🏆 Layup Lines: LV vs. PHX

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

• Staff update: Dallas fired maligned coach Chris Koclanes yesterday after only one season in a potential play for former Liberty coach Sandy Brondello. Teams looking for a coach in 2026: New York, Seattle, Dallas, Toronto and Portland.

• Programming note: The league is off tomorrow and so are we — see you back here Friday!

This 496 word newsletter should take about 2 minutes to read.

🏜 Aces punch their ticket

• The Aces were 12-13 in late July and had a 53 point loss in early August. But after holding off a Fever team that just refused to quit in OT, 107-98, they’re now headed to their third Finals in four years.

  • A’ja Wilson now has a league-record seven playoff games with 30+ points, while Jackie Young became the first player in playoff history with 30+ points, 10 assists and 0 turnovers.

  • Las Vegas hosts Phoenix in Game 1 on Friday and are favorites to win the Finals (-135).

• The Fever threw everything they had at the Aces even after Kelsey Mitchell left the game with cramps and should feel great about how far they got this year. Stephanie White is one of the best coaches in the league and a healthy Indiana team will be a problem in 2026.

• For the sickos out there, we completely whiffed on the under but hit the Aces -8 and are now 9-12 in the playoffs.

📆 Finals schedule

• The Aces get four home games as the higher seed in a 2-2-1-1-1 format for the best-of-seven Finals. It should be a very fun couple weeks to end the season.

👑 Quote to go

• It’s been a horrible year for commissioner Cathy Engelbert, and one of the WNBA’s best players going full scorched Earth at the end of it might be impossible for the league to ignore.

  • Please respond to this email if I’m missing another example, but this full 4 minute statement from Collier is the harshest I’ve ever heard an active player in any sport speak about their commissioner.

• My take: Engelbert doesn’t survive the new CBA and/or there’s a 2026 lockout. Players are fed up, have all the power, and they know it.

  • Wearing a New York dress to the 2024 Finals or mispronouncing Natalie Nakase’s name are bad looks, but if what Engelbert said about Caitlin Clark needing the WNBA to get sponsorship deals is true, that’s a misunderstanding of both basic economics and the league she runs. Time to go!

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

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor