WNBA Scores September 22, 2026: Fever Roll, Fire Win in OT as Playoff Picture Sharpens
WNBA scores from September 22, 2026, with recaps, top performers, turning points, stars of the game, updated standings and playoff implications.
The WNBA regular season moved closer to its finish on September 22, 2026, with five games that reshaped the playoff picture. Indiana delivered the night’s biggest margin against league-leading Minnesota, Washington set a franchise wins record, Chicago snapped a five-game skid, Las Vegas secured first-round home court, and Portland’s overtime comeback against Golden State ultimately locked Minnesota into the No. 1 playoff seed.
WNBA Scores for September 22, 2026
- Washington Mystics 79, Connecticut Sun 69
- Indiana Fever 96, Minnesota Lynx 77
- Chicago Sky 97, Toronto Tempo 85
- Las Vegas Aces 89, Los Angeles Sparks 79
- Portland Fire 90, Golden State Valkyries 82 (OT)
Washington Mystics 79, Connecticut Sun 69
Shakira Austin powered Washington to a franchise-record 27th victory with 25 points and 13 rebounds. The Mystics improved to 27-16, surpassing the 26-win mark set by their 2019 championship team. Cotie McMahon added 13 points and Sonia Citron scored 12. Connecticut was led by Diamond Miller’s 19 points, while Leila Lacan and Raegan Beers scored 11 apiece.
Turning point: Washington broke the game open with a 15-4 run in the third quarter, pushing the lead into double digits. McMahon’s 3-pointer later extended the advantage to 66-53 and put the Sun in a hole they could not escape.
Star of the Game: Shakira Austin. Her 25-point, 13-rebound double-double included a career-high 11 made free throws.
Indiana Fever 96, Minnesota Lynx 77
Caitlin Clark finished with 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as Indiana improved to 28-15. Kelsey Mitchell added 20 points, while Aliyah Boston contributed 17 points and seven rebounds. Minnesota, playing without injured rookie Olivia Miles, was led by Chloe Bibby’s 15 points, all on 3-pointers.
Turning point: Indiana closed the first quarter on a 14-2 run to take a 31-16 lead, then stretched the margin as high as 29 in the first half. Minnesota’s reserves cut the deficit to eight in the fourth quarter, but Indiana answered with an 8-0 burst to regain control.
Star of the Game: Caitlin Clark. Clark drove the offense with 27 points and nine assists while committing just enough pressure on Minnesota to keep Indiana’s home-court hopes alive.
Chicago Sky 97, Toronto Tempo 85
Gabriela Jaquez and Sydney Taylor scored 18 points apiece as Chicago ended a five-game losing streak and improved to 16-27. Kamilla Cardoso added 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting, Jacy Sheldon scored 12, and Courtney Vandersloot had 10 points and nine assists. Toronto’s Isabelle Harrison posted 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Laura Juskaite scored 20.
Turning point: Cardoso scored eight points during an 18-2 third-quarter run that gave Chicago a 62-48 advantage. The Sky shot 53 percent from the field and never surrendered control after that surge.
Star of the Game: Gabriela Jaquez. Jaquez scored 18 points on an efficient 8-of-10 shooting night.
Las Vegas Aces 89, Los Angeles Sparks 79
A’ja Wilson recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds as Las Vegas won its sixth straight game and improved to 30-13. Chelsea Gray scored 17, while Jackie Young posted 14 points and 11 assists. Stephanie Talbot also scored 14. Nneka Ogwumike led Los Angeles with 17 points and nine rebounds, and Erica Wheeler added 16.
Turning point: Las Vegas established control with a 24-11 first quarter. Los Angeles recovered enough to stay within range, but the Aces’ balanced scoring, 41 rebounds and 11 made 3-pointers prevented a comeback.
Star of the Game: A’ja Wilson. Wilson’s 18-point, 10-rebound double-double helped clinch first-round home-court advantage for Las Vegas.
Portland Fire 90, Golden State Valkyries 82 (OT)
Portland erased a stunning 17-0 deficit and closed its regular season with an overtime victory. Bridget Carleton led the Fire with 26 points and five 3-pointers, while Carla Leite scored 18. Gabby Williams paced Golden State with 17 points, and Veronica Burton supplied 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Turning point: After the teams entered overtime tied at 77, Leite broke an 82-82 tie with a layup at 1:57. She later converted a jumper and free throw to make it 87-82, and Portland finished the extra period on an 8-0 run. The loss eliminated Golden State’s chance to claim the top seed and clinched No. 1 for Minnesota.
Star of the Game: Bridget Carleton. Her 26 points gave Portland the scoring punch it needed to recover from the disastrous opening run and finish the comeback.
Updated WNBA Standings
Eastern Conference
- Atlanta Dream — 29-14
- Indiana Fever — 28-15
- Washington Mystics — 27-16
- New York Liberty — 26-17
- Chicago Sky — 16-27
- Toronto Tempo — 11-32
- Connecticut Sun — 10-33
Western Conference
- Minnesota Lynx — 32-11
- Golden State Valkyries — 31-12
- Las Vegas Aces — 30-13
- Dallas Wings — 26-17
- Portland Fire — 17-27
- Phoenix Mercury — 16-27
- Los Angeles Sparks — 16-27
- Seattle Storm — 8-35
Playoff Picture Tightens
Portland’s comeback settled the biggest question of the night: Minnesota owns the No. 1 seed despite its loss in Indiana. Golden State remains in position for a top-three seed, while Las Vegas guaranteed itself first-round home court. Washington’s record-setting win also strengthened its position entering the final games of the regular season.
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