The Indiana Fever's season has hit another barrier as Caitlin Clark is out of the lineup. But the Valkyries are battling, A'ja Wilson is scoring and Paige Bueckers is waiting for her next big matchup.
3 Highlights from the WNBA this week:
A'ja Wilson becomes fastest WNBA player to score 5000 points: A'ja Wilson is a bucket, everyone knows that. She beat the record for most points scored in a single season in 2024, when she recorded 1,021 points. She also had the highest points per game average, 26.9, in league history, leading to her being named WNBA MVP for the third time in her career. Now, she has another accolade on her resume, becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to score 5000 career WNBA points. She achieved this accomplishment during a statement win for the Las Vegas Aces against the Connecticut Sun, and was celebrated by her teammates and the crowd. At just 28 years old, Wilson is already a future Hall-of-Famer, and continues to hone her skills on the court.
Balhalla is the place to be: The Golden State Valkyries are making their presence known as the WNBA's newest team. Playing at Chase Center in San Francisco, the team has aptly nicknamed their home court "Balhalla," a take on "Valhalla." In Norse mythology, Valkyries (the female warriors) are tasked with finding slain warriors and transporting them to Valhalla, or Odin's Hall. It's a funny take on the Valkyries being able to "slay" their opponents and deliver those losses to fans in Balhalla. Regardless of history and lore, Balhalla is the place to be in the WNBA. Golden State has curated an elite fan experience at Chase Center, and it's proving to be one of the most powerful home court advantages in the league. The Valkyries are 7-7 on the season, performing way better than anyone expected for a first-year expansion franchise. They may have lost (just barely) to the Liberty on Wednesday, but they have beaten Connecticut, Indiana, Seattle, Las Vegas and Washington at home this season.
The night of upsets: Tuesday night in the WNBA was a night of upsets. It started when the Washington Mystics handed the Minnesota Lynx their second loss of the season, beating them out 68-64 while the Lynx were missing Napheesa Collier. Shortly after, the Chicago Sky got their fourth win of the season against the Los Angeles Sparks, who only have four wins themselves. The Dallas Wings were then able to get their fourth win of the year against the Atlanta Dream, a great achievement given Atlanta's dominance so far in 2025. The last game of the night was not so much of an upset, given the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm are both top teams in the league, yet it was still surprising to see the Fever get the win, even as Clark only had 6 points in the game.
2 games to watch this weekend:
Indiana Fever vs Dallas Wings: Friday, June 27, 7:30 p.m.
If Caitlin Clark plays, this will be a game full of storylines. Clark and Paige Bueckers, back-to-back No.1 picks in the WNBA, were in the same high school/college class. The only difference is that Paige stayed 5 years at UConn and Clark played 4 at Iowa. They only played against each other twice in their college careers, after being teammates several times for Team USA as teenagers. The first was in their freshman year NCAA tournament, when Iowa and UConn played in the Sweet Sixteen. UConn won that time. The next and final time was the 2024 NCAA tournament, when Iowa and UConn played in the Final Four, that time Iowa winning. Now, they'll play as professionals for the first time.
Las Vegas Aces vs Phoenix Mercury: Sunday, June 29, 4:00 p.m.
This will be a really big game for the Las Vegas Aces, who are trying to turn around their season and rise in the WNBA standings. They've looked like they've been lacking energy at times, their defense has not been sharp, and they haven't packed the punch offensively like they have in recent years. Wilson has been great as usual, but she can't do it alone, and the team's lack of depth is apparent. Getting a win over the Phoenix Mercury will be important as they attempt to bridge the gap between themselves and teams in the top five of the WNBA standings.
1 story to follow: Caitlin Clark is out with a groin injury
The Indiana Fever announced Thursday morning that Caitlin Clark would be out for Thursday night's game against the Los Angeles Sparks. It's a left groin injury, and there was no specific timeline set for her return. This may just be out of an abundance of caution given the Fever play the Dallas Wings Friday night on the second night of a back-to-back, yet it is still concerning. That left upper leg is the same reason she spent three weeks on the sidelines earlier in the month.
These ongoing issues may be the reason the 2024 Rookie of the Year has been struggling on the court as of late. In her last three games, Clark has shot 1-for-23 (4.3 percent) from distance, her usual sweet spot. Her six points versus Seattle in the Fever's most recent game was her lowest scoring night of the season, as she went 3-13 from the field and 0-6 from three point range. Luckily the Fever were able to get the win in that scenario, but they have dropped the other two of their last three games.
Now with Clark out, the Fever will go up against the Sparks, who have been seeing career-high scoring numbers from Kelsey Plum. Now that the Fever have Aari McDonald signed, their guard depth with Clark out is a little better. They will definitely hope Clark can be back Friday, though, given they play the Dallas Wings. It will be the first time Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark play each other as pros, and the first time at all since the 2024 NCAA Women's Final Four. Plus, the Wings have another high-volume shooter in Arike Ogunbowale who will be putting them up as well.