Unrivaled in Action: August’s Standout Performers
MIAMI (September 4, 2026) — August brought big news and even bigger performances from Unrivaled players. With season three player announcements, FIBA World Cup news and historic moments across the WNBA, there was no shortage of action. Unrivaled in Action recaps the month’s biggest performances and standout moments.
Through the fifth month of the WNBA season, 42 of Unrivaled’s 44 active season three players are averaging career highs in at least one statistical category. See who topped the August leaderboard below.
Offensive Leaders (Per Game) | Defensive Leaders (Per Game) |
POINTS | REBOUNDS |
|
|
ASSISTS | BLOCKS |
|
|
3-POINTERS MADE | STEALS |
|
|
August Key Performers
Veronica Burton
Burton exploded in the final week of August, earning her first career Player of the Week honor after becoming the first player in WNBA history to record 20 assists and zero turnovers over a two-game span from Aug. 26-27. She tallied 78 assists and just nine turnovers for the month, marking the highest assist-to-turnover ratio in a single month in WNBA history. The Golden State Valkyries closed August on a 4-0 win streak with Burton’s help as she averaged 11.3 points and 8.8 assists and dished a season-high 13 assists against the New York Liberty on Aug. 27.
Kayla McBride
McBride set the tone for the month with a historic performance on Aug. 9 against the Dallas Wings, becoming the first player in WNBA history to record 10 3-pointers and tallying a career-best 43 points. The guard went 10-of-14 from deep and 16-of-21 from the floor with only one free-throw attempt, marking the fewest free-throw attempts in a 40-point game in WNBA history. She earned WNBA Player of the Week honors for her play and is currently averaging a career-high 2.9 3-pointers per game.
Kahleah Copper
Copper recorded three different 30-point games in August, including finishing just three points shy of her career high with 38 points against the Atlanta Dream on Aug. 22. The guard led Phoenix in scoring on four different occasions for the month and led all Unrivaled players with 23.0 points per game. Copper scored her 2,000th point in a Mercury uniform on Aug. 27, becoming the fastest player in franchise history to reach the milestone.
Shakira Austin
Austin had a career month in August as she averaged 22.3 points and 11.7 rebounds from Aug. 3-9 to earn her second career WNBA Player of the Week honor and power the Washington Mystics to a seven-game win streak—the second-longest win streak in franchise history. On Aug. 5, Austin recorded a 27-point, 13-rebound double-double to help the Mystics erase a 20-point deficit for their largest comeback win in almost a decade. She followed it with a career-high 31 points on Aug. 23 against the Portland Fire as she went 11-of-18 from the floor. Austin is currently averaging a career-best 16.9 points and 9.4 rebounds, up from 12.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in 2025.
Aaliyah Edwards
Edwards recorded a career-high 26 points not once, but twice in August, first on Aug. 25 and then on Aug. 30. Her 26-point, 10-rebound double-double on Aug. 25 against the Chicago Sky marked her first double-double since her rookie season. Edwards closed the month averaging a career-high 11.1 points per game.
FIBA World Cup Selections
The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup is bringing an Unrivaled presence to Berlin, as 9 of 12 rostered players on Team USA and four international players are Unrivaled. Paige Bueckers (United States), Aliyah Boston (United States), Sonia Citron (United States), Napheesa Collier (United States), Kahleah Copper (United States), Chelsea Gray (United States), Rhyne Howard (United States), Marine Johannès (France), Dominique Malonga (France), Ezi Magbegor (Australia), Breanna Stewart (United States), Gabby Williams (France) and Jackie Young (United States) will be in action during World Cup play from Sept. 4-13 on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.