July 18, 2026

After Clark's WNBA-First 45 and 10, the Fever Host the Slumping Liberty on CBS Tonight

Three Saturday games: Indiana puts its share of the Eastern Conference lead on the line against a Liberty team stuck in a three-game skid and still without Satou Sabally, with Caitlin Clark probable on the back end of a back-to-back. The Golden State Valkyries bring an eight-game winning streak home for the first of two straight against the Mystics, and the league-best Lynx go for five in a row against a Fire team chasing the last playoff spot.

New York Liberty (13-11) at Indiana Fever (15-10): Clark's encore, on CBS

Tipoff 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. National TV: CBS, streaming on Paramount+ (also fubo, DIRECTV, YouTube TV, which all carry CBS). CBS airs its final "WNBA Tip-Off Show" of the season at 7:30 PM ET, with Jenny Dell, Renee Montgomery and Lisa Leslie.

This is the game the schedule was built around, and it got a turbo-charge Friday night. Caitlin Clark scored a career-high 45 points with 10 assists in the 110-107 win over Seattle, the first 40-point, 10-assist game in WNBA history. She did it in 29 minutes (11-18 FG, 6-10 from three), set the Fever franchise scoring record, became the fastest player to 200 career threes (74 games, breaking Katie Smith's 81), and accounted for 66 points between her scoring and assists. Kelsey Mitchell added 30.

Now comes the back end of a back-to-back, and the question is how much Clark has left. She is probable with the back issue that has kept her on a minutes restriction, and she is expected to play, though Indiana did hold her out of the second night of a back-to-back earlier this month (July 9 at Phoenix). Aliyah Boston is out with a right lower leg injury after being ruled out roughly 90 minutes before Friday's tip, her third missed game with the same issue, so the Fever will be thin inside again.

The Liberty come in reeling and rested. They have lost three straight, they sit seventh in the league at 13-11, and their Thursday game in Dallas was postponed when their charter plane broke down on the tarmac. That makeup is now Monday in Arlington, turning New York's week into three games in five days across three cities (at Indiana Saturday, at Dallas Monday, home for Chicago Wednesday). New York is still without Satou Sabally (concussion protocol, out through the All-Star break) and starter Leonie Fiebich (left foot, out indefinitely, did not travel). Sabrina Ionescu is not on the injury report and is available. Breanna Stewart (20.4 PPG) and Jonquel Jones (9.3 RPG) still anchor a frontcourt that should test a Boston-less Indiana defense.

The East race is the backdrop: Indiana and Atlanta are both 15-10, tied at the top, and the Dream are idle until Sunday. A Fever win moves Indiana alone into first; a loss hands Atlanta the top spot.

Washington Mystics (12-11) at Golden State Valkyries (18-7): the streak comes home

Tipoff 8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT at Chase Center in San Francisco. No national TV: WNBA League Pass, with local feeds KPIX+ (Bay Area) and MNMT (Washington).

Golden State has been the story of the last two weeks. The Valkyries carry an eight-game winning streak, a franchise record, and they just became the second team in WNBA history to sweep a five-game road trip (joining the 2021 Storm) after winning at Indiana 88-75 on July 15. They are 18-7, second in the West and one game behind the Lynx, and they do it with the league's best defense at 76.1 points allowed per game, nearly six clear of anyone else.

This is the first of two straight against Washington, with a Monday rematch also at Chase Center, and the matchup favors the defense. Golden State is 6-0 all-time against the Mystics and won the first meeting this season 62-49 on July 6 in DC, when Kaitlyn Chen scored 14 off the bench and the Valkyries set a franchise record for fewest points allowed. The Mystics shot 30 percent that night and were held to 16 points in the second half.

Washington has been the league's most inconsistent team. The Mystics are 12-11 and hold the eighth and final playoff spot, but they are coming off a 75-56 home loss to Portland on Thursday, the fourth time in 12 games they have been held to 64 or fewer. All-Star Sonia Citron, who missed the July 6 meeting with a sore right knee, is back but has shot 3-for-14 with 10 total points over her last two. Shakira Austin (14.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG) is the one consistent interior threat against a Valkyries defense that allows the fewest points to centers.

Injuries: Golden State is without Iliana Rupert (out for season, pregnancy) and Juste Jocyte (foot). Washington lists only Darianna Littlepage-Buggs out (coach's decision). Gabby Williams (15.0 PPG), who was questionable with back soreness for the Indiana game, is off the injury report and ready to go.

Portland Fire (11-14) at Minnesota Lynx (19-6): the league-best Lynx go for five

Tipoff 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT at Target Center in Minneapolis. No national TV: WNBA League Pass, with local feeds Victory+ (Minnesota) and Fox 12 Plus (Portland).

Minnesota is alone in first at 19-6, riding a four-game winning streak, and this is the finale of a four-game homestand. The Lynx have done it without Napheesa Collier, who remains out as she works back from offseason surgery on both ankles. She has returned to practice and is "close," per coach Cheryl Reeve, but will wait at least one more game.

The good news for Minnesota: rookie Olivia Miles is off the injury report after rolling her left ankle in Wednesday's 96-87 win over the Sparks. Miles, the All-Star starter and Rookie of the Year frontrunner, is averaging 19.3 points and 5.7 assists. Kayla McBride has led the team in scoring in six straight games, including 24 against Los Angeles.

Portland is the team with the more urgent math. The Fire are 11-14, ninth in the league, two games behind the Mystics for the eighth seed, and they come in off their best win of the week, a 75-56 rout at Washington on Thursday that moved them within striking distance. The problem tonight is the opponent: these teams met once this season, on June 15, and the Lynx won 107-74, the worst defeat in the rebooted Fire's short history, with seven Minnesota players in double figures and 26 points off 22 Portland turnovers. It is also a Target Center homecoming for Fire forward Bridget Carleton, the expansion draft's first pick who spent seven seasons with the Lynx, and assistant coach Sylvia Fowles.

Injuries: Minnesota is without Collier (ankles) and Dorka Juhasz (knee). Portland has been without Gustafson (personal) and Feagin (out for season, ACL), with Oblak day-to-day (illness).

Last night: Friday, July 17

• Fever 110, Storm 107: Clark's 45 and 10, the first 40-10 game in WNBA history, plus 30 from Mitchell; Seattle's Dominique Malonga had 28 and 14 in the loss. The Storm fell to 6-21.
• Dream 111, Tempo 92: Naz Hillmon scored 24 on a perfect shooting night (8-8 FG, 4-4 from three, 4-4 FT), Angel Reese had 23 and 12, and Jordin Canada added 18 and 13 assists. Brionna Jones made her season debut for Atlanta after a right knee injury cost her the first half of the season. Marina Mabrey scored 26 for Toronto.
• Sky 96, Sparks 82: Undrafted rookie Sydney Taylor hit four threes and scored 19, Kamilla Cardoso returned from a knee injury for 13 and 11, and the Sky won their second straight. Nneka Ogwumike had 18 and 12 for Los Angeles and became the Sparks' all-time scoring leader, passing Lisa Leslie. The Sparks have lost three in a row.
• Sun 96, Mercury 83: Leila Lacan scored a career-high 26 on 10-13 shooting, Brittney Griner added 12 in her return to Phoenix, and Connecticut won the first of back-to-back meetings. Kahleah Copper had 21 for the Mercury, who have dropped five straight.

Coming up

Sunday: the Dream host the Sky on CBS at 4:00 PM ET, and the Sun and Mercury run it back in Phoenix. Monday brings the rescheduled Liberty-at-Wings matchup in Arlington (8:00 PM ET, Prime Video), the makeup for Thursday's charter-plane postponement, with Dallas trying to extend its season-best five-game winning streak.