This was a week where the WNBA had everything going for it: stars making history, contenders separating, an expansion team producing fireworks, and a Commissioner's Cup final worthy of the stage. It also had an officiating controversy the league did not need.
Here is everything that mattered from June 20 through June 27, 2026.
Week Snapshot
| Story | Why It Mattered |
|---|---|
| Alyssa Thomas was suspended after contact with Caitlin Clark | The WNBA retroactively assessed a Flagrant 2 and handed Thomas a one-game suspension |
| A'ja Wilson put up a monster two-way line | 30 points, 15 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks in an Aces win |
| Marina Mabrey tied the WNBA scoring record | 53 points in Toronto's 125-97 win over Los Angeles |
| Commissioner's Cup final is set | Liberty vs. Aces, June 30 in Brooklyn, 7:00 PM ET on Prime Video |
| Minnesota keeps rolling | Lynx improved to 13-3, the best record in the league |
| Atlanta set a franchise scoring record | Dream 113, Fever 96 in a statement performance |
The Clark-Thomas Fallout
On June 24, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas struck Caitlin Clark in the throat area during Indiana's game against Phoenix. The referees on the floor missed it entirely. The league reviewed the play the following day, retroactively assessed Thomas a Flagrant 2 foul, and suspended her for one game.
Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White did not mince words. "It was egregious. The fact that it was a no-call - you got to call it." She was right. And in a separate incident during the same stretch, Clark received a technical foul for clapping during a heated moment against Phoenix. It was her fifth technical of the season, putting her three away from an automatic one-game suspension.
That contrast is why the story did not go away. The league is trying to manage a more physical, more visible version of itself, and Clark is at the center of a lot of that attention. The answer cannot be to treat every hard foul as a referendum on the sport, but it also cannot be to miss dangerous contact in real time and sort it out after the fact.
The WNBA is not going to solve its officiating problems overnight. But with more fans watching than ever, consistency matters.
A'ja Wilson Does A'ja Wilson Things
In the middle of all the noise, A'ja Wilson dropped one of the most complete individual performances of the week.
Wilson put up 30 points, 15 rebounds, four steals, and three blocks in a Las Vegas Aces win over the Chicago Sky. Even by her standards, that is a ridiculous two-way stat line: scoring volume, glass control, defensive disruption, and rim protection all in the same night.
Wilson's MVP case was already strong. Every week she adds another line to it.
Marina Mabrey Puts 53 on the Sparks
The loudest scoring performance of the week belonged to Marina Mabrey.
Mabrey erupted for 53 points as the Toronto Tempo beat the Los Angeles Sparks 125-97 on June 26, tying the WNBA single-game scoring record. She shot 17-of-28 from the field, 9-of-18 from three, and 10-of-12 from the line. Toronto improved to 9-9, which is a remarkable place to be for a first-year franchise.
Mabrey had already put Toronto on the map with her 37-point, nine-three performance against Connecticut earlier in June. This was something bigger: a record-tying scoring night that made the expansion Tempo feel like one of the league's real weekly attractions.
Commissioner's Cup Final: Liberty vs. Aces, June 30
Mark your calendar. Tuesday, June 30 at 7:00 PM ET on Prime Video - the New York Liberty host the Las Vegas Aces at Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the Commissioner's Cup championship.
The Liberty ran the Eastern table undefeated with a +68 point differential and will have home court. The Aces, led by Wilson, punched their ticket with an 86-76 win over Phoenix. Thirty thousand dollars per player is on the line, along with a Cup MVP award.
This is the closest thing to a WNBA Finals preview the league can offer. Stewart vs. Wilson, two of the best players in the world, in Brooklyn. It should be must-watch television.
Minnesota Still Setting the Pace
The Minnesota Lynx improved to 13-3 this week, extending their lead as the team with the best record in the league. Olivia Miles continues to be one of the most exciting offensive players in the WNBA, and the Lynx have quietly built the most complete roster top to bottom.
Nobody is really talking about Minnesota nationally the way they are talking about Las Vegas, New York, or Indiana. That might be exactly how the Lynx like it.
Around the League
Atlanta Dream franchise record: The Dream scored 113 points in a 113-96 win over Indiana on June 20, setting a new franchise scoring record. Angel Reese continues to be the engine in Atlanta, and the Dream are quietly one of the better stories in the East.
Toronto Tempo: The expansion team beat Los Angeles 125-97 on June 26 and sits at 9-9. For a first-year franchise, that is a remarkable place to be.
Indiana's rough week: The Fever remain in the upper half of the standings, but the week brought the Clark-Thomas controversy, a physical Phoenix game, and the 113-96 loss to Atlanta. Indiana still has enough talent to matter, but the margin for error is tightening.
Standings Snapshot
| Team | Record |
|---|---|
| Minnesota Lynx | 13-3 |
| Atlanta Dream | 10-5 |
| Las Vegas Aces | 12-5 |
| Golden State Valkyries | 11-6 |
| Indiana Fever | 10-6 |
| New York Liberty | 12-6 |
| Toronto Tempo | 9-9 |
Minnesota is still setting the pace, Atlanta's winning percentage belongs near the top of the conversation, Las Vegas and New York have the Cup final spotlight, and Toronto is making expansion basketball a lot more interesting than expected.
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