A’ja Wilson Makes History…Again!

Before we dive into the WNBA playoff madness, let’s take a second to appreciate greatness - A’ja Wilson is your 2024 WNBA MVP! And not just any MVP, she won it unanimously! That’s right, every single one of the 67 first-place votes went to Wilson.

This is her third MVP award, tying her with legends like Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson for the most MVPs in WNBA history. She’s officially joined the GOAT conversation, and let’s be real, she might be pulling ahead.

After missing out on MVP last year in a super close race, A’ja left zero doubt this season. She put together one of the best individual performances the league has ever seen, becoming the first player to score 1,000 points in a season and breaking the single-season rebounding record.

Her season stats? A casual 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.58 blocks per game. She was first in points and blocks, second in rebounds, fifth in steals, and set career highs across the board. Basically, if there was a stat that mattered, A’ja was leading it.

Caitlin Clark’s Historic Rookie Run Earns Her Top Honors

No surprises here, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has officially been named the 2024 unanimous Associated Press WNBA Rookie of the. I mean, is anyone really surprised? After lighting up the league all season, Clark’s dominance was hard to miss.

Clark racked up some serious hardware in her debut season: four-time WNBA Rookie of the Month, three-time Eastern Conference Player of the Week, and even WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month in August. But her on-court performance is what really sealed the deal.

She finished the season leading all rookies in scoring, averaging 19.2 points per game, led in field goals made (242), 3-pointers (122), assists (8.4 per game), steals (1.3 per game), and minutes played (35.4 per game)

WNBA Playoffs Kick Off in Dramatic Fashion

Now, onto the good stuff—the playoffs! The 2024 WNBA playoffs are officially underway, and Sunday’s quadruple-header was one for the books. We had blowouts, comebacks, and one of the wildest fourth quarters in playoff history. Here's a quick recap of how things went down starting with the Aces vs. Storm game, because...wow.

Through three quarters, the Seattle Storm were close to pulling off the upset of the playoffs. They had the defending champs on the ropes, playing lock-down defense and controlling the boards. They even went into the fourth quarter with a two-point lead. Things were looking dicey for Vegas.

But then, the Storm completely collapsed in the fourth quarter, like, historically bad. They didn’t make a single shot. Zero. They scored two points in 10 minutes and set a record for the worst quarter of offense in WNBA playoff history.

Meanwhile, the Aces woke up just in time. It wasn’t their prettiest performance, but they got the job done, outscoring the Storm 14-2 in the final quarter to secure a 78-67 win. With that, the Aces take a 1-0 lead in the series and are off and running in their quest for a three-peat.

From Blowout to Nail-Biter

The Minnesota Lynx were cruising, up 23 points and looking like they were about to coast to an easy win. But the Phoenix Mercury had other ideas. The veteran squad clawed their way back, even taking the lead with just over two minutes left. But the Lynx hit them with an 11-3 run to close it out and escape with a 102-95 win.

Napheesa Collier was an absolute beast. She dropped 38 points, grabbed six boards, and dished out four assists, basically doing it all. The Lynx now lead the series, but this game reminded us that the Mercury aren’t going down without a fight.

Clark Struggles as Sun Shine Bright

It was deja vu for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in their playoff debut against the Connecticut Sun. Four months ago, Clark had a rough WNBA debut, turning the ball over 10 times in a blowout loss to the Sun. Sunday wasn’t any better, as the Sun cruised to a 93-69 victory to take Game 1 of their first-round series.

The Sun took control early and never let up. Marina Mabrey was on fire, setting a playoff record with 27 points off the bench, while Alyssa Thomas recorded her fourth career playoff triple-double with 12 points, 10 boards, and 13 assists.

As for Clark? She had a quiet night, finishing with just 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting (including 2-of-12 from deep) and even picked up a black eye after an accidental hit in the first few minutes. Sometimes the shots just don’t fall, but the Fever will need to bounce back big time for Game 2.

Want more details? Check out the highlights and recap in our latest video here:

Liberty Roll to 1-0 Series Lead

The New York Liberty took care of business in Game 1, dominating the Atlanta Dream from start to finish. They jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, cruising to an 83-69 win and putting themselves just one game away from the semifinals.

Leonie Fiebich stepped up in a big way, filling in for Courtney Vandersloot and dropping a career-high 21 points. Meanwhile, Breanna Stewart did Breanna Stewart things, stuffing the stat sheet with 20 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three blocks. The Liberty were in complete control, and the Dream are going to need something special to turn things around in Game 2. The WNBA playoffs are heating up, and if the first games are anything to go by, we’re in for some serious drama. Stay tuned, this is only the beginning!

Ben Simmons is (Supposedly) Back and Ready for Action

Ben Simmons is ready to roll! According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Simmons is fully recovered from the back surgery he underwent in March and will be a full participant in the Brooklyn Nets’ training camp starting October 1. No restrictions, no excuses.

But before we all get too excited, let’s remember: this isn’t Ben’s first “comeback” attempt. He’s been battling back issues for a while now, and after sitting out the entire 2021-22 season and playing just 57 games over the past two seasons, we’re all understandably cautious. Last season, he suited up for only 15 games, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists.

Simmons might never return to All-Star form, but this season is critical if he wants to prove he can still be a valuable NBA player. After all, there’s a contract at stake, and he needs to stay healthy to even have a shot at a decent deal next year.

Is This Goodbye?

In surprising news, the Houston Rockets are waiving A.J. Griffin as the 21-year-old has decided to step away from basketball, for now. Whether this is a temporary break or a permanent retirement remains unclear, as Griffin is reportedly taking his time to figure things out.

Griffin, son of former NBA player and Bucks coach Adrian Griffin, was drafted 16th overall in 2022 and got off to a promising start. He averaged nine points per game on 39% shooting from deep in his rookie season, showing off his potential as a sharp-shooter. But last season, Griffin’s playing time plummeted, and after a rocky Summer League, it looks like he’s decided to hit the pause button on his career. Whether he’ll be back or not is still up in the air.

Home Is Where the Process Is

Big news for Sixers fans: Joel Embiid isn’t going anywhere. The Process has inked a three-year max extension worth $193 million with the Philadelphia 76ers, which will keep him with the team through the 2028-29 season. The deal includes a player option for that final year, but Embiid made it clear in an Instagram post: “Philadelphia is home. I want to be here for the rest of my career.”

Coming off a career-high season, where he averaged 34.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 11 rebounds, Embiid has cemented his status as one of the league’s top players. With him, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey all locked in long-term, the Sixers have committed around $715 million to their new Big 3. They’re banking on these guys to bring home a championship.

Coming off a career-high season, where he averaged 34.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 11 rebounds, Embiid has cemented his status as one of the league’s top players. But only time will tell if "The Process" can finally deliver on its promise.

That’s all for today, thanks for reading.

We’ll see you tomorrow!

— The Players Unlimited Team