WNBA Thursday Recap: Wilson Dominates, Dream End Their Skid and Fever Escape Phoenix
A’ja Wilson delivered another MVP-level performance, Atlanta rediscovered its offense, and Indiana survived a tight finish during a three-game WNBA slate Thursday night.
By Refocused Newsroom
Friday, July 10, 2026
Thursday night’s WNBA schedule produced three very different victories.
The Atlanta Dream snapped a five-game losing streak by controlling the Seattle Storm from the opening quarter. The Indiana Fever recovered from a halftime deficit to defeat the Phoenix Mercury in a three-point thriller. The Las Vegas Aces leaned on a dominant A’ja Wilson performance to hold off a late Portland Fire rally.
By the end of the night, Atlanta and Indiana had tightened an already crowded Eastern Conference race, while Las Vegas moved level with Minnesota at the top of the Western Conference standings.
Atlanta Dream 89, Seattle Storm 78
The Atlanta Dream entered Thursday searching for more than another win. They needed to interrupt a five-game slide before it became the story of their season.
Atlanta responded with one of its strongest opening halves in weeks.
The Dream outscored Seattle 29-19 in the first quarter and carried a 55-38 advantage into halftime. Although the Storm played Atlanta more evenly after the break, the early separation was too large to overcome.
Allisha Gray led the Dream with 22 points, five assists and three rebounds while shooting 7-of-13 from the field. Angel Reese recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds, giving her a league-leading 15th double-double of the season and the 64th of her WNBA career.
Atlanta’s 89-78 victory improved its record to 13-9 and placed the Dream in a three-way tie with the New York Liberty and Indiana Fever atop the Eastern Conference.
The win also offered Atlanta a reminder of what makes the team dangerous. When the Dream establish pressure early, rebound consistently and receive efficient scoring from Gray, they can dictate games rather than chase them.
Seattle fell to 6-18, leaving the Storm at the bottom of the Western Conference. The Storm scored 40 points after halftime but never fully erased the damage created by Atlanta’s 17-point halftime advantage.
Indiana Fever 92, Phoenix Mercury 89
Indiana’s victory in Phoenix was the most competitive game of the night.
The Fever opened with a 28-24 first-quarter advantage, but Phoenix answered by winning the second quarter 29-19 and taking a 53-47 lead into halftime.
Indiana shifted the game during the third quarter, outscoring the Mercury 22-15 and entering the final period with a one-point lead. The Fever then survived a back-and-forth fourth quarter to earn the 92-89 road victory.
Kelsey Mitchell powered Indiana with 29 points, eight assists and three steals. She made all six of her free throws and connected on three shots from beyond the arc.
Aliyah Boston supplied 21 points, nine rebounds, one steal and one block while shooting 9-of-16 from the field. Tyasha Harris added 15 points and five assists, giving Indiana three starters with at least 15 points.
The Fever shot 50% from the field, 44% from three-point range and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Phoenix remained close by shooting 49% overall and 41% from deep, but Indiana’s efficiency at the line and slight rebounding advantage helped decide the game.
Alyssa Thomas led Phoenix with 22 points and seven assists. The Mercury received enough offense to make the game uncomfortable, but they could not convert their final opportunities after Indiana reclaimed control late.
The victory moved Indiana to 13-9 and gave the Fever a 2-1 season-series win over Phoenix. The Mercury dropped to 8-15 and have now lost two consecutive games.
Las Vegas Aces 88, Portland Fire 80
A’ja Wilson returned to the center of the WNBA conversation with a powerful two-way performance in Portland.
Wilson finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. She shot 10-of-19 from the field and converted 11 of her 13 free throws.
Jackie Young delivered a double-double of her own, recording 19 points and 11 assists while shooting 8-of-11. Young also produced three steals and a block, helping Las Vegas control both ends of the floor.
The Aces established command early, winning each of the first three quarters and carrying a 69-52 lead into the fourth.
Portland finally found momentum during the closing period, outscoring Las Vegas 28-19, but the comeback arrived too late. The Fire never took the lead during the game.
Carla Leite led Portland with 13 points, while Megan Gustafson added 11. The Fire struggled from three-point range during the opening half and allowed Las Vegas to stretch a nine-point deficit to 17 points late in the third quarter.
The victory improved Las Vegas to 16-6, placing the Aces level with the Minnesota Lynx for the best record in the Western Conference. Golden State sits just behind them at 16-7, creating a three-team race at the top.
Portland fell to 9-13 but showed some fight by winning the fourth quarter. The next challenge will be producing that same urgency before the game begins slipping away.
What Thursday’s Results Mean
The Eastern Conference is becoming a traffic jam.
New York, Atlanta and Indiana all hold 13-9 records, meaning a brief winning or losing streak could quickly reorder the top of the standings. Atlanta’s victory was particularly important because it stopped the team’s slide before the Dream surrendered significant ground.
Indiana continues to demonstrate that it can win through balanced offense. Mitchell supplied the star performance Thursday, but the contributions from Boston and Harris prevented Phoenix from focusing its defense on one scorer.
In the West, Las Vegas remains firmly in the championship conversation. Wilson and Young combined for 51 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists against Portland. When both players are controlling the game simultaneously, the Aces remain one of the league’s most difficult teams to contain.
The biggest concern belongs to Seattle and Phoenix. Both teams are losing ground as the Western Conference leaders continue stacking victories.
Around the League
The WNBA also announced that several events connected to its 2026 All-Star Weekend will be held at the newly opened Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
The scheduled activities include media day, All-Star practice, WNBA Day, Changemaker Day and the Shooting Star competition. The three-point contest will be held at Wintrust Arena, while the All-Star Game is scheduled for July 25 at the United Center. It will mark the first time a professional sports league has hosted events at the Obama Presidential Center.
Thursday’s Final Scores
Atlanta Dream 89, Seattle Storm 78
Indiana Fever 92, Phoenix Mercury 89
Las Vegas Aces 88, Portland Fire 80
Sources and Full Links
- WNBA: Official July 9 schedule and game results
https://www.wnba.com/schedule - ESPN: July 9 WNBA scoreboard
https://www.espn.com/wnba/scoreboard - WNBA: Seattle Storm vs. Atlanta Dream game summary
https://www.wnba.com/game/sea-vs-atl-1022600162 - ESPN/AP: Atlanta Dream 89, Seattle Storm 78
https://www.espn.com/wnba/game/_/gameId/401857051/storm-dream - Indiana Fever: Fever take season series with win over Phoenix
https://fever.wnba.com/news/game-recap-fever-mercury-260709 - ESPN: Indiana Fever 92, Phoenix Mercury 89
https://www.espn.com/wnba/game/_/gameId/401857052/fever-mercury - ESPN: Fever-Mercury box score
https://www.espn.com/wnba/boxscore/_/gameId/401857052 - WNBA: Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury game summary
https://www.wnba.com/game/ind-vs-phx-1022600163 - Las Vegas Aces: Aces defeat Portland behind Wilson’s 32 points
https://aces.wnba.com/news/game-recap-aces-extinguish-fire-88-80-behind-wilsons-32-points - ESPN/AP: Las Vegas Aces 88, Portland Fire 80
https://www.espn.com/wnba/recap?gameId=401857053 - WNBA: Las Vegas Aces vs. Portland Fire game summary
https://www.wnba.com/game/lva-vs-pdx-1022600164 - Reuters: WNBA to host All-Star Weekend events at Obama Presidential Center
https://www.reuters.com/sports/wnba-host-all-star-weekend-events-obama-center--flm-2026-07-08/ - ESPN: 2026 WNBA standings
https://www.espn.com/wnba/standings