WNBA recap: Mercury’s horrible loss last night, Liberty-Aces today and more

NEW YORK — Today is a WNBA Finals rematch at Barclay’s Center, as the top-seeded New York Liberty hosts the streaking Las Vegas Aces. Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever look to rebound from their first loss in weeks as they take on the Atlanta Dream. With just two weeks left in the regular season, today’s four-game slate has significant seeding implications, particularly for the recently clinched #2 seed the Minnesota Lynx.

Before we dive into today’s jam-packed schedule, let’s take a look at last night’s lone game: the Seattle Storm defeated the Phoenix Mercury 90-66. The Storm were led by Jewell Loyd (20 points) and Skylar Diggins-Smith (12 points, 11 assists). Jordan Horston added 16 points off the bench.

With the loss, the Mercury fall two games below .500 and suffer their second consecutive double-figure loss. It is their fifth defeat in six games.

Phoenix’s Sophie Cunningham appeared to suggest there was an attitude problem in the Mercury dressing room.

“We have to learn how to be great teammates,” Cunningham said. “At the end of the day, we play basketball for a living, so that’s a blessing. Maybe changing our perspectives and being a little more grateful is a good start.”

Considering the amount of talent on the Mercury roster, it’s remarkable that they’re having more success on the field.

Today’s WNBA Games

The Minnesota Lynx (25-9) vs. the Washington Mystics (11-23) at 3:00 PM ET

The Lynx have been the best team in the league since the Olympic break. They’ve won nine of their last 10 games, and Napheesa Collier — known locally as MVPHEE — has been incredible. Collier is averaging 22 points on 54.7% shooting since the break — the highest percentage of any player among the top 14 scorers.

But the Mystics have been pretty good lately, too. The same team that started the year 0-12 has won five of its last six games, and it’s been a well-rounded team effort. In that span, four Washington players have averaged double figures: Brittney Sykes (13.8 points), Emily Engstler (11.8 points), Ariel Atkins (11.3 points) and Shakira Austin (10 points).

The Atlanta Dream (12-22) vs. the Indiana Fever (18-17) at 4:00 PM ET

The Fever will look to bounce back from a loss to the Lynx on Friday night when they host the Atlanta Dream this afternoon. Despite that performance — in which they were outscored by 17 points in the third quarter — Caitlin Clark and the Fever have looked like legitimate contenders since the Olympic break.

Atlanta isn’t out of the playoff hunt yet, but they’ve been unable to string together consistent wins to dislodge the Chicago Sky for the final playoff spot. The pieces are there — Rhyne Howard has found a rhythm, Tina Charles has turned back the clock — but is it enough to pull out a win? They’ll face a good test with the Fever, who have rocked Gainbridge Fieldhouse all season, and especially lately.

The Las Vegas Aces (22-12) vs the New York Liberty (28-6) at 4:00 PM ET

The Aces and Liberty will face off in a Finals rematch, and a win in Las Vegas would go a long way toward showing the team has made a significant late-season leap. After starting the year 6-6, the Aces have won four straight, most recently a comeback win over the Connecticut Sun on Friday. Things are looking up: A’ja Wilson is in the midst of a historically dominant MVP season, and Kelsey Plum is coming off one of the best games of her year.

The Liberty won both games between the two teams this season, but Las Vegas defeated New York in last year’s championship final. A’ja Wilson appeared to have sprained her leg on Friday, but she was not listed on the injury report and should be fine. A win would also go a long way for the Liberty, who have split their last six games and have not looked as dominant as they did earlier in the season.

The Dallas Wings (9-25) vs the Chicago Sky (12-22) at 6:00 PM ET

The Sky will be without Angel Reese tonight, who is out for the rest of the season with a wrist injury. Reese has been Chicago’s most impactful player this season, so without her this final stretch looks extremely difficult for Chicago. With just six games remaining, every game matters for the Sky if they want to hold on to the WNBA’s final playoff spot (although it could have negative implications for the draft).

Updated WNBA Standings

Here’s the status quo with less than two weeks to go:

1. New York Liberty (28-6)
2. Minnesota Lynx (25-9)
3. Connecticut Sun (24-10)
4. Las Vegas Aces (22-12)
5. Seattle Storm (21-14)
6. Indiana Fever (18-17)
7. Phoenix Mercury (17-19)
8. Chicago Heaven (12-22)
9. Atlanta Dream (12-22)
10. Washington Mystics (11-23)
11. Dallas Wings (9-25)
12. Los Angeles Sparks (7-27)