It’s the final day of WNBA action before the FIBA World Cup break, with the regular season pausing until Thursday, Sept. 17.
Sunday’s games begin with the Minnesota Lynx visiting the Atlanta Dream in a potential playoff preview (3 p.m. ET, NBA TV). Then, the Los Angeles Sparks play the Seattle Storm in what will be Nneka Oguwmike’s final game in Pacific Northwest (5 p.m. ET, WNBA League Pass).
The Golden State Valkyries, fresh off a pair of defensive masterclasses on the East Coast, are back out West
to face the Portland Fire (7 p.m. ET, WNBA League Pass). Finally, the Dallas Wings will aim to maintain their upward momentum against the Connecticut Sun (8:30 p.m. ET, WNBA League Pass0.
With four games on the docket, here’s one question for every matchup. In the comments, be sure to share your answers to these key questions, while also posing your own queries.
Are the Dream a real threat to the Lynx?
The Dream have enjoyed outlier success against the Lynx in recent seasons.
Last year, Atlanta was the only team to take their season series over Minnesota, winning two of the three matchups—including handing the 2025 Lynx their first home loss. This season, the teams have split their two games, although both occurred in May; and while the Dream eked out a one-point win in both teams’ season opener, the Lynx comfortably won the second matchup by 15 points.
If the teams were to meet in the playoffs, likely in the second round, is Atlanta a legitimate threat to Minnesota?
Sunday’s showdown could inspire confidence or doubt in the Dream’s ability to challenge to all-but-official No. 1-seed.
With their rebounding prowess, Atlanta can exploit Minnesota’s greatest and most glaring weakness. However, if the Lynx just make their shots, as they often do as the league’s second-best shooting team, the Dream, a bottom-five shooting team from the field and from 3, could struggle to keep up. That Minnesota is a low-turnover team also robs Atlanta, a team that generates their best offense off takeaways, of a potential advantage.
While DeWanna Bonner is expected to make her Dream debut on Sunday, the game will not be a full potential playoff preview.
Brionna Jones remains sidelined for Atlanta with a leg injury. For Minnesota, Courtney Williams is probable to return from her right foot injury, but Dorka Juhász and Anotonia Delaere already have left for the World Cup, where they’ll be suiting up for Hungary and Belgium, respectively.
How will the Storm bid farewell to Nneka?
Just five games remain in Nneka Ogwumike’s WNBA career.
On Sunday afternoon, she’ll say farewell for the only other WNBA team she knew.
Nneka interrupted her 13 seasons in LA with a two-season stint in Seattle, recruited to be part of the first Storm dynasty following the Breanna Stewart era. Seattle, however, was never more than the sum of their parts, not threatening as a contender despite their accumulation of talent.
Ogwumike, nevertheless, was as excellent as ever as a Storm, averaging 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds across her 81 games in green and gold. She also collected two more All-WNBA and All-Star honors in Seattle, along with another All-Defense selection and the 2025 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award.
Despite her impending retirement, Ogwumike also has been as excellent as ever as of late for the Sparks. On Friday night, she scored a game-high 24 points, in addition to dishing five assists and nabbing four steals, as the Sparks upset the Washington Mystics. Before that, she put up a 27-point and 16-rebound double-double in LA’s close loss to Atlanta.
After that win over DC, which included a 17-point comeback, Ogwumike insisted in her postgame interview that her team would continue to “respect” the game, refusing to go through the motions in spite of their elimination from playoff contention.
Expect Nneka to bring that same attitude on Sunday, as the Seattle faithful also give her her respect.
Will the Golden State juggernaut roll through Rose City?
After the Valkyries handed the Sun a 25-point loss on Wednesday, Connecticut play-by-play announcer Brendan Glasheen gave Golden State significant praise on social media.
Sounds great, but they were playing the 10-win Sun.
Well, on a back-to-back in Brooklyn, the Valkyries held the Liberty to 60 points, securing the season sweep of New York.
Now winners of three-straight games, the Valkyries can cruise into the World Cup break on a four-game winning streak, consolidating the growing sense that, despite relying on depth over stardom, this team can, and will, pack the requisite postseason punch.
On Sunday, that depth will certainly have the opportunity to shine, as Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaün are off to join the French national team before the World Cup, with Cecilia Zandalisini headed to represent Italy. Development player Miela Sowah will also be participating in the World Cup with the Australian Opals.
Yet as they showed in Atlanta on Friday night, and as Bridget Carleton recently told Sue Bird on her Bird’s Eye View podcast, the Fire are not inclined to make things easy on opponents, satisfied to play spoiler through the remainder of the regular season. Portland will be without Carla Leite, another member of Team France, while Frieda Bühner is already away with the German national team.
Can the Wings soar past the Sun to a fourth-straight win?
Despite losing Azzi Fudd for the rest of the season, the Wings have stabilized, winning three-straight games.
No, their schedule hasn’t been particularly difficult; after beating the Indiana Fever, Dallas has cruised against Seattle and Portland. Connecticut offers up another favorable opponent.
But, the Wings are taking care of business, and beating who you are supposed to beat is usually considered a sign of a good team.
Paige Bueckers is fresh off a pair of stellar efforts, dropping 32 points—two points off her season high—on 75 percent shooting in the victory over the Storm. In that one, Paige made her first seven shots, scoring 18 points in an electric and efficient first-quarter. She followed that up with a 22-point and 11-assist double-double against the Fire, when Dallas outscored Portland by 26 points in her minutes—her highest plus-minus of the season.
Considering she scored a career-low six points last time the Wings played the Sun, Connecticut should probably be prepared to witness some Bueckers brilliance.
