WNBA Recap | July 17, 2026
Four games on Friday's slate, and the headline belongs to one of the most remarkable individual performances of the WNBA season. Caitlin Clark scored 45 points with 10 assists, becoming just the latest chapter in a historic year, and her go-ahead three-pointer with 39.1 seconds remaining completed Indiana's comeback from a late deficit against Seattle. Elsewhere, Connecticut buried Phoenix early and never let up, Atlanta turned a tight first half into a rout of Toronto, and Chicago's two big scoring quarters were enough to hold off a resurgent Los Angeles team. Here's how it all went down.
Clark's Historic 45-Point Night Lifts Fever Past Storm
Seattle Storm 107, Indiana Fever 110
Seattle came out shooting the lights out and led for most of the game, matching Indiana basket for basket in a track meet that saw both teams top 100 points. Indiana trailed by six in the fourth quarter before mounting the comeback, tying the game with 1:11 remaining. Then Caitlin Clark took over. Her three-pointer with 39.1 seconds left put the Fever ahead for good, capping off a night that will be remembered for years. Final: 110-107, Indiana improves to 16-10 and remains firmly in Eastern Conference playoff position.
Clark's final line is one for the record books: 45 points on 11-of-18 shooting (6-of-10 from three, 17-of-19 from the free throw line), 10 assists, four steals, and two blocks, good for a double-double at a historic scoring clip. Her 85.4 percent true shooting on 26 true shooting attempts reflects a level of efficiency rarely seen at that kind of volume. Kelsey Mitchell was outstanding in her own right, adding 30 points on 13-of-25 shooting with 18 points in the paint. Monique Billings shot 5-of-7 for 16 points at 79.4 percent true shooting off the bench, and Makayla Timpson grabbed nine rebounds, eight of them offensive. Indiana's 90.3 percent free throw shooting as a team, going 28-of-31, was a crucial factor in a game decided by three points.
Seattle put together one of their best offensive performances of the season and still came up just short. Dominique Malonga posted a double-double with 28 points and 14 rebounds on 59.1 percent shooting, though six turnovers were costly. Awa Fam was nearly perfect, going 5-of-6 from the field (4-of-5 from three) for 16 points at a staggering 116.7 percent effective field goal percentage. Flau'jae Johnson added 16 points with six assists, and Natisha Hiedeman contributed 15 points and eight assists. Seattle shot 56.6 percent from the field as a team, an excellent offensive night that simply wasn't enough against Clark's historic performance down the stretch. Seattle falls to 6-22, still bottom of the Western Conference.
IND 110 · SEA 107
Dream Turn Tight Game Into Rout of Tempo
Atlanta Dream 111, Toronto Tempo 92
This one looked like a genuine battle through the first half, with Atlanta and Toronto tied 48-47 at the break after trading buckets for two quarters. Then Atlanta pulled away, outscoring the Tempo 29-19 in the third quarter and 34-26 in the fourth to turn a competitive game into a rout. Final: 111-92, Atlanta improves to 14-10 and stays in the mix in a crowded Eastern Conference.
Naz Hillmon was perfect, going 8-of-8 from the field, including a flawless 4-of-4 from three, for 24 points at 123 percent effective field goal percentage off the bench. Angel Reese posted a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds on 63.6 percent shooting, adding three steals despite five turnovers. Jordin Canada dished a franchise-caliber 13 assists to go with 18 points, and Allisha Gray added 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Atlanta's 28 assists on 39 made field goals and their 11 steals reflected complete control on both ends once the third quarter got underway.
Toronto competed hard through the first 20 minutes but couldn't sustain it. Marina Mabrey led the Tempo with 26 points on 7-of-12 shooting, going a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line, though five turnovers were costly. Nyara Sabally added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and Maria Conde contributed 13 points with five assists off the bench. Toronto's 20 turnovers, converted into 22 Atlanta points, and their inability to match Atlanta's third-quarter intensity were the numbers that turned a close game into a blowout.
ATL 111 · TOR 92
Fire Torch Mystics From the Opening Tip
Portland Fire 75, Washington Mystics 56
Portland set the tone immediately, scoring 28 points in the first quarter and building a lead as large as 23 before the game was even half over. Washington never found an answer. The Mystics shot a dismal 29.7 percent from the field and 9.5 percent from three, and their 20 turnovers against Portland's 22 points off those miscues compounded an already lopsided night. Final: 75-56, Portland improves to 11-14 and continues to climb the Western Conference standings, while Washington falls to 12-12 and remains eighth in the East.
Carla Leite orchestrated the offense beautifully, going 5-of-12 from the field for 14 points with five assists and a plus-18. Serah Williams was nearly perfect, shooting 5-of-6 for 12 points at 87.2 percent true shooting with five rebounds. Sarah Ashlee Barker added 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting (2-of-3 from three) with seven rebounds and four steals. Portland's 20 assists on 29 made field goals reflected genuinely connected offensive basketball, and their 10 steals kept generating extra possessions throughout a game that was never in doubt after the first 10 minutes.
Washington had almost nothing go right. Shakira Austin led the Mystics with 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting, drawing nine fouls and going 7-of-9 from the free throw line, but her own three turnovers reflected a rough shooting night that mirrored her team's struggles. Kiki Iriafen shot just 1-of-8 for two points, and Michaela Onyenwere went 2-of-10 for five points. Washington's zero fast-break points and 2-of-21 three-point shooting as a team reflected an offense that never found any rhythm from start to finish.
POR 75 · WAS 56
Sun Bury Mercury Early, Never Look Back
Connecticut Sun 96, Phoenix Mercury 83
Connecticut set the tone immediately and never let Phoenix breathe. The Sun built a 28-point lead in the first half, and Phoenix never seriously threatened after the break, with Connecticut cruising through the third and fourth quarters. Final: 96-83, Connecticut improves to 6-19, while Phoenix falls to 8-18 and remains outside playoff position in the West.
Leila Lacan was sensational, going 10-of-13 from the field for 26 points at 85.5 percent true shooting, adding five assists, two steals, and nine fast-break points. Her 76.9 percent field goal rate on high volume was the most efficient individual scoring performance of the day. Brittney Griner added 12 points and six rebounds with four assists, and Aaliyah Edwards contributed 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Connecticut's bench outscored Phoenix's reserves 37-31, and the Sun's 19 fast-break points reflected a team playing with genuine confidence after building their early cushion.
Phoenix had individual bright spots but never found a way back into the game. Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting, and Alyssa Thomas added 17 points with six assists and eight rebounds, though three turnovers were part of a broader pattern. Valeriane Ayayi went a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line for 13 points. But Phoenix's 26.7 percent three-point shooting and their inability to generate stops in the first half put them in a hole that proved impossible to escape.
CON 96 · WAS 56
IND, ATL, CHI, & CON Wins.
With only one game on the slate, Portland delivered the kind of dominant, wire-to-wire performance that should give the Fire real confidence as they continue their late-season push. Washington's shooting collapse, a season-worst effort from the field, is a game the Mystics will want to move past quickly as they look ahead to a playoff race that remains tightly contested in the East.
Star of the Night: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
45 points | 11-of-18 FG | 6-of-10 from three | 17-of-19 FT | 10 assists | 4 steals | 2 blocks | 85.4% true shooting | Efficiency score 55
This is not a difficult choice. Forty-five points and 10 assists, capped by the go-ahead three-pointer with 39.1 seconds remaining, is one of the most complete and dramatic individual performances of the WNBA season. Clark did everything Indiana needed, scoring at an elite clip while also facilitating for her teammates, and delivered when the game was on the line.
Dud of the Night: Cameron Brink, Los Angeles Sparks
9 points | 2-of-6 FG | 33.3% field goal percentage | 4 turnovers | minus-4
Brink's four turnovers in a game Los Angeles lost by 14 reflect a night where she couldn't provide the interior stability the Sparks needed against a Chicago team that controlled the tempo in the frames that mattered most. In a game decided by two specific quarters, every empty possession compounded the difficulty of climbing back into it.
