Weekly WNBA takeaways: Caitlin Clark missed; Valkyries keep surprising

For the second time this season, Caitlin Clark has missed multiple games due to injury. 

That's never a good thing for the WNBA. However, it was an exciting week as teams like Atlanta and Phoenix notched defining wins.

Las Vegas also reminded people of its playoff potential, and Golden State just keeps winning. 

Here's a look back at the past week in the WNBA with some key takeaways.

WNBA needs Caitlin Clark to get healthy 

Clark suffered a groin injury in a win over Seattle last Tuesday, but then missed games on Thursday and Friday, which was particularly painful for the league since she missed the first head-to-head matchup with Paige Bueckers.

The Fever went 2-1 last week. They are 8-8 overall and tied for the last playoff spot, 0.5 games ahead of the Washington Mystics. So, Indiana needs Clark back, but she also needs time to get right because before the injury, she was in the midst of the worst shooting slump of her career.

With the Commissioner's Cup Final set for Tuesday between the Fever and the Minnesota Lynx, featuring MVP front-runner Napheesa Collier, it would be a huge bummer if Clark can't play.

Not only will that be the superstar's first chance at a team trophy in the W, but it should also be a showcase of the league's best players, who were each selected as team captains for the WNBA All-Star Game.

Like the WNBA and the Fever, all we can do is wait and hope, but like the PGA Tour back in the day when Tiger Woods was playing, it's just different when Clark is playing.

Valkyries keep surprising  

Nobody could have predicted that Golden State would make the WNBA playoffs before the season, yet at 9-7, the Valkyries are sixth in the overall league standings after notching a second win over Seattle on Sunday, a team with 10 wins.

Golden State has also defeated Indiana, Las Vegas and Washington, all teams with eight wins. More than half of its wins have come against playoff contenders. The Valkyries are also one of seven teams to have a positive point differential, so this isn't smoke and mirrors.

How have they done it? 

For starters, they lead the league in two-point defense. Teams are shooting just 43.8 percent. They also have a defensive rating of 98.7, which is second-best in the WNBA. 

That's how they have done it. Kalya Thornton, having a career season, also hasn't hurt. Her career high for scoring average before this season was 10.4. In 2025, she's averaging 15 points per game, along with career highs in rebounds (6.9) and steals (1.6). 

Veronica Burton is also thriving in her first real chance to start, averaging 10.5 points, 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Tiffany Hayes has been stellar, too, along with rookie Janelle Salaun, who is averaging 11.8 points and shooting 40 percent from three-point range.

This team is dangerous, especially at home, where it is 7-3 so far this season. 

A hierarchy is established 

Phoenix beat the New York Liberty for the second time this season last week. Atlanta also knocked off New York, which has dropped four of its past five games.

The defending champs look vulnerable, for now. Minnesota looks like the class of the league; after that, it's wide open. The Las Vegas Aces beat the Mercury on Sunday, thanks to A'ja Wilson's epic performance.

Teams two through nine are separated by just four games. With teams six through nine, the difference is 1.5, so get ready for an exciting playoff chase.