Gamecocks in the WNBA, Week 18: Wilson Passes 1,000 Points, Cooke Suffers Season-Ending Injury / sportsearchers.com

As the WNBA’s longest-ever regular season (44 games) winds down toward Thursday’s finale, several former South Carolina stars produced notable performances — and one suffered a significant setback — as playoff teams jockey for final seeding.

Atlanta Dream (28-14)

Allisha Gray set a major franchise milestone, breaking Atlanta’s single-season scoring record against Connecticut — a record she had already set the previous season, giving her the two highest-scoring seasons in franchise history. Gray is averaging 19.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on the year. With Atlanta comfortably in playoff position, the team leaned more heavily on its bench, and Te-Hina Paopao appeared to benefit from the extra rest during the World Cup break, posting a strong 10-point game against Connecticut.

Chicago Sky (15-27)

Kamilla Cardoso posted modest numbers in back-to-back blowout losses to Washington and Atlanta, reflecting a Chicago team that’s clearly playing out the string. As the recap bluntly notes: “If those scores don’t scream ‘just playing out the stretch,’ nothing does. Chicago clearly just wants to get to the offseason.”

Golden State Valkyries (31-11)

Laeticia Amihere continues trending upward heading into the playoffs, setting a career-high 17 points against Portland before following with an 11-point outing against Seattle. The summary notes: “Golden State appears to be peaking going into the playoffs, and Amihere is part of it.”

Indiana Fever (27-15)

Indiana has struggled since the World Cup break, with Aliyah Boston posting quieter numbers than usual across both games, including just 8 points against Toronto and 7 against Washington. The Washington loss was particularly rough — described as “not nearly as close as the final score” suggested, calling it “embarrassing.” The analysis suggests Boston’s subpar week served as “a reminder that she is probably the Fever’s true MVP.” Meanwhile, Raven Johnson saw extended run against Washington, including starting the second half, though the broader context notes: “this isn’t the time of year you want to be searching for answers.”

Las Vegas Aces (29-13)

A’ja Wilson continued her historic run, posting 29 and 30 points in back-to-back wins over Seattle, crossing the 1,000-point mark for the season in the second game. Her stat lines remained elite across the board — 26.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on the year. The recap notes her strong week with a touch of humor: “The World Cup rest seems to have been good for her: she had 59 points in 59 minutes last week.”

Portland Fire (16-27)

Sania Feagin remains out for the season following a torn left ACL (surgery completed July 22), with Portland now officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Seattle Storm (8-35)

The most concerning news came from Zia Cooke, who earned her first start since her 2023 rookie season against Las Vegas but exited in the second quarter with what appears to be a season-ending lower leg fracture. Notably, there’s some discrepancy in reporting — while the official injury report lists it as a “right knee” issue, head coach Sonia Raman described it specifically as a “lower leg” injury. Cooke did not play in Seattle’s following two games as a result, closing out a difficult final stretch for an already struggling Storm team.