What's Going On With The WNBA
Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesWhy former Sparks player credits LA for breakout season appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After a solid rookie season with the Los Angeles Sparks, Sarah Ashlee Barker was selected in the expansion draft by the Portland Fire. She was one of the players the Sparks left unprotected, and their loss was the Fireâs gain as the second-year guard is in the midst of a breakout season.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Sarah Ashlee Barker has been a key reserve for the Fire, especially when it comes to her 3-point shooting. Barker didnât shoot the ball all that efficiently as a rookie, but she gives a lot of credit to the Sparks for essentially laying out her offseason plan that the Fire have taken full advantage of.
âIt definitely helps with this system. Iâm able to get more shots off and all that. But at the same time, people forget my offseason work was what LA wanted me to work on,â Barker told a small group of reporters prior to the Fireâs game against the Sparks on June 7. âAnd so that was one of the things, âhow can we get your 3-point shot to be more consistent.â
Last season, Barker shot 29.5 percent from the 3-point line while taking just under two attempts per game. This season, sheâs up to 44.9 percent on a little over three attempts. Thatâs good enough for third on the team behind only Teja Oblakâs 58.3 percent and Serah Williamsâ 50 percent. However, both Oblak and Williams do not shoot the same volume of 3-point shots that Barker does.
Oblak has only taken 12 shots from beyond the arc this season while Williams has only taken one. Barker is second on the Fire roster in 3-point attempts this season with 49. Only Bridget Carleton has taken more shots from distance with 93.
Barker initially had no idea that she was going to be available in the expansion draft, so her offseason work was tailor-made to fit the Sparksâ roster needs.
âI give a lot of credit to LA because just the work that we put in the offseason and what I was trying to attack every single day was to come back and play for LA and be better for myself,â Barker continued. âI have a lot of gratitude for that.â
In addition to her 3-point shooting, Barker is putting up career numbers in points (10.3), rebounds (4.3), assists (2.5), overall field goal percentage (50.8 percent) and minutes (23.7). Sheâs played in all 15 games for the Fire, including four starts, and is a big reason why the team has a winning record (8-7) a little over a quarter of the way through the regular season.
Barker has been entrusted by the Fire staff with the ball in her hands a lot more than she was last year with the Sparks. And as a result, sheâs been able to create for herself and for her teammates. For that, she credits the Fire and head coach Alex Sarama with installing an unselfish system that stresses ball movement and team play.
Sarah Ashlee Barker is different đ±
She connects on this strong take
DAL-PDX | League Pass | 2026 WNBA Commissioner's Cup | @coinbase
Tap to watch: https://t.co/ZMeewwZKN8pic.twitter.com/mneuPboTj4
â WNBA (@WNBA) June 14, 2026
âI know how much trust they have in me as a coaching staff, and even my teammates, all of us have so much trust. And just the unity within each other, weâre so connected that it could be anybodyâs night, itâs not just one person,â Barker said. âYou can see that across the line. When we win games and when weâre being successful, itâs when youâve got 15, 10, 12, 15, 14, all that, itâs not just one player thatâs contributing, itâs all of us.
âThatâs been really cool to just be a part of. Yeah the ball is in my hands a lot more, but at the end of the day, Iâm just trying to take every opportunity and just do the best of my ability.â
Geoff Burke-Imagn ImagesBreanna Stewart sends powerful message to Knicksâ Jalen Brunson after NBA Finals appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart gave New York Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson his flowers for beating the San Antonio Spurs, 4-1, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Brunson earned Finals MVP after beating the Spurs in a 94-90 win in Game 5, where he led his team with 45 points, including four threes, three assists, and two steals.
After the victory, Stewart commended Brunson for capturing his first title and ending a 53-year Knicks championship drought, he said, per Liberty reporter Myles Ehrlich.
âReally happy for Jalen [Brunson]. The way he closed it out, he was literally going to do whatever he could to finish the series last night,â Steward said. âHe said something in the postgame, where he [said] he came to New York to win a championship, and very similar sentiments to when JJ and I first came to New York.
âWe wanted to, in our case, be the first ones to bring a championship to the Liberty, and people want to do it; they take pride in doing something that hasnât been done in a long time or hasnât been done at all, and Iâm really happy for him and the rest of the squad.â
Breanna Stewart, who led the Liberty to a championship in 2024, when she captured her third WNBA title, was thrilled to watch Brunsonâs 45 points lead the Knicks to a championship, as the Larry OâBrien Trophy now reside in New York.
âWeâre all really happy for the Knicks,â Stewart added. âFirst of all, it was really exciting to watch them and be a part of it. I was in my house last night and there were fireworks going off until who knows when. New York is the best city in the world, and for them to be able to bring an NBA championship home after 53 years, itâs huge. Our goal has always been a championship, and we know we were short on that last year, but yeah, the city would be crazy. Letâs talk about that in October.â
The Liberty (10-4), with the third-best record in the WNBA 14 games into the regular season, are leading the Eastern Conference standings early on.
Related: Why the Knicks must not make huge trades to repeat as NBA champions
Related: Baron Davis pays heartfelt tribute to New York after Knicks win NBA Finals
Jun 13, 2026; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball against Connecticut Sun guard Leila Lacan (47) during the second half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images ©Gregory Fisher-Imagn ImagesIt started at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, where Caitlin Clark made her first WNBA regular-season appearance in May 2024, scoring 20 points and committing 10 turnovers in a 92-71 loss to the Connecticut Sun. Now, after the Indiana Feverâs Saturday night victory over the Sun, the franchise appears headed to Houston ahead of the 2027 WNBA season, making this the Feverâs final visit to Connecticut.
Clark was asked about the Sunâs future move during her postgame press conference, a video of which was later shared on the Feverâs YouTube channel. Reflecting on the situation, Clark noted that certain challenges come with playing in Connecticut. She emphasized that she has enjoyed her experiences there and noted that it was the site of her first-ever WNBA game.
âAt times itâs hard for teams like us to function in this type of environment, like just from a facility standpoint, a security standpoint, a hotel standpoint, but like I enjoy coming here, like this is my first, this was my first ever WNBA game⊠Itâs really hard to find a hotel, and itâs just difficult. But, you know, Iâve had good experiences here,â she said.
Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn ImagesCaitlin Clark also acknowledged the history and tradition that the Connecticut franchise has built over the years. At the same time, she said she understands why a decision like this could ultimately come down to business considerations.
âI mean obviously, this organization has great history and great tradition. Obviously, they have a passionate fan base, and Iâm sure their fans would love to have a team, and Iâm sure it was a business business decision,â she said.
Of course, the two teams will still meet twice more this season, once in July and again in August. Those matchups, however, will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. As such, the next time Clark and the Fever visit the Sun on their home floor will most likely be in Houston next season. And for Clark, sheâs looking forward to that opportunity.
âI donât make those decisions, and I know this organization has a lot of history. but I guess Iâll be excited to go to Houston,â she said.
The focus for now, however, shifts to the Feverâs upcoming trip to face the Toronto Tempo, where they will play their next game as they continue their regular-season schedule.
Stephanie White Calls Connecticut Sun Move âHeartbreaking,â Says New England Deserves a WNBA TeamIndiana Fever head coach Stephanie White, speaking in the same postgame press conference, also shared her thoughts on the Sunâs upcoming move away from Connecticut. For White, the region deserves to have a professional basketball team. And thatâs why she believes the relocation is a difficult one for the area.
âI think that this is an area that deserves a pro team. Itâs heartbreaking, you know, for the tribe, and itâs heartbreaking for this area, but I do think that the New England area and the New England basketball fans deserve a team,â she said.
White actually has a bit of history with the franchise herself. She served as the Connecticut Sunâs head coach for two seasons. She coached them in 2023 and 2024, leading the team to back-to-back WNBA semifinal appearances.
Speaking about the organization, White also made it clear that she enjoyed her time with the franchise and the people associated with it.
In fact, White pointed out that when the franchise moved from Orlando to Connecticut, the WNBA was still trying to grow, and several teams were struggling. However, after the team became the Connecticut Sun, fans in Connecticut continued to support the franchise strongly, helping it build one of the leagueâs most loyal fan bases.
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The post 'Hard for Teams to Function' - Caitlin Clark Honest About Connecticut in Final Visit Ahead of Houston Relocation appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It was less than two years ago that the franchise captured the cityâs first professional basketball title since the 1973 Knicks when they beat the Minnesota Lynx in 2024. But as they took in the celebration of the Knicksâ first NBA championship in 53 years on Saturday night â Jonquel Jones from Soho, Breanna Stewart from her home in Brooklyn and coach Chris DeMarco from an outdoor projector in Park Slope â the contemplations started.
DeMarco didnât hesitate before saying âabsolutelyâ when asked if heâs already thinking about his desire to recapture the Knicksâ championship magic in the fall.
Stewart predicted âthe city would be crazyâ if the Liberty could follow the Knicks and give New York City WNBA and NBA championships in the same year. âLetâs talk about it in October,â she said.
Jones said their 86-64 win over the Washington Mystics on Sunday afternoon, which clinched their place in the Commissionerâs Cup final, was a good place to start.
âItâs a pretty high number of teams that go to the Commissionerâs Cup championship that play in the (WNBA) finals,â Jones said.
The Libertyâs opponent has yet to be determined, though the Las Vegas Aces currently sit atop the Western Conference standings with two Commissionerâs Cup games remaining, one against the Dallas Wings and one against the Phoenix Mercury. Home-court advantage will be awarded to the team with the higher regular-season win percentage through all games up until Wednesday night (the last night of Commissionerâs Cup games).
The Aces (10-3) currently hold the advantage over the Liberty (10-4) to host the in-season tournament championship on June 30.
Since the league introduced the in-season tournament in 2021, one or both teams that played for the Cup title have gone on to compete for the WNBA championship three times â in 2022, 2023 and 2024. But the Liberty arenât willing to foreshadow any future success.
âItâs expected,â Satou Sabally said of the Libertyâs third Commissionerâs Cup berth in four years.
Sunday was the Libertyâs seventh consecutive win, the longest active win-streak in the WNBA, and their first game with a clean injury report.
Sabrina Ionescu returned to the rotation after missing seven games with a back injury and finished with five points, three rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes off the bench. She spent a considerable amount of time postgame getting treatment, but said sheâs feeling âgood.â
âShe was phenomenal,â DeMarco said. âYou could feel her presence out there. But itâs hard sometimes when youâre out for a while, you come back trying to find your game and I thought it was really good decision-making from her.â
The last time the Liberty faced the Mystics, in the first week of the season, they barely squeaked by with an overtime win. They played with two hardship players on their roster, Julie Vanloo and Aubrey Griffin, as they waited for Leonie Fiebich and Raquel Carrera to return from their overseas commitments, and for Ionescu, Sabally and Rebecca Allen to reach full health.
Ionescu missed the Libertyâs first five games with a left ankle injury, and Sabally was sidelined with a cyst to start the season. Allen missed the Libertyâs first two games due to reconditioning.
In Ionescuâs absence, rookie guard Pauline Astier has carried the load of leading the Libertyâs offense. She had six points, six assists and just one turnover Sunday afternoon. Ionescu certainly wonât be in a bench role long-term, but on Sunday it was a priority for her to ease into her return and also respect the chemistry thatâs been developed by the starting group in her absence.
Of that unit, Jones led the way with 20 points. Stewart added 14 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high seven blocks, and Fiebich and Marine Johannes contributed eight points each.
âWeâre feeling a little bit more complete as far as having our whole roster today,â Stewart said. âNow weâre starting to build. Beginning of the season, we were trying to work through some things and just get wins when we could. This is like our Day One.â
Ionescu, similar to Stewart, watched the Knicks make history from the comfort of her own home. But the celebration was still audible. She is the Libertyâs cornerstone as the 2020 No. 1 pick and the player general manager Jonathan Kolb built their title team around.
Witnessing the cityâs reaction to the Knicksâ championship didnât change the way Ionescu looks at the Libertyâs title pursuits, but it did bring her back.
âIf we keep playing the right way, taking it one game at a time, weâre kind of in control of our own destiny,â Ionescu said.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
New York Liberty, Washington Mystics, WNBA
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Collage featuring WNBA: Los Angeles Sparks at New York Liberty and WNBA: Atlanta Dream at Toronto Tempo. John Jones-Imagn Images / Kevin Sousa-Imagn ImagesThe Atlanta Dream continue to look like a legitimate championship contender, routing the Toronto Tempo 102-77 on Sunday afternoon at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
However, it was a third-quarter scuffle between former teammates Angel Reese and Isabelle Harrison that became the main talking point, sparking reactions across the WNBA community.
Tensions Flare During Angel Reeseâs Altercation With Former Teammate Isabelle HarrisonThe Tempo looked like the better team out of the gate, building a 12-point lead in the first quarter, feeding off the energy of their raucous home crowd.
But the Dream did not panic, going on a 34-14 run in the second quarter that erased their early deficit and left Toronto completely reeling. Atlanta was fueled by yet another dominant performance from Reese, who proved unstoppable on the glass, finishing with 15 points and 17 rebounds.
However, the night wasnât without drama, as the boiling point came in the third quarter with the Tempo trailing 52-42.
Reese got possession under the basket and tried to power her way to the rim, but Harrison wrapped both arms around her from behind and dragged her to the hardwood.
Tensions escalated, with both teams and the officials rushing in to intervene between the former teammates.
The two-time rebounding leader was visibly emotional, while Harrisonâs physical takedown was initially ruled a common foul before being upgraded to a Flagrant 2, resulting in an automatic ejection.
The incident sparked an immediate wave of reactions across social media, with players, analysts, and fans sounding off.
Natasha Cloud made her feelings known with a series of posts on Threads.
âLove how Izzy was cooking her sh*t, and matching her energy. The refs shouldnât have ejected her,â one user asserted.
âThis Angel and Izzy sh*t is hilarious đđđđđ,â another bluntly remarked.
âAngel Reese couldnât hold back her emotions after taking a Flagrant 2 foul đ„ș,â Just Womenâs Sports highlighted.
âNot ejection worthy. She was locking Angel up and they kicked her outta the game after angel flopped. Trash league, trash refs,â another account boldly claimed.
Under WNBA rules, a Flagrant 2 foul carries two flagrant points and an automatic $1,000 fine for Harrison.
Before her ejection, Harrison was the lone bright spot for the expansion Tempo, recording a team-high 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field while grabbing 3 rebounds.
Torontoâs offense stalled without her, dropping the squad to 7-7.
After the game, Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko discussed Reese dealing with the physical matchup.
âItâs one of those situations where sheâs going to be inside, sheâs going to be physical, and sometimes not getting the calls, you know, have to manage it,â Smesko said. â⊠I thought she did that tonight, and I think thatâs a large reason why she had such a great second half of the game.â
Atlanta (9-4) will look to keep its momentum rolling and secure its 10th win of the season when it travels to Indianapolis to face Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Thursday.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 14: Cotie McMahon #23 of the Washington Mystics shoots while defended by Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty during the first half at Barclays Center on June 14, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images) | Getty Images NEW YORK, NEW YORK â JUNE 14: Cotie McMahon #23 of the Washington Mystics shoots while defended by Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty during the first half at Barclays Center on June 14, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesThe vibes around New York City are unmatched as everyoneâs on a high following the Knicksâ championship sealing victory last night. Thereâs plenty of more basketball to take place in New York, and the Liberty were back in action looking to keep up their recent success in front of a sold out Barclays Center crowd.
Coming in to Sundayâs matchup with the Washington Mystics, the New York Liberty were riding a six game winning streak. Theyâve been able to solve some of their early season struggles and are finally at full strength for the first time all season.
The game started a bit slowly as a clock malfunction 13 seconds in to the game. Once things got going, Breanna Stewart had things under control.
Stewart had a career high seven blocks as her timing on the weak side destroyed whatever driving lanes and shots at the rim the Mystics may have been able to generate for themselves.
Timing on defense is so critical, and itâs a topic Stewie spoke about in postgame media:
âI think just having a good awareness, basically who youâre guarding, knowing kind of what they want to do [helps] And the blocking? I donât know. You canât teach timing. You just have to have a good sense of when to go up and get it.â
Indeed. The Liberty held the Mystics to a season low 33.8 percent from the field as they consistently forced them into difficult possessions and 18 turnovers on the night. Han Xuâs efforts were especially noticeable as she was flying over the court on defense and hitting various catch and shoot jumpers on offense. Her efforts havenât gone unnoticed and weâre starting to see one of the teamâs youngest players grow in real time.
âSheâs a very good WNBA player,â Chris DeMarco said. âShe can shoot. Sheâll post up. Defensively, she has a lot of size. Sheâs rebounded well in man coverage and in zone. I just think she continues to get better, and we wanted to be a little bit more aggressive today. I think she did a good job of that as well.â
On offense, the team was able to consistently find driving lanes to the basket and converted numerous catch-and-shoot opportunities against a Mystics team that was trying to limit New Yorkâs paint touches. Put it all together and Ellie the Elephant got to have a fun filled birthday. And for basketball fans in New York, they were treated to another victory by the home team.
Final score: New York Liberty 86,Washington Mystics 64With this win, the Liberty extended their winning streak to seven. More importantly, they secured their third appearance in the Commissionerâs Cup championship game. Itâs their third trip there in the past four years. And if youâre looking for a trendâŠ
Maybe one more championship will be coming to New York?
Welcome back, Sabrina
BROOKLYN, NY â JUNE 14: Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty signs autographs before the game against the Washington Mystics during the WNBA Commissioner's Cup on June 14, 2026 at Barclays Center Arena in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Sydney Bezelik/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty ImagesIt took some time, but Sabrina Ionescu made her return following a back injury. Ionescu came off the bench in her first game back and gradually eased her way into things. In pregame, DeMarco noted that her minutes total would be around 20, give or take. Ionescu played 25 and started to regain the rhythm with her teammates after being out of action for so long.
âObviously not being tentative,â Ionescu said of her approach. âKind of having the mentality of âIâm healthy, Iâm good to goâ, and just read the game. I felt like I read what the defense gave me, knowing theyâre going to chase me, try and use my shooting ability to open up passing lanes for everyone else. I think some of them werenât ready for some of the passes because we havenât played a lot together yet. And so, just trying to build that chemistry back with the players on the floor.â
With Ionescu back, we get to fully see the vision Chris DeMarco has for this group. Theyâve withstood some early difficulties and had to experiment with various combinations. Now that everyone is here, weâll start to see how various lineups and build out the rotation going forward.
Next up
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS â JUNE 09: Skylar Diggins #4 of the Chicago Sky dribbles up the court against the Atlanta Dream during the second half at Wintrust Arena on June 09, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesNow the goal is to secure home court advantage for the Commissionerâs Cup championship game. The Liberty close out Cup play with a road game in Chicago against the Sky. Tip off after 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Boxscore: New York Liberty 86,Washington Mystics 64 â WNBAGame Highlights: New York Liberty 86, Washington Mystics 64 (Video) â WNBALiberty clinch sport in Commissionerâs Cup Finals with win over Mystics, extend win streak to seven â Doug Feinberg â AP