Swish City: Regular Season Review
The Inaugural Swish City Season
The first season of Swish City proved something we had suspected all along: 9Cat WNBA fantasy works! Even without a dedicated platform, the league successfully recreated the strategic depth of traditional fantasy basketball using ESPN, Google Sheets, and a little extra commissioner elbow grease. Rather than simply chasing points, managers had to think about efficiency, category balance, games played, roster construction, and long-term planning. It quickly became clear that every draft pick, waiver claim, and trade carried real consequences.
Just as importantly, each franchise developed its own personality. Rice Enjoyers dominated through mystifying consistency and elite defensive production, while Ninetales paired tremendous games played with category excellence to earn a first-round bye. Aurora Abyss made the season’s biggest blockbuster trade, 6666666666 rode explosive offensive talent to the postseason, and Gabby Williams Fan Club fully embraced its identity as the league’s defensive menace. Elsewhere, Delle Donne Domination, Spongebob Me Boy, Tilted Pups, Clarktillery, and Heatles all experienced wildly different journeys, proving that even similar records can be built in completely different ways.
Perhaps the biggest success of the season wasn’t the standings at all—it was discovering that the WNBA player pool is deep enough to reward smart management. Hidden waiver gems emerged, rookies became league winners, veterans reinvented themselves, and every matchup felt meaningful. There were surprises, heartbreaks, breakout stars, and blockbuster trades—the ingredients that make every great fantasy league memorable.
For a league built on spreadsheets and experimentation, Swish City’s inaugural season couldn’t have asked for a better result. The foundation has been laid, rivalries have begun, and Year Two already promises to be even better.
[ Draft Recap 2026 | Owner Draft Grades | Preview 2026 | Midseason Review ]
1. RCEJ Rice Enjoyers (9-2)
If there was one team that proved every preseason prediction can be thrown out the window, it was Rice Enjoyers. Draft night could hardly have gone worse. Just days after selecting Tina Charles in the third round, Charles announced her retirement, leaving Sin with a massive hole in the middle before the season had even tipped off. The roster suddenly looked old, thin, and overly dependent on veterans continuing to outrun Father Time. Rice Enjoyers were projected to be competitive—but hardly dominant.
Then they simply…never stopped winning. By the halfway point of the season, RCEJ sat at a stunning 6-0 record, prompting perhaps the biggest question of the year: How are they doing this? Eleven weeks later, the answer is much clearer. This wasn’t a lucky streak. Rice Enjoyers built the league’s most efficient machine.
Angel Reese was the heartbeat of the roster, anchoring the league’s second-best rebounding team while continuing to develop into one of fantasy’s premier category monsters. Rhyne Howard delivered exactly the two-way production expected of a first-round cornerstone, while Chelsea Gray reminded everyone that elite decision-making never ages. The biggest revelation, however, came from the frontcourt. Rookie Awa Fam stepped into an impossible situation after the Charles retirement and never looked overwhelmed, while Natasha Howard continued to produce like a player ten years younger. Marine Johannes sprinkled in timely scoring bursts whenever the offense needed a jolt.
What makes Rice Enjoyers even more impressive is how they won. Despite finishing tied for the second-fewest games played in the league (174), they finished first overall, leading Swish City in steals while ranking second in rebounds and top-three in three-pointers. They didn’t overwhelm opponents with volume—they beat them with quality.
Sometimes fantasy championships are won by blockbuster trades or relentless waiver activity. Rice Enjoyers made just five moves all season. Mostly, they just kept putting the right players on the floor.
Nobody saw this season coming. Least of all their opponents. Congrats to Sin for a well-deserved regular season crown! 👑
2. NINT Ninetales (8-3)
Sometimes the standings lie. Three weeks into the season, Ninetales sat at 0-3 despite looking like one of the strongest teams in Swish City. The advanced numbers loved them. The category profile was elite. Every underlying metric suggested Drew had built a contender. The wins simply hadn’t arrived yet. Then everything clicked.
Over the final eight weeks, Ninetales transformed into arguably the league’s most complete roster, charging to an 8-3 finish and the second seed. By season’s end, they led the league in points, rebounds, assists, and three-pointers while finishing second in both field goal and free throw percentage. There simply wasn’t an obvious weakness to attack. If you beat Ninetales, you had earned it.
The foundation was established on draft night. Paige Bueckers lived up to the enormous expectations of a first-round cornerstone, giving Drew an offensive engine capable of carrying any matchup. Around her, nearly every major draft pick delivered. Jonquel Jones remained one of fantasy basketball’s most reliable stars, Jessica Shepard exploded into one of the league’s biggest breakout players, averaging a double-double while emerging as one of the WNBA’s premier passing forwards. Emily Engstler continued her emergence as an elite defensive contributor, while Kayla McBride quietly did Kayla McBride things, providing dependable scoring and outside shooting all season long. Natisha Hiedeman also proved to be one of the steals of the draft, taking another leap in Seattle and becoming one of the league’s best value picks.
Ninetales also mastered one of Swish City’s newest strategic wrinkles: maximizing Games Played. Drew finished first in the league with 206 games, squeezing every possible ounce of production from his roster over eleven weeks. In a league where every extra game could swing an entire category, that steady week-to-week management became a real competitive advantage.
Back in May, the biggest question surrounding Ninetales was whether there was enough offense beyond Paige Bueckers. Looking back, that concern feels almost funny. This wasn’t simply a Paige-led team—it was the deepest, most balanced roster in Swish City. If Rice Enjoyers authored the league’s most improbable season, Ninetales built the league’s most complete one.
3. AURA Aurora Abyss (7-4)
No team changed its identity more dramatically over the course of the season than Aurora Abyss. The year couldn’t have started much better. After dropping a tough Week 2 matchup to Spongebob Me Boy, Aurora ripped off five consecutive victories to surge to 6-1, looking every bit like the balanced contender envisioned on draft night.
Rookie Olivia Miles quickly established herself as the engine of the backcourt, Carla Leite blossomed into one of the league’s most dependable playmakers, and the veteran duo of Breanna Stewart and Jackie Young gave Aurora one of the league’s most versatile attacks. By the midway point of the season, Aurora ranked near the top of the league in assists, scoring, and free throw percentage while looking every bit like a championship favorite.
Then came the defining moment of the season. With first place within reach, Juice pushed all his chips to the center of the table, sending Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young, and Cecilia Zandalasini to Gabby Williams Fan Club in exchange for A’ja Wilson. It was the biggest trade of the season and immediately became the talk of the league. Aurora wasn’t making a move to make the playoffs—they were making a move to win the championship.
The transition, however, wasn’t immediate. Following the blockbuster, Aurora dropped three consecutive matchups to Rice Enjoyers, SIXS, and Ninetales—the three teams that ultimately finished above them in the standings. Whether it was the challenge of replacing two foundational starters, the adjustment to building around A’ja Wilson, or simply running into the league’s toughest stretch of the schedule, the dominant team that had started 6-1 suddenly looked much more vulnerable.
To Juice’s credit, there was no standing still. Aurora led the league in transactions, constantly searching for ways to improve around an evolving core. Sarah Ashlee Barker became one of the season’s earliest waiver-wire success stories before an untimely injury forced another pivot. Awak Kuier proved to be the most valuable long-term addition, while later pickups like Lexi Held, Temi Fagbenle, and Pauline Astier reflected a manager who was never content to leave the bottom of the roster untouched. Some moves worked better than others, but the philosophy remained the same: keep searching for every possible edge.
Aurora ultimately finished exactly as advertised: balanced, adaptable, and dangerous in nearly every matchup, finishing second in points, assists, and free throw percentage on their way to a 7-4 record and the third seed. The blockbuster trade didn’t immediately pay dividends in the standings, but it perfectly captured Aurora’s season. Good teams are content to contend. Championship teams are willing to take risks. Whether the gamble would ultimately be remembered as genius or heartbreak would be decided in the playoffs—not the regular season.
4. SIXS 6666666666 (6-4-1)
Some teams spend a season chasing their potential. SIXS spent theirs trying to stay healthy long enough to realize it. From draft night, Hotel assembled one of the league’s most explosive rosters. Aliyah Boston anchored the frontcourt, Kelsey Plum and Jewell Loyd supplied elite scoring, and the selections of Satou Sabally and Kiki Iriafen gave SIXS one of the highest ceilings in Swish City. The plan was simple: overwhelm opponents with talent and let the categories sort themselves out.
For a while, it worked. SIXS opened the season 2-0 with dominant victories over Delle Donne Domination and Ninetales, looking every bit like a championship favorite. Even after a pair of losses, they settled into the upper tier of the standings, powered by the league’s most efficient offense. By season’s end, SIXS led Swish City in field goal percentage while finishing fourth in both scoring and rebounding, proving that when their stars were on the floor, few teams could match their firepower.
The problem was keeping them there. The injury bug never really left. Satou Sabally missed significant time after looking like one of the steals of the draft, Kelsey Plum was sidelined during a crucial stretch of the season, and Jordin Canada also battled injuries throughout the year. Instead of settling into a consistent rotation, Hotel spent much of the summer simply trying to keep enough firepower on the court to stay afloat.
Fortunately, the supporting cast answered the call. Aliyah Boston quietly turned in another outstanding all-around season, while Kiki Iriafen justified her lofty draft position with another All-Star season. Jewell Loyd remained a dependable scorer throughout, and timely waiver additions like Rae Burrell and Sydney Taylor helped patch holes whenever the roster was stretched thin.
Despite all the setbacks, SIXS never faded. A 6-4-1 finish and the fourth seed felt less like a missed opportunity and more like a testament to the sheer talent on the roster. Had the group enjoyed even a little better luck with injuries, they may have been the team everyone else spent the season chasing. Instead, SIXS became something just as impressive: a contender that simply refused to go away.
No team inspired more preseason excitement than Gabby Williams Fan Club. Blaile drafted one of the league’s most intriguing collections of young talent, pairing A’ja Wilson with Dominique Malonga, Gabby Williams, Saniya Rivers, rookie Flau’jae Johnson, and several other high-upside prospects. The vision was obvious: overwhelm opponents with length, athleticism, and defensive versatility while trusting the offense to develop along the way. If everything broke right, GWFC looked capable of winning the league.
Instead, the season became a mystery. Gabby Williams Fan Club opened 1-4 despite boasting one of the league’s strongest statistical foundations. They finished first in blocks, second in steals, and remained competitive in rebounds, assists, and scoring, yet the wins stubbornly refused to follow. Every time it looked like the season was about to turn, another close matchup slipped away. By midseason, GWFC felt less like an underachiever and more like a mathematical puzzle nobody could quite solve.
Then came the blockbuster. In the season’s biggest trade, Blaile sent A’ja Wilson to Aurora Abyss in exchange for Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young, and Cecilia Zandalasini. Rather than signaling a rebuild, the move dramatically improved the team’s depth, giving GWFC a more balanced rotation around rising stars Dominique Malonga and Gabby Williams. The second half of the season reflected that shift. GWFC went 4-1-1 over its final six matchups, climbing back to an even 5-5-1 record and sneaking into the playoffs as the fifth seed after looking all but buried just a few weeks earlier.
Malonga justified her lofty draft position with an outstanding sophomore campaign, while Gabby Williams continued to fill every corner of the stat sheet in the uniquely chaotic way only she can. Jackie Young provided immediate stability after the trade, and Breanna Stewart remained one of fantasy basketball’s most dependable stars despite changing uniforms midway through the year.
Perhaps no team entered the postseason with more momentum. The season never unfolded the way anyone expected, but by August, Gabby Williams Fan Club had quietly become one of the league’s toughest outs. Sometimes it’s not about how you start—it’s about finally putting the pieces together at exactly the right time.
6. DELD Delle Donne Domination (5-6)
Delle Donne Domination never quite became the contender many expected, but they were one of the league’s most consistent teams in knowing exactly who they were. Built around efficient guard play, Giorgos assembled a roster that valued percentages, defense, and low turnovers over sheer scoring volume. Sabrina Ionescu remained the centerpiece, while Courtney Williams, Kelsey Mitchell, Veronica Burton, and Natasha Cloud formed one of the deepest backcourts in Swish City. On paper, it looked like a roster capable of winning close, methodical matchups every week.
The season itself came in waves. After splitting the opening three weeks, DELD ran into the league’s gauntlet, dropping three consecutive matchups against Rice Enjoyers, Aurora Abyss, and Ninetales. Those losses pushed Giorgos below .500, but rather than collapsing, Delle Donne Domination steadied the ship. Wins over Spongebob Me Boy, Clarktillery, and Tilted Pups kept the playoff dream alive until the final week, where another convincing victory over Tilted Pups secured the sixth and final playoff berth.
Statistically, DELD remained one of the league’s most efficient teams from start to finish. They finished second in turnovers, fourth in free throw percentage, fourth in field goal percentage, and fourth in blocks despite ranking ninth in scoring. Simply put, this wasn’t a team built to overwhelm opponents offensively—it was built to make as few mistakes as possible.
Several players quietly outperformed expectations. Courtney Williams delivered another outstanding all-around campaign, Veronica Burton continued to establish herself as one of fantasy basketball’s most versatile guards, and Shakira Austin rewarded Giorgos’ patience by providing an excellent interior presence whenever healthy. Free-agent additions Nia Coffey and Angela Dugalic also proved to be valuable late-season pickups, strengthening a frontcourt that had looked like the roster’s biggest question mark entering the year.
Delle Donne Domination never possessed the explosive ceiling of the league’s top contenders, but few teams were as fundamentally sound. Finishing 5-6 was enough to sneak into the postseason—DELD won the H2H tie-breaker over SBMB and TLTP—where a first-round matchup against third-seeded Aurora Abyss awaits. Sometimes, simply giving yourself a chance is all a well-built team needs and DELD earned that chance through steady, efficient basketball.
7. SBMB Spongebob Me Boy (5-6)
No team spent more of the season proving they could beat the best than Spongebob Me Boy. After opening with a loss to eventual top seed Rice Enjoyers, DtbChamp responded by knocking off three straight contenders—Aurora Abyss, Ninetales, and SIXS—to surge to a 3-1 start. At that point, Spongebob Me Boy had already defeated three of the league’s eventual top four seeds, establishing themselves as one of the season’s biggest surprises and an early championship threat.
The formula was clear from the beginning. Built around Alyssa Thomas’ do-everything brilliance, SBMB became one of the league’s toughest and most physical teams. They finished third in both rebounds and assists, second in blocks, and third in field goal percentage, consistently winning games through efficiency and relentless frontcourt play rather than overwhelming offensive firepower. With 199 games played—the third-most in the league—DtbChamp also squeezed impressive value out of nearly every roster spot.
The young core exceeded expectations. Kamilla Cardoso continued her rise into one of the league’s premier young centers, while Aneesah Morrow immediately lived up to her reputation as a relentless rebounder and double-double threat. Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick, justified the selection with an excellent rookie campaign, giving SpongeBob Me Boy another high-level scorer alongside Alyssa Thomas. The supporting cast rounded out the roster nicely, as Maddy Siegrist became a productive waiver addition, Isabelle Harrison provided useful frontcourt minutes after joining the club, and rookie Lauren Betts showed flashes of the long-term upside that made her one of the most intriguing young centers in the league, even if her fantasy impact remained modest.
Unfortunately, the second half of the season told a different story. After the hot start, SBMB dropped five of its final seven regular-season matchups, including losses to fellow playoff hopefuls Delle Donne Domination and Aurora Abyss. Despite finishing with a respectable 5-6 record and the league’s seventh-best category total, the brutal middle of the standings left little room for error. SBMB narrowly missed the postseason, becoming perhaps the strongest team to miss the playoffs.
In the end, Spongebob Me Boy may have been the league’s biggest “what if.” They proved they could beat anyone, built one of Swish City’s most imposing frontcourts, and developed several young stars along the way. Unfortunately, in a league where only six teams reached the postseason, a brilliant first month wasn’t quite enough to overcome an inconsistent finish.
8. TLTP Tilted Pups (5-6)
Tilted Pups may have been the league’s most honest team. Will didn’t build around a transcendent superstar or a flashy rookie class. Instead, he assembled a roster full of dependable veterans, versatile wings, and players who simply knew how to play winning basketball. It wasn’t the flashiest draft in Swish City, but it gave Tilted Pups a clear identity from day one.
That identity paid off early. After opening the season with a convincing win over Gabby Williams Fan Club, TLTP bounced back from a Week 2 stumble by defeating eventual fourth-seed SIXS before cruising past Heatles to reach 3-1. With victories over two eventual playoff teams, the Pups briefly looked like one of the league’s surprise contenders.
The roster reflected Will’s philosophy throughout the season. Allisha Gray once again proved why she’s one of fantasy basketball’s most underrated stars, contributing across nearly every category. Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes formed an excellent veteran backcourt, while Nneka Ogwumike continued to provide her trademark consistency in the frontcourt. Perhaps the biggest pleasant surprise was Janelle Salaün, who continued her emergence as one of the league’s most versatile young forwards, while Luisa Geiselsöder established herself as a legitimate fantasy contributor in the middle.
Statistically, Tilted Pups became one of the league’s premier perimeter teams. They finished second in three-pointers and second in turnovers, rarely beating themselves with careless mistakes. The downside was equally clear. TLTP ranked near the bottom of the league in rebounds, assists, and blocks, making it difficult to consistently compete against the deeper, more balanced rosters near the top of the standings. With just 175 games played—the third-fewest in Swish City—the Pups also had less cumulative production than many of their competitors.
A difficult midseason stretch ultimately proved decisive, as five consecutive losses knocked Tilted Pups from the playoff picture. Still, they battled back to finish 5-6, narrowly missing the postseason in a crowded middle tier. While they may have lacked the superstar firepower of the league’s elite, Tilted Pups proved that smart drafting, veteran stability, and disciplined roster construction could keep a team competitive all season long. In the inaugural year of Swish City, they were one of the league’s toughest outs every single week.
Few teams underwent a more dramatic transformation than Clarktillery. On draft night, Hades built the league’s most explosive backcourt, pairing Caitlin Clark with Arike Ogunbowale and surrounding them with high-volume scorers like Kahleah Copper. The vision was obvious: dominate points, assists, and three-pointers while trusting the stars to outscore everyone else. It was an exciting idea, but the first half of the season quickly exposed its flaws.
After opening with a victory over Heatles, Clarktillery lost seven of its next eight matchups, falling to 2-7 and watching its playoff hopes begin to disappear. The shooting-heavy roster struggled to find consistency, while injuries to Ezi Magbegor and Brionna Jones left the frontcourt without its intended defensive anchors. Despite leading the league in three-pointers for stretches and receiving another spectacular season from Caitlin Clark, the team simply couldn’t find enough balance to compete with the league’s deeper rosters. Clarktillery also finished with just 174 games played—tied for the second-fewest in Swish City—which only compounded the problem.
Then came one of the season’s boldest decisions. Recognizing that the original formula wasn’t working, Hades made the difficult choice to trade away both Caitlin Clark and Arike Ogunbowale in exchange for Dearica Hamby and Sonia Citron. It was a remarkable midseason pivot, sacrificing two of the league’s biggest fantasy names in an effort to build a more complete roster. Hamby immediately gave Clarktillery another dependable frontcourt contributor, while Citron brought efficiency and versatility to a lineup that desperately needed both.
The change came too late to salvage the season, but it did produce encouraging signs. Clarktillery closed the year by winning two of its final three matchups, including a season-ending victory over top-seeded Rice Enjoyers, showing that the new-look roster was beginning to find its footing. Kahleah Copper also rebounded from a difficult start to provide steady veteran production, while Olivia Nelson-Ododa quietly developed into a reliable contributor in the middle.
The final record of 4-7 wasn’t what Hades envisioned on draft night, but Clarktillery never stopped searching for answers. Sometimes the hardest move in fantasy sports is admitting your original plan isn’t working. Clarktillery did exactly that, and while the payoff came too late for 2026, the foundation for a much stronger 2027 may already be in place.
10. HTLS Heatles (0–11)
No team entered the inaugural Swish City season with a bolder long-term gamble than Heatles. Rather than drafting for immediate availability, Sarah used an early pick on Napheesa Collier, fully aware she would miss at least the opening month while recovering from ankle surgery. It was a calculated risk on one of fantasy basketball’s elite players. If Heatles could simply stay afloat through May, Collier’s eventual return could have transformed the playoff race.
Unfortunately, that timeline never materialized. Instead of returning after a few weeks, Collier remained sidelined until late July, leaving Heatles without its franchise cornerstone for nearly the entire fantasy regular season. By the time she finally suited up, the season had effectively slipped away.
The supporting cast was never able to bridge the gap. Cameron Brink developed into one of the league’s premier shot blockers, providing genuine value in one of fantasy’s scarcest categories, but her limited offensive role prevented her from becoming the all-around fantasy force many had envisioned. Veterans Courtney Vandersloot, Myisha Hines-Allen, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton all produced well below the levels of their best fantasy seasons, while rookies Gabriela Jaquez and Raven Johnson spent much of the year adjusting to the professional game rather than emerging as consistent fantasy contributors.
Heatles also made one of the season’s more notable trades, acquiring Arike Ogunbowale and Caitlin Clark from Clarktillery in exchange for Dearica Hamby and Sonia Citron. It was an aggressive attempt to change the team’s trajectory, but with Collier still unavailable and the standings already taking shape, the move arrived too late to alter the outcome.
The numbers reflected the difficult season. Heatles finished with a league-low 170 games played, nearly twenty below the league average, and ranked last in rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and points. Ironically, their lone statistical strength was turnovers—a consequence of simply having fewer players on the floor than anyone else. In a nine-category league built on cumulative production, that volume deficit proved impossible to overcome.
Ultimately, 2026 will be remembered as a season defined by unfortunate timing. The gamble on Collier was understandable, but her prolonged absence changed everything. Every inaugural league has one team that bears the brunt of the bad luck, and in Swish City’s first season, that team was Heatles. The record books will show an 0–11 finish, but the story behind it was far more complicated.