The second week of the 2025 WNBA season is underway, with 5 video games on faucet throughout Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Aces go to the Connecticut Solar (7 p.m. ET) and the Atlanta Dream face the Indiana Fever (7 p.m. ET, NBA TV). On Wednesday, the Dallas Wings and Minnesota Lynx meet once more (8 p.m. ET), the Washington Mystics tackle the Golden State Valkyries (10 p.m. ET) and the Los Angeles Sparks play the Phoenix Mercury (10 p.m. ET).
Right here’s why to tune into this quintet of matchups:
Buckets on buckets on buckets
On Tuesday, the Aces will search for their first get-right win of the season over the likewise winless Solar, whereas the Dream will intention to do the identical in Indy towards a Fever group that was firing on all cylinders of their season opener.
Throughout the 2 video games, a ton of factors will take the courtroom.
Tina Charles, again in Connecticut, stays the WNBA’s second all-time scorer, with 7719 factors to her identify after dropping a team-high 23 factors within the Solar’s loss to the Mystics on Sunday. One the opposite aspect might be reigning MVP A’ja Wilson, who scored a file 1021 factors final season and opened 2025 with a 31-point efficiency.
For the Fever, longtime former Solar DeWanna Bonner can add to her profession level complete after she rose to 3rd on the WNBA’s all-time scoring record on Saturday, surpassing the nice Tina Thompson as she netted her 7489th-career level. She’ll be dealing with off towards her former Mercury teammate Brittney Griner, who scored 18 factors in her debut for the Dream on Friday. BG at the moment sits at No. 18 on the league’s all-time scoring leaderboard; in 2019, she led the W in scoring.
Brittney Griner congratulates DeWanna Bonner on turning into third in #WNBA all-time scoring record in league historical past and surpassing Tina Thompson on her Instagram story. They have been teammates on the Phoenix Mercury all through the 2010s.
— Aya Abdeen (@ayabdeen.bsky.social) 2025-05-17T21:30:41.010Z
So, will TC, A’ja, DB or BG get probably the most buckets on Tuesday? Or, will Marina Mabrey, Jewell Loyd, Caitlin Clark or Rhyne Howard mild up the scoreboard?
Paige vs. Minnesota (Take 2)
Paige Bueckers is being welcomed to the WNBA with a double dose of her homestate group, because the Wings, after a No. 1-vs-No. 2 interlude towards the Seattle Storm, journey to Minneapolis to tackle the Lynx on Wednesday.
The primary spherical towards Minny didn’t go so nice for the No. 1 choose and her new group. Monday night time was higher for Bueckers and the Wings, as she confirmed vital progress in scoring a team-high 19 factors in a extra aggressive loss to the Storm. What must occur for Dallas to get their first constructive results of the season?
It seems like protection, once more, might be a problem. They have been the league’s worst unit on that finish of the ground final season, and the 99 factors they allowed on Friday night time is probably the most factors scored in a single sport this season. With new head coach Chris Koclanes already transferring away from 6-foot-7 heart Teaira McCowan, one thing we questioned about in preseason, the Wings will want exercise, aggressiveness, connectedness and communication to make smaller lineups work defensively. An amazing instance? The Lynx, who have been the W’s high protection in 2024 regardless of missing conventional measurement.
Full of recent faces, anticipate Dallas to wrestle as soon as once more to search out the required defensive cohesion towards a Minnesota group that not solely has returned almost all of their key rotational items from final season’s WNBA Finals squad, but additionally now might be powered by the dulcet tones of Bon Iver.
On Monday, the Lynx and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon introduced a gender equity-focused partnership that may prioritize addressing gender inequities that end result from home and sexual violence, intercourse trafficking, well being care disparities and boundaries in schooling and management in Minnesota. Vernon and Napheesa Collier mentioned the collaboration on ESPN’s NBA In the present day:
Be Jaded in regards to the Mystics
In his recap of their season-opening win over the Dream, Beckett Harrison proclaimed that the Mystics “are the perfect group within the WNBA,” earlier than qualifying with, “Sorry, that basically is likely to be my solely likelihood to say that this season.”
Not so quick. Washington, like Minnesota, has an opportunity to achieve a league-leading 3-0 file on Wednesday once they go to Golden State.
By two video games, rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, together with Brittney Sykes, have stolen the headlines. Nonetheless, it’s vital to not overlook a sneakily essential piece to the Mystics’ early success: back-up level guard Jade Melbourne.
In her third 12 months within the W at simply 22 years previous, Melbourne could have turned a nook. In prior seasons, one with Seattle and final season with Washington, Melbourne’s youth confirmed. She was a little bit of a reckless participant, with a virtually even assist-to-turnover ratio and inefficient capturing percentages. By two video games, she’s maintained her pace-pushing fashion, albeit with extra sharpness. Melbourne has 5 assists to only one turnover, whereas capturing a stellar 64.3 p.c from the sector and 71.4 p.c from 3. The Mystics’ even have outscored their two opponents, the Dream and the Solar, by a team-best 23 factors in Melbourne’s 46 complete minutes; that’s 11 factors higher than the second-ranked Mystic.
She seems like an early season Most Improved Participant candidate. And if this enchancment is actual and never merely a quick, early-season sizzling streak, the Mystics will hold accumulating extra wins than anticipated, starting Wednesday night time in San Francisco.
The Engine is revving within the desert
It solely took one sport to function a reminder: It’s dumb to doubt a group led by Alyssa Thomas.
When information broke on Friday that Kahleah Copper could be out 4 to 6 weeks after present process a knee process, the primary intuition was to imagine hassle for the Mercury. Outdoors of star imports Thomas and Satou Sabally, Phoenix’s rotation is stuffed by a mishmash of principally unproven gamers. It was simple to think about the this new period of Phoenix basketball going up in flames earlier than the season started.
As an alternative, the Mercury cruised to an 81-59 win over the Storm, powered by a basic 20-point, seven-rebound and six-assist efficiency from Thomas. Phoenix outscored Seattle by 23 factors within the Engine’s half-hour. With the same effort towards the visiting Sparks on Wednesday, the X Issue shortly might be falling in love with AT, in addition to Sabally, who turned in 27 factors in her Valley debut.
Recreation data
Las Vegas Aces (0-1) vs. Connecticut Solar (0-1)
When: Tuesday, Could 20 at 7 p.m. ET
The place: Mohegan Solar Area in Uncasville, CT
How one can watch: WNBA League Move
Atlanta Dream (0-1) vs. Indiana Fever (1-0)
When: Tuesday, Could 20 at 7 p.m. ET
The place: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
How one can watch: NBA TV, WNBA League Move
Dallas Wings (0-2) vs. Minnesota Lynx (2-0)
When: Wednesday, Could 21 at 8 p.m. ET
The place: Goal Heart in Minneapolis, MN
How one can watch: WNBA League Move
Washington Mystics (2-0) vs. Golden State Valkyries (0-1)
When: Wednesday, Could 21 at 10 p.m. ET
The place: Chase Heart in San Francisco, CA
How one can watch: WNBA League Move
Los Angeles Sparks (1-1) vs. Phoenix Mercury (1-0)
When: Wednesday, Could 21 at 10 p.m. ET
The place: PHX Area in Phoenix, AZ
How one can watch: WNBA League Move
