Who Ran The WNBA This Week: Angel Reese, Oliva Miles, More
Who Ran The WNBA This Week: Angel Reese Is A Double-Double Machine, Olivia Miles Is A Problem, And Caitlyn Clark’s Loud Critics
The WNBA’s 30th season is barely over a week old, and the league already feels like it’s moving at playoff speed. Opening night arrived May 8 with three games, two new expansion teams entering the party, stars changing jerseys, rookies getting tested immediately, and contenders trying to remind everybody why they’re still contenders. The season is young, but the temperature around the league is already loud. Every night feels like somebody is making history, announcing themselves, or giving fans a reason to circle the next matchup.
That’s why we’re kicking off “Who Ran The WNBA This Week,” a weekly recap built to keep fans in the loop as the league continues one of its most important seasons ever. Every Monday, we’ll look back at the players, teams, games and storylines that shaped the week before — not just the box-score stuff, but the moments that had everybody talking. For this first edition, we’re covering May 8 through May 17, with the league standings and storylines current as of Monday, May 18. As of this moment, the Aces are on top at 4-1, while the Liberty and Sky are both at 3-1 despite facing real injury questions early.
And already, the league has given us plenty. The Portland Fire picked up its first win in franchise history on a buzzer-beater against the Liberty. The Mystics and Fever gave fans an overtime thriller. Chelsea Gray reminded everybody why she’s one of the coldest closers in basketball. Angel Reese wasted no time making history in Atlanta. Olivia Miles looks like she skipped the rookie learning curve entirely. And Caitlin Clark, somehow, keeps finding new records to break while the noise around her only gets louder.
TEAMS & PLAYERS TO HIGHLIGHT THIS WEEK
Las Vegas Aces
The defending champs got punched in the mouth in their season opener, but they’ve responded exactly like a team that knows what June, July and August are supposed to look like. Las Vegas has ripped off four straight wins since that opening loss, and most importantly, the Aces already look comfortable winning on the road. A’ja Wilson’s 45-point explosion against the Connecticut Sun was the loudest reminder that the best player in the world is still very much moving like it, while Chelsea Gray’s late-game shot-making against Atlanta showed the Aces still have that championship calm when everything gets chaotic. Wilson dropped 45 on 15-of-18 shooting and made all 13 of her free throws in the win over Connecticut.
Chennedy Carter
One of the early under-the-radar stories for Vegas has been Chennedy Carter settling into that bench spark role. The Aces don’t need her to be the whole show every night, but when she gives them instant pressure, downhill scoring and another player who can create her own show, that makes an already scary team even harder to guard. In a tight win over Atlanta, Carter joined A’ja Wilson (20) and Chelsea Gray (21) in putting up a combined 61 points, which is exactly the kind of extra punch Vegas needs if it wants to run it back.
New York Liberty
The Liberty are 3-1 without Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally, and that alone deserves attention. New York dropped one to Portland in dramatic fashion, but the bigger picture is that the 2024 champs have held steady while waiting to get whole. Breanna Stewart has been the stabilizer, Marine Johannès has helped carry the offense, and the Liberty’s depth has been tested way earlier than expected. Sabrina has been out with a left foot injury, while Satou has been sidelined with a cyst, but New York has still looked like a team that knows how to survive a rough opening stretch.
Chicago Sky
The Sky might be one of the grittier stories of the opening week. Rickea Jackson suffered a concerning left knee injury Sunday against Minnesota, and Skylar Diggins also missed that game with an eye injury, but Chicago still found a way to beat the Lynx and improve to 3-1. That says a lot about the defensive identity already taking shape, but it also puts a spotlight on Jackson’s future status, as she entered Sunday as Chicago’s leading scorer at 22 points per game.
Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark’s week had a little bit of everything: record-breaking basketball, loud criticism, and the usual internet debates that follow her around. After backlash from her Morgan Wallen walkout and the “overrated” talk starting to get louder again, Clark responded on the floor. She became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 points, 250 rebounds and 250 assists, then broke the league record for most career games with at least 20 points and 10 assists. After a stat correction gave her a 20-and-10 game against Washington, she followed it up with 21 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in Indiana’s win over Seattle.
Angel Reese
Angel Reese’s new chapter in Atlanta is already coming with history attached. In her Dream debut, Reese posted 11 points and 14 rebounds in a 91-90 comeback win over Minnesota, giving her the 50th double-double of her career in just 65 games — the fastest mark in WNBA history. She followed that hot start with another double-double before a tougher home debut against Las Vegas, but the message is already clear: Reese is still a double-double machine, and Atlanta has another centerpiece who can change the glass, the energy, and the physicality of a game.
Olivia Miles
Olivia Miles looks like a problem already. The No. 2 pick has stepped into the WNBA with the poise of somebody who has been here for years, not days. She already looks elite, with a professional feel, speed, handle, change of pace, and ability to create open looks even when the defense is set. Her debut — 21 points, eight assists, two steals and two blocks — immediately put her in Rookie of the Year conversations and made Minnesota look like it may have landed a franchise point guard.
Jovana Nogić
Jovana Nogić’s name needs to be on the early-season radar, too. The Phoenix Mercury win lit up the Chicago Sky for 27 points, five threes and four rebounds in a 91-83 win, giving Phoenix a major boost and giving the league another international player making noise in the 30th season. If she keeps shooting like this, Phoenix may have found one of the early surprise weapons of the year.
Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen & Shakira Austin
Washington’s frontcourt has been one of the best young stories in the league so far. Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin have given the Mystics size, production and a real identity inside, while Sonia Citron has been hooping on the perimeter. Going into Monday’s matchup with Dallas, Iriafen is averaging 19 points and 13.7 rebounds, Austin is averaging 17.7 points per game, and Citron is leading Washington at 24.3 points per game. That’s a young core worth watching every week.
STORYLINES OF THE WEEK
1. The Kids Are Not Waiting For Their Turn
Between Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Shakira Austin, Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, Jovana Nogić, Pauline Astier and more, the early season has had a real youth takeover feel. The vets are still the vets, but the young talent is not easing into the league quietly. They’re producing, closing games, putting up big numbers and forcing teams to adjust immediately.
2. Expansion Is Already Giving The League New Energy
The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo make this season feel different just by existing, but Portland’s first win made it real. Beating the Liberty 98-96 on a Sarah Ashlee Barker buzzer-beating putback gave the Fire their first franchise victory and gave fans one of the best moments of opening week. Toronto is still searching for that same signature moment (they have two wins, while the Fire sit at one), but the league’s expansion era already feels like it’s adding new juice.
3. Injuries & Depth Are Already Shaping The Season
It is early, but health is already a major part of the conversation. The Liberty are waiting on Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally. The Sky are monitoring Rickea Jackson’s knee and Skylar Diggins’ eye issue. The Fever have already had to manage absences around Clark. The teams that can survive these early stretches without slipping too far may be the ones sitting pretty when the season gets heavier.
BEST GAMES OF THE LAST WEEK
Portland Fire 98, New York Liberty 96 — May 12
This was the storybook moment of the week. Portland picked up its first win in franchise history by beating the Liberty on a Sarah Ashlee Barker putback before the buzzer. Bridget Carleton dropped a career-high 26 points, Carla Leite added 21, and the Fire gave their home crowd a moment they’ll remember forever.
Washington Mystics 104, Indiana Fever 102 — OT, May 15
This was one of those early-season games that felt like it had a little bit of everything. Caitlin Clark led Indiana with 32 points, seven threes, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals, but Washington survived in overtime behind a huge performance from Sonia Citron and strong frontcourt work from Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin. Citron had 30, Iriafen finished with 25 and 13, and Austin added 19 as the Mystics showed their young core can handle a big stage.
Las Vegas Aces 85, Atlanta Dream 84 — May 17
Atlanta nearly stole this one after trailing by as many as 19, but Chelsea Gray had other plans. Gray hit a stepback jumper with 3.6 seconds left, then Las Vegas got the final stop to escape with the win. With Rhyne Howard out, Atlanta still showed fight behind Allisha Gray, Te-Hina Paopao and Madina Okot, but the Aces showed why championship teams don’t panic late.
GAMES TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS UPCOMING WEEK
Washington Mystics at Dallas Wings — Monday, May 18
This one is all about young star power. Washington brings Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin into a matchup with a Dallas team built around Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd. It’s early, but this feels like one of those games we may look back on later as a preview of where the league is headed.
Golden State Valkyries at New York Liberty — Thursday, May 21
The Valkyries are trying to prove last season’s expansion success was not a fluke, while the Liberty are trying to keep stacking wins until their stars are healthy. It’s an early measuring stick game for both teams: Golden State gets to test itself against a championship-level roster, and New York gets another chance to show its depth is real.
Portland Fire at Toronto Tempo — Saturday, May 23
This will be the first regular-season meeting between the league’s two newest franchises, and that alone makes it worth watching. Expansion matchups like this are going to matter all season because they help define the identity of both new teams.
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Who Ran The WNBA This Week: Angel Reese Is A Double-Double Machine, Olivia Miles Is A Problem, And Caitlyn Clark’s Loud Critics was originally published on newsone.com
