1️⃣1️⃣ Layup Lines: Aces' wild win streak

Plus, why a lockout might not be the worst thing.

Everett Cook
August 26, 2025

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to Layup Lines, your quick recap of what’s going on in the WNBA.

This 487 word newsletter should take about 2 minutes to read.

Courtesy @espnW

On July 25, Las Vegas was 12-13 and coming off a putrid 31 point loss to Minnesota.
- A month later, the Aces are now 25-14 after beating Chicago last night for their 11th straight win. Moves like the NaLyssa Smith trade and having Jewell Loyd come off the bench have really worked out, but the real driver, as always, is A’ja Wilson (17+ points scored in 10 straight games).
In last night’s other game, the Liberty barely escaped the Sun, 81-79. Breanna Stewart scored 19 points in her return from a right knee injury, but she needed 12 shots and 13 free throws to get there and New York looked off for most of the night.
- The Liberty have been dealing with injuries all season and need to re-gel in September.

After going 1-1 with picks last night, we’re 78-89 this season and have $295 remaining to wager.
There are two games today where the road team is favored — Seattle @ Indiana (7:00pm ET, CBSSN) and Phoenix @ Los Angeles (10:00pm, NBA TV).
- The Fever have two healthy non-replacement level guards left while Seattle has already lost both games of this season series so far. Losing all three regular season matchups to one team is hard to do.
  - Bet: Seattle -3.5, $50 to win $44.
- This is a borderline must-win game for the Sparks and they’re going to struggle to outscore the Mercury and Alyssa Thomas (five triple-doubles in her last nine games). If there was ever a night to play defense…
  - Bet: Los Angeles / Phoenix under 178.5, $50 to win $46.

Front Office Sports reported yesterday that the Oct. 31 deadline for the WNBA and WNBPA to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement will, “come and go without a deal.”
- I started the season hoping that the two sides could figure this out before a lockout started, but now I’m not so sure. The same obvious issues like higher pay and referee quality remain, but Unrivaled has also become a huge threat and I’m not sure that can be solved without a lockout.
  - Every other major professional North American sports league have gone through this and players have all gotten paid a lot more on the other side. Might just be the right time for it.

Nike dropped Caitlin Clark’s new logo yesterday to announce her full apparel collection is coming Oct. 1 with her first signature shoe in 2026.

Layup Lines is written 100% by a human being. I very much appreciate you reading and will see you back here tomorrow.

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor