Jewell Loyd commemorated her brand new multi-year contract extension with a fresh WNBA scoring record. The five-time Seattle Storm All-Star added scoring champion to her impressive resume, as her first-quarter stepback corner three against the Los Angeles Sparks established a new league record for most points in a single season. Loyd finished the contest with 28 points — her 21st game this season with at least 25, six more than any other player — finishing the 2023 campaign with 939 points. Loyd led the league in scoring for the first time at 24.6 points per game, and also mixed in three rebounds, four assists and four treys against the Sparks in the regular-season finale on September 10, 2023.

Jewell Loyd

Jewell Loyd sets all-time WNBA record with 939 points on season

With a nudge from Brittney Sykes, the Washington Mystics stamped their ticket to the 2023 postseason with a little extra momentum. In a late-season game against the New York Liberty deadlocked at 88 with less than a second to play, Sykes eschewed overtime for a game-winning buzzer beater when she corralled an inbound lob from Natasha Cloud and smoothly flicked in the clutch shot while suspended in midair. Sykes’ heroics prevented the Liberty from claiming the postseason’s top seed and set up a showdown between the two squads after Washington’s thrilling 90-88 victory on September 10, 2023. Sykes produced a team-high 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Brittney Sykes

Brittney Sykes converts game-winning lob to beat Liberty

Sabrina Ionescu took a minute to get cooking but ended her 2023 regular season campaign in record-setting fashion. The two-time New York Liberty All-Star missed all eight of her shots in the first half before catching fire after the break, finding an open spot in the corner and connecting on a pure 3-pointer off a heads-up dish from Courtney Vandersloot. The shot was Ionescu’s 122nd triple of the season, breaking Diana Taurasi’s single-season record that had stood since 2006. Ionescu drained all four 3-point attempts in the second half against the Los Angeles Sparks, and for the game tallied 16 points, four rebounds and five assists in New York’s 96-89 win on September 7, 2023.

Sabrina Ionescu

Sabrina Ionescu breaks WNBA record for threes made in a season

With a playoff spot on the line, Satou Sabally would not be denied. The two-time All-Star had the best performance of her four-year career when the Dallas Wings needed her most. Returning from a two-game absence to face the Indiana Fever, Sabally looked fresher than ever as she lit up the opposition with a barrage of 3-pointers, firing away with zero hesitation the instant the ball touched her fingertips. All told, Sabally made all five of her triples after halftime and for the game shot 13 of 19 from the field for a career-best 40 points. She scored 28 of those points in the second half while adding seven rebounds and four assists in her squad’s 110-100 victory on September 1, 2023, clinching a spot in the postseason in the process.

Satou Sabally

Satou Sabally pops off in career-high 40-point showing

Kahleah Copper scored her squad’s final eight points — including the two that mattered most. The Chicago Sky’s three-time All-Star was money in crunch time against the Los Angeles Sparks as she grabbed a pass from Marina Mabrey atop the key before putting her defender on her backside with a strong drive to the rim that culminated in a go-ahead layup with 22 seconds remaining. The 2021 WNBA Finals MVP scored eight of her game-high 22 points in the final six minutes of the fourth while also mixing in seven rebounds and three assists in the 76-75 road win on August 29, 2023.

Kahleah Copper

Kahleah Copper steamrolls through defender for clutch hoop

A few lapses in judgment seven seconds apart reminded the Chicago Sky just how explosive Sami Whitcomb is from long range. The Seattle Storm guard first caught the Chicago defense napping, finding an open spot in the corner to bury a spot-up 3-pointer. Not satisfied with just one triple, a determined and aggressive Whitcomb picked Courtney Williams’ pocket on the ensuing inbound pass, retreated back to the perimeter and pulled the trigger again on another quick trey to give her squad a quick six points. Whitcomb posted 19 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and five 3-pointers on August 27, 2023.

Sami Whitcomb

Sami Whitcomb drills pair of triples in seven-second span

The league-leading Las Vegas Aces were no match for Elena Delle Donne during a tide-turning second half. The seven-time Washington Mystics All-Star did not back down a bit when the Aces came to town as Delle Donne caught a pass from Brittney Sykes behind the 3-point arc before taking one dribble, spinning around Kelsey Plum and sinking a 15-footer with 2:24 remaining in the fourth quarter. The shot gave Washington an 11-point lead, and the Mystics outscored the reigning champions by 19 during a dominant second-half run. Delle Donne led the way with a team-high 21 points — 13 in the second half — and seven rebounds in the impressive 78-62 Washington victory on August 26, 2023.

Elena Delle Donne

Elena Delle Donne spins into pull-up in win over defending champs

Eleven days after posting a career-best 40 points, A’ja Wilson was thinking even bigger. The Las Vegas Aces’ two-time MVP displayed one of the most electrifying offensive showings in league history against the Atlanta Dream, whose defense was powerless to slow down everything that Wilson did. She scored every way imaginable — a long corner jumper, a driving and-1 layup against a double team, a runner from the low block, midrange pull-ups in the paint, a foul line fadeaway and an uncontested lay-in just for good measure. All told, the five-time All-Star shot 16 of 23 from the field and 20 of 21 from the foul line for a career-high 53 points, matching the league’s highest single-game point total initially set in 2018. Wilson became the third player in WNBA history to score 50 or more points in a game, and was the second player to ever — and first since 1998 — make 20 foul shots in one night. She also grabbed seven rebounds and registered four blocks in the 112-100 win on August 22, 2023 — the win was the Aces’ 29th of the season, tying a league record with seven games still to play in the regular season.

A'ja Wilson

A'ja Wilson ties single-game scoring record with 53-point masterpiece

Cheyenne Parker was a first-time All-Star in her ninth season in 2023 and it’s becoming easy to see why. The veteran Atlanta Dream forward flipped defense into offense against the Chicago Sky when her length forced Courtney Williams into a turnover, allowing Parker to traverse the length of the floor to beat the defense for a transition layup. Parker posted a career-best 29 points on 10 of 20 shooting to go with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a 78-67 Atlanta victory on August 18, 2023.

Cheyenne Parker

Cheyenne Parker delivers on both ends in career-high night

Of all the things the Las Vegas Aces have accomplished over the past two seasons, a triple-double was not one of them — until now. In fact, Chelsea Gray’s August 17, 2023 milestone was the first such feat in the history of a franchise that dates back to 1997. The five-time All-Star put forth a dominant effort against the New York Liberty as she drove strongly to her right before connecting on a foul line pull-up for two of her team-high 22 points. Gray added 11 rebounds, 11 assists and three steals as the Aces secured an 88-75 victory.

Chelsea Gray

Chelsea Gray racks up first triple-double in Aces history

Marine Johannès’ hot start was emblematic of things to come for the New York Liberty. In search of the franchise’s first Commissioner’s Cup championship, Johannès wasted no time making her mark as she capped a scintillating first half when she took one dribble off an outlet pass from Courtney Vandersloot before pulling up and draining her fourth 3-pointer before halftime. In just 14 minutes off the bench, the reserve guard connected on 6 of 8 field goals — a scorching 5 for 7 from downtown — for a team-high 17 points to go with three rebounds and two assists as the Liberty won their seventh consecutive game to clinch the in-season title in a demonstrative 82-63 triumph on August 15, 2023.

Marine Johannès

Marine Johannès leads all scorers in Commissioner's Cup title game

Jonquel Jones had plenty to say about the Las Vegas Aces’ quest for a second straight Commissioner's Cup championship. The four-time All-Star and 2021 WNBA MVP has stepped up time and time again in her first season with the New York Liberty, this time protecting a two-point third-quarter lead against the defending champs. When Aces guard Chelsea Gray beat Kayla Thornton on a strong left-hand drive to the rim, Jones was there to pick up her teammate as the perfect help defender when she drifted into the paint to land a power rejection to preserve the slim lead. Jones’ denial galvanized the Liberty, who closed the period on an 11-5 run to take an eight-point lead into the final frame before running away with the game in a dominant fourth quarter. Jones posted 16 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks en route to being named the game’s MVP in an 82-63 Liberty victory on August 15, 2023.

Jonquel Jones

Jonquel Jones earns MVP in Commissioner's Cup title bout

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