Gamecocks in the WNBA: Week 1
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Reigning MVP A’ja Wilson hasn’t missed a beat, while Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke had impressive debuts during the first week of the WNBA season.
Atlanta Dream (1-2)
Laeticia Amihere
- 85-78 loss at Dallas: DNP-CD
- 83-77 win at Minnesota: DNP-CD
- 90-87 loss vs Indiana: DNP-CD
Allisha Gray
- 85-78 loss at Dallas: 30 minutes*, 10 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists
- 83-77 win at Minnesota: 35 minutes*, 26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, assist, steal
- 90-87 loss vs Indiana: 32 minutes*, 19 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Amihere has yet to make her official WNBA debut, while Gray has reminded everyone how good she is. Atlanta hopes to compete for a playoff spot and the Dream will get a big test Friday against the Aces.
Upcoming games:
- Tuesday, May 30 vs Chicago (7:00 ET, Twitter)
- Friday, June 2 vs Las Vegas (8:00 ET, Ion)
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Connecticut Sun (3-1)
Tyasha Harris
- 70-61 win at Indiana: 17 minutes, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
- 80-74 win vs Washington: 20 minutes, 4 points, rebound, assist
- 88-81 win at Washington: 7 minutes, 3 points, assist, steal
- 81-65 loss at New York: 7 minutes, 8 points
Harris’ playing time fluctuated during the first week of the season. She was productive no matter how much she played, but it will be interesting to see if Connecticut can settle on a rotation.
Upcoming games:
- Tuesday, May 30 vs Indiana (7:00 ET, League Pass)
- Thursday, June 1 at Minnesota (8:00 ET, Amazon Prime Video)
- Sunday, June 4 vs Dallas (1:00 ET, NBA TV)
Indiana Fever (1-2)
Aliyah Boston
- 70-61 loss vs Connecticut: 24 minutes*, 15 points, 9 rebounds
- 90-73 loss at New York: 29 minutes*, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
- 90-87 win at Atlanta: 26 minutes*, 13 points, 7 rebounds
Victaria Saxton
- 70-61 loss vs Connecticut: 1 minute, 2 fouls
- 90-73 loss at New York: 1 minute, 1 rebound
- 90-87 win at Atlanta: DNP-CD
Boston has looked every bit of a top draft pick and franchise player. She helped the Fever end their-league record 20-game losing streak against Atlanta and, according to the Fever, she’s the first player to start her WNBA career with three consecutive games of at least 10 points and shoot 60% or better from the field. Saxton has yet to play meaningful minutes.
Upcoming games:
- Tuesday, May 30 at Connecticut (7:00 ET, League Pass)
- Sunday, June 4 vs Las Vegas (4:00 ET, CBS Sports Network)
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Las Vegas Aces (4-0)
A’ja Wilson
- 105-64 win at Seattle: 27 minutes*, 13 points, 13 rebounds
- 94-85 win at Los Angeles: 32 minutes*, 19 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks
- 93-65 win vs Los Angeles: 24 minutes*, 23 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks
- 94-73 win vs Minnesota: 30 minutes*, 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Wilson and the Aces picked up where they left off last season. Wilson is again putting up MVP-type numbers and the Aces have barely been challenged this season. She even perpetuated some Gamecock-on-Gamecock crime (more on that below).
Upcoming games:
- Friday, June 2 at Atlanta (8:00 ET, Ion)
- Sunday, June 4 at Indiana (4:00 ET, CBS Sports Network)
Los Angeles Sparks (1-2)
Zia Cooke
- 94-71 win vs Phoenix: 15 minutes, 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
- 94-85 loss vs Las Vegas: 14 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
- 93-65 loss at Las Vegas: 23 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Zia Cooke had quite a week, showing no fear at all. On the first offensive play of her career, 5-9 Cooke was tasked with setting a pick on 6-9 Brittney Griner. Then she scored eight straight points to spark Los Angeles to the win (get it?). Las Vegas didn’t let Cooke get hot in either game, and A’ja Wilson even chased her down to block a transition layup. That led to a playful social media argument about whether it was a foul.
Upcoming games:
- Friday, June 2 at Phoenix (10:00 ET, Ion)
- Saturday, June 3 vs Seattle (10:00 ET, CBS Sports Network)
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Minnesota Lynx (0-4)
Tiffany Mitchell
- 77-66 loss vs Chicago: 22 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, assist
- 83-77 loss vs Atlanta: 27 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
- 90-81 loss at Phoenix: 31 minutes*, 12 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
- 94-73 loss at Las Vegas: 34 minutes*, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Mitchell has established herself as a reliable option as Minnesota tries to find a new identity.
Upcoming games:
- Tuesday, May 30 at Dallas (8:00 ET, ESPN3)
- Thursday, June 1 vs Connecticut (8:00 ET, Amazon Prime Video)
- Saturday, June 3 at Washington (7:00 ET, League Pass)
