It’s Rivals Week in the W, and it’s already given us so many spicy viral moments. But 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. Moral of the story: if there’s a buzzer-beater involved, it’ll likely turn into a team rivalry.

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

*The OG Rivalry: Comets v Liberty

The Houston Comets were really everyone’s rivals for the first four seasons of the WNBA. They won four straight championships and swept the MVP awards, too. But there was one team that especially didn’t like their red-white-blue color scheme: the New York Liberty. Three out of the four championship trophies hoisted up by the Comets came at the Liberty’s expense. I co-host a podcast with Comets legend Sheryl Swoopes, and she tells me all that time that those two teams did not like each other because “the Liberty were always the bridesmaids. They wanted to be the brides, but it just wasn’t their time,” Swoopes said.

We also saw this rivalry re-emerge between Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon during the WNBA All-Star weekend, 26 years later. When Cooper poked fun at the Comets winning four straight titles on the Orange Carpet, T-Spoon responded: “This is why I’m so thankful that four championships don’t define me. Coop, I’m still salty about this, chill out!”

The Liberty finally got their first ’ship in 2024. The only thing that would’ve made it sweeter? If they’d beat the Comets to earn it.

*Besties for the Resties: A’ja Wilson and Allisha Gray

When A’ja Wilson and Allisha Gray are on the same court, you know it’s going to be comedy … afterwards. But while the game is going on, those two battle. Their friendship goes back to playing together and being roommates at South Carolina, when they won the national championship in 2017. Since then, we’ve had a courtside seat to their best friendship (and their careers) blossom before our eyes. They’ve been each other’s biggest supporters, and Gray even has her special PE of Wilson’s A’Two signature sneaker. Now that’s a serious friendship flex.

*The Last Dynasty: Lynx v Sparks

The Minnesota Lynx defined the decade by reaching dynasty status in the 2010s. With a killer lineup of Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles and Rebekkah Brunson, they were built to win. And that’s what they did. Out of the 10 finals that made up the decade, the Lynx appeared in seven and won four. But the rivalry with Candace Parker’s LA Sparks was must-watch TV. They matched up well with each other; at its peak, there were four MVPs and 12 gold medals across the two rosters.

In the 2015 Western Conference semi-finals, the Lynx beat the Sparks 2-1 en route to their third championship. In 2016, they met in the finals, and a fallaway jumper by the Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike with 3.7 seconds left decided their fate. The next year, the two would meet in the finals again, and it also went the five-game distance. This time it was Moore who hit a game-winning jumper with seconds left to give Minnesota their fourth championship in seven years. It was a heavyweight battle, and one of the best bouts in WNBA history.

*You’re the Bud to my Stud: Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman

Hiiiii, twin 👋 There aren’t too many friendships where names morph into a world-renowned moniker synonymous with joy, laughter and 72-hour streams. The StudBudz duo of Williams and Hiedeman stems from the two being teammates in Connecticut starting in 2019. Since then, they’ve played together on the Minnesota Lynx with matching pink hair, had Vogue photoshoots and countless livestreams, and have become key figures of the WNBA’s culture. Dubs in the chat!

• This is an extract from WNBA 30, where Jordan Robinson covers the biggest stories in the league on and off the court each week. Subscribe for free here.