I miss her in Brooklyn, but I’m so glad to see her thriving.

Another expansion draft steal, Temi Fagbenle, has been HOOPING too. I’m still surprised the Fever left her unprotected for Dantas. Then again, maybe it’s because she told Fever fans to stop being racist lol.

Overall, I’ve gotta say—I’m genuinely impressed by this team. I was dead wrong for saying they were gonna finish last. This is a solid 7th or 8th seed playoff team. No, they’re not gonna win it all, but they will give a top seed a serious headache.

The Valks also continue to lead the league in attendance and sell out. They walked right into a dedicated fanbase; love to see it.

Signees to replace Eurobasket players: Laeticia Amihere, Ariel Powers, Kaitlyn Chen, and Chloe Bibby

International Leaves: Julie Vanloo (Belgium), Janelle Salaun (France), Cecilia Zandalasini (Italy), and Temi Fagbenle (Great Britain)

Kyara Linskens asked the Valks to waive her so she could play for Belgium, though she will not be returning to the team.

@brwsports

The Valkyries are proving a lot of people wrong in their inaugural season 👀🔥 A team full of underdogs 😤 (via @Golden State Valkyries) #g... See more

Las Vegas Aces 5-5

Due to a concussion sustained in the game against the Sparks, A’ja Wilson has been out—and the Aces have only won one of the three games they’ve played this week. Obviously, not having A’ja significantly lowers their chances of winning, but on the bright side… this is the most effort I’ve seen from the Aces all season. That said, it’s not a good look that it takes A’ja being out for the rest of the team to start playing seriously.

The win against the Wings was an impressive comeback. HOWEVER—why were they down 20 to the Wings in the first place?? Jackie Young is absolutely carrying right now with minimal help from Jewell and Chelsea, though we’re starting to see a bit more cohesion. Jewell hit the dagger three to win that Wings game and has been playing a little better lately. Hopefully, that’s the spark she needs to finally get rolling.

One bright spot: I was genuinely impressed with Kierstan Bell in the Mercury game. She had some great hustle plays and knocked down a few from deep. This is prime time for KB to start playing like she wants a new contract, ‘cause the Aces sure as hell aren’t giving her one.

Unfortunately, A’ja will be out again today against the Lynx. So… yeah, expect an ass-whooping (though, to be fair, you could’ve expected that anyway).

Also worth noting: the Aces waived Crystal Bradford, who felt like she was gonna be a feel-good “WNBA comeback” story after fighting in front of that chicken truck. But she didn’t fix the Aces’ actual issue: finding a legit big to pair with A’ja.

They did sign Joyner Holmes, who got minimal minutes against the Mercury. Expect to see more of her tonight, mostly because they need bodies out there.

International Leaves: Megan Gustafson will NOT be leaving to play for Spain in EuroBasket as she is injured.

Washington Mystics 4-6

A regression to the mean is happening, and the Mystics are cooling off after their very hot start. As the top teams finally start to gel and play better, the Mystics are showing that they are, in fact, still a rebuilding team. When you look at it, they got blown the fuck out by a Caitlin-less Fever, the Liberty, and the Dream—so it's clear they can’t keep up with the offensive production of these better squads.

That said, we knew this about the Mystics going into the year. And there’s still a lot to be excited about—especially the rookies, and steady vets like Shakira and Slim who’ve been holding it down.

They square off against Chicago today, and honestly, it could go either way. I’m hyped to see the frontcourt matchup—it’s gonna be a real battle down low.

International Leaves: 0 

Los Angeles Sparks 4-8

As with the Storm, this week has been a tale of two Sparks. They handed an L to the Aces—getting revenge for that ass-whooping earlier in the season—behind a 30-point (!!) game from Rickea Jackson, showing just how fucking important she is to this team, rumors be damned.

However… against the Lynx, they got smoked—lost 78 to 101. Just an outright ass-whooping. They need Brink and Burrell back ASAP, or they won’t stand a chance against top-tier teams.

They really shouldn’t be 4-8, and lowkey? I blame the coach. She’s just not good. This team is too stacked to be struggling like this—it makes no damn sense.

For today’s game against the Storm, Odyssey Sims and KP are both out, dropping them below 10 players, so they signed third-year PG Grace Berger to a hardship contract.

Honestly, just wash these next two games against the Storm and Lynx. Take the Ls, rest who you need to, and bounce the fuck back against the Sky on the 24th.

International Leaves: Julie Allemand (Belgium)

Chicago Sky 3-7

The Sky secured an important win this week against the Connecticut Sun. Yes, the Sun suck—but this was a good win for the mental. Angel Reese had a dominant game with the first triple-double of her WNBA career and only the second ever by a rookie. When she’s operating as a point forward, it opens up the entire game for the Sky.

This was also a great breakout game from Hailey Van Lith with a career high 16 points and 5 rebounds. HVL because of her size and lack of defense, is someone who will have to continue to prove that she belongs in this league.

That said, the Sky still need a bit more from their guards and from Kamilla to really get on the right track. But at the very least, they got a glimpse of what it’s gonna take to actually win games consistently.

International Leaves: Kamilla Cardoso will be leaving to play for the Brazilian National Team between June 28th and July 6th.

Connecticut Sun 2-8

Soooo, last week I said they could win against the Sky, and then Angel went and dropped a whole triple-double on their heads LMFAO.

The Sun are always going to try to be competitive, but they’re not gonna win many games. I’d love to see Jacy Sheldon get the start over Hartley, because the Hartley minutes? Not great, to put it nicely.

My favorite thing, though, is just watching how Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey continue to pour into their rookies and help them flourish. That kind of leadership is everything for a team in transition.

One of the differences between them and other losing teams is that I actually like the coach! It’s taken him a minute to figure out WNBA hoops (He’s European), but I can see the vision.

International Leaves: Robyn Parks was released, and she will be going to EuroBasket

@brwsports

No love lost here 😌 Angel explains that the heated exchange between her and Tina wasn’t personal 👏 #w#wnbab#basketballw#wbba#angelreese

Dallas Wings 1-11

The thing about Dallas is that they have the talent. They build significant leads… and then completely shit the bed. They should have won that game against an A’ja-less Aces squad, especially since they were up by 10 or 11 going into the fourth. But then Jackie Young went on a tear, and we watched the Wings crumble in real time.

My take on the DiJonai vs. Coach drama? Honestly, both sides are wrong. Coach clearly doesn’t have control of the locker room—he calls in Curt (the GM) to do his dirty work and call out players, which is wild. But DiJonai also lost her composure, and that lack of control ended up costing them the game.

In other news, the Wings traded for forward Li Yueru, who could help them—hard to say yet. They waived Kaila Charles to make room for Li, then brought Kaila right back on a hardship contract. They also signed the WNBA’s new journeywoman Haley Jones. Unfortunately, Maddy Siegrist suffered a knee injury that will sideline her until later in the season. You really feel for her—she missed a big chunk of last year too. Maddy just can’t catch a break.

Anyway, this is a sorry ass team, man. God Speed.

International Leaves: Teaira McCowan (Turkey), Luisa Geiselsoder(Germany)

Hoops & Hype: Media Picks

Check out some of the cool podcasts, videos, reads, and fashion I saw this week.

Film Session: WBB Highlights & Insights 📽️

Booked & Busy: WBB Reads 👓

VERSION WITH THE PAYWALL REMOVED

Drip Report 💧