Consider the guard changed

The eight-team postseason picture continues to take shape, with the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the Seattle Storm securing spots over the weekend and the Indiana Fever (for the first time since 2016!) and Phoenix Mercury clinching last night. Those squads join the NY Liberty, Connecticut Sun, and Minnesota Lynx, all three of whom punched their tickets last month.

• That leaves one spot still up for grabs with just over two weeks to go in the regular season, and the sprint to the finish is poised to be a wild one with four teams still fully in contention for that last spot. Popcorn at the ready.

Both Taurasi and Cloud were charged with their seventh technical fouls of the season over the weekend, but Taurasi had her foul rescinded, making her eligible for last night’s 74–66 win over the Atlanta Dream.

• Under WNBA rules, a player is suspended for one game after they reach seven technical fouls — a foul that does not involve physical contact, such as unsportsmanlike conduct — and then suspended an additional game for every two technical fouls following.

• The rule is hitting Phoenix especially hard, with standout Kahleah Copper also one tech away from reaching the limit. Needless to say, watch this space.

Stop us if you heard this one before, but rookie phenoms Reese and Clark set more records over the long weekend. Chicago Sky rook Reese broke the WNBA single-season rebounding record on Sunday, surpassing recently retired Sylvia Fowles’ 2018 mark of 404.

• And player of the week Clark kept the pedal to the metal in the Rookie of the Year race, grabbing the Indiana Fever single-season rookie scoring record also on Sunday.

• P.S. The gals are making these jaw-dropping headlines with seven regular-season games still to go. We are not worthy.

🏊 Three cheers for Canadian swimmer Katie Cosgriffe, who raced to bronze — her first-ever Paralympic medal — in yesterday’s 100m butterfly S10 event. So proud.

🥇 Parksville, B.C.’s Nicholas Bennett captured Canada’s first gold medal at the Paris Paralympic Games on Monday, touching the wall first in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB14.

• Then fellow British Columbian and wheelchair racer Cody Fournie added another, securing gold in the men’s 200m T51. Cue Harry Styles.

🥉 Making her Paralympics debut, Winnipeg’s very own Leanne Taylor swam, biked, and ran all the way to a bronze medal in the women’s PTWC wheelchair triathlon race.

🥈 After a silver finish in Sunday’s 100m freestyle SM10 event, swimmer Aurélie Rivard’s career Paralympic medal total is up to 12 (!!!) and she can still add to it when the 400m freestyle S10 heats begin tomorrow. Truly magnifique.

🦽🏀 Behind a 20-point, 20-rebound double-double from Patrick Anderson, Team Canada men’s wheelchair basketball topped the Netherlands 79–67 in the quarter-finals, setting up a semis clash with Team USA tomorrow.

• But first, the women’s squad will look to record a quarter-final win of their own when they take on Germany today at 3:30 p.m. ET.

🏐 In sitting volleyball action, the Canadian women will meet the People’s Republic of China in the semis tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET, serving for a chance to play in the gold medal game.

🚣 Less than two years after taking up para rowing, Humboldt Broncos survivor Jacob Wassermann made his Paralympic debut one for the books. The 24-year-old was the youngest competitor in the field and finished in 10th during Sunday’s 2,000m event. Incredible.