The WNBA has been back for three days, and we’ve already experienced some interesting developments.

The Atlanta Dream and Connecticut Sun, who meet on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 3 p.m. ET (League Pass), both won their return games. The Dream survived a somewhat surprising thriller against the Seattle Storm. With five seconds left, Jewell Loyd fired a fadeaway 3 and tied the score at 81, but Tina Charles was unfazed by the incredible shot and put her team ahead 83-81 with a simple 2-pointer. With no timeouts left and under two seconds to go, the Storm were unable to release a shot. Dream’s resilience was something to be admired, as the team’s chances of making the playoffs are close to none, yet they refused to give up and, despite trailing by eight points with 15 minutes left in the game, mounted a comeback.

The Sun have championship aspirations and should beat the Dream easily if they want to prove that this is going to be THE season. That Marina Mabrey trade? 17 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in her debut for the Sun. She also had five fouls, but without that intensity, Mabrey wouldn’t be the player that she is. The Sun have also signed Caitlin Bickle and Celeste Taylor, two rookies, who can step in for the veterans and give them rest. In the 109-91 win over the Dallas Wings, Taylor played 11 minutes, while Bickle saw just one. Expect the latter to get more time when called upon by head coach Stephanie White.

Can the Fever weather the Storm with momentum, motivation?

After losing a close game to the Dream, the Storm are going to be looking to release their frustrations. The Indiana Fever, who they meet at 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC), might not be the team to approach with that mindset though, because the Fever can use that to their favor. If you give them an inch, they’ll take 22 feet and 1.75 inches. In Thursday’s win over the Phoenix Mercury, the backcourt of Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell made 10 of their combined 24 attempts from long distance. Clark had 29 points and Mitchell 28, while the rookie also dished out 10 assists. NaLyssa Smith and Aliyah Boston both grabbed nine boards. It’s just one game, but one can be tempted to say that the Fever are on the verge of something good.

This, though, is when the Fever’s abilities are going to get tested. The Storm are, at the moment, the superior, more experienced team and their roster is more complete. But the Fever have something that the Storm don’t: three players worthy of Olympic participation who didn’t make the roster and who missed out on the opportunity to win gold for their country. And they have yet to win a game against the Storm this season. So they have the Storm beat in regard to motivation. We’ll see on Sunday if they’ll be able to use it to their advantage.

Game information

Atlanta Dream (8-17) vs. Connecticut Sun (19-6)

When: Sunday, August 18 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Gateway Center Arena @ College Park in Atlanta, GA

How to watch: League Pass, ESPN3

Dream injury report: Aerial Powers (out; calf)

Sun injury report: none

Indiana Fever (12-15) vs. Seattle Storm (17-9)

When: Sunday, August 18 at 3:30 p.m. ET

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

How to watch: ABC

Fever injury report: Temi Fagbenle (out; thumb)

Storm injury report: none

Las Vegas Aces (16-9) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (6-20)

When: Sunday, August 18 at 6 p.m. ET

Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, NV

How to watch: League Pass

Aces injury report: none

Sparks injury report: Aari McDonald (out; right foot), Lexie Brown (out; Crohn’s disease), Layshia Clarendon (not with team; personal), Cameron Brink (out for season; ACL)

Phoenix Mercury (14-13) vs. Chicago Sky (11-15)

When: Sunday, August 18 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ

How to watch: League Pass

Mercury injury report: Rebecca Allen (out; right hamstring), Charisma Osborne (out; left lower leg)

Sky injury report: Elizabeth Williams (out for season; knee)

On Friday night, Overtime Select held a women’s Takeover, a 5×5 game featuring some of the nation’s best young hoopers, coached by UConn senior Paige Bueckers and LSU junior Flau’jae Johnson.

Competitors included twins and Tennessee commits Mia and Mya Pauldo (class of 2025), Stanford commit Hailee Swain (2025), Jerzy Robinson (2026), Kate Harpring (2026) and GG Banks (2027). Team Paige bettered Team Flau’jae, while USC sophomore JuJu Watkins and Arizona sophomore Jada Williams joined Angel Gray on the broadcast.

Swish Appeal’s contributing photographer Christina Merrion was there to capture some of the best moments:

Christina Merrion.

Christina Merrion.

Christina Merrion.

Christina Merrion.

Christina Merrion.

Christina Merrion.

Christina Merrion.

Christina Merrion.

Christina Merrion.

The Las Vegas Aces (16-8) host the league-leading New York Liberty (22-4) for the second time in the 2024 season this Saturday, Aug. 17. The renewal of one of the WNBA’s most intense rivalries is scheduled to tip-off at 4:00 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally on CBS.

It’s always a must-watch game whenever the Aces and Liberty play, and the first matchup of the season between the two teams was no different. Back in June, the Liberty outlasted the Aces 90-82, riding a dozen made 3-pointers and a career-high 34 points from center Jonquel Jones to a win in Las Vegas.

Things will look a little different this time around, however, with Chelsea Gray back in the lineup for Las Vegas. The star point guard was still recovering from a foot injury suffered in last year’s WNBA Finals when the Aces lost to the Liberty earlier this season, and while Las Vegas kept the game close against its rival, Gray’s absence was noticeable when it came to the lack of halfcourt playmaking and shooting that only she can provide.

Gray’s return has coincided with an Aces hot streak that has made Las Vegas look much more like the powerhouse that has won two-consecutive WNBA championships than the team that began the 2024 season at 6-6. The Aces have gone 10-2 since then, and while Gray herself is still playing herself back into game shape, her impact on her team has been undeniable. In those 12 games, Las Vegas has had the best offense in the league, scoring 108.8 points per 100 possessions, with Gray’s unrivaled passing further elevating the talents of fellow Aces stars A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum.

The Liberty, meanwhile, have been without an important player of their own in Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Often considered to be New York’s best defensive player on the perimeter, Laney-Hamilton was also shooting 38 percent on 3-pointers when she underwent a knee procedure that is expected to keep her out through late August. New York still has plenty of perimeter defense, with players like Kayla Thornton and Kennedy Burke stepping up in Laney-Hamilton’s absence as centerpieces Jones, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu handle the rest. The team is in first place for good reason, and the fact that the Liberty have been able to maintain their league-leading pace without one of their key starters speaks to their depth.

Regardless, Saturday’s game is a good opportunity for the Aces to come out of the Olympic break on the right foot. Doing it against the best team in the league and their biggest rival certainly wouldn’t go unnoticed, either.

Lynx look for two in a row against Mystics

The Minnesota Lynx (18-8) got back to work in their first post-Olympic game, defeating the Washington Mystics (6-20) last Thursday in a triumphant return for Team USA gold medalist Napheesa Collier. Just two days later, the season series shifts to Washington, where the Lynx will look to keep up their momentum.

Minnesota has been one of the season’s pleasant surprises, enjoying an All-WNBA-caliber performance from Collier (19.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game) while fielding the WNBA’s best defense to this point, allowing 93 points per 100 possessions. Other teams may have more star power, but fewer have been more successful on the court than the Lynx, who are currently in third place in the WNBA standings.

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

The Mystics have had no such luck in the first year of a rebuild, one that has been further hampered by injuries to key players in Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin. The duo has played a combined 11 games thus far in 2024, though the Mystics got both players back last Thursday against Minnesota. How Washington chooses to handle its oft-injured players down the stretch of a season in which it will probably not make the playoffs remains to be seen.

Game information

Minnesota Lynx (18-8) vs. Washington Mystics (6-20)

When: Saturday, August 17 at 2 p.m. ET

Where: Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, DC

How to watch: CBS

Lynx injury report:

Mystics injury report: Shakira Austin (probable; hip), DiDi Richards (out; Achilles)

New York Liberty (22-4) vs. Las Vegas Aces (16-8)

When: Saturday, August 17 at 4 p.m. ET

Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, NV

How to watch: CBS

Liberty injury report: Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (out; knee)

Aces injury report:

Chicago Sky (10-15) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (6-19)

When: Saturday, August 17 at 5 p.m. ET

Where: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA

How to watch: WNBA League Pass, Spectrum SportsNet, CW 26

Sky injury report: Chennedy Carter (questionable; illness), Elizabeth Williams (out; knee)

Sparks injury report: Cameron Brink (out; knee), Lexie Brown (out; illness), Aari McDonald (out; foot), Layshia Clarendon (out; mental health)

Dejah Terrell is about to move to Turkey to play for Turgutlu, the latest turn in her unique career path.

A late bloomer, Terrell didn’t pick up a basketball until 7th grade. She went from a Division III school, where she broke six records in two years, to a Division II school, where she suffered a serious injury but came back. She’s smart, energetic and confident in her abilities. Add to that her work ethic and sky’s the limit for the 6-foot-1 forward who will soon leave Pennsylvania and embark on, hopefully, a long and successful pro career.

How did your move to Turkey come about? Why did you decide on your particular team?

Well, honestly, when I first started to learn about overseas, I always was told that Turkey was a great place to go. It’s really good for women players. So I always had in the back of my mind, like, “Okay, Turkey sounds like a cool idea.” Then I started looking for agents. I honestly e-mailed every agent possible and once my agent got back to me, he told me what I wanted to hear and he honestly just did all the work for me, sent my film out and let people know who I was.

And they decided that you would be the perfect player for them, right? Because you come from a Division II school. How much of a drawback is it when looking for a job?

Yeah. I didn’t know it would be such a drawback, but it definitely is being from Division II or III. I noticed that overseas teams tend to not look past Division I. The top teams normally have the best players out of America and they typically come from Division I. So it makes sense.

And this will be your first time actually moving from Pennsylvania.

Honestly, I think it’s going to be a huge step and it doesn’t have really anything to do with the location. I can leave PA behind because I know I can always come back, but leaving my family—they’re mostly in Reading, PA—I think that’s going to be one of the hardest things to do for me. But I’ll have God in my hands and I’ll be just fine.

Do you already have a plan about what you’re going to do once you arrive in Turkey?

My dad will be with me, so once he’s there, we’re going to just travel a little bit while we’re there, get adjusted and see what little things I can bring back to my apartment to make me feel as close at home as possible.

You’re close with your dad. What about your mom? Who was more influential in your career so far?

My mom didn’t really know much about basketball. She’s starting to learn more and more every day, but my dad is the real reason why I started playing. He just wanted me to do something more positive than what I was doing at the time. And the first time I picked up a ball, I actually fell in love with it. I picked the ball up pretty late. I started taking basketball serious in 8th grade. I had a late start, but as soon as I began playing, everybody told me that I was going to be a star one day. I didn’t really pay any mind to it because I didn’t see it at the time, but they weren’t telling me that off of skill, they were telling me that because they’ve seen the hard work. That’s kind of how I started.

Was the hard work just something that came naturally and you’re a hard worker in every aspect of your life?

Yeah, I think I’m just a hard worker in every aspect of my life, and I don’t like to lose. I don’t like to be second, third. I want to be the best I can be. And I knew that me starting in 7th grade I was going to have to really, really work hard to even get my name out there and be noticed as a player.

And then you go to high school at Berks Catholic, right? And did you join the basketball team immediately? And how was the process?

It was awesome. The team was very welcoming. I did transfer from a public school district, which was Reading High School at the time, and then I transferred over to Berks Catholic private school. And it was a big adjustment for a city girl out of a public school to go to a more suburban area with the private school kids. It was a big adjustment for me, but I didn’t let it sway my decision of wanting to go hard into sports. So I just kept my head low and did what I had to do. I ended up winning their first county championship in history. Then I did it again the second year and I scored 1,000 points there. So I just did what I had to do and made it work.

And eventually you get a sports scholarship at Albright College?

No, they don’t have full scholarships for Division III; you can get them in Division II and Division II. But when I went to Division III, they worked out a lot of things for me. They gave me grants and stuff like that.

And Albright College is a liberal arts college. What did you major in?

I was a business major when I was at Albright. When I moved to California University of Pennsylvania, I switched it to sports management. I chose sports management when I knew why I wanted to do something in sports. I want to be a coach eventually, things like that. But the business aspect was still a part of sports management, so I felt like it would be easier for me to transfer my credits.

You played two years at Albright College. You were awesome, plain and simple. Your stats were through the roof. And then you transfer. Why?

I think I had three reasons. The first of my reasons was that I was too big of a fish in such a small pond. I know I needed to be somewhere bigger to grow. The second reason was I knew I was bigger than Reading, PA, and I needed to just get away from home, and experience life without my family right down the street. Because Albright is literally a five minute drive from my house. So I needed to do that, and the third reason was I knew I didn’t belong to Division III. I broke six records in one year and I just knew there was so much more challenges for me to come. And in order for me to meet those challenges, I had to transfer.

As a redshirt, you had to sit out a year. How did you handle that year?

Well, it was COVID year and we couldn’t do much, but my coach was an awesome coach and she figured it out. So we would all jump on Zoom, we would be in our rooms and we would all be working out, doing push ups together, things like that. My coach actually gave us basketball drills to do at home and we would have to send her videos every single day. So shout out to Coach Strom. She definitely is the reason why we stayed active in in the sport, honestly.

And how did your parents handle you doing basketball drills inside the house?

My mom would just tell me to take it to the basement. If it came to dribbling, go outside. So things like that, I would just take it outside if I felt like I was being too loud. But my mom and my stepdad, those the parents that I live with, they always knew that my love for the game was really, really deep. So they don’t really bother me too much when it comes to me putting in the work that I need to put in.

I just want to take a step back. In Division III, your freshman year is okay, but then the sophomore season you break all the records. What happened during that summer?

Well, my first year going to Albright, I wasn’t adjusted. I was very new. I missed half of the season. I went halfway through the school year, so the girls didn’t know me. And honestly, I felt like I was just thrown to the wolves my first year and I survived. I did, but I know it wasn’t my dominant year and that summer it humbled me. A lot. So what I did was I put even more work in and I told myself I’m bigger and better than what I was doing, so I had to put the work in and I trained every single day, no days off and the results paid off the next year. Six records broken.

After the COVID year you return, no longer a redshirt, and your stats are basically on the same level as they were in Division III. So that leap wasn’t that scary.

I honestly feel as though I’m a Division I athlete, but when I went to Division III, it made me change my perspective of the title of Divisions I, II and III. I told myself personally that I don’t care what Division I’m at or what school I’m at. The world will know who did. And that’s all I had to do, and I try to emphasize that a lot with kids growing up. It doesn’t matter where you are in life as long as you do what you need to do and show the world who you are, you’ll get the recognition you need.

You’re back after that redshirt season, have great stats, play good, a year goes by and you get injured.

Yes, so a month before the season started, Oct. 19, 2022, I went down in practice and come to find out that I tore my ACL, but I didn’t find out until a month later. So I played on a torn ACL for an entire month. The doctors didn’t understand how I was doing it without falling down having any pains. Nothing. I had three different specialists telling me that I was good to go, I just had a sprained knee and that they didn’t think anything was wrong because I was still so active. It didn’t make sense. Shortly after that, I played a couple of scrimmages with the team and I noticed that my left quad was just getting smaller than the right one and I was still doing box jumps, I was squatting. It just didn’t make sense to me why my leg was getting smaller, so I eventually went to the school doctor and immediately, as soon as he saw me, he said, “We’re going to get an MRI.” On my birthday, which is Nov. 10, he called me and said. “Hey, it’s completely torn.” They told me that I could actually play on my legs since I’ve been doing so well for so long, but the reward versus risk factor wasn’t worth it. They told me if you want to go play after this, after college, you should get the surgery done. So I decided to play those first two games with Cal, because we’re already at the tournament and I found out the day before a game. So I said, “You know what? I’m going to play these two games, give them my all, then I’m going to get the surgery done.” So that’s just what I did and it broke me completely.

And how was the road back for you?

So my recovery was very shaky. I personally felt like. “Man, I’m never going to get back. I’m never going to get back because this is my first serious injury and it’s one of the hardest injuries out of all the injuries possible.” I was nervous. I was scared. But again, the reason why I’m good today is the reason why I came back from this injury. My hard work and my dedication. I always keep those two words in my vocabulary and I try to keep emphasizing those two things. I worked out my leg every day and I didn’t give up.

Did it help you in seeing the game differently?

Yes, before my injury, I was very physical. I was a dog and I would always bang a lot. After the first year, I’ve noticed that I didn’t bang as much. I used my finesse and the fact that I’m agile to my advantage. I didn’t want to get banged up all the time with the big girls how I used to, so I’m like, “Okay, I’m gonna use my speed against you. I’m gonna use my jump shot. I’m gonna use the fact that I can dribble when you can’t.” It made me use different aspects of my game that I never really had to use, but it helped me to my advantage because now my shot is better. My ball handling is better. My view of the court is better. I want to give the ball up more often.

And so you moved away from the basket and when you shoot, you barely leave the floor, right?

Yes, that is correct. My style is very basic, but extremely effective. I’m 6-foot-1 with a 6-foot-4 wingspan, so when I shoot my arms are typically longer than whoever is guarding me. That’s why I don’t jump as much when I shoot. I’m also a very smart player, so I’m always aware of how close someone is to me when I’m going for my jump shot. So if I have enough room and time to shoot, I don’t leave the floor much.

The WNBA. Do you think that that’s a possibility later in your career?

I honestly think I’m 24 years old. I think I’m ready to hang with the big dogs. I just know that if I have the same training, proper training as everyone else, I will be better than the most. I’m not scared of anyone. If they were to call me from the WNBA, I’ll be ready to suit up today. If that is one of my callings, I would definitely do it, but I really want to enjoy playing overseas for as long as I can. I think that’s just something that I really want to do and stay overseas, and I don’t really care too much for them. Honestly, I just want everybody to know that I’m coming and I’m going to work hard. I’m not going to give up and I’m working for a ring and a trophy.

A special thank you to Elite Basketball Agents for arranging the interview.