😴 Layup Lines: Halfway home

Plus, All-Stars descend on Chicago.

Author

Everett Cook
July 24, 2026

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

  • On this All-Star weekend, I have one ask: Take your friend’s email and plop it in the newsletter signup field here. We all win!

This 559 word newsletter should take about 2 minutes to read.

📆 All-Star weekend schedule

If you’re into All-Star games, here’s where to watch:

  • Tonight: Shooting Stars and WNBA 3-Point Contest (8pm ET, ESPN)

    • We’re missing some star power in the 3-point contest, but it also might be the best pure shooting field ever assembled.

    • Azzi Fudd being the favorite (+210) as a rookie is surprising and there might be some value with Marina Mabrey (+300) or Rhyne Howard (+600).

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👀 5 second half storylines

Here are five things I’m thinking will impact the second half of the WNBA season:

  1. Once again, Minnesota is dominating a regular season. This year, it’s just been with Olivia Miles and not Napheesa Collier. Now that Collier, who made her season debut this week, is back from injury, how does she fit in alongside the rookie sensation?

  2. A’ja Wilson currently leads the league in points (26.1) and blocks (2.0) per game and is fourth in rebounds (9.5). She is without question, once again, the best player in the league. But she also already has a league-record 4 MVP trophies. Will voters still give Wilson her 5th, and third in a row, if she deserves it? Or will they get tired of writing the same name and we’re going to enter a Michael Jordan zone? The male GOAT has five MVPs but should’ve won at least seven.

  3. Recent Sabrina Ionescu heroics nonwithstanding, the Liberty haven’t looked cohesive all season. Yes, they’ve been banged up, but another early playoff exit could lead to significant personnel changes.

  4. Does news break that this is commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s last season? ESPN is basically a PR wing at this point and the choice to publish this story on All-Star weekend is damning.

  5. It’s hard to see Minnesota, Golden State, Las Vegas, Dallas (!), Indiana, Atlanta or New York miss the playoffs. Injuries and crazy things happen, but they are clearly the seven most talented teams of 2026. That leaves Washington, one of the youngest rosters in the history of the league, in the driver’s seat for the 8th and final playoff spot. Can they keep improving in the second half or will a team like L.A., Portland, Phoenix or Toronto go on a run?

📹 StudBudz to go

  • I am admittedly not super into Twitch, streams or social media, but even I think the 72-hour StudzBudz live stream is about as good as the internet gets.

    • And at some point, the league will cut off the level of access they’re giving us — so enjoy it while you can.

Courtesy @UnderdogWNBA

Layup Lines is written 100% by a human being. I very much appreciate you reading!

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor