WNBA Recap | July 31, 2026
Friday's three-game slate delivered exactly the kind of results the standings suggested, with a twist. Washington's rebounding advantage carried them past Dallas as predicted. Atlanta handled Seattle comfortably but not by the market's massive margin. And Indiana survived a scare from Portland's hot shooting before Caitlin Clark's triple-double sealed the win. Here's how it all went down, plus a look at how the preview predictions and season-to-date record held up.
Mystics' Rebounding Edge Overwhelms Wings
Dallas Wings 75, Washington Mystics 81
Washington's calling card all season has been the glass, and it showed up again on Friday. The Mystics out-rebounded Dallas 55-38, generated 17 second-chance points to Dallas's nine, and built enough of a cushion in the first quarter to survive a game where Dallas actually won three of the four periods. Final: 81-75, Washington improves to 17-12 and seventh in the East, while Dallas falls to 18-12 and sixth in the West.
Shakira Austin was dominant, going 10-of-18 from the field for 28 points at 63.8 percent true shooting, adding 10 rebounds for a double-double, four assists, and a perfect 7-of-9 from the free throw line. Kiki Iriafen added 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting with nine rebounds and eight fouls drawn, going 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Sonia Citron struggled with her shot but drew eight fouls and made all 10 of her free throw attempts for 16 points. Washington's 87.1 percent free throw shooting as a team and their overwhelming rebounding edge were the two numbers that decided this game, exactly as the matchup history suggested they would.
Dallas got a strong individual effort but couldn't overcome the possession battle. Paige Bueckers led the Wings with 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting, and Arike Ogunbowale added 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting (3-of-8 from three). Dallas actually won the first quarter, third quarter, and fourth quarter individually, but Washington's 21-14 second quarter was the difference, and the Mystics' 13-6 offensive rebounding advantage kept generating extra Washington possessions all night.
WAS 81 · DAL 75
Dream Handle Storm Behind Balanced Scoring and 14 Steals
Seattle Storm 89, Atlanta Dream 98
Atlanta jumped out 27-15 in the first quarter and never let Seattle get closer than four points the rest of the way, though the Storm made things more interesting than the 12.5-point spread suggested with a strong third quarter. Final: 98-89, Atlanta improves to 18-10 and holds second in the East, while Seattle falls to 6-25, still last in the league.
Angel Reese posted a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds on 41.7 percent shooting, adding two steals and nine fouls drawn. Naz Hillmon was the most efficient scorer, going 6-of-9 from the field (2-of-5 from three) for 18 points at 80.4 percent true shooting. Jordin Canada dished nine assists with eight free throws made, and Allisha Gray added 16 points with two steals and two blocks. Atlanta's 14 steals and 18 points off Seattle's 17 turnovers reflected the defensive pressure that kept the Storm from ever getting truly comfortable, even during their competitive stretches.
Seattle competed harder than a 6-24 record would suggest. Natisha Hiedeman was excellent, going 9-of-19 from the field for 23 points at 52.1 percent true shooting with five assists. Dominique Malonga posted a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds on a perfect 8-of-10 shooting. But Seattle's 21.7 percent three-point shooting and 20 total turnovers, converted into 23 Atlanta points, reflected a talent gap that showed up in the possessions that mattered most, even in a game that stayed within striking distance longer than the spread implied.
ATL 98 · SEA 89
Clark's Triple-Double Headlines Fever Win Over Fire's Hot Shooting
Indiana Fever 112, Portland Fire 98
Portland shot the ball beautifully, hitting 45.2 percent from three on 31 attempts and generating 26 assists on 35 made field goals, and actually outscored Indiana in three of the four quarters. It wasn't enough. Indiana built a 20-point cushion in the third quarter and had just enough in reserve to hold off Portland's shooting barrage. Final: 112-98, Indiana improves to 20-10 and fourth in the East, while Portland falls to 11-19, tenth in the West.
Caitlin Clark delivered a triple-double, her second signature performance in four days: 26 points on 5-of-9 shooting (a perfect 14-of-17 from the free throw line), 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, adding two steals and a block. Kelsey Mitchell matched her with 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting, and Aliyah Boston contributed 14 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and five steals. Sophie Cunningham came off the bench to shoot 4-of-6 (3-of-5 from three) for 13 points. Indiana's 30 points off Portland's 20 turnovers and their 88.2 percent free throw shooting were the numbers that ultimately separated two teams that were nearly even in field goal percentage and pace.
Portland's shooting kept them competitive but couldn't close the gap. Bridget Carleton exploded for 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting (7-of-11 from three), and Carla Leite posted a near triple-double of her own with 20 points, 12 assists, and seven turnovers. Karlie Samuelson added 13 points on 3-of-8 from three. Portland's 20 turnovers, converted into 30 Indiana points, and a fatigue factor on the second leg of Indiana's road trip that never fully materialized were the difference in a game the Fire's shooting alone couldn't overcome.
IND 112 · PDX 98
WAS, ATL, & IND Wins.
Friday validated the identities both Washington and Atlanta have built all season. The Mystics' rebounding advantage did exactly what it has done against most opponents, and Atlanta's depth and defensive pressure carried them past a badly overmatched Seattle team, even if the final margin was tighter than the market expected. Indiana's win is the one worth watching closest heading into the weekend: Clark's second historic-caliber performance in four days came in a game where road fatigue and a hot-shooting underdog made things far more competitive than an 8.5-point spread suggested, a pattern that bears watching as the Fever's road trip continues in Minnesota.
Star of the Night: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
26 points | 5-of-9 FG | 14-of-17 FT | 10 rebounds | 10 assists | 2 steals | 1 block | Triple-Double
Four days after becoming the first player in WNBA history to record a 40-point, 10-assist game, Clark delivered a triple-double against a Portland team that was hitting nearly everything from three. Her ability to control the game from every statistical column, on the second leg of a three-game road trip, makes this an easy choice over Austin's 28-10 night and Reese's 21-13 double-double.
Dud of the Night: Flau'jae Johnson, Seattle Storm
9 points | 2-of-11 FG | 18.2% field goal percentage | 7 turnovers | minus-1 efficiency game score
Johnson's seven turnovers were the most of any player across Friday's three games, and her 2-of-11 shooting reflected a night where nothing worked offensively. In a game Seattle was already an enormous underdog in, that level of empty possessions made a difficult matchup even harder.
How We Did: Checking the Preview Predictions
Friday's picks went 1-for-3 on sides, with the Washington lean the clear standout of the night.
Dallas @ Washington: The preview leaned Washington +3.5 with the under at 168.5, citing the Mystics' repeatable rebounding advantage over a Dallas team that relies more on individual shot-making. Washington won outright, comfortably covering the spread, and the total came in at 156, well under the number. A clean sweep on both calls, and the best-supported pick of the week.
Seattle @ Atlanta: The preview leaned Atlanta -12.5 with the under at 176.5. Atlanta won by nine, which means Seattle covered the massive spread despite losing by a wide margin. The total also missed: the two teams combined for 187 points, more than 10 over the number. Both calls missed, with the under specifically undone by Atlanta's fast start and inability to fully shut the door.
Indiana @ Portland: The preview leaned Portland +8.5 with the over at 188.5, expecting road fatigue to keep Indiana's margin closer than the number suggested. Indiana won by 14, meaning Portland did not cover, but the over hit comfortably: the two teams combined for 210 points, more than 20 over the total, fueled by Portland's 45.2 percent three-point shooting. The side missed, but the over call, built on an expectation of a track meet given both teams' pace, was well supported.
The headline takeaway: one clean win, two split results. Washington's rebounding-driven lean was the sharpest read of the night, while both underdog spreads in Atlanta and Portland missed on the side but landed correctly on the total in one of the two cases.
Season Predictions Record
Tracking every graded pick against the spread and total from the preview articles this season, updated through July 31:
Spread / Side: 9-4
Total (Over/Under): 7-6
Thirteen games graded so far across five preview articles. The side calls remain solidly ahead of a coin flip at just under 70 percent, while the totals have settled in around 54 percent, still leaning correct but the closer of the two disciplines to call. We'll keep this tally updated with every recap going forward.