WNBA 2026

[MU82]

High-quality opener between the Fever and Wings, with Dallas winning 107-104.

I like that refs are calling fouls when there's contact. More freedom of movement and offensive excitement.

Clark didn't shoot well from 3 but excelled otherwise. Bueckers was great, as were Mitchell, Boston, Ogunbawale and Sims.

[Marquette Fan]

I missed Hiedeman's first game of the season last night because it was too late for me . 

Watched some of the Fever-Wings game today and was fun to watch.

[MU82]

I missed Hiedeman's first game of the season last night because it was too late for me . 

Watched some of the Fever-Wings game today and was fun to watch.

Hiedeman was mediocre at best. Hoping for better play from her.

[21Jumpstreet]

High-quality opener between the Fever and Wings, with Dallas winning 107-104.

I like that refs are calling fouls when there's contact. More freedom of movement and offensive excitement.

Clark didn't shoot well from 3 but excelled otherwise. Bueckers was great, as were Mitchell, Boston, Ogunbawale and Sims.

Great game, love Mitchell. I'll be following the Fever again this year. Kate Martin was released, read somewhere that perhaps she lands with the Fever. She was my favorite player from those CC Iowa teams.

[Jay Bee]

Hiedeman was mediocre at best. Hoping for better play from her.

No Lynx Jinx. eff her

[MU82]

After scoring over Brittney Griner, Flau'jae Johnson made the "too small" gesture.

[#UnleashThePortal]

just trying to get a scoop meltdown going

[MU82]

just trying to get a scoop meltdown going

Wut?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Wut?

It's a reference to a family guy gag from like 15 years ago.  The punchline was that the WNBA doesn't have any fans.

He's trolling.

[MU82]

It's a reference to a family guy gag from like 15 years ago.  The punchline was that the WNBA doesn't have any fans.

He's trolling.

Ah. I guess "trolling" is now another word for "ignorant."

[Marquette Fan]

Natisha Hiedmean tied her career high last night - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV-afHCWxk4

[MU82]

Natisha Hiedmean tied her career high last night - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV-afHCWxk4

After a rough go early on, she's averaging 18.5 points and 4.5 assists the last 4 games, with only 5 total turnovers. We went to Friday's game, and she did a great job running the offense. And then, as you said, she scored her career high two days later. Good pickup by the Storm, a young team that needed an experienced leader.

[JWags85]

5 games into the season with her new team in Atlanta, and Angel Reese is in line with a career low in FG% (40.7 vs her rookie year FG% of 39.8%), a career high in TOs/G (4.8, up from her high of 3.9 last year), and her lowest RPG (11.4 vs 1.26 last year).

She's still arguably the best rebounder in the WNBA (at least on the offensive), which isn't anything to scoff at, but its kind of wild how she's really not progressed in any other facet of her game now into her 3rd season.  Her vocal supporters gave her a bunch of cover last year due to being on a bad Sky team, but now she's on one of the best teams in the league, playing with 2 other All Stars, and its not positively impacted her game at all.  The Dream score a decent amount more than the Sky did, so even as the 3rd option, her usage hasn't dropped much offensively, but she's clearly not the primary defensive focus so that doesn't hold water either.

She remains a fascinating sort of player profile due to her fervent fan base, even if you further divorce her from the Angel vs CC debates.  I don't know how you continue to argue for her being one of the league's stars (on pure stats/on the floor merit), much less a face of the league.  She's still valuable and a stat stuffer (at least in 2 limited areas), but she's much more like Ivica Zubac or Mitchell Robinson than she is a well rounded star.

If you want to get real interesting, looking at other top rebounders this year, Cardoso has excelled without Reese in Chicago and has continued to improve YoY and Iriafen in Washington is as good of a rebounder as Reese but a far better and complete offensive player who does the majority of her rebounding on the defensive end.

[MU82]

One-trick pony with a flamboyant personality. She's the WNBA's Dennis Rodman.

[MU82]

The season's first WNBA All-Star fan ballot count is out ... and, somewhat stunningly, Caitlin Clark is in 5th place.

A'ja Wilson is first with 308,249 votes, followed by Paige Bueckers with 298,027, Aliyah Boston with 282,186, and Breanna Stewart with 255,879.

Clark, the No. 1 vote-getter in her first two seasons, has 253,602 so far this time.

Has the league's Everything Caitlin All The Time phase passed? Or is this not really a measure of anything? Either way, it's interesting IMHO.

I've seen the Fever play numerous times this season. Opponents are attacking Clark on D the same way Brunson mercilessly went at Harden. She's a poor defender, and opponents are making her work and often getting her in foul trouble. And she's whining a lot to the refs, drawing technicals that could lead to an eventual suspension.

She still turns it over too often, and her shot selection can be suspect, but she's a savant when it comes to passing the basketball. Reminds me of Pistol Pete.

Indiana was expected to contend for the title, and it might, but it lacks size and frontcourt depth, and it's a pretty bad defensive team.

Meanwhile, I watched last night's exciting Dallas-Seattle game, which featured lots of young current and future stars. The Storm's not good, but they have a budding superstar in 6-6 Dominique Malonga and a couple of other kids who are gonna be superb players, and they had Dallas on the ropes all night. But Bueckers was sensational down the stretch and sent the game into OT, with the Wings winning 112-110. Defense optional!

FWIW, there is zero doubt in my mind that Bueckers is a better basketball player than Clark, and almost any GM would take Paige ahead of Caitlin.

EDIT: In the second counting, Clark moved up to second in All-Star voting, trailing only Boston. She also left last night's game with back problems.

[MU82]

From The Ringer, a good essay about the WNBA, Caitlin Clark, social issues, and other related controversies:

https://www.theringer.com/2026/06/26/wnba/caitlin-clark-foul-alyssa-thomas-wnba-cathy-engelbert?

[Jockey]

A group of 11 Republican lawmakers, led by U.S. Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, sent a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert on Wednesday demanding the league take "accountability" for "multiple attacks" against Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

The lawmakers said they're concerned by reports that "attacks against Clark may be racially motivated."

[Uncle Rico]

A group of 11 Republican lawmakers, led by U.S. Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, sent a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert on Wednesday demanding the league take "accountability" for "multiple attacks" against Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

The lawmakers said they're concerned by reports that "attacks against Clark may be racially motivated."

Economic policies are an abject failure.  International relations are a disaster. 

Time to play the hits.

[The Sultan]

Economic policies are an abject failure.  International relations are a disaster. 

Time to play the hits.

Lennys is cheering somewhere...

[MU82]

The only real racism in America is reverse racism. Everyone knows that.

[MU82]

Natisha Hiedeman scored a career-high 31 points for the Storm today.

She now has 375 points this season; that's just 24 shy of her career high, and the WNBA season is only a little more than halfway over.

[MU82]

Just because the WNBA has mandated charter flights for its teams doesn't mean the planes always work. The New York Liberty found that out the hard way Wednesday, when mechanical issues stranded them on a tarmac for 12 hours and ultimately led to the postponement of Thursday's road game against the Dallas Wings.

(From The Athletic)

[Billy Hoyle]

A group of 11 Republican lawmakers, led by U.S. Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, sent a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert on Wednesday demanding the league take "accountability" for "multiple attacks" against Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

The lawmakers said they're concerned by reports that "attacks against Clark may be racially motivated."

I made the mistake of opening a Threads account (that lasted less than a week), and man, the seething hatred of Clark not just as a player but as a person on there was absolutely insane from all of the Bluesky refugees. Anyone who didn't agree was a homophobe (probably because I made the mistake of responding and saying I thought A'ja and Phee were the top two players in the league), racist, and "MAGA." I feel sorry for her - she hasn't asked to be a political pawn, but each said has decided to make her one.

[MuggsyB]

Nm

[JWags85]

I made the mistake of opening a Threads account (that lasted less than a week), and man, the seething hatred of Clark not just as a player but as a person on there was absolutely insane from all of the Bluesky refugees. Anyone who didn't agree was a homophobe (probably because I made the mistake of responding and saying I thought A'ja and Phee were the top two players in the league), racist, and "MAGA." I feel sorry for her - she hasn't asked to be a political pawn, but each said has decided to make her one.

The bad actors who have chosen Clark to be the cudgel in their culture war (whether it's racial, LGBT related, or tangentially feminist/anti feminist) have really done such a horrible disservice to someone who doesn't deserve it in any way.  I have no issue "both siding" it cause there are absolute losers and bias agenda pushers at both extremes using her without any real actions from CC to justify it. 

The Clay Travis's and other douchebags who never watch women's sports, much less the WNBA, suddenly latch onto her as a way to trash the W under a thinly veiled cover of caring about the what's "best" for the league.  The irony is their general point "the league/other players don't respect/protect/support one of, if not the, most marketable players in the league that is key to continued growth"...isn't wrong and is totally fair and with some real merit. However, its just used in such bad faith and to create absurd and outrageous strawmen and grievances that they totally expose their true intentions.

Then their diametric opposites rush to heap every negative white/MAGA/non-LGBT stereotype on Clark.  Some of it is a response to the group mentioned above, absolutely, but plenty has a life of its own that seeps through their posts and commentary.  The same sort of "fans" gatekeep the league to an absurd degree (doing stuff like you mentioned above) and act like they are nuanced WNBA fans that "new fans" couldn't grasp but then blow up all credibility by talking about how Clark isn't a top 5 PG in the league or the most overrated player in league history.

But as you alluded to, Clark has done very little to deserve it.  She's handled herself admirably with the media and press going back to her last year at Iowa.  She's been largely neutral/quiet when it comes to anything political (which is used as a weapon against her by her haters but IMO, that's wholly unfair cause it's not like she speaks on certain topics and not on others).  Can she be over the top begging for calls and voicing and/or screaming displeasure to refs? Of course.  But that can be found on all 6 continents where pro basketball is played and is a ridiculous excuse to vilify her in someway or make her a champion of "straight white privilege" or some nonsense. 

Im the farthest thing from a fan of Angel Reece, but racial attacks and insults way outpace any of the legitimate criticism of her on court performance and even the stupid actions/statements she's made and said.  It just boils down to bald personal hatred that is maybe dressed up as a critique.  But the accompany hatred for Clark is equally as blatantly personal, toxic, and unhinged.  The disturbing part of that, for me, is that the Reese racist troll brigade are largely drive by tourists who will move onto something or someone else in months or next year.  But the Clark contingent are largely WNBA fans, avid followers, or members of the ingroup that should be most strongly supporting the W.

It's a giant mess, a really unnecessary side story/narrative taking away from the best stretch of PR and success the league has ever had, and a microcosm of the divisive polarization of seemingly EVERYTHING in the public eye these days. But I think it's pretty undeniable that Cathy Englebert has handled everything terribly and new leadership is needed, also for many reasons beyond just this.

[The Sultan]

I don't really understand how poorly the WNBA and Nike have marketed Clark. Seriously, she shold be all over the place as the face of the league, and the face of the Nike brand. But they've done nothing.

[Billy Hoyle]

very well stated, JWags.

What I find most interesting about the biggest Clark haters (at leats on that hellsite, Threads) is that they don't consider A'ja or Phee the best players in their league, or consider Olivia Miles to elite; they've elevated Bueckers to greatest of all-time status.

[MU82]

Superbly stated, Wags. The whole saga is a real clusterf@ck, and a sad commentary on America itself.

[Pakuni]

Of all the crazy Caitlin Clark hot takes, Nancy Armour's may be the craziest. Apparently Clark's flopping puts other players at risk of ... lynching?

It seems there is a white nationalist faction to Clark's fandom that is deeply, deeply problematic, made even more so because the WNBA is made up predominantly of Black women, many of them queer. When Clark claims fouls that don't exist, when she goes on profanity-laced tirades at referees, those racists see her as a white woman in need of saving and take matters into their own hands.
...
It shouldn't need reminding this country has an awful history of Black people being harmed, even killed, in the name of "defending" white women. The irony of the WNBA's All-Star Game is that it's happening this weekend in Chicago, the hometown of Emmett Till, who became an icon of the civil rights movement after his tragic murder. The local art gallery is currently hosting an exhibit imagining his life if he hadn't been lynched. While it's incumbent on the WNBA to do more to protect its players, there also should be an expectation on Clark to recognize the broader implications of her actions being weaponized.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2026/07/22/caitlin-clarks-reaction-to-noncalls-puts-wnba-players-at-risk/91002124007/?taid=6a60c8374bd5dd000191598c&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

[Billy Hoyle]

Of all the crazy Caitlin Clark hot takes, Nancy Armour's may be the craziest. Apparently Clark's flopping puts other players at risk of ... lynching?

It seems there is a white nationalist faction to Clark's fandom that is deeply, deeply problematic, made even more so because the WNBA is made up predominantly of Black women, many of them queer. When Clark claims fouls that don't exist, when she goes on profanity-laced tirades at referees, those racists see her as a white woman in need of saving and take matters into their own hands.
...
It shouldn't need reminding this country has an awful history of Black people being harmed, even killed, in the name of "defending" white women. The irony of the WNBA's All-Star Game is that it's happening this weekend in Chicago, the hometown of Emmett Till, who became an icon of the civil rights movement after his tragic murder. The local art gallery is currently hosting an exhibit imagining his life if he hadn't been lynched. While it's incumbent on the WNBA to do more to protect its players, there also should be an expectation on Clark to recognize the broader implications of her actions being weaponized.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2026/07/22/caitlin-clarks-reaction-to-noncalls-puts-wnba-players-at-risk/91002124007/?taid=6a60c8374bd5dd000191598c&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

I was going to mention this too. This was unhinged and the editor in chief should be fired for allowing this to be published. How unhinged was it? Commentators like Emmanuel Acho, who has been a vocal critic of CC, were openly agreeing with Clay Travis, Riley Gaines, and Dave Portnoy.

I said it earlier in this thread - I feel bad for CC. She's being used by the far right because she's white and straight (you know, the people who hate identity politics), and bashed by the left for being white and straight.

BTW, Phee is back and looked like her old self. Nobody is stopping the Lynx if they stay healthy.

And this was Armour's justification. Weasel words to the core:

https://x.com/schadjoe/status/2080343864632541657

[MuggsyB]

Of all the crazy Caitlin Clark hot takes, Nancy Armour's may be the craziest. Apparently Clark's flopping puts other players at risk of ... lynching?

It seems there is a white nationalist faction to Clark's fandom that is deeply, deeply problematic, made even more so because the WNBA is made up predominantly of Black women, many of them queer. When Clark claims fouls that don't exist, when she goes on profanity-laced tirades at referees, those racists see her as a white woman in need of saving and take matters into their own hands.
...
It shouldn't need reminding this country has an awful history of Black people being harmed, even killed, in the name of "defending" white women. The irony of the WNBA's All-Star Game is that it's happening this weekend in Chicago, the hometown of Emmett Till, who became an icon of the civil rights movement after his tragic murder. The local art gallery is currently hosting an exhibit imagining his life if he hadn't been lynched. While it's incumbent on the WNBA to do more to protect its players, there also should be an expectation on Clark to recognize the broader implications of her actions being weaponized.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2026/07/22/caitlin-clarks-reaction-to-noncalls-puts-wnba-players-at-risk/91002124007/?taid=6a60c8374bd5dd000191598c&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

The "journalist" is a Marquette grad. 

[The Sultan]

I was going to mention this too. This was unhinged and the editor in chief should be fired for allowing this to be published. How unhinged was it? Commentators like Emmanuel Acho, who has been a vocal critic of CC, were openly agreeing with Clay Travis, Riley Gaines, and Dave Portnoy.

I said it earlier in this thread - I feel bad for CC. She's being used by the far right because she's white and straight (you know, the people who hate identity politics), and bashed by the left for being white and straight.

BTW, Phee is back and looked like her old self. Nobody is stopping the Lynx if they stay healthy.

And this was Armour's justification. Weasel words to the core:

https://x.com/schadjoe/status/2080343864632541657

Who on the left is bashing CC for being white and straight?

Regardless, this is really a failure by the WNBA to market its stars better. Too much of a vaccuum being taken up by this nonsense.

[MuggsyB]

Who on the left is bashing CC for being white and straight?

Regardless, this is really a failure by the WNBA to market its stars better. Too much of a vaccuum being taken up by this nonsense.

Jemele Hill if she's still around?

[The Sultan]

Jemele Hill if she's still around?

Here is what Hill said:

"Caitlin Clark is the most popular player in the WNBA, and the biggest draw. She's not the face because she's not creating a new standard for winning (yet). She does not have accomplishments that people want to take (yet). What team is everyone trying to beat? The Aces. What player is everyone trying to match? A'ja Wilson. The standard for winning is A'ja. Michael Jordan became the face of the NBA because he became the standard by which every player is measured. Everyone wanted to stop him. Caitlin isn't there."


I don't agree with her, but even then she was hardly bashing her. She just doesn't think she's the face of the league (yet).

At no point did she mention, or even infer, anything about her race or her sexuality.

[Billy Hoyle]

Who on the left is bashing CC for being white and straight?

Regardless, this is really a failure by the WNBA to market its stars better. Too much of a vaccuum being taken up by this nonsense.

Wrong choice of word: many bash her *because* she is white and straight (if you have the stomach for it, check out Threads), just as the right loves her (even if she doesn't love them) because she's white and straight. It's not much different than the left demonizing and consistently calling Sophie Cunningham "MAGA Barbie" even though she has said nothing about being a right-winger or Trump supporter...other than wearing a red hat last summer that read "Hot Cowgirl Summer."

[Hards Alumni]

Wrong choice of word: many bash her *because* she is white and straight (if you have the stomach for it, check out Threads), just as the right loves her (even if she doesn't love them) because she's white and straight. It's not much different than the left demonizing and consistently calling Sophie Cunningham "MAGA Barbie" even though she has said nothing about being a right-winger or Trump supporter...other than wearing a red hat last summer that read "Hot Cowgirl Summer."

Soph has said some transphobic stuff too.  IMO, it comes from a place of ignorance rather than hate.

[Shaka Shart]

Soph has said some transphobic stuff too.  IMO, it comes from a place of ignorance rather than hate.

Signed jerseys going up in mequon dental clinics I hear

[Pakuni]

many bash her *because* she is white and straight (if you have the stomach for it, check out Threads)

I'm not sure finding a bunch of randos  - probably half of them bots - saying dumb things on social media qualifies as "many" in the sense of a representative sample of any group of people.

It's not much different than the left demonizing and consistently calling Sophie Cunningham "MAGA Barbie" even though she has said nothing about being a right-winger or Trump supporter...other than wearing a red hat last summer that read "Hot Cowgirl Summer."

Welp.

https://meidasnews.com/news/sofie-cunninghams-maga-tiktok-activity-exposed

FWIW, I don't care what Sophie Cunningham likes/reposts/follows on social media (neither should anyone else), but this isn't going to help her beat the charge.

[pbiflyer]

Anyone notice Marquette alum Natisha Hiedemen is becoming the face of the Seattle team and is having quite the nice career?

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbMqJDFDSKd/?igsh=MWo2OGVxeXR2cnZtaw==

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbMvuhzjVPg/?igsh=M3F6cGl1bjZtdzJ2

[MU82]

Anyone notice Marquette alum Natisha Hiedemen is becoming the face of the Seattle team and is having quite the nice career?

I am a Storm partial-season  ticketholder, and I watch most of the rest of the games on TV.

Natisha is having a solid season, and she provides a steady veteran presence for the WNBA's youngest team. A backup most of her career, she has taken advantage of this opportunity to start at PG and play big minutes.

I wouldn't call her the face of the team, though. At 20, Dominique Malonga is already an All-Star center. Rookie Flau'jae Johnson had emerged as the Storm's energy-generator and soul. Another rookie, Awa Fam, has quickly become a fan favorite. Almost all of the team's advertising campaigns focus on those three, who are being counted on to grow up together and carry the franchise.

If I had to name a franchise "face," I'd say Flau'jae. But, as I said, it's more about the young core.

[MU82]

It's the ease at which Dominique Malonga dunks the ball that stands out.

[pbiflyer]

I am a Storm partial-season  ticketholder, and I watch most of the rest of the games on TV.

Natisha is having a solid season, and she provides a steady veteran presence for the WNBA's youngest team. A backup most of her career, she has taken advantage of this opportunity to start at PG and play big minutes.

I wouldn't call her the face of the team, though. At 20, Dominique Malonga is already an All-Star center. Rookie Flau'jae Johnson had emerged as the Storm's energy-generator and soul. Another rookie, Awa Fam, has quickly become a fan favorite. Almost all of the team's advertising campaigns focus on those three, who are being counted on to grow up together and carry the franchise.

If I had to name a franchise "face," I'd say Flau'jae. But, as I said, it's more about the young core.

Thanks! I just see the social media and seems they are playing her up.

[MU82]

She seems like a great person and a good mentor to the young players. Very happy to have our fellow MU alum on the Storm!

[MuggsyB]

Heideman has a lot of game.

[MU82]

Tonight, Natisha had her ninth 20-point game of the season.

She had five 20-point games in her first seven WNBA seasons.

[StillAWarrior]

So...the Cleveland Sirens. I want to like it, but I'm not convinced. First of all, Sirens =/= Mermaids. Pretty slick hype video, though.

Of the two logos they've released, I think I prefer the one with just the C&S (not surprising because I tend to like letter marks). But I'm not wild about either.





From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I prefer the logos for both of Cleveland's coming soccer teams - Cleveland Astra (Women) and Forest City Cleveland (Men).

[Jay Bee]

Who on the left is bashing CC for being white and straight?

My goodness. "...because she's white and straight" work better for you?

[StillAWarrior]

Additional Sirens logos...





Still not a huge fan. Hopefully there will be a little more color on them than just the royal blue and light blue to add some depth and detail. They just seem really bland to me. It seems clear that they've invested quite a bit into the development and design...the unveiling at the arena and the video are well produced. But I feel like the logos themselves are too monochromatic.

[Pakuni]

Sophie Cunningham would like it very much if everyone would please ignore the dumpster fire she chose to start.

[BM1090]

My goodness. "...because she's white and straight" work better for you?

I don't care about her race or sexuality; I just hate her because she whines and flops and comes across as entitled.

[MU82]

I enjoy watching Caitlin Clark play basketball, even though I wish she'd whine less.

There are quite a few WNBA and NBA players one can say that about, BTW.