Ten of 15 WNBA teams have extended core qualifying offers to players since free agency started Monday.
Players who have been “cored” — akin to being given the NFL’s franchise tag — include Sabrina Ionescu, by the New York Liberty; Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx); Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever); Kelsey Plum, (Los Angeles Sparks); and Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings).
The core designation gives a team exclusive negotiating rights to a player and comes with a baseline contract of a fully guaranteed one-year deal worth the supermax ($1.4 million in 2026), though the player can negotiate different terms.
The Indiana Fever once again rose to the occasion, evening the series against the Atlanta Dream (77-60) and forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 back in Atlanta.
It was a relatively close game in the first half, where the Fever’s largest lead was only 11 points. Atlanta even closed the half with a 10-to-5 run to cut the lead to just six points (35-29). In the third quarter, the Dream was able to cut the lead to just three points (40-37) with a bounce pass from Rhyne Howard and an easy two points by Naz Hillmon. But Indiana ended the quarter with a 19-to-7 run (59-44) and never looked back.
5 points in the final 9 seconds of the third quarter 🔥
Aliyah Boston gets inside for the bucket, Kelsey Mitchell steals the inbound and Lexie Hull cashes in with a three at the buzzer to put us up 15 at the end of three ♨️ pic.twitter.com/HI1IDZJIHI
Kelsey Mitchell lead the team with 19 points, compared to Game 1, both Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard had a great game, scoring 15 points and 12 points, respectively. But was also a full team effort for the Fever where everyone who played scored. Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard was a no show for the Dream and only two players scored in double-digits.
The series will not shift back to Atlanta with the pressure on the Dream to close the game at home. Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA First Round of the Playoff will be this Thursday at Gateway Center, Atlanta.
Atlanta Dream takes Game 1 against the Indiana Fever of the 1st Round of WNBA Playoff. The team was lead by Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, scoring 20 apiece. Gray added 6 rebounds and 4 assists, while Howard grabbed 6 more rebounds.
It was a close game in the first 3 quarter, where neither team’s largest lead is only 7-points, and entering the 4th quarter Dream’s lead was just 5-points but Atlanta went on a 14-to-6 run and the team never look back.
Kelsey Mitchell lead the Fever with 27 points while Odyssey Sims added 10 points. Aliyah Boston who got into foul trouble and needed to sit at the start of the 4th quarter added 8 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists.
Game Highlights
Game 2 will be in Indiana and it will the home crowd should be able to provide the energy that the team needs to even the series.
WNAB just release the names of participants for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Friday Night Events; 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge.
The 3-Point Contest is headline by Superstar Caitlin Clark and last two champion of the contest; Sabrina Ionescu (2023) and Allisha Gray (2024), and for the Skills Challenge we have last year’s winner Allisha Gray with Natasha Cloud and Courtney Williams.
ESPN will broadcast the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge and the WNBA STARRY® 3-Point Contest from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Fever, on Friday, July 18 (8 p.m. ET). The events are a prelude to the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Saturday, July 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, Disney+ and ESPN+).
Below are the participants for the 2025 WNBA Skills Challenge:
PLAYER
TEAM
POSITION
Natasha Cloud
New York Liberty
Guard
Skylar Diggins
Seattle Storm
Guard
Allisha Gray
Atlanta Dream
Guard
Erica Wheeler
Seattle Storm
Guard
Courtney Williams
Minnesota Lynx
Guard
Below are the participants for the 2025 WNBA 3-Point Contest:
The Atlanta Dream narrowly defeated the Indiana Fever last night in a tightly contested and physical matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, emerging with a 91-90 victory. Atlanta capitalize on their size and physicality for most of the game, until the Fever made a furious fourth-quarter rally but it was not enough to get the win at home.
Atlanta established an early lead, showcasing their stifling and physical defense that disrupted the Fever’s offense. They outshot Indiana in the paint during the first quarter, ending it with a 31-23 advantage. The Dream’s strong defensive presence continued throughout much of the game, making it difficult for the Fever to find consistent offensive flow.
Despite the defensive pressure, the Fever, lead by Caitlin Clark, began to claw their way back. Clark, who had a standout night with 27 points and 11 assists, hit crucial shots to keep Indiana in contention. Aliyah Boston followed-up her first game performance with 24 points and 10 rebounds, marking her second consecutive double-double. Kelsey Mitchell added 24 points to complete a potent scoring trio for the Fever.
Brittney Griner led Atlanta with 21 points and 8 rebounds in her first win with the team, while Rhyne Howard added 20 points, including key free throws in the final seconds. Brionna Jones contributed a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Allisha Gray chipped in 16 points.
The fourth quarter was a nail-biter, with the Fever battling back from an 11-point deficit early in the period. Clark and Lexie Hull combined for nine points on three-pointers to close the gap, and Indiana took its second lead of the game with just 21 seconds remaining. However, a crucial foul sent Rhyne Howard to the free-throw line, where she sank both shots to retake the lead for Atlanta. Despite a last-ditch effort by the Fever at the buzzer, the Dream held on for the one-point victory.
The game was a physical affair, with both teams battling hard on every possession. While the Fever showed resilience in their comeback attempt, their 10 missed free throws and 14 turnovers ultimately proved costly.
The two teams will face off again on Thursday, with the Fever traveling to Atlanta for another anticipated matchup.
