Bueckers began the game intentionally playmaking to get backcourt partner Arike Ogunbowale more open shots after Ogunbowale struggled to make shots on Monday night against the Storm. She assisted on seven total treys including five made by Ogunbowale. Bueckers’ shooting, however, was a different story. Her six first-half shots just didn’t go down as she started the game 1-for-6 from the field. But Bueckers got more aggressive in the second half on drives to the basket and took advantage of Minnesota’s physical defense. She got to the line three times in the third and put a third of her total points on the board as a result. Bueckers reached double-digit scoring with 6:31 left in the fourth when she made a 27-foot smooth three-pointer that got the Wings within seven points. Her 10th assist came with 39 seconds left in regulation when she found Ogunbowale for a wide open three to drive the Lynx lead down to two.

After a poor performance shooting 2-of-14 from the field and only scoring eight points on Monday night against the Storm, Ogunbowale had a bounce back game. Paige Bueckers was intentional on setting Ogunbowale up early on in the first quarter on wide open looks from the perimeter. In the second quarter, Ogunbowale facilitated more with the ball in her hands rather than scoring off the ball. While more of Ogunbowale’s shots fell than on Monday, her scoring wasn’t efficient. With 39 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Ogunbowale’s wide open trey on yet another Bueckers pass got the Wings within two points. But on the ensuing play on the other side, Ogunbowale made a defensive error, intentionally fouling Napheesa Collier too soon, which forced Collier to the line when she didn’t need to. Those final two throws put the Lynx up for good.

Leading MVP candidate Collier sealed a win for her team by hitting her final two free throws of the night with 17.5 seconds remaining in fourth quarter. She made six trips to the line on Thursday night and didn’t miss a single free throw. After scoring only 8 points in the first half, Collier exploded for 12 in the third quarter alone only missing one of her six third quarter shots. Dallas did their best to limit her shot attempts in the fourth, but Collier’s ability to draw contract was too overpowering as she made one field goal and six free throws in the final quarter. Most of Collier’s made looks came inside the paint either in space driving to the rim, or were wide open shots in her mid-range. None of her three shots from deep fell, but that didn’t matter for Collier as she still found a way to put the ball in the basket when it mattered most for her team.

Johannes’ decision was significant for France and the New York Liberty. While the reigning WNBA champions will retain the services of one of their key reserves, France will be without another talented contributor as it looks to improve upon its third-place finish in 2023. Seattle’s Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga have also opted out of representing France, having done so just before the start of the WNBA season. France, which won silver at last summer’s Olympics in Paris, last won gold at the Women’s EuroBasket in 2009.

Clark was dominant, yet again, following her season-opening triple-double with a stat-stuffing double-double in a losing effort. Her wide-ranging skillset was on full display from the opening tip, as her passing opened up opportunities for her teammates early before her scoring picked up as the game grew longer, especially in her 11-point second frame. For what it’s worth, last season’s Rookie of the Year didn’t register a rebound in the entire second half and was held a bit more in check on the offensive end. Still, the numbers she’s produced through two games will put her in contention for the top spot in fantasy leagues at the season’s conclusion should she continue performing at this level.

Wilson followed a dominant season-opening performance with another well-rounded effort on Tuesday. The three-time MVP got to work early, scoring seven points in the first five minutes of the game to set the tone for the Aces. Although her shooting efficiency dipped throughout the game, she managed to find production at the free-throw line while dishing a season high in assists and cleaning the glass en route to a second-straight double-double to begin the season. Wilson’s hot start isn’t likely to die down any time soon. She could realistically finish the season as the No. 1 player in fantasy.

Diggins’ playmaking and rim pressure came up in the clutch against the Wings in a game where the Storm let a 17-point lead shrivel down to a three-point lead with 7:47 left in the fourth quarter. After Maddy Siegrist scored on a cutting layup, Seattle took a timeout. Following the timeout, Diggins responded by firing off passes to her bigs in Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor right at the rim. The Storm went on a 8-0 run as a result and stayed ahead until the end of regulation.

Bueckers looked more like the player fans have grown to love in her 37 minutes of play for the Wings on Monday night. She began the game hesitant, trying to read and make decisions quickly out of the Storm’s traps on ball screens. But once Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes subbed Bueckers back in with 4:54 remaining in the first quarter after a couple of minutes to take a breather, the No. 1 overall draft pick found her rhythm and flow within the Wings’ offense. Her efficient scoring and playmaking allowed the Wings to get within three points of the Storm with 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter after being down by as many as 17. Bueckers’ defensive effort was evident as well as she was either a roamer or was placed on Skylar Diggins. With 1:23 left in the fourth, Bueckers picked Gabby Williams’ pocket and scored on the other end, shaving the Storm’s lead down to five points.

While the Storm’s offense was erratic at times, Ogwumike was steady, efficient and dominant for Seattle. The first quarter was her strongest scoring the basketball, where she tallied up eight points. What followed in the second was Ogwumike’s most active quarter on the glass; she accounted for 60 percent of her team’s total rebounds in the quarter. Ogwumike made league history Monday night by reaching 2,188 career defensive rebounds, which moved her into ninth all-time and passed WNBA legend Tina Thompson. What sealed the win for the Storm was Ogwumike’s offensive rebound and putback following an Alysha Clark miss to put the Storm in front by seven points with 29 seconds remaining in regulation.