Borlase beaten but logs career-high minutes

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Australian basketball legend Michele Timms was right about Isobel Borlase.

Nine months ago, Timms, who is in the Naismith Hall of Fame, WNBL Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame, said Bendigo Spirit and Australian Opals star guard Borlase has developed into a WNBA player.

Borlase, 21, hadn’t even stepped onto a WNBA floor – and today, she proved – and continues to prove – Australia’s first WNBA star right.

Borlase played a career-high 32 minutes in Atlanta’s 95-91 overtime loss to Indiana superstar Caitlin Clark’s Fever. She finished with 10 points, three rebounds and three assists.

“I think every game is a bit different, but I think I came in with a bit more confidence today,” Borlase said.

“I think the last couple of games my decision-making in the paint perhaps hasn't been where it needs to be. I was kind of proud of myself for making the adjustment and finding my teammates a bit better.

The Dream are 21-13, second in the Eastern Conference and heading to the 2026 WNBA playoffs.

Borlase, a teammate of superstar Angel Reese, admitted it was a tough loss but that “we're right there.”

“I know tonight didn't go the way that we wanted to, but we had some players down, and we showed some fight,” she added.

“Although we didn't get the win, there's some promise that we know that we can beat a team like that if we have a full team together, but even with the team we had tonight.

“We played a really good defensive game on Indiana. They've got some really good scorers, and I think Allisha (Gray) in particular did a really good job on (Kelsey) Mitchell, who's been scoring the ball super easily.

“I don't think it was an easy 20 for her tonight. I think Allisha made it really hard for her. I don't know how much they're averaging, but we kept them below their average.

“And I think we had some pretty good production off the bench, given we had Jordin (Canada) and Brionna (Jones) out also.”

Borlase is averaging 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and an assist in 12.5 minutes per game.

Elsewhere. Australian Opals star Ezi Magbegor produced her best game of her WNBA season at both ends, 17 points and five blocks but Chicago edged the Storm 82-80 in Seattle on Monday.

Magbegor, 27, had not scored more than 13 in a game all year, and had not blocked more than two. She did both inside 25 minutes, went 7-from-12, and finished +10, the best figure any Seattle player returned in a game they lost by two. It was her 11th appearance of a season.

Jade Melbourne, 23, started alongside her for 11 points, six assists and a season-high five rebounds in thirty-five minutes, and was +8. She had the last shot of the game and it did not fall. Seattle trailed by 16 in the third, cut it to one, and Melbourne missed a tying layup at the buzzer.

The other two Australians on court in Phoenix produced the day's second-best story. Sami Whitcomb, 38, started for the Mercury and set season highs for both points and assists, 11 and four, in 26 minutes. She got there the hard way, 1-from-8 from three and 4-from-4 at the line, and Phoenix lost 88-85 to Portland.

Nyadiew Puoch, 22, started for the Fire and had three points and four rebounds in 17 minutes, matching her best rebounding night of the season. Portland won it, and they spoiled the night doing it. Phoenix had run halftime and postgame ceremonies retiring the number of franchise icon Diana Taurasi, and the expansion Fire rallied to take the game 88-85 anyway. Carla Leite scored 23 and had the last two baskets of a 6-0 run.

WNBA Scores

Chicago Sky 82, Seattle Storm 80 (at Seattle)

• Ezi Magbegor 25min, 17pt, 4reb, 1ast, 5 blocks, 7/12 FG, 1/3 3P, 2/2 FT, +10, started
• Jade Melbourne 35min, 11pt, 5reb, 6ast, 1blk, 4/13 FG, 2/5 3P, 1/3 FT, +8, started

Indiana Fever 95, Atlanta Dream 91 (OT, at Atlanta)

• Isobel Borlase 32min off the bench, 10pt, 3reb, 3ast, 2/6 FG, 2/3 3P, 4/4 FT, -4

Portland Fire 88, Phoenix Mercury 85 (at Phoenix)

• Sami Whitcomb 26min, 11pt, 2reb, 4ast, 1stl, 3/10 FG, 1/8 3P, 4/4 FT, +4, started
• Nyadiew Puoch 17min, 3pt, 4reb, 1ast, 1stl, 1/3 FG, 1/2 3P, -3, started