WNBA Tuesday Recap: Howard’s Heater, Aces Cruise, Valkyries Record Night

Tuesday night’s WNBA slate gave hoops fans a little bit of everything: historic milestone tracking, an absolute shooting clinic in the Bay Area, and dominant individual performance from the league’s biggest stars.

If you missed any of the action, we have you covered with the definitive breakdown of last night’s games.

Atlanta Dream 91, Connecticut Sun 75

The Rhyne Howard Show Destroys the Sun

The Atlanta Dream rolled to their fourth straight victory over the Connecticut Sun behind a blazing-hot perimeter assault led by Rhyne Howard. Howard was completely unguardable, exploding for 36 points and weaponizing a lethal step-back to sink eight 3-pointers.

Howard paired up with Allisha Gray (26 points) to carry Atlanta early, scoring 40 of the team’s 50 first-half points.

Highlight of the Night: Forward Angel Reese sent the Atlanta crowd into a frenzy by knocking down her first career 3-pointer with the Dream. The shot ignited a crucial 7-0 run to close the third quarter, swinging a 68-65 lead over to Atlanta, which they never relinquished. Reese finished the night with a signature 12-point, 13-rebound double-double.

Connecticut’s Deep Freeze

The Sun stayed competitive through three quarters thanks to Aneesah Morrow, who put up a gritty 20 points and 13 rebounds. However, Connecticut fell victim to a catastrophic six-minute scoring drought spanning the third and fourth quarters, allowing Atlanta to push the lead to double digits and coast to the finish line.

Las Vegas Aces 79, Los Angeles Sparks 69

Shorthanded Aces Lean on Greatness

A’ja Wilson delivered an absolute masterpiece at Crypto.com Arena, anchoring Las Vegas with 25 points, 15 rebounds, and a season-high 5 blocks.

With those 5 blocks, Wilson passed Tammy Sutton-Brown for eighth on the WNBA career blocks list and officially crossed the 900 career “stocks” (steals + blocks) milestone.

The Aces’ elite guard play stepped up as Chelsea Gray logged a double-double with 12 points and 11 assists while eclipsing her 4,500th career point, and Jackie Young fell just an assist shy of her own double-double, finishing with 16 points and 9 dimes.

Bright Spots for the Sparks

Los Angeles kept things tight down the stretch, largely thanks to a career-high 22 points from Rae Burrell. Nneka Ogwumike also made history by grabbing 12 rebounds (alongside 12 points), moving past the legendary Tamika Catchings for fifth on the WNBA all-time rebounding list. Unfortunately, a brutal 0-for-7 night from the field for Dearica Hamby completely stalled out the Sparks’ offense when they needed it most.

Golden State Valkyries 95, Portland Fire 77

A Franchise Record in the Bay

In an entertaining Commissioner’s Cup matchup, the Golden State Valkyries absolutely lit up the Chase Center nets. The Valkyries set a new franchise record by draining 18 three-pointers, shooting a blistering 52.2% from beyond the arc in the first half alone.

Kayla Thornton set the tone, hitting five triples on her way to 19 points and 8 rebounds. Off the bench, Janelle Salaun was an absolute spark plug, pouring in 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

Portland’s Tough Night on the Road

The Portland Fire entered the night having won four of their last five, but they simply couldn’t keep pace with Golden State’s historic clip. Megan Gustafson fought hard inside for 13 points and 8 rebounds. Meanwhile, guard Carla Leite—playing against the Valkyries squad she suited up for last season—chipped in 10 points and 7 assists in a losing effort.

Washington Mystics 90, Chicago Sky 72

Mystics Dominate the Paint

Even without Sonia Citron (out with a left foot sprain), the Washington Mystics handled business comfortably at home. Washington completely controlled the glass, out-rebounding Chicago 46–29.

Shakira Austin paced the scoring with 17 points, but Kiki Iriafen was the real engine down low, securing 15 points and 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Washington built a 7-point halftime lead and broke the game wide open with a dominant 27–18 third-quarter run.

Sky Slide Reaches Five

The loss marks a five-game slide for Chicago. Despite the skid, rookie center Kamilla Cardoso had a versatile stat line that gave Sky fans a reason to smile: 12 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and a monstrous 6 blocks. Sydney Taylor added 15 points off the bench, but Chicago’s lack of offensive discipline and a massive free-throw discrepancy (Washington shot 32 free throws to Chicago’s 16) made a comeback impossible.