Smith wins Dallas debut as Maley's Mercury spoil rings

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Australian forward Alanna Smith opened her Dallas Wings career with a win, helping Dallas edge Indiana 107–104 in a high-scoring thriller.

Meanwhile, Anneli Maley made her Phoenix Mercury debut as the Mercury crushed Las Vegas 99–66 to spoil the Aces’ 2025 championship ring night in dominant fashion.

Phoenix Mercury 99 def. Las Vegas Aces 66‍

Michelob ULTRA Arena – Las Vegas
2026 WNBA Season

The Phoenix Mercury spoiled the Las Vegas Aces’ 2025 championship ring night with a dominant 99–66 season-opening win on May 10, 2026 (AEST).

Australian guard Sami Whitcomb missed the game through injury, while fellow Australian Anneli Maley was active after being claimed off waivers by Phoenix but played limited minutes in her Mercury debut.

Phoenix led by 21 points at halftime before blowing the game open with a 27–10 third quarter to silence the home crowd on a night Las Vegas received its 2025 WNBA championship rings.

Alyssa Thomas controlled the game with 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds, while Natasha Mack dominated inside with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Jovana Nogic added 19 points on 4-from-5 shooting from three-point range.

The Mercury shot 46% from beyond the arc and finished with a 37–35 rebounding edge while forcing 17 Las Vegas turnovers.

Maley played six minutes after arriving in Phoenix via waivers earlier this week, finishing with one point and two rebounds.

Australian forward Stephanie Talbot started for the Aces and had two points and two rebounds in 19 minutes.

A’ja Wilson led Las Vegas with 19 points, while Jackie Young scored 12 points and NaLyssa Smith added 11.

The Aces shot just 21% from three-point range and managed only 10 points in the decisive third quarter.

Before tip-off, Las Vegas players and coaches received their 2025 championship rings during an on-court ceremony at T-Mobile Arena. The Aces will officially raise their championship banner on May 23 at Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter Scores: 27–21, 29–14, 27–10, 16–21
• Largest Lead: Phoenix by 35
• Game Flow: Phoenix controlled the game after quarter-time and buried Las Vegas with a dominant third-quarter burst.

Australians

🇦🇺 Anneli Maley (Phoenix Mercury) – 6 mins │ 1 pt │ 0–2 FG │ 1–2 FT │ 2 reb
🇦🇺 Stephanie Talbot (Las Vegas Aces) – 19 mins │ 2 pts │ 1–6 FG │ 0–4 3PT │ 2 reb
🇦🇺 Sami Whitcomb (Phoenix Mercury) – DNP (injury)

Key Performers

• Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix) – 20 pts │ 9 ast │ 6 reb
• Natasha Mack (Phoenix) – 10 pts │ 15 reb │ +34
• Jovana Nogic (Phoenix) – 19 pts │ 4–5 3PT
• A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas) – 19 pts │ 4 reb
• Jackie Young (Las Vegas) – 12 pts │ 6 reb

By the Numbers

Phoenix Mercury: 49% FG │ 46% 3PT │ 37 reb │ 23 ast │ 11 stl
Las Vegas Aces: 41% FG │ 21% 3PT │ 35 reb │ 19 ast │ 17 TO

Dallas Wings 107 def. Indiana Fever 104

‍Gainbridge Fieldhouse – Indianapolis2026 WNBA Season Opener

Australian forward Alanna Smith made her Dallas Wings debut as the franchise opened the 2026 WNBA season with a 107–104 win against the Indiana Fever on May 10, 2026 (AEST).

Dallas survived a late Indiana push after rookie Paige Bueckers and veteran guard Arike Ogunbowale combined for 42 points in a high-scoring season opener featuring 11 lead changes.

Ogunbowale finished with 22 points and five assists, while Bueckers had 20 points on an efficient 8-from-10 shooting night in her WNBA debut. Odyssey Sims added 20 points and Jessica Shepard flirted with a triple-double with 13 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

Smith started at forward in her first regular season game for Dallas following her off-season move from the Minnesota Lynx and contributed six points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 20 minutes.

Dallas shot 59% from the field and 52% from three-point range, helping offset Indiana’s 40 made field goals and a 30-point performance from Kelsey Mitchell.

The Fever threatened late after Caitlin Clark missed a deep potential game-tying three with seven seconds remaining before Mitchell’s final attempt at the buzzer also missed.

Dallas took permanent control midway through the fourth quarter when rookie Aziaha James converted a four-point play to give the Wings an 84–82 lead with 9:09 remaining.

“You have the group that was in at the end of the game – that’s a veteran group with Alanna and Jess and Odyssey and Arike and Paige, right," Wings coach Jose Fernandez said.

"So tried to rest them as much as we could in fourth.”

Game Snapshot

• Quarter Scores: 27–25, 33–26, 20–29, 27–24
• Largest Lead: Dallas by 12
• Game Flow: Dallas dominated offensively early before Indiana rallied in the third quarter behind Mitchell and Clark.

Australians

🇦🇺 Alanna Smith (Dallas Wings) – 20 mins │ 6 pts │ 2–6 FG │ 0–1 3PT │ 2–2 FT │ 3 reb │ 2 ast │ 2 stl │ 1 blk

Key Performers

• Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas) – 22 pts │ 8–15 FG │ 5 ast
• Paige Bueckers (Dallas) – 20 pts │ 8–10 FG │ 4 ast
• Odyssey Sims (Dallas) – 20 pts │ 8–11 FG
• Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana) – 30 pts │ 11–22 FG
• Aliyah Boston (Indiana) – 23 pts │ 9–14 FG
• Caitlin Clark (Indiana) – 20 pts │ 7 ast │ 5 reb

By the Numbers

Dallas Wings: 59% FG │ 52% 3PT │ 17–24 FT │ 28 reb │ 26 ast │ 15 TO
Indiana Fever: 52% FG │ 29% 3PT │ 17–21 FT │ 27 reb │ 23 ast │ 14 TO

Atlanta Dream 91 def. Minnesota Lynx 90‍

Target Center – Minneapolis
2026 WNBA Season

Australian guard Isobel Borlase made her WNBA debut as the Atlanta Dream rallied from a 16-point deficit to edge the Minnesota Lynx 91–90 on May 10, 2026 (AEST).

Atlanta trailed for almost the entire game before Jordin Canada scored inside and rookie Te-Hina Paopao knocked down a pull-up jumper with 12 seconds remaining to give the Dream their first lead at 91–90.

Angel Reese and Allisha Gray then produced back-to-back defensive stops in the closing seconds to secure the comeback win.

Gray scored 24 points, including 16 in the second half, while Reese recorded a double-double in her Atlanta debut with 11 points and 14 rebounds after arriving from Chicago in the off-season.

Borlase played three minutes in her first WNBA appearance but did not record a statistic.

Minnesota appeared in control after leading 58–41 midway through the third quarter before Atlanta stormed back with an 18–4 run.

No. 2 draft pick Olivia Miles impressed in her WNBA debut for Minnesota with 21 points, eight assists, two steals and two blocks, while Kayla McBride added 20 points.

The Lynx were without five-time All-Star Napheesa Collier, who continues recovering from off-season ankle surgery.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter Scores: 24–12, 28–25, 19–26, 19–28
• Largest Lead: Minnesota by 17
• Game Flow: Atlanta erased a double-digit second-half deficit and took its first lead with 12 seconds remaining.

Australians

🇦🇺 Isobel Borlase (Atlanta Dream) – 3 mins │ 0 pts │ 0 reb │ 0 ast

Key Performers

• Allisha Gray (Atlanta) – 24 pts │ 8 reb
• Angel Reese (Atlanta) – 11 pts │ 14 reb │ 3 blk
• Rhyne Howard (Atlanta) – 15 pts │ 6 reb │ 5 ast
• Olivia Miles (Minnesota) – 21 pts │ 8 ast │ 2 stl
• Kayla McBride (Minnesota) – 20 pts

By the Numbers

Atlanta Dream: 42% FG │ 24% 3PT │ 46 reb │ 22 ast │ 9 stl
Minnesota Lynx: 50% FG │ 28% 3PT │ 25 reb │ 20 ast │ 15 TO

Chicago Sky 98 def. Portland Fire 83‍

Moda Center – Portland
2026 WNBA Season

Australian forward Nyadiew Puoch made her first start for the expansion Portland Fire as the Chicago Sky spoiled Portland’s WNBA return with a 98–83 win on May 10, 2026 (AEST).

The game marked Portland’s first WNBA home game in 24 years, with the Fire returning to the league for the first time since the original franchise folded after the 2002 season.

Puoch finished with five points, two assists and three steals in 17 minutes, knocking down a three-pointer in an encouraging two-way performance.

Chicago built a 17-point first-half lead before Portland rallied to tie the game at 70 midway through the fourth quarter on a Bridget Carleton three-pointer.

The Sky responded immediately, regaining control behind Kamilla Cardoso and Skylar Diggins to pull away late.

Cardoso dominated inside with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Diggins posted 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Portland guard Carla Leite scored 18 points in her WNBA debut and Bridget Carleton added 13 points with three made threes.

The Fire shot 31% from three-point range and were out rebounded 46–24.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter Scores: 19–18, 31–19, 18–30, 30–16
• Largest Lead: Chicago by 17
• Game Flow: Portland erased a large deficit in the second half before Chicago closed strongly in the fourth quarter.

Australians

🇦🇺 Nyadiew Puoch (Portland Fire) – 17 mins │ 5 pts │ 2–3 FG │ 1–1 3PT │ 1 reb │ 2 ast │ 3 stl

Key Performers

• Kamilla Cardoso (Chicago) – 22 pts │ 14 reb
• Skylar Diggins (Chicago) – 21 pts │ 11 reb │ 7 ast
• Rickea Jackson (Chicago) – 19 pts │ 7 reb
• Carla Leite (Portland) – 18 pts
• Bridget Carleton (Portland) – 13 pts │ 3–7 3PT

By the Numbers

Chicago Sky: 48% FG │ 35% 3PT │ 46 reb │ 22 ast │ 8 blk
Portland Fire: 41% FG │ 31% 3PT │ 24 reb │ 20 ast │ 8 TO