By Tiffany Williams –
The opening stretch of the 2026 WNBA season is already producing massive individual performances, breakout rookie moments, and early warning signs for several contenders. Friday night’s slate especially delivered some eye-popping stat lines across the league, headlined by a historic performance from A’ja Wilson and another superstar showcase from Caitlin Clark.
For the Las Vegas Aces, Wilson completely overwhelmed the Connecticut Sun in one of the most dominant early-season performances the league has seen in years. Wilson exploded for 45 points on 15-of-18 shooting while also going a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line. She added three rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and showed why she remains arguably the most unstoppable two-way force in women’s basketball. Connecticut simply had no answer defensively once Wilson established position in the paint. The efficiency is what stands out most. Eighteen shot attempts for 45 points is elite-level production.
Even with the loss, there were encouraging signs for Connecticut’s young core. Hailey Van Lith delivered one of her strongest professional outings so far with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting while knocking down three triples. Saniya Rivers also flashed major upside with 14 points and seven assists, while Aneesah Morrow recorded another double-double effort with 10 rebounds and 10 points. The Sun may be taking losses early, but there are clear foundational pieces beginning to emerge offensively.
The biggest concern for Connecticut right now is consistency defensively and limiting turnovers against elite guards. Chelsea Gray finished with 10 assists, and Las Vegas repeatedly exposed defensive rotations throughout the night. Against veteran championship-caliber teams like the Aces, mistakes quickly become scoring runs.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark once again proved she is becoming must-watch television every single night for the Indiana Fever. Clark poured in 32 points while drilling seven three-pointers and adding eight assists against the Washington Mystics. She attempted 17 shots from beyond the arc, showing the type of offensive freedom Indiana is clearly giving her this season. The Fever offense looks built entirely around pace, spacing, and Clark’s ability to create chaos from deep range.
But Washington may have quietly produced one of the more impressive losing efforts of the night because the Mystics’ young talent absolutely showed up. Sonia Citron erupted for 30 points on 10-of-14 shooting, while Kiki Iriafen added 25 points and 13 rebounds. That duo looked fearless offensively against Indiana. If Washington’s younger core develops quickly, the Mystics could become a far more dangerous team than many projected entering the season.
The Los Angeles Sparks also looked explosive offensively behind a balanced attack led by Kelsey Plum, who dropped 27 points and nine assists. Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby combined for 39 points in an efficient frontcourt performance against Toronto Tempo. Los Angeles appears far more dynamic offensively this season, particularly in transition and ball movement situations.
Toronto, however, continued to show fight offensively behind Brittney Sykes, who scored 27 points while aggressively attacking the rim and getting to the free throw line 11 times. Laura Juskaite also added 16 points, while Nyara Sabally nearly recorded a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds.
One of the more underrated performances of the night came from Rickea Jackson for the Chicago Sky. Jackson exploded for 29 points while shooting 4-of-10 from deep against the Phoenix Mercury. Chicago’s offense looked aggressive and confident, though Phoenix countered with balanced production led by Jovana Nogic scoring 27 points and Alyssa Thomas nearly posting another all-around stat-stuffing performance with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
Through the first stretch of games this season, several league-wide trends are becoming obvious.
Scoring is exploding across the WNBA right now. Teams are taking far more three-pointers, pace is dramatically faster, and guards are operating with far more offensive freedom than in previous years. Players like Clark, Plum, Van Lith, Jackson, and Citron are attacking immediately in transition and launching confidently from outside.
The rookie class also looks significantly more prepared offensively than many expected. Van Lith, Citron, Iriafen, and Morrow are already producing meaningful minutes against veteran competition. That is a major storyline developing early this season.
And then there is Wilson.
When the Aces superstar is scoring efficiently from all three levels while also controlling the defensive paint, Las Vegas still looks like the team everyone in the league will ultimately have to go through if they want a championship.