Game of the week
There were many eye-catching games in the W this past week as teams are slowly gearing up for the postseason. Top contenders faced off and statement wins were made.
But the game of the week honors belongs to the Washington Mystics' win over the Dallas Wings on Sunday (PHT). It was an inspiring victory for the Mystics, who not only had to overcome an 18-point deficit but were also short-handed without stars Tina Charles and Elena Delle Donne.
It was Natasha Cloud who put on her cape and delivered the heroics for Washington. The veteran guard scored all of her 21 points in the second half, including 15 points in the third quarter alone to will her team back into the game. She went 4-for-8 from beyond the arc and added five assists.
The Mystics have been hampered by injuries all season long and the loss of Delle Donne and Charles couldn't come at a worse time. They had previously lost nine of their 11 games and were looking for a way to make a late playoff push. After a riveting come-from-behind win, this might be the turning point that the Mystics needed.
Team in the spotlight
In last week's WNBA Wrap, the team to watch out for was the Connecticut Sun. A week later, they still are the hottest team in the league, winners of eight straight games.
They started the week by sending a strong message to the league that they are the team to beat, defeating the Las Vegas Aces in a showdown between the top two in the standings. They clinched a playoff berth in their 76-62 win over the Aces and held the reigning MVP, A’ja Wilson, into one of her worst performances of the season (four points, 1-for-15 field goals).
The Sun then secured back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Sparks to improve to 20-6 overall.
The deadly frontcourt of Jonquel Jones, DeWanna Bonner, and Brionna Jones continue to wreak havoc. The peaking Sun can also thank the all-around contributions of Briann January, Jasmine Thomas, Natisha Heideman, and Kaila Charles.
This week, the Sun also had a lot of fun in their pregame fashion. In the lead-up against the Aces, everyone wore shirts to rep Jonquel Jones for MVP (against A'ja Wilson’s team too). In the following game, the Sun campaigned for Brionna Jones as Most Improved Player, sporting matching shirts as well. The Sun are definitely on a roll.
EASY. BREEZY. BUCKETS.
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) August 26, 2021
COVERGIRL. pic.twitter.com/XmaTMKgsno
Big-time ballers
Brionna Jones had herself a week for the Sun. She poured in 15 points, eight rebounds, and four steals versus the Aces. She followed it up with 23 points and six boards against the Sparks, then capped off the week with a double-double of 16 and 15 along with three steals. Things are clicking for Jones, who is now in her fifth season. She's putting up career numbers in points (14.5), rebounds (7.2), assists (1.8), free throw percentage (79.1), and minutes played (31.8).
Skyla Diggins-Smith for the Phoenix Mercury has also been on a tear. She dropped 27 points in back-to-back games against the New York Liberty, as well as a combined 12 assists and five steals. Remember her Twitter beef against Jazmine Jones back in June? If you don't recall, now is a good time to revisit that as that could be one of the reasons Diggins-Smith was a little motivated against the Liberty.
Kahleah Copper, meanwhile, has helped the Chicago Sky to their third straight victory. She had her best scoring game of the season by firing 26 points against the Seattle Storm to match her career-high. In the grind-it-out contest versus the defending champs, Copper was the star. She shot an efficient 10-for-16 from the field, grabbed four rebounds, and got three steals.
Watch out for...
Mystics star Elena Delle Donne returned a week ago after a 22-month absence following a pair of back surgeries. She played well against the Storm last August 23 (PHT) in her first game since October 2019.
But her comeback bid has been met with an early bump on the road. She logged in just 12 minutes against the Dallas Wings because of "precautionary reasons" according to head coach Mike Thibault (via ESPN).
She was a game-time decision in a rematch against the Wings last Friday but did not play. She was on the sidelines cheering on her teammates in the comeback victory.
Fortunately, she is listed as day-to-day, which hopefully means she’ll return to the court soon. It has been a long time coming for the two-time WNBA MVP and 2019 champion. It's just so good to have her back in the game.
