WNBA Recap | August 7, 2026
Friday's three-game slate delivered results that reshaped the playoff picture and clarified a few statement-making stretches. Washington's shooting efficiency continued its recent surge in a direct playoff-positioning win over Atlanta. Connecticut, one of the league's two worst teams, upset a Phoenix squad still finding its footing with Kelsey Plum. And Golden State delivered another road blowout, this time over a Dallas team still processing Wednesday's tough loss. Here's how it all went down, plus a look at how the preview predictions and season-to-date record held up.
Mystics' Shooting Efficiency Continues Playoff Push
Atlanta Dream 74, Washington Mystics 79
Washington's fourth-quarter surge, an 17-13 disadvantage flipped into a 28-16 advantage, was the difference in a game that stayed tight for three quarters. Final: 79-74, Washington improves to 18-12 and climbs to sixth in the East, while Atlanta falls to 19-12 but stays fourth.
Shakira Austin posted a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds on 63.6 percent shooting, adding five blocks. Kiki Iriafen added 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting with five assists, and Sonia Citron contributed 14 points with three made threes. Washington's 12 team blocks and their 72.7 percent second-chance conversion reflected exactly the elite recent shooting efficiency and defensive complement the preview flagged as their path to victory, carrying the emotional momentum from Wednesday's comeback directly into another statement win.
Atlanta's night fell apart on one of the worst individual shooting performances of the season. Angel Reese managed just seven points on a brutal 1-of-12 shooting, though her 16 rebounds kept her productive on the glass. Allisha Gray led the Dream with 26 points on 47.8 percent shooting, and Rhyne Howard added 19 points but shot just 33.3 percent overall. Atlanta's 32.5 percent shooting as a team and their 44.1 percent free throw shooting on 34 attempts reflected a night where nothing came easily against Washington's interior defense.
WAS 79 · ATL 74
Sun Upset Plum-Led Mercury Behind Balanced Attack
Phoenix Mercury 72, Connecticut Sun 75
Phoenix built a 16-point lead behind a hot start, but Connecticut clawed back with a 17-9 third quarter and closed the game out with a 26-23 fourth to complete a genuine upset. Final: 75-72, Connecticut improves to 8-23, avoiding sole possession of the league's worst record, while Phoenix falls to 12-21.
Kennedy Burke was efficient off the bench, going 5-of-7 from the field for 15 points at 85.6 percent true shooting. Aaliyah Edwards added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and Diamond Miller contributed 12 points. Connecticut's bench produced 39 points, and their 20 assists on 27 made field goals reflected genuinely connected offensive basketball against a Phoenix team that had won its recent stretch on pure shot-making rather than execution.
Phoenix's third game with Kelsey Plum was her best of the young stint. Plum led all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting (3-of-7 from three). Kahleah Copper added 16 points, and Alyssa Thomas contributed 10 points and five assists despite going just 3-of-9 from the field. But Phoenix's 17.9 percent three-point shooting (5-of-28) and their 56.5 percent free throw shooting undercut what was otherwise a productive individual night from their newest star, and the Mercury's inability to close out a 16-point lead will sting heading into the stretch run.
CON 75 · PHX 72
Valkyries Roll Past Dallas in Another Road Statement
Golden State Valkyries 94, Dallas Wings 76
Golden State never trailed, building a lead as large as 20 and dominating the third quarter 30-22 to put the game away well before the fourth. Final: 94-76, Golden State improves to 22-9 and stays third in the West, while Dallas falls to 19-13 and seventh, still processing back-to-back tough results.
Veronica Burton was excellent, going 8-of-13 from the field (3-of-7 from three) for 22 points at 76.8 percent true shooting with seven assists. Gabby Williams added 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting, and Kayla Thornton posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Golden State's 27 assists on 33 made field goals, a staggering 3.38 assist-to-turnover ratio, and their 30 bench points reflected exactly the defensive identity and depth the preview flagged as the Valkyries' path to another road statement, carrying Tuesday's momentum from their win over Toronto directly into Friday's result.
Dallas never found any rhythm after Wednesday's tough comeback loss to Washington. Paige Bueckers led the Wings with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, but shot just 2-of-4 from the field otherwise across the roster's other main contributors. Arike Ogunbowale struggled badly, going 2-of-10 for five points. Dallas's 27-of-38 free throw shooting kept the score respectable, but their 33.9 percent field goal shooting and their inability to reset emotionally after Wednesday's collapse were exactly the difficult back-to-back gauntlet the preview anticipated.
GSV 94 · DAL 76
WAS, CON, & GSV Wins.
Friday's slate confirmed several trends worth watching heading into the stretch run. Washington's win over Atlanta shows real staying power, back-to-back statement results built on elite recent shooting efficiency and complementary defense. Connecticut's upset of Phoenix is the kind of result that will not move the standings much, but it's a meaningful signal that even the league's worst teams can beat a team still finding its post-trade identity. And Golden State's blowout of Dallas continues one of the most consistent recent stretches of any team in the league, a defensive identity that has translated into road win after road win.
Star of the Night: Veronica Burton, Golden State Valkyries
22 points | 8-of-13 FG | 3-of-7 from three | 76.8% true shooting | 7 assists
Burton's efficient scoring and playmaking anchored Golden State's most complete offensive performance of the week. Austin's 21-11 double-double and Kelsey Plum's 25-point debut-stretch high both made strong cases, but Burton's shooting efficiency in a dominant road win gives her the top spot.
Dud of the Night: Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream
7 points | 1-of-12 FG | 8.3% field goal percentage | minus-1
Reese's 1-of-12 shooting night is one of the worst individual shooting performances of the season for any player. Her 16 rebounds show she stayed engaged on the glass, but a game this inefficient from Atlanta's leading rebounder, in a direct playoff-positioning matchup that Atlanta ultimately lost, was the most visible individual factor in the Dream's offensive struggles.
How We Did: Checking the Preview Predictions
Friday's picks went 2-for-3 on sides, with the Connecticut upset blowing up what looked like a comfortable Phoenix cover.
Atlanta @ Washington: The preview leaned Washington +4.5 with the under at 170, citing the Mystics' elite recent shooting efficiency and the psychological boost of Wednesday's comeback. Washington won outright by five, comfortably covering, and the total came in at 153, well under the number. A clean sweep and the pick of the week.
Phoenix @ Connecticut: The preview leaned Phoenix -5.5 with the over at 176.5, expecting a track meet between two offensively productive but defensively porous teams. Connecticut won outright, meaning Phoenix did not come close to covering, and the total came in at just 147, nearly 30 points under the number. Both calls missed badly as neither team's recent shootout form carried over.
Golden State @ Dallas: The preview leaned Golden State +1.5 with the under at 164.5, expecting the Valkyries' defensive identity and momentum to carry them to a road win. Golden State won by 18, comfortably covering, but the total came in at 170, over the number. The side hit clean, but the total missed on the high side.
The headline takeaway: the Connecticut upset is a reminder that even a team fighting for the league's worst record can beat a talented opponent still finding its footing after a trade, and Phoenix's recent shootout form did not travel to a road environment the way the numbers suggested it would.
Season Predictions Record
Tracking every graded pick against the spread and total from the preview articles this season, updated through August 7:
Spread / Side: 18-16
Total (Over/Under): 14-21
Thirty-four games graded so far across twelve preview articles. The side calls sit at 53 percent, while the totals remain well below break-even at 40 percent after a difficult recent stretch. We'll keep this tally updated with every recap going forward.