South Carolina women's basketball: Gamecocks in the WNBA - Week 17

Get caught up on all the Gamecocks in the WNBA as we’ve reached the final week of the regular season, including A’ja Wilson’s MVP statement.

The Las Vegas Aces launched their MVP campaign for Wilson last week, including an “MIVP” logo that plays off the roman numeral for four (It works well graphically, but not in print). On Sunday, Wilson’s teammates wore shirts with the logo.

Coach Becky Hammon and her son Sam have also been a part of the push. Hammon added a pink wig to the shirt, a reference to the first edition of A’Ones and Wilson’s pink hair for media day. Sam wore a pink A’One hoodie and shoes, and dyed his hair pink for the game (he initially wanted to wear Becky’s wig). 

Wilson didn’t wear the shirt, but she still did her part by setting the WNBA record with her 13th 30-point game of the season. It was also her 10th 30-point double-double of the season. Nobody else in the league has more than one.

Hammon had to get creative to explain how well Wilson is playing, saying she’s running out of adjectives.

“She’s the only person in the gym, in the world, that is both lion and gazelle,” she said. “She’s both. She can dance around you, or she can eat you up physically and dominate you. There’s not very many players who can be Shaq and Clyde the Glide. She’s just kind of an anomaly in the way she can impact a game, and the way she does it on both ends.”

Wilson leads the league in scoring, blocks, and efficiency, is second in rebounds, and third in steals. She is also shooting 38% from three.

Atlanta Dream (28-14)
Allisha Gray
40 games (40 starts), 35.3 mpg, 18.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.1 spg
Gray sat out two games with a sore left knee that she hurt late in the game against Connecticut. She was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for August, becoming the first guard in league history to win the award three times in one season.

Last week:
at Connecticut (93-76 win): 37 minutes*, 17 points, 5 rebounds, assist
vs Los Angeles (86-75 win): DNP – Left Knee
vs Los Angeles (104-85 win): DNP – Left Knee

Te-Hina Paopao
41 games (14 starts), 16.4 mpg, 5.8 ppg, 2.3 apg, 1.6 rpg, 40.7 3P%
With Gray out, Paopao stayed in Atlanta’s starting lineup even though starting point guard Jordin Canada has returned from injury. It also appears that the Dream has finally realized you can play both Paopao and Canada in the same game instead of having one play 38 minutes while the other barely breaks a sweat. 

Last week:
at Connecticut (93-76 win): 20 minutes*, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1-5 3PT
vs Los Angeles (86-75 win): 15 minutes*, 5 points, 2 steals, assist, rebound, block, 1-2 3PT
vs Los Angeles (104-85 win): 21 minutes*, 7 points, 4 assists, rebound, 1-3 3PT

Upcoming games:
Monday, September 8 vs Connecticut (7:30 ET, League Pass)
Wednesday, September 10 at Connecticut (7:00 ET, League Pass)

Chicago Sky (10-32)
Kamilla Cardoso
38 games (37 starts), 27.2 mpg, 13.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.1 bpg, 52.9 FG%
After Angel Reese trashed the Sky publicly (and missed the next two games due to a league suspension and half-game team suspension), it has been suggested that Chicago should get rid of Reese and build around Cardoso. I’m not going that far, but this season Cardoso has proven that she can be the centerpiece of a WNBA team. She even scored on a dribble drive past A’ja Wilson on Sunday and tied her career-high with 15 rebounds.

Last week:
vs Connecticut (88-64 win): 23 minutes*, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists
at Indiana (97-77 loss): 33 minutes*, 18 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks
at Las Vegas (80-66 loss): 31 minutes*, 10 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, block

Upcoming games:
Tuesday, September 9 at Las Vegas (10:00 ET, League Pass)
Thursday, September 11 vs New York (8:00 ET, NBA TV/League Pass)

Dallas Wings (9-34)
Tyasha Harris
5 games, 16.5 mpg, 4.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 45.5 3P%
Harris injured her left knee against Connecticut on May 27. Initially, there was optimism that it wasn’t long-term, but unfortunately, Harris underwent season-ending surgery on June 10.

Golden State Valkyries (23-19)
Laeticia Amihere
28 games, 13.6 mpg, 5.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.0 apg
Amihere’s playing time continues to fluctuate, but she fills up the box score regardless of how long she plays and has helped Golden State become the first expansion team to make the playoffs in year one.

Last week:
vs New York (66-58 win): DNP-CD
vs Dallas (84-80 win): 10 minutes, 5 rebounds, steal
vs Minnesota (78-72 loss): DNP-CD

Upcoming games:
Tuesday, September 9 at Seattle (10:00 ET, League Pass)
Thursday, September 11 at Minnesota (8:00 ET, League Pass)

Indiana Fever (23-20)
Aliyah Boston
43 games (43 starts), 30.2 mpg, 15.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.0 bpg, 1.2 spg, 53.8 FG%
Boston helped the Fever get a little bit of stability last week, and they finally clinched a playoff spot (after bringing back Bree Hall). The Fever is pushing Boston for All-WNBA. She is fifth in field goal percentage, sixth in rebounds, and 17th in scoring, which makes a good argument.

Last week:
at Phoenix (85-79 loss): 36 minutes*, 11 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, steal
vs Chicago (97-77 win): 19 minutes*, 11 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, steal
at Washington (94-65 win): 32 minutes*, 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, steal

Bree Hall (first three games with Golden State)
4 games, 4.4 mpg, 0.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg
Hall had a busy week. She was waived by Golden State on Monday and then signed by Indiana on Thursday.  Thanks to the blowout win over Washington on Sunday, Hall got to make her Fever debut.

Last week:
vs Chicago (97-77 win): DNP-CD
at Washington (94-65 win): 5 minutes, rebound

Upcoming games:
Tuesday, September 9 vs Minnesota (7:30 ET, ESPN)

Your GamecockCentral membership starts at just $1 for the first week – and we’ll throw in a complimentary year of access to The Athletic.

Las Vegas Aces (28-14)
A’ja Wilson
38 games (38 starts), 31.3 mpg, 23.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.2 bpg, 1.6 spg

Wilson needs 37 points this week to claim the second-highest scoring season in WNBA history (trailing only 2024 A’ja Wilson). The way she’s playing lately, she might not even need both games to do it.

A'JA 4 M'VP pic.twitter.com/qabgDCwuEi

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) September 4, 2025

Last week:
vs Minnesota (97-87 win): 35 minutes*, 31 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, steal
vs Chicago (80-66 win): 32 minutes*, 31 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks, 2 assists

Upcoming games:
Tuesday, September 9 vs Chicago (10:00 ET, League Pass)
Thursday, September 11 at Los Angeles (10:00 ET, NBA TV/League Pass)

Los Angeles Sparks (20-22)
Sania Feagin
15 games, 4.5 mpg, 1.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.4 bpg
Feagin got to play in both games in her hometown of Atlanta, although only briefly. She also saw action against Dallas.

Last week:
at Seattle (91-85 win): DNP-CD
at Atlanta (86-75 loss): 2 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds
at Atlanta (104-85 loss): 1 minute, no stats
vs Dallas (91-77 win): 2 minutes, rebound, assist

Upcoming games:
Tuesday, September 9 at Phoenix (10:00 ET, NBA TV/League Pass)
Thursday, September 11 vs Las Vegas (10:00 ET, NBA TV/League Pass)

Seattle Storm (22-21)
Zia Cooke
26 games, 10.0 mpg, 3.5 ppg, 0.5 apg, 0.5 rpg
Cooke did not play last week.

Last week:
vs Los Angeles (91-85 loss): DNP-CD
vs New York (84-76 loss): DNP-CD

Tiffany Mitchell (First 16 games with Las Vegas)
39 games (3 starts), 13.1 mpg, 3.2 ppg, 1.1 rpg
Mitchell is the third player off Seattle’s bench, and she only sees limited action.

Last week:
vs Los Angeles (91-85 loss): 7 minutes, 3 points 
vs New York (84-76 loss): 9 minutes, 2 points

Upcoming games:
Tuesday, September 9 vs Golden State (10:00 ET, League Pass)

Discuss South Carolina women’s basketball on The Insiders Forum!