Just like that, the WNBA is heading into a 17-day break, but not before leaving fans with plenty to talk about. From Angel Reese making history to Paige Bueckers sparking concern after a collision, the league’s final night before the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup break delivered its share of drama. Here’s a closer look at everything that went down before the WNBA takes a pause.

Wings pick up the W as Bueckers’ collision with Smith sparked concern

The Wings took a convincing 97-71 victory over the Sun on Sunday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 6,251 at College Park Center, as head coach Jose Fernandez’s side has levelled up just at the right time. However, a moment between Paige Bueckers and Alanna Smith caused worry over the sidelines ahead of the all-important playoffs.

In the opening quarter, Smith collided hard with Bueckers and went to the tunnel, with the play continuing without her, as reported by Myah Taylor, who was courtside and saw the incident live.

“Alanna Smith and Paige Bueckers collided on the court,” Taylor wrote. “Bueckers is still in the game, but Smith walked off the court.”

Given how Smith has fought her way back into form this season, this accident caused worry among the Wings, but the update soothed nerves, to say the least. Taylor reported that Smith returned to the bench before halftime and later checked back into the game, clear of any unnecessary damage.

Smith went on to play 17 minutes, scoring 7 points and grabbing 2 rebounds. She also showed the Sun why she was a former co-Defensive Player of the Year, as she put a stop to Connecticut forward Diamond Miller, who shot just 2-of-14 from the field and missed all six of her outside-the-arc attempts.

This is not the first time this season that Bueckers was part of a collision, as she also collided with Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike late in the fourth quarter on July 20. That incident left Bueckers out of the game, but thankfully, Sunday night was far less severe by comparison.

As for her in-game performance, Bueckers did her usual thing, scoring 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists in 25 minutes. Following the game, Bueckers also had some words for the Dallas bench, which outscored the Sun’s bench 36-10.

“Our bench is huge for us,” Bueckers said. “There’s so many people who make impact on winning basketball. And it shows up in little things that don’t even show up on the stat sheet. I think AC is, in my opinion, one of the best vets, if not the best vet in the league, just her voice, her competitive spirit, her holding people accountable. And vividly, I remember Zaz rebound off the free throw. That was insane. I was like, she looks so athletic. I wish I could do that.”

Alysha Clark and Aziah James did their work from the bench, combining for 17 points. The former Sixth Player of the Year played 19 minutes on the court, while James played only 13 minutes. Maddy Siegrist added 11 points off the bench as well. Such an impact off the bench will help the Wings in the long run, and Bueckers understands it.

“And then Maddie obviously coming off the bench and playing huge minutes for us. But it’s 1 through 14, 1 through 15, however many we have, that just want to win. We have a great locker room, and it’s really fun to play with these guys.”

The Wings extend their record to 24-16 for the season and return to College Park Center on September 17 to face the Los Angeles Sparks.

The Valkyries continue their quest to get the top seed

With the victory against the Portland Fire, the Valkyries are just two wins away from tying Minnesota in wins in the WNBA standings. And with the Lynx’s loss against the Dream, there is still a chance for the Valkyries to finish as the top seed this season, something immensely monumental for a side just in their second season in the WNBA. The Valkyries now seem like a competitive threat to the Lynx, and Sunday’s game was a good showcase of it.

The Valkyries posted an all-out attack on the Fire, as five players finished the game in double digits. Tiffany Hayes scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, as Kayla Thorton and Kaitlyn Chen followed with 17 and 15 points of their own. Veronica Burton and Kaila Charles were not far off, scoring 11 points each.

The Valkyries are on a four-game winning streak and can very well add four more until the end of the regular season. They play the Fire two more times, along with the Sparks and the Storm, all sides already eliminated from the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Lynx’s schedule is the opposite of the Valkyries’ in terms of difficulty, as they face Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever not once but twice to finish off their regular season, but not before also having to overcome Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty just after the World Cup break.

In terms of championship favorites, the Lynx have been the overwhelming No. 1 option for much of this season, considering how rookie Olivia Miles has performed for head coach Cheryl Reeve’s side. However, the Lynx are not as bulletproof as they used to be. Cracks are becoming more visible on this Minnesota side as the season progresses. Since the All-Star break, the Lynx have the league’s second-best record, but only the fourth-best net rating. Their offense was bottled up against Golden State, and their defense suffered against Atlanta.

And if the Lynx continue to spiral, that makes the Valkyries the automatic favorite for both the top seed and the championship. Head coach Natalie Nakase has done an excellent job guiding the Valkyries this season, but her attention will now shift to Team USA, where she will serve as an assistant coach during the World Cup.

The Sparks pick their second straight win thanks to Ogwumike

Better late than never for the Los Angeles Sparks, who will now head into the World Cup break with momentum on their side, as they beat the Seattle Storm 90-74. With this, the Sparks have now won the last three of their four games.

Against the Storm, the Sparks held a 13-point lead from the start and never looked back, having a double-digit lead for nearly the entire game.

Nneka Ogwumike and Rae Burrell took charge of the game, combining for half of the Sparks’ total points. Burrell finished with 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Meanwhile, Ogwumike once again showed that she’s still one of the best in the business, producing a double-double of 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. The Sparks legend has been on a roll in the past 3 games, scoring 23 points or more.

Cameron Brink also contributed 11 points and 6 rebounds, alongside others who scored in single digits. Chance Gray scored 6 points off the bench. Monique Akoa Makani ended with 6 points and 3 rebounds, and Erica Wheeler had 9 points and 4 assists.

As for the Storm, nothing really clicked for them, which makes sense as to why they are at the bottom of the standings this season. Still, rookie Flau’jae Johnson headlined with 19 points, but Dominque Malonge stole the show with 17 points and 15 rebounds in 34 minutes.

For the fourth straight game, the Storm were without Natasha Hiedeman, who is out with a left shoulder injury. Hiedeman averages 15.4 points and a team-high 4.8 assists per game. Apart from her, No. 3 overall rookie Awa Fam had her contract temporarily suspended on Thursday as she left the team to join Spain for the World Cup.

Regardless, the Storm needs to start from scratch again in the offseason, so that they stay clear of a record like 8-32 come next season. As for the 15-25 Sparks, the absence of Ogwumike will hurt them next season, but for now, the Sparks fans should enjoy the last of what will be a legendary career.