Wednesday brought a five-game slate that ran the full spectrum. New York finally got a clean home win over Phoenix to end their ugly skid at Barclays. Toronto and Chicago put on a high-scoring back-and-forth that Toronto ultimately controlled. Minnesota reasserted themselves as the league's most dominant team with a near-perfect shooting night. Portland continued their remarkable run at home, grinding down Connecticut for the second time in a week. And in the biggest shock of the night, Washington went into Seattle and won by 14, stunning a Storm team that could not shoot straight. Here's how it all went down.

Phoenix Mercury 74, New York Liberty 84

New York had been in a funk at home all week. Wednesday they snapped it. The Liberty took the lead after one quarter, watched Phoenix steal the second frame, then detonated a 30-12 third quarter that effectively settled the matter. New York led by as many as 17, went 14-of-30 from three, and went a perfect 14-of-14 from the free throw line. Final: 84-74, and it was not as close as the score suggests after that third quarter explosion.

Marine Johannes was the offensive catalyst, going 7-of-11 from the field with a remarkable 7-of-9 from three for 21 points. Her 95.5 percent true shooting was the best of the game on either team and reflected a night where seemingly every shot she took was the right one. Johannes also finished with five assists and just one turnover, a 5.0 assist-to-turnover ratio that made her nearly impossible to prepare for. Jonquel Jones posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds on 5-of-16 shooting, her value reflected more in the 35.4 percent defensive rebounding rate and her physicality around the basket than the shooting line. Leonie Fiebich came off the bench to shoot 3-of-4 from the field (2-of-3 from three) for nine points, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added seven points and a plus-15 as an impactful reserve. New York's 23-point run in the third quarter, their longest unanswered stretch of the game at 23 points, was the statement that ended Phoenix's hopes.

Phoenix had enough individual performances to stay competitive but not enough collective shooting. Natasha Mack was extraordinary, going a perfect 6-of-7 from the field with two blocks for 14 points and 88.8 percent true shooting in the most efficient individual performance of the game. Monique Akoa Makani showed well in a reserve role with nine points on 66.6 percent true shooting and four assists. But Kahleah Copper went 6-of-18 from the field for 19 points, shot just 22.2 percent from three, and finished at minus-13. Alyssa Thomas had nine points and nine assists but turned the ball over four times and shot just 44.4 percent. Both teams anticipated being competitive this season, especially with two expansion teams, but New York is .500 and Phoenix is 2-6. There is still time for a turnaround, but lingering issues may push them out of the playoff picture entirely.

NYL 84 · PHO 74

Toronto Tempo 111, Chicago Sky 104

This game had no business being this much fun. Toronto led by as many as 14 in the first half and looked to be cruising. Chicago refused to go away, and the fourth quarter became a genuine sprint as the Sky outscored Toronto 30-31 in the final frame. In the end, Toronto's shooting was simply too efficient to overcome. Final: 111-104, and the 56.1 percent field goal mark from the Tempo tells you everything.

Nyara Sabally was the story of the game and arguably the story of the night across the entire five-game slate. She finished with 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three and an 87.1 percent true shooting mark. All three of her second-chance opportunities converted for seven second-chance points. She shot 80 percent from two-point range, posted two steals and two blocks, and finished with an efficiency score of 33, the best of the game. Marina Mabrey bounced back emphatically from her rough stretch, posting 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting (3-of-7 from three) with seven assists, a 3.5 assist-to-turnover ratio, and an 81.3 percent true shooting mark. The combination of Sabally and Mabrey at peak efficiency was not something Chicago had any answer for. Kiki Rice added 14 points and seven assists with six drawn fouls, and Brittney Sykes contributed 20 points off her own 57.1 percent true shooting night.

Chicago's effort was genuinely admirable in defeat. Natasha Cloud shot a near-perfect 7-of-8 from the field (including 2-of-3 from three) for 18 points with nine assists and nine turnovers, an absolutely bonkers assist-to-turnover ratio on its own but a reflection of how hard she was pushing the pace. Sydney Taylor came off the bench for 27 points on 9-of-22 shooting and was a constant threat. Skylar Diggins ran the offense for 23 points and nine assists. Chicago posted 54 points in the paint, shot 69 percent at the rim, and moved the ball beautifully with 31 assists on 36 made field goals. But their 22.6 percent three-point shooting (7-of-31) was the gap that Toronto's perimeter dominance exploited. The Sky simply could not match what the Tempo were doing from the arc.

POR 111 · CHI 104

Atlanta Dream 81, Minnesota Lynx 96

If you wanted to know where Minnesota stands in the WNBA hierarchy right now, Wednesday night provided your answer. The Lynx jumped out 23-14 after one quarter, allowed Atlanta back into it briefly in the second (19-23), then shut the door emphatically with a 28-19 third quarter and a 26-25 fourth. Minnesota shot 59.7 percent from the field, 70 percent at the rim, went 90 percent from the free throw line, and converted Atlanta's 18 turnovers into 33 points. The biggest lead was 19. Final: 96-81.

Natasha Howard continued her dominant stretch, putting up 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting with eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. She scored 20 points in the paint and converted 66.7 percent of her second-chance opportunities. Howard's plus-18 was the best of the game and her paint dominance was unmatched on either roster. Courtney Williams was Minnesota's second force, going 10-of-15 from the field (3-of-5 from three) for 25 points with seven assists and 78.7 percent true shooting. When both Howard and Williams are at that level simultaneously, Minnesota is unbeatable. Olivia Miles orchestrated with 16 points, eight assists, and a 2.67 assist-to-turnover ratio, shooting 60 percent from the field. Nia Coffey added 14 points off the bench on 6-of-10 shooting, contributing two fast-break conversions. Minnesota's bench combined for just seven points total, yet they won by 15, which tells you everything about how dominant the starters were.

Atlanta's night fell apart at the guard position. Rhyne Howard, the Star of the Night just days earlier, shot 4-of-14 from the field (2-of-8 from three) for 10 points with a minus-12. Jordin Canada had nine points but committed four turnovers and finished at minus-18. Allisha Gray was the lone bright spot offensively, going 7-of-11 (5-of-8 from three) for 21 points, but even that performance came with a flagrant foul and a minus-15. Naz Hillmon gave Atlanta a solid 15 points off the bench but shot just 20 percent from three and was minus-18.

MIN 111 · ATL 81

Connecticut Sun 61, Portland Fire 71

Two teams that have now played each other multiple times in a short stretch, and both clearly know what the other wants to do. This was physical, grinding, and decided by a 20-8 second quarter that gave Portland the lead for good. Connecticut came back in the third (23-13) to keep it interesting, but the Fire's fourth-quarter resolve was the difference. Portland won 71-61, their most defensively dominant victory of the recent run.

Carla Leite led Portland's offense with 20 points, going 4-of-10 from the field but drawing eight fouls and converting a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. The free throw line was Portland's best friend all night, as they drew 24 fouls and went 16-of-24, covering for a modest 46.2 percent shooting night. Bridget Carleton shot 50 percent from the field (2-of-5 from three) for 13 points with seven rebounds. Off the bench, Frieda Buhner was remarkable in limited minutes, shooting 4-of-5 from the field (1-of-1 from three) for nine points on 90 percent true shooting, and Sarah Ashlee Barker grabbed 11 rebounds with three steals despite scoring just four points. Barker's defensive rating of 53.4 was the best of the game among players who logged meaningful minutes.

Connecticut turned the ball over 22 times, and Portland converted those into 28 points, which was the decisive factor in a 10-point game. Aneesah Morrow delivered a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds but went 6-of-19 from the field, shot 14.3 percent from three, and gave Portland another dominant rebounding opponent who simply could not make shots. Charlisse Leger-Walker led active Sun starters with 11 points but shot just 55.6 percent from the free throw line, going 5-of-9. Connecticut went just 1-of-21 from three, a 4.8 percent rate, which is the kind of historically poor perimeter performance that makes 61 points feel like an achievement.

POR 71 · CON 61

Washington Mystics 78, Seattle Storm 64

Few saw this one coming. Washington had been struggling, Seattle had been one of the better home teams in the league, and the odds pointed heavily toward the Storm. Then Washington came out and played their best game of the season. The Mystics led 28-20 after one quarter, extended it to 48-29 at halftime, and won comfortably despite a 19-12 Seattle fourth quarter. The final was 78-64, and Washington's biggest lead was 25. By any measure, this was one of the performances of the week.

Shakira Austin was Washington's best player by a significant margin, posting a double-double with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting and 13 rebounds, with five assists, a block, and a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. Her defensive rating of 79.9 and plus-10 were both exceptional. Kiki Iriafen was outstanding in a supporting role, shooting 5-of-7 from the field (including all three of her second-chance attempts) for 13 points, nine rebounds, and 78.1 percent true shooting. She committed not a single turnover. Alicia Florez Getino gave Washington a spark off the bench with nine points, five rebounds, and three assists on a clean 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. Michaela Onyenwere hit three threes and went 5-of-10 for 14 points in the starting role.

Seattle could not shoot their way out of a paper bag. The Storm went 34.9 percent from the field, 21.7 percent from three, and posted a zero percent conversion rate at midrange (0-of-8). Natisha Hiedeman, who had been one of Seattle's most consistent performers, shot 2-of-9 from the field, 1-of-5 from three, and went minus-14. Zia Cooke went 2-of-10 for four points and a minus-12. Flau'jae Johnson shot 3-of-13. Seattle had 12 offensive rebounds and 11 second-chance points, which kept the deficit from being even worse, but when your shooting is this historically cold, nothing else matters.

WAS 78 · SEA 64

Five games, five distinct stories. New York finally looked like the team they are supposed to be, using a dominant third quarter to put Phoenix away. Toronto survived Chicago's spirited comeback on the back of Sabally's historic efficiency. Minnesota continues to look like the team everyone will have to reckon with in the second half of the season, and Wednesday's 59.7 percent shooting night against Atlanta is the latest proof. Portland keeps winning the grinding games, and their defensive identity at home is becoming genuinely formidable. And Washington delivered the most shocking result of the night, winning in Seattle by double digits in a performance that few predicted. It was a full Wednesday of WNBA basketball.

Star of the Night: Nyara Sabally, Toronto Tempo

29 points | 11-of-14 FG | 3-of-4 from three | 87.1% true shooting | 7 second-chance points | 2 steals | 2 blocks | Efficiency score 33

On a night with multiple outstanding performances across five games, Sabally stood above all of them. The 78.6 percent shooting from the field, the efficiency on second chances, the defensive contributions, and the 29-point output on just 14 shots made this the most complete individual performance of the night. With Mabrey also going for 24, Toronto's star combination was on a different level Wednesday.

Dud of the Night: Zia Cooke, Seattle Storm

4 points | 2-of-10 FG | 0-of-3 from three | minus-12 | Efficiency score minus-5

In a Seattle game where almost no one shot well, Cooke stood out as the most concerning performance. Two made field goals on 10 attempts in a home game the Storm were favored to win, finishing at minus-12 with a 20 percent true shooting mark. After some strong performances earlier this week, this was a significant step backward at a time when Seattle needed its guards to carry the offensive load against a Washington defense that was locked in from the first quarter.