^{June 16, 2025 | Edition #99}

👋 Hey, Hoophead!

Everyone has lost at least once now! The last perfect record is gone and, of course, it had to be Caitlin Clark who took down the reigning champs. What was already the most anticipated day casually turned into WNBA history, becoming the most-watched game ever.

Speaking of history, aren’t expansion teams supposed to be the underdogs in year one? Well... try telling that to the Valkyries. Meanwhile, the Aces? Let’s just say they aren’t exactly playing like title favorites right now.

Logo Queen & the Sixth-Women Supremes

Caitlin Clark is BACK! And did she wait even a few minutes to show it? No rust, just fireworks. She knocked down three threes in just 38 SECONDS in the first quarter! These weren’t just your regular triples, they were deep. The Gainbridge Fieldhouse completely lost it when Clark made these back-to-back-to-back threes.

The Indiana Fever snapped right back into form, taking full charge against the Liberty and handing them their first loss of the season with a 102-88 dub. Clark flirted with another triple-double, dropping 32-8-9, including seven threes, that added up to a ridiculous 201 feet. Insane.

While Clark dominated the first half, the rest of the Fever squad showed up in the second. Also, what also stole hearts was New York’s class. Seeing their rival go off despite knowing how big of a damage it is for them, Coach Brondello and Stewie were all smiles.

Over on the West Coast, the Golden State Valkyries stunned the Storm - who were riding high off a big win over the Lynx. From the jump itself, Seattle stumbled. Kayla Thornton buried two back-to-back threes in the second. To make it spicier, she hit Storm’s Skylar Diggins with her own tongue-out celly right after. Mean, maybe, but we love heat-check moments like these, right?

Storm tried to claw back in the fourth, but Golden State held on 76-70, snapping Seattle’s three-game win streak like it was nothing.

The Golden State Valkyries AGAIN reminded everyone that they don’t care about pregame predictions or what “should” happen. As Temi Fagbenle said, “this squad of sixth women” knows exactly what it takes and they’re showing up every night.

Half Off, Full Style

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Snag your favorite style before the sale wraps up. Because when the sun’s out, you might as well look the part!

After Big Wins Came Bigger Losses

Entering the Capital, the Atlanta Dream had one goal: avenge that season-opening loss vs Mystics. Oh, and avenge they did! It was a second-half avalanche for Atlanta, total domination on both ends. Fresh off a 37-point beatdown in their last game, the Mystics probably weren’t expecting déjà vu. Trailing 34-45 at halftime, things fell apart real fast.

Atlanta came storming out of the locker room with a 16-0 run to start the third. Sonia Citron tried to keep D.C. afloat. However, Shakira Austin stole the spotlight with what she did to Brittney Griner. When the second all-time blocks leader gets swatted by someone five inches shorter, you just know it’s going viral. Even BG looked a little stunned for a second before giving Austin this playful shove.

Now, at 4-7, Washington will try to bounce back next against Chicago while the Dream (8-3) have no time to relax as they’ve got a date with the Liberty next. Big test incoming for one of the biggest surprises this season.

While the on-court action kept us locked in, this week hit differently for longtime Minnesota fans. The franchise celebrated Seimone Augustus for her 2024 Naismith Hall of Fame nod just as the 2025 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class was announced, which included another Lynx icon. These are the 4 names that got immortalized.

On court, the Lynx showed out too. They outscored the Sparks by 34 in the first half and cruised to a 101-78 win. Most of the blame came down to being shorthanded - no Julie Allemand (off at EuroBasket) and no Odyssey Sims (personal reasons). The Sparks (4-8) definitely felt it.

Knee Slappers For Father’s Day: Dream Players Share Their Best Dad Jokes

Scorching Plays (and Tea) as Mercury’s Dream Trio Arrives

Wait was worth it. This one’s been months in the making. Heading into the matchup against the Mercury, the Aces weren’t even the favorites and once Kahleah Copper’s season debut was confirmed, things looked really bleak for Vegas. We finally got to see the dream trio of Copper, Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas on the court together.

As expected, they showed out. All three dropped double digits in a 76-70 win over the Aces but there was one play that Mercury fans will remember forever. Sabally had the rock near the top before passing it to AT. Thomas floated to the wing and just as Copper took off from the corner, she dropped a buttery bounce pass right into her cut. Obviously, Kahleah finished it smoothly, and it looked like poetry in motion.

Simple? Maybe. But for Mercury fans that was five months of anticipation, finally wrapped in one perfect play.

Cold at the Half. The Connecticut Sun vs Chicago Sky matchup had everything. Angel Reese notched her first career triple-double (11-13-11), while Hailey Van Lith went off for a career-high 16 points. The game had an insane buzzer-beater as well.

Just when it looked like the Sky were going into halftime trailing, Kia Nurse lit the court on fire. With seconds left in the second quarter, Ariel Atkins drove from the other end, ran into a wall of defenders, and hit the floor but not before slipping a falling dime to Nurse at the three-point line. Guess what came next? This calm, composed, and cold-blooded three right at the buzzer.

And just like that, Chicago entered the third with a 2-point lead, and that shift was game-changing. The Sky snapped their three-game losing skid with a 78-66 win.

Angel Reese Snaps! Hair Pull from Sun Player Ends in Shove-Fest Showdown

✨ She Got Glam! ✨

Connecticut’s Olivia Nelson-Ododa has been putting together a solid season so far, averaging 8.2 points and 6.2 boards, and she’s even in the mix for Most Improved Player. However, one area where almost no one can touch her is her game-day fits. She pulled up to the Chicago game looking like a queen, and she’s been serving looks like that all season. Check out her best outfits!

Valks & Wings Find Mid-season Magic

Remember all those early-season doubts about Golden State signing international stars who’d eventually leave for domestic leagues? Well, that moment is here. Julie Vanloo (Belgium) and Temi Fagbenle (Great Britain) have officially left to compete in the tournament, which runs through the end of June.

But what fans feared is actually turning into a fairy moment. Why? Because this opened up roster spots and guess who’s back? Kaitlyn Chen. The fan-favorite UConn star who was heartbreakingly waived after camp is on the roster, and Valks fans are loving it. Also rejoining the crew is Chloe Bibby, the Aussie forward from Maryland who’d also been waived after training camp.

While it’s unclear whether Chen, Bibby, or Laeticia Amihere will stay once the internationals return, for now, this is their moment. ​​Chen’s debut game is nothing short of perfect and for UConn fans, it couldn’t have been more special. Find out why!

Meanwhile, in another mid-season shakeup - Dallas also brought some sneaky magic of their own. The Wings landed Li Yueru from the Storm after she had requested a trade for more playing time. Well, she’s got the shot now.

With frontcourt holes to fill, she’ll likely see good minutes next to NaLyssa Smith and Myisha Hines-Allen. And on top of that, she is absolutely loving D-Town. Especially because she has a new huge flex now, and yes, it has a lot to do with Paige Bueckers.

Could this move be the shift that the Wings desperately need? They face only one team currently sitting in the Top 5 in the standings in their next 6 games. That 1-11 record could look a lot different by the end of this month.

Making Her Mark Already! Paige Bueckers Is the Only Guard In W Crashing the Top 5 in This Category

📝 More Stories to Check Out

1. Caitlin Clark Ignoring Teammate Triggers Locker Room Wake-Up Call from Fever Coach - Full Story

2. Becky Hammon Releases 30-Second Unfiltered Rant Over Flagrant Rule - Full Story

3. Angel Reese Clarifies Stance on 8x All-Star After Hair-Pulling Incident - Full Story

4. ESPN Announcers Under Fire as Fans Demand “Justice” For Caitlin Clark’s Explosive Game - Full Story

5. Paige Bueckers’ Teammate Not Rushing Into Anything As Dallas Desperate To End 5-Game Home Slide - Full Story

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!

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