A busy night in the WNBA and a busy night for me. So I will keep this one short.

MYSTICS 87 – DREAM 68 at Gateway Center at College Park, GA

• Brittney Sykes is back!
• Will anyone recognize Julie Vanloo as one of the top rookies?

The Washington Mystics not only got their first win but they beat the Atlanta Dream ON THE ROAD. The Mystics were a loss away from tying their worst losing streak of all time but this wing was not something unexpected. They team had been playing well the last two weeks and were turbocharged by the return of Brittney Sykes last night who scored 18 and went 4 for 6 from 3 in her first game since May 17th.

The Mystics are arguably a better team than the Fever or the Sparks and now that Sykes is back, they might actually be a playoff team – or at least a team that competes for a playoff spot. Julie Vanloo could be a better rookie than everyone not named Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese, scoring 10 and playing 23 minutes. She’s even might be doing better than the OTHER rookie on her own team, Aaliyah Edwards, who saw a significant minutes (and points) cut last night with the return of Sykes. Not something to be alarmed about yet but definitely something to keep an eye on.

MINNESOTA LYNX 100 – LAS VEGAS ACES 86 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, NV

• Aces losing streak reaches 3.
• Kate Martin is back to the bench – but not for long.
• Will Chelsea Gray even make the Olympics at this point?

Aces lost again, this time to a very good team, the Minnesota Lynx. Had this not been their third loss in a row, it could probably be ignored. But the Aces were 1.) beat badly and 2.) This was their third loss in a row. I guess they really do need Chelsea Gray back. Kate Martin did not start last night but that decision did not help the defense. I kid, I kid. Jackie Young started in her place and went -14 with 6 points and went 0 for 4 from the three. I am guessing Martin will be back in the starting line-up soon, bad D or no Do. I actually miss Kate Martin in the starting line-up. She got 15 minutes which was frankly not enough. She was a -10 and only scored 3 on one made three-point shot (out of 4). Still, her energy and overall positivity and court presence are all things that this team desperately needs right now.

The Aces are in 7th place and at .500 after losing three in a row. They are pretty much OUT of the Commissioner’s Cup but they are also off until Saturday when they will face the league dominating New York Liberty. All signs point to Chelsea Gray not returning until AFTER the Olympics. And at this point, I am starting to wonder if she will be at the Olympics. It would be interesting if the USOC could slot Caitlin Clark into the team without having to slot any of the vets out and rile more players internally at the WNBA. Was this the plan all along? That’s a question for another blog.

SEATTLE STORM 95 – LA SPARKS 79 at Climate Change Arena in Seattle, WA

• Li Yueru and Cameron Brink in the same line-up IS A PROBLEM
• Where Is Nika Muhl

This was a closer game than it looks and featured some interesting stats. Li Yueru was named player of the game by the Sparks after scoring 21 points and for this Sparks fan it was awesome to see her emerge as a force. It was also interesting to see Coach Curt Miller play Li alongside Cameron Brink for some stretches last night. I think it helped Li get more points and also created some interesting mismatches in the post. Sure the Sparks lost, but they were within striking distance (6 points) with just 4 minutes left. The Storm went on a crazy run and ended up winning by 16 and it is frustrating to see the Sparks collapse again. I’m not sure what the issue is with these late game issues.

A bigger WTF, however, is where is Nika Muhl? She played one minute last night and had one assist and one personal foul. Not exactly the greatest stat sheet but honestly, I am starting to get a little nervous that she might get cut or traded sometime this season. Then again, maybe that will be a good thing. As the Storm stand right now, they seem to have a fixed rotation and have become a very competitive team in the West. Maybe Nika would be better off on another team like the Fever where she would excel as a defensive enforcer. Can you imagine Nika and Caitlin Clark teaming up? I think it would be pretty cool.