With two rubber match Game 3s tonight, the WNBA playoffs are in full swing. And they say there’s no basketball to watch in September. 🤷‍♂️

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Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Lucius Allen, Shake Milton, Baylor Scheierman, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist! 🎉

WNBA Semifinal Spotlight

As the Finals approach, it’s helpful to recalibrate your expectations of where each team came from and what they might be capable of. Let’s re-rank the four remaining teams in the WNBA playoff picture: ⬇️

1. Las Vegas Aces (1-1 vs. IND): Coming off of a Game 2 win, the Aces are in prime position to advance and play for another WNBA title. MVP and co-DPOY A’ja Wilson has been arguably the best player on any team this postseason, but Jackie Young has been a critical part of Vegas’ equation—don’t count out what trade acquisition NaLyssa Smith has done either. Smith backed up Wilson’s 25 PTS with 18 of her own on Tuesday when the Aces evened their series with Indiana. Don’t look now, but we might see three rings in four years in Las Vegas. Remind you of anyone? 🤩

2. Minnesota Lynx (1-1 vs. PHX): Expected to see the Lynx at #1? We liked what we’ve seen in the playoffs from Las Vegas so far enough for them to jump the regular season favorites, but the Lynx are still a powerhouse in this bracket. Napheesa Collier (21.5) and Kayla McBride (19.3) have averaged the 3rd- and 4th-most points per game in these playoffs, and if the Lynx go on to secure the franchise’s fifth championship, it’ll be on their backs. It may feel like more of a psychological uphill battle after a huge Mercury comeback in Game 2 (btw, sorry to the Jonas Brothers) led to a devastating OT loss for Minnesota, but their combination of star power and depth means they have a clear path to the chip. 👀

3. Phoenix Mercury (1-1 vs. MIN): Phoenix made a statement in Game 2 against Minnesota, clawing back from a 20-point deficit to win in overtime and make it a 1-1 series. Satou Sabally poured in 24 points while Alyssa Thomas orchestrated the rally with 19 points of her own to go along with 13 assists. Phoenix lacks the depth that Las Vegas and Minnesota have to complement their respective stars, but its core—Thomas, Sabally, and Kahleah Copper—has shown the kind of resilience and toughness that can tilt a postseason series in the “upset” direction. The Mercury are riding momentum and confidence, and they could be dangerous if they keep forcing Minnesota into uncomfortable situations. 💪

4. Indiana Fever (1-1 vs. LV): This playoff run is already special. After knocking Atlanta out, Indiana has pushed the reigning champs to a split as Kelsey Mitchell shoulders the offensive load and Aliyah Boston anchors the paint with rim protection and physicality. Their margin for error is narrow, but the Fever have embraced their underdog role without Caitlin Clark. If they can keep extending possessions and making every one count, they’ve got a shot. 🤷‍♀️

Top Five Friday

It’s September, but award season chatter never sleeps. Here’s who’s already setting the pace in the 2025-26 NBA Defensive Player of the Year race.

#1: Evan Mobley - Cleveland Cavaliers

The reigning DPOY, Mobley comes into this season with the belt. He was the anchor of Cleveland’s incredible defense last season, but the challenge will now be to hold onto the hardware. Voters often look for fresh narratives and new winners, so repeat contenders need to really make their case to avoid the pitfalls of voter fatigue. Mobley is still only 24 years old, and the Cavs are positioned to contend in the East again, so the pieces are there for him to have another incredible defensive season—anything less will feel like a letdown for last year’s winner.

#2: Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs

Already treated like a perennial contender for this award, Wemby enters this race with a resume and expectations that most stars don’t carry by Year 2. After making All-Defensive First Team as a rookie, he was tracking as the DPOY favorite last year before a blood clot ended his season short of the 65-game eligibility threshold. But even in just 46 games played, he averaged a 24-point double-double and led the league in total blocks. With medical clearance this season, the Alien enters 2025-26 as a dominant force… and then some.

#3: Herb Jones - New Orleans Pelicans

Fully cleared from the labrum injury that kept him out of a large chunk of 2024-25, Jones is already considered one of the league’s best perimeter stoppers. He has the length, instincts, and discipline to guard nearly every position on the floor and has shown he has the ability to swing games by flummoxing opposing superstars. The biggest challenge is voter precedent—guards and wings rarely win DPOY—but if the Pelicans put together a season of great defense with Jones at helm routinely erasing big matchups, he could force his way into legitimate candidacy.

Rounding out our Top Five are #4 Dyson Daniels and #5 Bam Adebayo. Daniels, last year’s Most Improved Player, is already an All-Defense caliber guard and could follow in Marcus Smart’s footsteps as one of the only modern guards to win the award. Adebayo is a perennial finalist still searching for his first DPOY trophy—could it come at age 28 in his ninth year with the Heat? Maybe with some good luck from A’ja. 😉

Three in the Key

Signing Off

Happy Friday, Enjoyers! We can’t wait to transition right from electric WNBA playoff basketball to the excitement of the NBA regular season, and we get to do it all with you. What’s not to like!

See you Monday. ✌️

Austin Zeglis