SI:AM | What’s Driving the WNBA’s Scoring Surge?

DAN GARTLAND   Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I can’t say I’m surprised by how FIFA’s scheme to sell control of the World Cup is playing out. European nations voted unanimously to boycott the World Cup. Concacaf (of which the United States is a member) also rejected the proposal. And yet FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, are still stubbornly pressing forward.   In today’s SI:AM: 🤠 Breer’s notes from Cowboys camp ⚾ Verducci’s trade deadline preview 🏀 WNBA rookies who could impact the playoffs   The WNBA’s offensive revolution Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images Everybody’s talking about the Indiana Fever these days. And who could blame them? After all, the Fever are in the midst of the greatest offensive season in WNBA history. In all seriousness, the out-of-control culture war discourse surrounding Indiana’s Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham has distracted from the truly sublime basketball the team has been playing. The Fever visit the Fire tonight in Portland with a chance to extend what is already the longest streak of 100-point games in WNBA history. Indiana has reached the century mark in four straight games, surpassing the previous record of three in a row, and scored at least 100 in seven of its last 11 games. The Fever’s league-leading 95.8 points per game is the highest scoring average of any team in WNBA history. They also currently hold the mark for points per 100 possessions. But it isn’t just the Fever who are lighting up the scoreboard. Scoring is way, way up in the WNBA this season. Teams are averaging 87.2 points per game, up from 81.7 per game last season. That alone should be enough to illustrate just how much the offensive environment has changed, but here are a few other fun facts about the league’s offensive outburst: CONTINUE DAN'S COLUMN ON SI   Sponsored by DoorDash MLS on Apple TV’s Antonella Gonzalez. MLS on Apple TV’s Antonella Gonzalez Inside the DoorDash Lounge At the DoorDash lounge during MLS All-Star Weekend, Rachel DeMita settled hot debates on fan favorite foods and who they thought would take home the hardware. Check out what the fans had to say! WATCH HERE   Emptying the Cowboys Notebook From Training Camp Stop in Oxnard By Albert Breer READ MORE What We Learned at Chargers Training Camp: Star-Studded Defense Is Coming Together By Gilberto Manzano READ MORE After Their Disappointing 2025 Season, the Bucs Owe Baker Mayfield Nothing By Matt Verderame READ MORE The 10 Biggest Pressure Points of MLB’s Trade Deadline By Tom Verducci READ MORE ‘We Don’t Cry a River’: Curt Cignetti Takes Aim at SEC Strength Narrative By Pat Forde READ MORE ‘That’s Some Bull----’: Power 4 Coaches Rip Brendan Sorsby Saga, Texas Tech’s Involvement By Bryan Fischer READ MORE Four Under-the-Radar Rookies Who Could Make a Big Impact in Race to WNBA Playoffs By Blake Silverman READ MORE   Get the print edition of Sports Illustrated delivered to your door. Click to subscribe!   Bruce Kluckhohn/Imagn Images 👀 The top five ... … things I saw yesterday: 5. Kentucky offensive lineman Coleton Price’s impressively accurate drawing of a vintage Wildcats logo. 4. An outstanding diving stop and ridiculously strong throw by Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn. 3. A great sliding catch in center by the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong. He makes a highlight reel defensive play every game. 2. Nationals infielder Luis García Jr.’s towering home run against the Braves that soared all the way out of the stadium. (Statcast measured it at 455 feet, which seems conservative.) 1. Kody Clemens’s walk-off grand slam. Not all walk-off grand slams are created equal. If you hit a homer in a tie game and the bases happen to be loaded, that’s a lot less exciting than what Clemens did. Minnesota was trailing 3–0 with two outs in the ninth and Clemens was facing an 0–2 count. He jumped all over a hanging slider and cleared the 23-foot wall in right.   TikTok Instagram Facebook Threads X We may receive compensation for some links to products and services included in this email. Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. 625 Broadway, 10th floor New York, NY. 10012 You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the SI:AM newsletter. You can unsubscribe here . Privacy Policy – Terms & Conditions © 2026 Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. All betting and gambling content included in the SI:AM newsletter is intended for individuals 21+ (18+ in DC, KY, NH, RI, and WY). Betting and gambling content, including picks and predictions, are based on individual commentators' opinions and we do not guarantee any success or profits. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER or texting 800GAM. Click this link to view the newsletter in your browser.