Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
After a month-long Olympic break, WNBA play has finally resumed. But, it was U.S. basketball Olympians who stood out in Mercury vs Sky, Liberty vs Sparks, and Lynx vs Mystics.
After a month-long Olympic break, WNBA play finally resumed on Thursday night. Ironically, the same players who have represented USA Basketball these past few weeks in Paris led way in their teams’ wins — no rest, no problem.
In the triple-header, the Liberty came away with a 35-point win over the Sparks, the Mercury with a 20-point win over the Sky, and the Lynx with a 9-point win over the Mystics.
Interestingly enough, it was five members from the U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team who dominated the WNBA last night. Here are Thursday’s top five performers, ranked from very good to ridiculously good.
5. Sabrina Ionescu, New Liberty
Sabrina Ionescu had another stellar outing for the Liberty, posting 18 points on 6-13 shooting, 6 assists and 4 rebounds in a win over the Sparks. She finished the game with a plus-minus of +25 in just 23 minutes, helping the Liberty get out to a 19-point first quarter lead and never looking back.
Ionescu is in the midst of a career season, averaging 19.8 points and 6.1 assists per game — both career highs. After a few weeks of serving as the youngest member on Team USA in Paris, Ionescu helped the Liberty improve to a league-best 22-4 record.
4. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
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Napheesa Collier is back and it looks like she she never left. Collier suffered a foot injury against the Sun on July 4th and didn’t play again until All-Star Weekend. The Lynx went 3-2 without her pre-Olympics, and it was evident just how critical she was to their play on both sounds of the ball. But, Collier looked good throughout her Paris tenure — averaging 6.7 points and 6.5 rebounds — and didn’t miss a beat in her first game back with the Lynx in over a month.
Collier finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 steals, helping the Lynx to a 79-68 win over the Mystics. The Lynx improved to 18-8 on the season.
After the game, Collier credited the team’s unwavering connectivity: “We’re so strong, and our chemistry is so good. We believe in each other so much – it doesn’t matter if we’re up or down. We stay together.”
3. Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
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Remember when Breanna Stewart was in a shooting slump? That now feels like a distant memory. Stewart went 0-14 from downtown in four games with the Liberty in July, but looks to have found her rhythm after an excellent Paris Olympic tournament in which she averaged 16.3 points on 56.7% shooting.
Stewie dominated in the Liberty’s 103-68 win over the Sparks, finishing with 27 points in just 20 minutes of play. Her offensive performance was as efficient as they come — she hit 10-15 shots and made 3-4 from three-point range.
After the game, Stewart credited her Liberty teammates for helping make the re-acclimation back to the WNBA easier.
“This team enjoys being around each other,” she said. “We have a chemistry and a camaraderie.”
2) Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
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In Paris, Brittney Griner took a backseat role as A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart dominated the frontcourt.
But back in a Mercury jersey, Griner looked to have reverted to her former unstoppable self. The Sky had no answer for the 6’ 9 center, who enjoyed one of her best performances of the 2024 season. Griner dominated the paint, finishing the game with 23 points on 10-12 shooting, to go along with 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 blocks.
After the 85-65 win, Griner said she enjoyed the rare opportunity to match up against a player nearly her height: Sky rookie Kamilla Cardoso stands at 6’ 7.
“I always like going up against people my size,” Griner said. “I looked forward to it tonight. I was happy with it — I just kind of read it.”
The 33-year old said she felt fresh despite not having much of a break — Team USA competed in the gold medal game on Sunday, but Griner only averaged 14.3 minutes per game throughout the tournament.
“I kind of feel rested, honestly,” she said.
1) Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
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Kahleah Copper – who spent seven seasons with the Sky and led the team to a championship in 2021 – showed out in her first game back at Wintrust Arena. She exploded for 29 points on 12-19 shooting, helping the Mercury defeat the Sky.
“We all know what she can do,” Brittney Griner said of Copper. “We’ve been on the other end of it in this arena. I’m just happy I get to see it from the side of being her teammate now.”
Copper was matter-of-fact when asked postgame if this is the kind of performance she hoped to have against her former team.
“Yes,” she said with a smile. “Efficient, you win — I like that.”
