Late-season Wnba Storylines: Clark’s Struggles, A New Mvp Threat And The Aces’ Revival

The WNBA regular play concludes connected 11 September aft a turbulent summertime shaped by injuries, comebacks and unexpected contenders. With nan playoffs looming, present are nan narratives that person defined nan 2nd half of nan campaign.

Caitlin Clark’s injuries reshape nan Fever

Unfortunately for nan Indiana Fever – and their passionate fans – Caitlin Clark has spent astir of this play successful a domiciled nary 1 expected: arsenic a coach from nan sidelines. The 23-year-old has been constricted by recurring groin injuries during nan 2nd half of nan campaign.

She has not been nan Fever’s only casualty. On 7 August nan squad mislaid Aari McDonald, to a surgery foot, and Sydney Colson, to a torn ACL. Ten days later Sophie Cunningham tore her MCL, while newcomer Chloe Bibby – signed connected 1 August to a rest-of-season statement – injured her knee connected 22 August.

The drawstring of setbacks has forced nan nine to rhythm done hardship contracts and reshuffle its roster each fewer games. That nan Fever stay successful playoff contention contempt specified upheaval is simply a testament to their coaching and resilience – but whether that will beryllium capable to meet their 2025 ambitions is different question.

Natalie Nakase proves a rookie coach tin win

It’s not yet clear whether nan WNBA’s newest squad will scope nan playoffs, but nan truth that nan Golden State Valkyries are moreover successful contention is among nan season’s biggest storylines. The league’s first description broadside since Atlanta successful 2008 entered nan twelvemonth pinch a elephantine lavender mobility people complete their heads – and have steadily erased each uncertainty since.

The Valkyries are led by Natalie Nakase, hired distant from nan Las Vegas Aces aft 3 seasons arsenic Becky Hammon’s apical assistant. While Nakase has brushed disconnected talk of individual awards – “Honestly, I’m conscionable being deadass, our extremity is to make nan playoffs,” she told Clutch Points past week. “It should beryllium coaching unit of nan year.” – nan lawsuit for her arsenic Coach of nan Year is difficult to ignore.

The achievements of nan Valkyries successful their debut run will beryllium difficult for anyone other to match.

The Aces’ A’ja Wilson has averaged 23.4 points and 10.1 rebounds, anchoring nan squad done their slump and driving their revival. Photograph: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The Aces are backmost successful contention

We are connected nan brink of nan playoffs and someway nan Aces – who had a 5-6 grounds by mid-June and were playing truthful poorly astatine nan opening of July that even Becky Hammon questioned their abilities – ended August classed No 2 successful nan convention pinch a 26-14 grounds and are now wrong scope of a title run. And sure, this is simply a squad coming disconnected six back-to-back winning seasons and 2 titles, but saying nan Aces were bad earlier nan All-Star break this twelvemonth isn’t an understatement.

At nan halfway of nan team’s accelerated ascension is nan inevitable A’ja Wilson, who is averaging 23.4 points and 10.1 rebounds this play and has recovered caller and bolder ways to transportation nan squad successful their lowest moments and animate them astatine their peak. Don’t beryllium amazed if Las Vegas extremity up successful nan finals this season.

A caller sanction successful nan MVP race

For astir of nan twelvemonth nan MVP title looked group to travel down to A’ja Wilson defending her crown aliases Napheesa Collier wresting it away. That was nan prevailing communicative astatine nan commencement of 2025 – and some players did plentifulness to prolong it.

But Collier’s ankle wounded successful early August opened nan doorway for different contender. Alyssa Thomas, 1 of nan astir complete athletes successful basketball, has seized nan infinitesimal and is showing nary signs of slowing down.

The Phoenix Mercury guardant is averaging 15.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 9.2 assists, numbers that only hint astatine her impact. Thomas has produced a league-high 7 triple-doubles this play and became nan first WNBA subordinate to grounds astatine slightest 10 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists successful a crippled (her statement that nighttime was 13-12-16). She has been some level wide and steadying presence, softly steering Phoenix from opening extremity to playoff chase.

The Mercury person dropped 14 games, but seldom done immoderate responsibility of Thomas. Since returning from a calf wounded successful June, she has been unshakable – and correct now, she looks for illustration nan subordinate astir tin of reshaping nan MVP conversation.

Liberty injuries complicate a title defence

Injuries person reshaped nan season, sidelining immoderate of their biggest stars and leaving teams scrambling to adjust.

No 1 has felt it much than nan Liberty. They mislaid Jonquel Jones to an ankle wounded successful June, past Breanna Stewart to a bony bruise successful precocious July. Sabrina Ionescu besides spent clip retired pinch a toed problem, while Natasha Cloud has been sidelined pinch a surgery nose. If Jones’s absence was damaging, Stewart’s seemed to nonstop New York into a tailspin. The Liberty were 17-6 and 2nd successful nan convention erstwhile she went down; since then, they person slipped to No 5.

That descent underscores Stewart’s worth – and raises nan stakes successful New York’s bid to repetition arsenic champions. To take sides their title, nan Liberty will almost surely request a top-four seed to unafraid home-court advantage and debar a punishing early conflict pinch nan Lynx. It’s a gangly order, but pinch their roster yet patient again, not an intolerable one.