WNBA Preview | July 9, 2026
Wednesday brings a three-game slate that runs from Toronto to Los Angeles. Golden State visits the Tempo in the early window, Minnesota looks to bounce back from Monday's stunning loss to Connecticut with a rematch in Uncasville, and the night closes with Caitlin Clark (if she plays) and the Fever on USA Network against a Los Angeles Sparks team looking for a signature home win. Here's what to watch.
Valkyries Look to Continue Their Surge in Toronto
Golden State Valkyries @ Toronto Tempo | 7:00 PM ET | WNBA League Pass
Golden State is 15-7 and 8-2 in the last ten, the West's third seed and one of the hottest teams in the league behind Gabby Williams's continued All-Star-caliber play. The Valkyries are -7.5 favorites at -310, implying approximately 76% win probability against a Toronto team that is 9-11 and 4-6 in the last ten, the East's ninth seed in its inaugural season. The total at 168.5 is the lowest on Wednesday's card, reflecting two defenses that have both shown real improvement as the season has progressed.
Golden State's recent form has been built on a defensive identity anchored by Kiah Stokes and a perimeter attack led by Williams that has been nearly impossible for opposing wings to contain in isolation. The Valkyries have won five straight and eight of their last ten, a stretch that has vaulted them into the thick of the Western Conference's top tier alongside Las Vegas and Minnesota. Toronto's home crowd at Coca-Cola Coliseum has made the Tempo a difficult first-year team to sweep, and Marina Mabrey's perimeter scoring gives the Tempo the individual firepower to keep games competitive even against elite opponents.
The largest spread on Wednesday's card reflects a genuine talent gap, but Toronto has shown the ability to play up to its competition at home in its debut season. Mabrey's shot-making, combined with a young roster that has continued to improve defensively as the season has progressed, gives the Tempo a path to keeping this respectable, even if the moneyline makes an outright upset unlikely.
Toronto wins if Mabrey has the kind of big offensive night that has periodically kept the Tempo competitive against quality Western Conference opponents, Toronto's home crowd energy disrupts Golden State's offensive rhythm in the opening minutes, and the Tempo's improving defense continues its recent trajectory against a Valkyries offense playing at a high level.
Golden State wins if Williams continues the individual form that has made her the engine of the Valkyries' recent surge, Stokes anchors the interior well enough to limit Toronto's paint touches, and Golden State treats Wednesday as another step in a stretch that has established them as a legitimate Western Conference contender.
Prediction: Golden State -7.5. The Valkyries are playing the best basketball of any team not named Las Vegas or Minnesota right now, and Williams's individual ceiling gives them the offensive floor to cover comfortably on the road. Computer models project Golden State at approximately 76% win probability, consistent with the -310 moneyline. The under at 168.5 is the more defensible market call given both teams' improved defensive identities. Valkyries win and cover.
Lynx Look to Bounce Back Against the Team That Just Beat Them
Minnesota Lynx @ Connecticut Sun | 7:30 PM ET | WNBA League Pass
Minnesota is 15-6 and 6-4 in the last ten, still tied atop the Western Conference despite Monday's stunning 90-89 loss to Connecticut that snapped what had been one of the league's most dominant stretches. The Lynx are -7.5 favorites at -325, implying approximately 76% win probability in a rematch just two days after the East's 15th seed pulled off the upset. Connecticut is 5-16 and 3-7 in the last ten, and the +7.5 at +260 reflects a market that has priced in Minnesota's response after Monday's result rather than any fundamental shift in the talent gap between these two rosters.
Monday's loss was as much about Connecticut's execution as it was about any Minnesota letdown. The Sun played their best complete game of the season, and DiJonai Carrington's individual performance was central to the upset. Napheesa Collier and the rest of Minnesota's roster now face the exact kind of measuring-stick moment that follows an unexpected loss: does the response come with the urgency that a co-first-place team is expected to show, or does Connecticut's confidence from Monday carry into Wednesday's rematch.
The historical pattern in the WNBA after an upset loss like Monday's tends to favor the superior roster bouncing back with focus, and Minnesota's collective talent advantage at nearly every position remains real regardless of what happened two nights earlier. If Collier and the Lynx's supporting cast play with the sense of urgency that a signature loss like Monday's should generate, Connecticut's path to a second consecutive win over Minnesota narrows considerably.
Connecticut wins if Carrington builds directly on Monday's performance and Connecticut carries the confidence of the upset into Wednesday's rematch, the Sun's role players continue overperforming their season averages, and Minnesota shows any signs of frustration or complacency that Connecticut can exploit again.
Minnesota wins if Collier and the Lynx respond with the urgency and focus that elite teams typically show after an unexpected loss, Minnesota's defensive pressure forces the turnovers that have made Connecticut's offense one of the league's least efficient for most of the season, and the Lynx treat Wednesday as a statement rematch against the team that just ended their dominant stretch.
Prediction: Minnesota -7.5. Elite teams tend to respond to upset losses with focus, and the talent gap between these two rosters remains significant regardless of Monday's result. Computer models project Minnesota at approximately 76% win probability, consistent with the -325 moneyline. The under at 168.5 is worth watching if Minnesota's response includes the kind of defensive intensity that made them the league's best team for most of the season. Lynx win and cover.
Fever Visit Los Angeles in the Night Cap
Indiana Fever @ Los Angeles Sparks | 10:00 PM ET | USA Network
Indiana is 12-8 and 7-3 in the last ten, the East's fifth seed and one of the league's most nationally prominent rosters, coming off a signature road win over Las Vegas. The Fever are -6.5 favorites at -250, implying approximately 71% win probability against a Los Angeles team that is 8-11 and 4-6 in the last ten, the West's 11th seed. The total at 184.5 is the highest on Wednesday's card, reflecting what Caitlin Clark's offense and Los Angeles's own scoring depth can generate in a game with genuine national attention.
Indiana's win over Las Vegas last week was one of the season's most significant results, and Clark's continued development as a two-way player has made the Fever a legitimately dangerous team heading into the second half of the season. Aliyah Boston's interior presence and Kelsey Mitchell's perimeter scoring give Indiana a supporting cast that makes Clark's playmaking even more dangerous, and the Fever have built real momentum with their 7-3 record over the last ten games.
Los Angeles's best path through this game runs through Kelsey Plum's scoring efficiency and the Sparks' ability to control tempo in front of their home crowd. Los Angeles has shown flashes of the offensive upside that comes with a healthy roster, and if Plum is aggressive early, the Sparks have the individual firepower to make this competitive deep into the second half, even against a Fever team playing with significant confidence.
Los Angeles wins if Plum controls tempo and generates the kind of scoring efficiency that has made her the Sparks' most reliable offensive weapon, Los Angeles's home crowd provides the energy needed to disrupt Indiana's rhythm in the early minutes, and the Sparks' interior defenders limit Boston's second-chance production.
Indiana wins if Clark continues the two-way form that has made her one of the league's most complete players, Boston and Mitchell provide enough secondary scoring to prevent Los Angeles from loading up on Clark, and the Fever carry the momentum from their win over Las Vegas into another statement road performance on national television.
Prediction: Indiana -6.5. The Fever are playing with real confidence after last week's win over Las Vegas, and Clark's continued growth as a complete player gives Indiana the higher ceiling in this matchup. Computer models project Indiana at approximately 71% win probability, consistent with the -250 moneyline. The over at 184.5 is the live market call if both Clark and Plum are aggressive from the opening tip. Fever win and cover.
What to Watch For Tonight.
Minnesota's response in Connecticut is the night's most compelling storyline, and how the Lynx handle the rematch just two days after Monday's stunning loss will say a great deal about this team's championship pedigree heading into the second half of the season. Golden State's five-game winning streak continues to be one of the best stories in the league, and a road win in Toronto would extend that run to six straight. On USA Network, Clark and the Fever look to build on last week's signature win over Las Vegas, with the over at 184.5 the most actionable market if both Clark and Plum get going early. All three games carry playoff seeding weight as the league heads toward the All-Star break in Chicago later this month.
