Fever, Dream Locked in Tight Race for East Before WNBA All-Star Break

A slate of weekend battles left two teams ahead in a neck-and-neck race to the top of the Eastern Conference. The Atlanta Dream and Indiana Fever stand at 2.5 games ahead of the New York Liberty as the top contenders for the conference crown. The Commissioner's Cup champions have fallen into one of the league's most potent cold spells with two wins in their last 10 games and a 4-game losing streak following a loss to the Fever.

The Minnesota Lynx may hold the top spot overall and in the West, but the Golden State Valkyries aren't too far behind after surging forward with a 9-game win streak. Though every one of the league's top 4 squads resides in the West, the Dream and the Fever have at least proven they can be strong representatives for an up-and-down Eastern Conference.

The Dream completed their last game before the All-Star break, while the Fever will have one more chance to boost their spot in the standings with a Wednesday game against the Connecticut Sun. Where do the two heavyweights stand before they see their respective stars face off in the All-Star game?

Indiana Fever

A sweet dream for the Fever can turn into a beautiful nightmare for their opponents when given the chance.

The Fever pulled out to 16-10, or two games ahead of where they were last season, with a steady push to the top. They ended their most recent back-to-back with a statement win over the Liberty, who continued their spiral back down to Earth after an 8-game win streak fueled a high-flying 11-4 record to start their season. Indiana stormed back from a small deficit by the halftime horn by outscoring New York 63-39 in the second half, which included 32 points from the guard duo of Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark.

Indiana's offense has taken center stage in its recent surge to the top, where it's dropped 100 or more points in three of its last five matchups. While Clark put on a show-stopping performance for the record books with 45 points in a win over the Seattle Storm, Mitchell has taken off with an average of just over 27 points per game in her last 10 games. The All-Star guard hit the 30-point mark twice in a row and her 10th consecutive 20-point game as she slashed and dashed her way to 33 in Indiana's victory over the Liberty.

The Fever will kick off their post-All-Star break run with matchups against the Storm and Portland Fire. They'll take on the top-ranked Lynx, who will face the Storm themselves twice more fresh off a 5-game win streak, for the first time this season to kick off their August schedule.

Atlanta Dream

Good teams always find ways to win.

Whether it be a gut-punch game-winner or a recovery from a 5-game spiral, it was only a matter of time before a talented Dream squad consistently found its way back into the win column. Atlanta started the year with a commanding 12-4 record, which only continued its meteoric rise after breaking its regular-season franchise wins record last season. The Dream claimed two wins over their Circle City counterparts after the Fever went on a small tear of their own, but began falling from cloud nine with their longest losing streak of their 2026 run.

Still, it didn't take long for the Peach State powerhouse to continue pushing to the top with four wins in its last five games. The return of forward Brionna Jones only added fuel to their restarted fire as she suited up off the bench to pair with the squad's youthful big duo in their last two wins. Guard Allisha Gray, one of three All-Stars for the Dream this season, nearly entered the 50/40/90 club while averaging just under 22 points per contest in her last five games.

The Dream will pick up where they left off after the All-Star break by alternating between contenders and pretenders in the West over their next few matchups. They'll end their break with a bout against the Dallas Wings, who have won their last six games behind the brilliance of 2nd-year guard Paige Bueckers, before facing the Las Vegas Aces two games later.

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