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The Top 5 WNBA Games of 2026 (So Far)

W.G. Ramirez 366 July 1, 2026Fact checked by: Geoff Magliocchetti Be First

With nearly 300 games in the book in this 2026 WNBA season, it wasn't easy narrowing them down to the top five. The league's landmark 30th tour has already featured plenty of memorable showings with big performances, big shots, big domination and more as the regular season's midway mark quickly approaches.

Carla Leite, Sarah Ashlee Barker, Portland Fire, WNBA
(Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)

With so much transpiring, narrowing it down to the top five best of the best games so far required context and meaning. Someone else might have entirely different five, and they wouldn't be wrong. But we think we've found a purely objective selection with the pre-Commissioner's Cup final slate in the rearview mirror ...

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5. JUNE 24: THE FIST

Mercury's thrilling 111-109 win over Indiana marred by ugly incident involving Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark

Memorable for all the wrong reasons, the Phoenix Mercury's 111-109 victory over the Indiana Fever should have made for a great storyline. After all, last year's runner-up looked like one of this year's doormats, having lost 13 of 18 to start the season before responding with an impressive road win behind Kahleah Copper's 28 points.

Unfortunately, it'll long be remembered for an incident with 6:52 left in the second quarter, when Alyssa Thomas made contact with her fist to Caitlin Clark’s throat. Clark left the game in the third quarter with a back issue and things have only spiraled further from there.

Fever head coach Stephanie White lashed out against the "cheap shot" in her postgame comments and Thomas received a Flagrant Foul 2 penalty and a one-game suspension for the incident. The punishment didn't sit well with Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts, who called out the league for its lack of investigation. Since returning from her one-game absence, Thomas said she has received death threats and been called racial slurs in the aftermath of a play she called a "complete accident."

4. MAY 13: FIRST FOR THE 6

Expansion Toronto Tempo earns first-ever win behind veteran Marina Mabrey's 26 points

Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes came in as the veteran tandem coach Sandy Brondello envisioned as the key cog for expansion Toronto to become relevant in its inaugural WNBA campaign. The two lived up to the hype and them some in their true north debut, combining for 44 points to lead the Tempo to an 86-73 win over the Seattle Storm. It evened the Tempo's record at 1-1 at the time, as they earned their first-ever franchise win in front of an enthused home crowd.

Mabrey scored 26 points, fueled by six three-pointers, while Brittney Sykes was equally impressive with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists. A combination of Mabrey's offensive prowess and Toronto's defense led the way, as the latter group complemented the offensive antics by limiting Seattle to just one field goal over the final six minutes.

3. MAY 12: FIERY FIRST

Sarah Ashlee Barker's putback buzz-beater gives expansion Fire its first-ever win, a 98-96 shocker over Liberty

Moments after the New York Liberty was whistled for a three-second violation with 13.8 seconds left in a tie game, an exciting sequence for the expansion Portland Fire ensued.

When Portland got the ball back, Bridget Carleton, who had a career-high 26 points and five three-pointers, fired up another triple that missed the rim entirely and caromed off the backboard. The misfire was quickly grabbed by Sarah Ashlee Barker, who put it back for a game-winning bucket just before time expired, prompting her teammates to pile on top of her in celebration.

The Fire thus celebrated their first-ever victory in franchise history one day before the Tempo would get theirs. It proved to be an emotional victory for Barker, who later revealed she was thinking of a friend she had lost less than 24 hours earlier.

2. JUNE 28: THE MARATHON

Mystics win marathon matchup with expansion Fire, 124-123, in record-tying 4 OTs

Five days shy of the only other four-overtime game in WNBA history, the Washington Mystics defeated the expansion Portland Fire, 124-123, after four grueling extra sessions ... essentially, an entire half of basketball. It tied the longest game in WNBA history, also won by the Mystics, who took a 72-69 four-overtime win over Seattle in July 2001.

Second-year sharpshooter Sonia Citron finished with 32 points, including the bucket that put the Mystics ahead for good with 21.4 seconds remaining. Michaela Onyenwere was right behind her with 30 while Kiki Iriafen added 27 for the Mystics. That trio became the first in WNBA history to simultaneously reach 27 in a single game.

The number of big shots defined the grit from each team: a banked three-pointer from Portland's Carla Leite, for example, fell with 0.4 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. Leite led Portland with 32 points, while Barker and Megan Gustafson added 25 and 20 for the Fire respectively.

1. JUNE 22: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Nneka Ogwumike's buzzer-beating three-pointer lifts Sparks past Liberty, 98-97, in 30th anniversary game

A four-overtime marathon would have made No. 1 any other year, but when you have a game come down to a last-second show on the anniversary of the league’s first game that featured the same two teams, that supersedes everything.

When you factor in that Nneka Ogwumike, affectionately known as Madame President of the players' union, hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Los Angeles Sparks to a 98-97 comeback victory over the Liberty, it makes it even more special.

Ogwumike's influential role during the collective bargaining agreement negotiations helped usher in the league's 30th campaign on time and she made the wait worthwhile with one of the best performances of the year. She scored 12 of her points in the final 3:50, including a three-pointer to tie the game at 93-all with 1:27 remaining to complete the comeback from as much as 17 down. Ogwumike's late effort served as revenge for the original Sparks in attendance, as New York beat Los Angeles 67-57 in the league’s inaugural game in 1997.

Honorable Mentions

May 9: Wings 107, Fever 104 - Arike Ogunbowale scored 22 points and Paige Bueckers had 20 as the Dallas Wings beat the Indiana Fever 107-104 to open their respective seasons. Clark missed a trademark deep 3-pointer that would have sent the game to overtime.

May 15: Mystics 104, Fever 102 - Citron scored 30 points, while Iriafen added 25 and 13 rebounds to help Washington sneak by Indiana after Clark forced overtime with a three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the game. It was the second time in their first three games that the Fever lost at home.

May 17: Aces 85, Dream 84 - As she's done so many times during what's sure to be a Hall of Fame career, veteran Chelsea Gray buried a fadeaway jumper in the lane with time running out to lift the defending champs to a win on Atlanta's court. Reigning MVP A'ja Wilson moved past Aces coach Becky Hammon into 19th on the WNBA’s career scoring list.

June 13: Aces 100, Lynx 97 - As Minnesota erased a double-digit deficit, rookie Olivia Miles was authoring the best performance of her young career. Unfortunately, the Lynx couldn't close the book, as Wilson had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead Las Vegas to the top of the Western Conference standings in the Commissioners' Cup race.

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