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What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today
1. The Higher Seeds Take Game 1 🏀
The race is definitely on. The WNBA Semifinals opened with two competitive Game 1 performances on Sunday. Ultimately, Atlanta beat New York 92-82, while Golden State locked up Las Vegas 71-60.
🎥 Watch highlights from the Dream/Liberty game or the Valkyries/Aces matchup
WHY IT MATTERS: The higher seeds won both games, but neither result felt automatic given the playoff experience of New York and Las Vegas. Atlanta picked up its first Semifinals win since 2018, while Golden State earned another franchise first in its first trip to the Semifinals. The Valkyries had also lost all three regular-season meetings with the Aces this year, making this an especially encouraging start for Golden State.
🗳️ Which Game 1 win impressed you more?
2. Janelle Salaün Is the WNBA’s Top Sixth Player 👏
Félicitations! Janelle Salaün is the unanimous winner of the 2026 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award. The Golden State forward received all 74 votes after leading every WNBA reserve with a career-high 12.7 points per game. (WNBA)
WHY IT MATTERS: Salaün had a standout sophomore season, setting the WNBA single-season records for points (509) and three-pointers made (93) by a reserve. Her award also adds to an impressive start for a franchise only in its second season. Golden State now has three major end-of-season award winners in two years, following Natalie Nakase’s Coach of the Year and Veronica Burton’s Most Improved Player honors last season.
3. The WNBA Outdrew Other Major Leagues in TV Viewership 📺
WNBA > MLB. At least in TV viewership. WNBA games on ESPN averaged 1.24 million viewers during the 2026 regular season, topping both MLB’s and NHL’s average viewership of 1.08 million and 545,000 viewers, respectively. (The IX Sports)
WHY IT MATTERS: Women’s basketball still gets described as a niche sport, but audiences this large tell a different story. Average viewership for the W this season was higher than the averages for two established professional sports leagues. This is news that should make even more brands and future fans pay attention to.
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OVERTIME ⏱️
Indiana Azy: Azariah “Azy” Jackson, the No. 20 player in the SC Next 100 for the Class of 2027, has committed to Indiana.
Bruin Down: UCLA sophomore Lena Bilić suffered an ACL tear in practice and will miss the 2026-27 season.
🗳️ Poll Results from Yesterday: We asked if you think Las Vegas will win another championship this year, and 72% of you like their chances. 59% said they have a strong chance, while another 13% said definitely, they’re playing well right now.
