WNBA Recap | August 6, 2026
Thursday's slate delivered the biggest shock of the season. Las Vegas needed overtime to avenge its 34-point blowout loss to Indiana from July. Los Angeles, playing without Kelsey Plum for the first time, went into Minneapolis and beat a Minnesota team that hadn't lost in 10 straight games. And Portland handled Toronto comfortably at home. Here's how it all went down, plus a look at how the preview predictions and season-to-date record held up.
Aces Survive Overtime to Avenge July's Blowout Loss
Las Vegas Aces 86, Indiana Fever 84 (OT)
Indiana built a 20-point lead and looked ready to complete the season sweep after their 34-point win over Las Vegas in July, but the Aces clawed all the way back, forcing overtime and outlasting the Fever in the extra period. Final: 86-84, Las Vegas improves to 22-9 and stays second in the West, while Indiana falls to 19-12 but remains sixth in the East.
A'ja Wilson finally broke through against a team that had troubled her recently, posting a double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds on 10-of-25 shooting. Jackie Young added 22 points with nine assists, and Chelsea Gray dished seven assists with four steals despite a rough shooting night. Las Vegas's 24 assists and their ability to grind through a 20-point deficit reflected exactly the response the preview flagged Las Vegas would need to erase the memory of July's blowout.
Indiana played well enough to win this game twice over. Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting, and Aliyah Boston posted a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds on 60 percent shooting. But Caitlin Clark struggled badly, going 7-of-20 for 20 points with eight turnovers, and Indiana's 22 total turnovers, converted into 22 Las Vegas points, were ultimately the difference in a game the Fever led by 20 points at one stretch.
LVA 86 · IND 84
Sparks Shock Undefeated-Streak Lynx in Minneapolis
Los Angeles Sparks 89, Minnesota Lynx 82
This is the upset of the season. Minnesota entered on a 10-game winning streak and as one of the largest favorites of the year, but Los Angeles, playing its first game since trading Kelsey Plum to Phoenix, controlled the fourth quarter and walked out of Target Center with a signature win. Final: 89-82, Los Angeles improves to 12-18, while Minnesota falls to 25-7, snapping its perfect recent stretch.
Dearica Hamby was sensational, going 7-of-9 from the field for 16 points at 77.5 percent true shooting with nine rebounds. Rae Burrell added 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting (3-of-6 from three), and Nneka Ogwumike contributed 16 points and seven rebounds despite five turnovers. Cameron Brink chipped in a plus-22, the best individual plus/minus of the game. Los Angeles's 27 assists on 34 made field goals and their 21 bench points reflected exactly the kind of resilient, redistributed offense the preview flagged as their best path to an upset.
Minnesota's perfect stretch came to an end despite a strong individual effort. Napheesa Collier led the way with 21 points on 10-of-20 shooting, and Olivia Miles added 23 points with five assists. But Minnesota's 14 total turnovers and their inability to close out the fourth quarter, which Los Angeles won 23-11, reflected a rare off night for a team that had looked unbeatable for the better part of a month.
LAS 89 · MIN 82
Fire Handle Tempo Comfortably at Home
Toronto Tempo 83, Portland Fire 97
Portland built its lead steadily across four quarters, dominating the second and third quarters to put the game away well before the fourth. Final: 97-83, Portland improves to 12-19 and stays 12th in the West, while Toronto falls to 10-21 and remains 13th, continuing a brutal recent stretch.
Carla Leite was outstanding, going 5-of-12 from the field but drawing nine fouls and converting 15-of-17 from the free throw line for 27 points with 11 assists for a double-double. Megan DiLeo added 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting, and Bridget Carleton posted a double-double of her own with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Portland's 30 bench points and their 83.3 percent free throw shooting reflected the steadier recent form the preview flagged as their advantage over a struggling Toronto team.
Toronto's offense actually produced some encouraging moments even in defeat. Julie Allemand posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 assists on 80 percent shooting, and Nyara Sabally added 17 points. But Toronto's 17 total turnovers, converted into 17 Portland points, and their continued defensive struggles, exactly the pattern the preview identified as their central problem, prevented them from ever seriously threatening the upset.
PDX 97 · TOR 83
LVA, LAS, & PDX Wins.
Thursday will be remembered for one result above all others: Los Angeles, in its first game without Kelsey Plum, going into Minneapolis and ending Minnesota's perfect 10-game stretch. That upset alone reshapes how the rest of the season looks for both franchises. Las Vegas's overtime survival against Indiana settles a genuine grudge match after July's blowout, even if it required every ounce of A'ja Wilson's dominance to get there. And Portland's comfortable win over Toronto continues a stretch of steadier basketball for a Fire team still fighting for positioning outside the playoff picture.
Star of the Night: Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks
16 points | 7-of-9 FG | 77.5% true shooting | 9 rebounds
In the biggest upset of the season, Hamby's efficient interior presence anchored a Los Angeles team playing its first game without Kelsey Plum. Her 77.5 percent true shooting was the most efficient individual performance across all three games, and she was a key part of the offensive redistribution that made Thursday's win possible. Carla Leite's 27-point, 11-assist double-double and Wilson's 26-13 double-double both made strong cases, but the magnitude of the upset gives Hamby the edge.
Dud of the Night: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
20 points | 7-of-20 FG | 8 turnovers | 35% field goal percentage
Clark's eight turnovers were the most costly number of the night for any player, directly fueling Las Vegas's comeback from 20 down. In a game Indiana led comfortably before completely unraveling in the fourth quarter and overtime, her turnover total was the clearest individual factor in a genuinely painful loss for the Fever.
How We Did: Checking the Preview Predictions
Thursday's picks went 1-for-3 on sides, with the Minnesota upset blowing up what looked like the safest lean of the week.
Las Vegas @ Indiana: The preview leaned Indiana +1.5 with the over at 195.5, citing Indiana's dominant recent history against Las Vegas specifically. Las Vegas won in overtime, meaning Indiana did not cover, and the total came in well under at 170. Both calls missed as this game turned into a defensive grind rather than the shootout the recent head-to-head history suggested.
Los Angeles @ Minnesota: The preview leaned Minnesota -14.5 with the under at 188.5, expecting the league's most dominant team to continue its perfect stretch. Los Angeles won outright, the biggest upset of the season, meaning Minnesota missed the spread by an enormous margin. The total hit at 171, comfortably under. The side was about as wrong as a pick can be, but the under call held up.
Toronto @ Portland: The preview leaned Portland -2.5 with the over at 187.5, citing Toronto's defensive struggles. Portland won by 14, comfortably covering, but the total came in at 180, under the number. The side hit clean, but the total missed on the low side.
The headline takeaway: the Minnesota upset is a reminder that even the largest spreads carry real risk, and a 10-game winning streak is no guarantee against a team playing with nothing to lose. Indiana's recent head-to-head dominance over Las Vegas also did not carry over cleanly, a sign that game-to-game matchup trends can reverse without warning.
Season Predictions Record
Tracking every graded pick against the spread and total from the preview articles this season, updated through August 6:
Spread / Side: 16-15
Total (Over/Under): 13-18
Thirty-one games graded so far across eleven preview articles. The side calls sit right at 52 percent, essentially a coin flip after Thursday's results, while the totals remain below break-even at 42 percent. We'll keep this tally updated with every recap going forward.