Theguardian iconTheguardianAug 11, 2026 ~1 min source read

Buzzer-beaters and besties: the rivalries and friendships that make the WNBA

Moral of the story: if there's a buzzer-beater involved, it'll likely turn into a team rivalry. While there are tense rivalries, there are also fierce friendships in this league.

Buzzer-beaters and besties: the rivalries and friendships that make the WNBA

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Moral of the story: if there's a buzzer-beater involved, it'll likely turn into a team rivalry.

While there are tense rivalries, there are also fierce friendships in this league.

The ones that make you giggle to yourself when they wind up guarding each other during a game, or they show off a special celebration as teammates.

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Moral of the story: if there's a buzzer-beater involved, it'll likely turn into a team rivalry. While there are tense rivalries, there are also fierce friendships in this league. The ones that make you giggle to yourself when they wind up guarding each other during a game, or they show off a special celebration as teammates.

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  • Today, I want to highlight both – because both are what makes the W worth watching.

Details worth keeping

From Comets-Liberty and Lynx-Sparks to Wilson-Gray and the StudBudz, the feuds and friendships that have shaped 30 years of the WNBA Sign up to get WNBA 30 in your inbox every Tuesday It's Rivals Week in the W, and it's already given us so many spicy viral moments. When I look at the matchups that headline the schedule, it made me think of all the different rivalries that have come and gone throughout the league's 30 years – some rooted in half-court buzzer-beaters, others in baseline jumper buzzer-beaters.

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