WNBA takeaways: Playoff race coming down to wire (2024)

Welcome to WNBA takeaways, a biweekly look at newsworthy stories, standout performances, and notable numbers across the league.

Final playoff spot up for grabs

The Chicago Sky's recent slide has opened up the race for the WNBA's final postseason spot. Only two games separate the eighth-seeded Sky from the 11th-place Dallas Wings.

Chicago's already inefficient offensive unit took a big hit when it dealt Marina Mabrey - one of its few shot creators - prior to the midseason break. The Sky are averaging a league-worst 75.4 points since the veteran sharpshooter was shipped to the Connecticut Sun. The Atlanta Dream, meanwhile, are making a strong push thanks to the resurgent play of Tina Charles and return of Jordin Canada. There's no incentive for Atlanta to tank, either, as it gave up its 2025 first-round pick in the Allisha Gray trade.

The Washington Mystics' season appeared to be over after an 0-12 start to the year, but three wins in their last four games has them back in the playoff mix. Meanwhile, the Wings got a much-needed victory last week over the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces. It's been a disappointing year in Dallas following the team's run to the semifinal round, but a club that boasts one of the league's top scorers - Arike Ogunbowale - and the offensive talent of Satou Sabally shouldn't be counted out.

Williams gives Storm valuable weapon

The Seattle Storm made a huge addition for the stretch run, signing Gabby Williams for the remainder of the campaign. The UConn product led France to the gold-medal game at the Olympics, where she earned Best Defensive Player honors and was selected to the tournament's All-Star Five. Out of the few impact players moved at the WNBA trade deadline, Williams could have the greatest influence on the championship race.

Williams is an elite perimeter defender that can guard multiple positions. She's got six steals through four appearances, including a key interception off a late inbounds pass that sealed a victory over the Dream. Her shot-creating ability, ball-handling, and playmaking skills should bolster a Seattle unit that ranks in the middle of the pack in offensive efficiency. The former No. 4 overall pick can also attack downhill and works well off the ball as a cutter. The Storm are already initiating some of their offense through Williams, using the 5-foot-11 forward to orchestrate pick-and-roll sets and push the ball up the court in transition.

Red-hot Lynx

After a poor July in which they went 3-4, the Minnesota Lynx made August (and the first day of September) theirs. They've gone 7-1 since returning from the Olympic break, a run that includes a six-game winning streak, back-to-back double-digit wins against the turbulent Las Vegas Aces, and a victory over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. That was Indiana's only loss in six August games, and it helped take the sting off Minnesota's streak-busting loss to the Dallas Wings in its next game.

Instrumental in their run, as expected, has been four-time All-Star Napheesa Collier, who's averaging 21.5 points at a 55.7% clip on 15.3 attempts per game. However, ninth-year vet Courtney Williams has also been lights out in that same span, shooting 54.5% on 12.6 field-goal attempts per game. That kind of accuracy appears to have invigorated the rest of the roster, too, as the Lynx not only boast the league's best field-goal mark (48.5%) since the season's resumption, but also the WNBA's second-best 3-point percentage (38.1%) in that time.

Outstanding performance

A'ja Wilson vs. Phoenix Mercury (Sept. 1)

A season-high 42 points weren't enough to topple the Dallas Wings, so Wilson came out on a mission in the Las Vegas Aces' next matchup against the Phoenix Mercury. The MVP front-runner erupted for 41 points and 17 rebounds with astounding efficiency, going 16-of-23 from the floor. Her team avoided a repeat of the narrow loss against Dallas and instead routed the Mercury by 19 while leading by as much as 34.

Must-watch game

Minnesota Lynx vs. New York Liberty (Sept. 15)

The Lynx and Liberty haven't squared off since July 2, when New York extracted some revenge for its loss in the Commissioner's Cup final a week prior. Their next and final encounter is set to be the third-last game of the season for each of them, and it will likely have drastic implications for who finishes the year at No. 1.

Standout stat

Angel Reese's rebounding prowess entered her into the record books Sunday when she overtook Sylvia Fowles with rebound No. 405 on the year, the most by anybody in a single WNBA season. That is a phenomenal accomplishment for anyone, but especially for a first-year in Reese's shoes who's operating in the limelight of one of the most watched rookie classes in WNBA history.

Reese finished with 19 boards against the Lynx - a mark she actually topped in three of her five games prior - taking her to 418 on the season. And with Chicago still to play eight regular-season games, that tally will be even higher when the campaign's done.

Best tweet

When you've got LeBron James checking in during the summer to take jabs at your critics, you're probably doing something right.