Weekly WNBA takeaways: Seattle Storm are rising

The cherry on top was that Seattle was one of two teams, along with Indiana, to have three players selected for the WNBA All-Star Game. 

Diggins was selected, once again, along with Gabby Williams and Nneka Ogwumike. All three of those players reached double figures in the win over New York on Sunday. Five scored at least 11 but none more than 16. 

A 22-6 third quarter broke open a close game. It was the second win of the season over the Liberty for the Storm. Seattle has also beaten Minnesota, Atlanta, and Phoenix twice. That's every other team in the top five. 

Seattle is 12-7 on the season and tied for the fourth-best record in the WNBA. The Storm needs to start being mentioned among the 2025 title contenders.

They've earned it.

Give Angel Reese her flowers 

The Chicago Sky are still struggling. Their win total still sits at five after blowing a lead against the Lynx, the league's best team, on Sunday.

Yet, that doesn't change the fact that Angel Reese has turned her season around. After the first seven games, she was barely shooting better than 30 percent from the field.

Since then, she's increased her field-goal percentage by 10 points. Her scoring and rebounding averages are slightly down, but her assists per game have doubled from last season (1.9 to 3.8), and all of her shooting percentages are up.

Reese is the only player in WNBA history to average a career double-double. She also became the first player to record 15 rebounds in five straight games, after bringing down 17 in the 80-75 loss to Minnesota.

The second-year pro from LSU is averaging 17.4 rebounds per game during that five-game stretch, along with 17 points. She also got her second all-star selection this week, as a reserve, and she proved on Sunday that she deserved it, no matter what her critics might say.

Paige Bueckers' rookie season is comparable to Caitlin Clark's

The No. 1 overall pick in 2025 doesn't get the same fanfare as Clark, but if anyone is in the same realm, it's Bueckers, for good reason.

Bueckers is coming into her own. After a historic performance earlier this season, she reached the 20-point plateau for the fourth time in five games (23) in the Wings' 96-89 win over the Mercury, one of the league's best teams on Friday night.

The Wings' rookie was 8-of-11 from the field, made two three-pointers, and dished out five assists. Looking at her season as a whole, it's comparable to Clark's rookie season.

Clark has the edge in scoring (19.2 to 18.7), assists (8.3 to 5.4), and rebounds (5.7 to 4.3). Yet, Bueckers has a better shooting percentage (47.5 to 41.7) and a better assist-to-turnover ratio (3.4 to 2.8). 

They are two very different players. But so far, the two superstars have had similar rookie campaigns.