WNBA Recap | August 13, 2026
Thursday's three-game slate delivered a blowout, a near-collapse, and the marquee matchup of the week coming down to a razor-thin margin. Atlanta demolished a last-place Connecticut team. New York survived a furious Los Angeles fourth-quarter rally. And Washington's seven-game winning streak ran into a determined Las Vegas team that snapped its own two-game skid. Here's how it all went down, plus a look at how the preview predictions and season-to-date record held up.
Dream Torch Sun From Deep in a Rout
Atlanta Dream 104, Connecticut Sun 69
Atlanta's offense was nearly unstoppable from three-point range, shooting 53.8 percent from deep as a team and building a lead as large as 37. Connecticut's home defense, which had held opponents under 46 percent shooting over its previous five games, offered no resistance whatsoever. Final: 104-69, Atlanta improves to 21-12 and stays fourth in the East, while Connecticut falls to 8-24 and remains last in the league.
Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray each scored 29 points, with Howard going 7-of-10 from the field (5-of-8 from three) at an eye-popping 97.7 percent true shooting, and Gray adding 8-of-13 shooting with four made threes of her own. Angel Reese posted a 15-rebound night despite a quiet scoring line, and Atlanta's 32 assists on 29 made field goals reflected an offense that could not miss from anywhere on the floor. The Dream's 88.9 percent free throw shooting on 36 attempts compounded an already lopsided night.
Connecticut had no answers. Aaliyah Edwards led the Sun with 15 points, but a flagrant foul and a minus-15 reflected the physical and emotional toll of the blowout. Charlisse Leger-Walker added eight points, and Connecticut's 30 percent shooting from the field, combined with 25 personal fouls, reflected a team that was overwhelmed from the opening tip. Connecticut's 44 bench points were the only bright spot in an otherwise forgettable night.
ATL 104 · CON 69
Liberty Survive Sparks' Furious Fourth-Quarter Comeback
Los Angeles Sparks 81, New York Liberty 85
New York built a commanding 28-point lead through three quarters, exactly the kind of performance that should have quieted concerns about a Liberty team that had missed covers in 10 of its last 12 games. Then Los Angeles, playing without Monique Akoa Makani and Alissa Pili, exploded for a stunning 40-point fourth quarter that nearly completed one of the most dramatic comebacks of the season. Final: 85-81, New York improves to 21-14 and holds the eighth and final playoff spot, while Los Angeles falls to 12-21.
Jonquel Jones was dominant, posting a double-double with 11 points and 18 rebounds, six of those offensive, generating eight second-chance points. Sabrina Ionescu added 20 points on 35.3 percent shooting with four turnovers, and Breanna Stewart contributed 11 points and six rebounds in a game where New York's interior control ultimately outlasted a furious Los Angeles response. The Liberty's 16-point first-half cushion, built before Los Angeles found its rhythm, proved to be exactly enough.
Los Angeles's fourth quarter was one of the best stretches of basketball any team has played this season, even in a losing effort. Rae Burrell exploded for 28 points on 52.6 percent shooting, including five made threes. Nneka Ogwumike posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Dearica Hamby added 16 points on 63.6 percent shooting. Los Angeles's 40-point fourth quarter, after scoring just 41 points through the first three frames combined, reflected a team that found something in the final 10 minutes that had been missing all night, but it arrived one quarter too late.
NYL 85 · LAS 81
Aces Snap Skid, End Mystics' Seven-Game Streak
Washington Mystics 76, Las Vegas Aces 83
This was the game of the week, and it delivered. Las Vegas, coming off back-to-back losses, jumped out early and held on through a tight, physical battle that saw Washington's seven-game winning streak come to an end just short of a genuine comeback. Final: 83-76, Las Vegas improves to 25-11 and snaps its skid, while Washington falls to 19-13, its streak now over.
Jackie Young was spectacular, going 10-of-14 from the field (5-of-8 from three) for 32 points at 91.3 percent true shooting with five assists and just one turnover. A'ja Wilson added 15 points with six rebounds and four assists despite a quieter shooting night. Las Vegas's 92.6 percent free throw shooting, 25-of-27 on the night, and their 21 points off Washington's turnovers were the numbers that held off a Mystics team that had won seven straight and already beaten Las Vegas once this season.
Washington fought until the final horn, exactly the kind of performance a team riding a seven-game streak was expected to deliver. Shakira Austin was outstanding, going 12-of-20 from the field for 29 points at 65.3 percent true shooting with eight rebounds. Sonia Citron added 17 points and eight assists. But Washington's 50 percent free throw shooting, just 8-of-16 on the night, and 17 total turnovers converted into 14 Las Vegas points were the numbers that ended the streak in the closest game of the night.
LVA 83 · WAS 76
ATL, NYL, & LVA Wins.
Thursday's slate delivered exactly the drama its marquee billing promised. Atlanta's three-point barrage against Connecticut was as one-sided as results get this season. New York survived a Los Angeles fourth-quarter explosion that will be remembered as one of the best individual quarters of the year, even in a losing effort. And the game of the night lived up to it, with Las Vegas snapping a two-game skid to end Washington's seven-game winning streak in a genuinely competitive, physical battle that came down to the final minutes.
Star of the Night: Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
32 points | 10-of-14 FG | 5-of-8 from three | 91.3% true shooting | 5 assists | 1 turnover
Young delivered the most efficient high-volume performance of the night in the game that mattered most, ending Washington's seven-game winning streak with a near-flawless shooting display. Howard's and Gray's matching 29-point nights and Burrell's 28-point fourth-quarter-fueled explosion both made strong cases, but Young's efficiency in the marquee matchup of the week gives her the top spot.
Dud of the Night: Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
4 points | 1-of-10 FG | 10% field goal percentage | 18.4% true shooting
Gray's shooting struggles in a game Las Vegas needed every contribution to snap its skid reflect a night where nothing worked from the field. One made field goal on 10 attempts is a rough outing for any player, and in a game decided by seven points, her inefficiency stood out even in a winning effort.
How We Did: Checking the Preview Predictions
Thursday's picks went 2-for-3 on sides, with the marquee Washington-Las Vegas game the closest call of the night.
Atlanta @ Connecticut: The preview leaned Connecticut +9.5 with the under at 175.5, citing the Sun's real home defensive numbers buried under a last-place record. Atlanta won by 35, an enormous cover that blew past the spread by a wide margin, though the total came in at 173, just under the number. The side missed badly as Atlanta's three-point shooting overwhelmed Connecticut's defense entirely.
Los Angeles @ New York: The preview leaned Los Angeles +8.5 with the over at 187.5, pointing to New York's well-documented struggles covering despite strong underlying numbers. New York won by only four, meaning Los Angeles covered comfortably, exactly as the preview's cover-focused read anticipated. The total came in at 166, well under the number. A clean side hit, though the total missed as both offenses were less efficient than expected until Los Angeles's fourth-quarter explosion.
Washington @ Las Vegas: The preview leaned Washington +7.5 with the under at 169.5, citing the Mystics' seven-game streak and their earlier season-series win over Las Vegas. Washington lost by exactly seven, covering the spread by the smallest possible margin, and the total came in at 159, comfortably under the number. A clean sweep on the game of the night.
The headline takeaway: two of three sides hit, with the Washington cover landing in the most dramatic way possible, exactly on the number. The Atlanta blowout was the one true miss of the night, a reminder that even a well-supported underdog lean can get run over when a team's shooting catches fire from three.
Season Predictions Record
Tracking every graded pick against the spread and total from the preview articles this season, updated through August 13:
Spread / Side: 29-23
Total (Over/Under): 22-33
Fifty-two games graded so far across eighteen preview articles. The side calls sit at 56 percent, while the totals remain below break-even at 40 percent. We'll keep this tally updated with every recap going forward.