Tuesday’s pair of nationally televised WNBA games might be one of this season’s best. The action opens with another Finals rematch, as the defending champion New York Liberty host the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx along Atlantic Avenue. That headliner is followed by two scorching ascendants: The Atlanta Dream, surging all the way up to No. 2 on the W’s table, visit the Las Vegas Aces, who have stacked seven consecutive wins.
How to watch WNBA’s Tuesday TV slate
Venues: Barclays Center — Brooklyn, N.Y. | Michelob ULTRA Arena — Las Vegas
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The Lynx and Liberty do not like each other. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said that the 2024 Finals thriller was “stolen” from her side, and blamed the refs for imbalanced calls around Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. Lynx guard Courtney Williams thoroughly enjoyed the latest revenge bout, an 86-80 win on Saturday. The seafoam supporters should show out in full force for this one.
Minnesota is now looking to go a perfect 4-0 against New York in 2025, and will attack the perimeter to do so. It shot a clean 48.4 percent on 3s in the first win, 100-93 on July 30. It shot 47.6 percent behind the arc in the second W, 83-71 on Aug. 10. And while Saturday’s triumph didn’t have that same long-range smoothness (31.8 percent), Alanna Smith took over down low to anchor the fourth-quarter comeback:
Liberty center Jonquel Jones was efficient last time out, finishing 7-of-11 from the field with two made 3s. Her initiator, Sabrina Ionescu, was bottled up to 5-for-16 shooting and had more turnovers (3) than assists (2). The decorated forwards Stewart (knee) and Collier (ankle) are both still out, but there’s enough scoring prowess and star magnetism in this matchup to live up to its billing.
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The nightcap tethers two of the league’s best midseason turnarounds. Atlanta has won eight of its last 10 games, and now touts a better record than everyone except Minnesota. The Dream picked up a nice national TV win in San Francisco on Sunday, knocking off the Golden State Valkyries with a convincing third-quarter blitz. ATL comes into this game ranked No. 2 in offensive rating and No. 3 and in defensive rating. It also plays with the second-slowest pace and shoots the second-most 3s. The team sets up efficient, patient movement through Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada, while a pairing of Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones lock down the paint. It funnels action into do-it-all star Allisha Gray, who starts the week with the third-most offensive win shares of 2025. Gray had 24 points and sunk 5-of-11 3s in the Dream’s last meeting with the Aces.
Las Vegas dominated that look, though, winning by 15 points on July 22. A’ja Wilson and her A’ces (TM) are now 21-14, riding a seven-game win streak into Tuesday. Vegas is still ninth in defensive rating, but it now enjoys the league’s best record (11-5) in close games (five-point lead or less in the final five minutes). The team is shooting an absurd 45 percent from 3 in clutch minutes this year.
Jackie Young, Jewell Loyd and Chelsea Gray are all proven playmakers down the stretch, and the June 30 acquisition of NaLyssa Smith has revamped the rebounding on both ends. But everything runs through Wilson, the incumbent MVP who has notched at least 30 points in three of her last four games. She was locked in against the Dallas Wings on Sunday:
Both of these games are available on NBA TV and WNBA League Pass for out-of-market viewers. The teams’ respective local broadcasters will carry for locals.
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2025 single-game highs (through Aug. 18)
Points — Kelsey Mitchell (IND), 38
Rebounds — A’ja Wilson (LV), 20
Assists — Alyssa Thomas (PHX), 15 … she’s done it three times this season
Steals — Gabby Williams (SEA), 8
Blocks — Ezi Magbegor (SEA) and Alanna Smith (MIN), 6
Updated WNBA odds
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