Tip-Off 2026

The 30th season of the WNBA tipped off with a bang, with rookies flying out of the gate with highlight performances, underdog squads testing the limits of contenders, and up-and-coming units finding their groove early on in the year. 
We’re only a few games into the season, so I won&#8217;t make any statements about how teams looked during Tip-Off weekend that sound too grandiose. But there were at least five definitive things to take away from the contests that kicked off the league’s 30th year. 
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<h2>2026 Rookie Class Shines</h2>
<div id="attachment_260410" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260410" class="wp-image-260410" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Jovana Nogic #29 of the Phoenix Mercury</div>
Much of this year’s draft class has already taken a swing at their first taste of WNBA, and there were some major standouts from the first weekend of action. Olivia Miles’ 21-point, eight-assist, two-block, two-steal, and three-rebound debut for the Minnesota Lynx was nearly enough to get them a win over the Atlanta Dream on opening weekend, but regardless of the outcome, it was unbelievably impressive. 
Flau’jae Johnson was on fire for the Seattle Storm in their one win from opening weekend, getting the Connecticut Sun into foul trouble and driving with purpose to the basket despite the danger of Brittney Griner lurking at the rim. She was also not afraid to <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/storms-flaujae-johnson-shines-hits-110722119.html">let Griner know</a> about her ability to get to the hoop. 
There were also a few sleeper rookies who shone this past weekend, with one being Serbian guard Jovana Nogic with the Phoenix Mercury. She’s a confident shot taker with a three-ball consistently in her bag, and the Mercury really needed someone like her injected into the roster following the loss of Satou Sabally in free agency. 
Madina Okot, the former board-eater with the South Carolina Gamecocks, quickly established herself as an apt Griner replacement for the Atlanta Dream on the glass with 11 rebounds and 14 points in her debut. 
It’ll be exciting to watch several other high-ceiling rookies like Azzi Fudd, Raven Johnson, and Awa Fam begin to hit their stride throughout this season. But it’s obvious that the All-Rookie race and the battle for Rookie of the Year are not going to be a clear-cut. 
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<h2>2. Washington Mystics and Their Young Core</h2>
Following a downtrodden 2025 season riddled with injuries, the Mystics snapped up quite a few big-name bigs in this year’s draft, adding some depth behind their key frontcourt duo in Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen. 
Those two, plus guard Sonia Citron, already look to be a serious problem for teams this year thanks to their defensive effort and ability to score all over the floor. Citron is averaging 21.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting from the field, while Iriafen firmly leads the league in rebounding through two contests. Austin is a bit of a unicorn for the Mystics as she has multiple ways of killing teams as a scorer, thanks to her excellent ball-handling for a forward, but her health has to remain intact for Washington to truly make some noise later in the season and in the race to the postseason. 
While it’s a small sample size, there’s more than enough to be scared about with the potential of this Mystics squad. 
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<h2>3. Fringe Contenders Impressed</h2>
While we know the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty are strong candidates for being Finals-bound, there are a few other squads that have the depth and star power to push either of those teams to the brink. The Dallas Wings, Atlanta Dream, and Phoenix Mercury all proved to be that sort of potential thorn in the Aces and Liberty’s sides with their opening weekend performances. 
For Phoenix, the largest question for them this offseason was how they’d fare after losing Sabally in free agency. The answer to that question is multi-fold: they’re relying on the defensive presence provided by Alyssa Thomas, in addition to the health and three-level scoring of Kahleah Copper. And, they have the depth to have a strong run in the regular season, followed by an even stronger one in the postseason. 
You’d have to imagine Phoenix is itching to get back to the Finals following getting swept by the Aces in 2025. Well, a start to the year that features 47.8 shooting from three-point range and an emphatic victory over the Aces in their season debut surely communicates how hungry they are to get back to that peak. 
As for the Wings, there are still huge question marks about their defensive capabilities. Alanna Smith, the co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, was brought on by the Wings as an attempt to address at least one part of their defensive weakness. 
She had a tough matchup in the Wings’ first game, which was against Aliyah Boston and the Indiana Fever. Still, you have to love Dallas’ upside on offense. They posted a 120.2 offensive rating in their first game, led by Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Odyssey Sims. 
Atlanta’s bread and butter this season may be their ability to keep teams grounded thanks to their defense. They immediately saw the benefit of adding Angel Reese to their roster this offseason via trade in their first game, against the Lynx. 
She and Allisha Gray had back-to-back blocks to seal their victory over Minnesota, showing just how valuable a piece Reese could be to Atlanta on defense while she still carves out a role on offense. That block was her third, which was a team-high, which added to her already impressive line featuring 14 boards and 11 points.
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<h2>4. New York Liberty and Golden State Valkyries Undefeated </h2>
<div id="attachment_260411" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260411" class="wp-image-260411" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Janelle Salaun #13 of the Golden State Valkyries</div>
Again, it’s way too early in the season to frame these teams’ undefeated records following tip-off weekend as anything more than a two-game winning streak, but both teams’ methods of winning were impressive nonetheless. 
For Golden State, they’ve once again been relying on guard Veronica Burton and forward Janelle Salaun for firepower. Salaun, specifically, has been a revelation and is already building off of her All-Rookie campaign in 2025. Her 56.3 percent shooting from three-point range to start the year leads the Valkyries, and she’s taken the second-most three pointers so far this season in the league. 
 
Burton has contributed with her passing, hitting 12 assists in Golden State’s win over the Mercury, while also picking up three steals. She was a big factor in the Valkyries’ win over Phoenix, sealing their 2-0 record following the opening weekend. 
Golden State’s bench is also looking good to start the year, which is, again, a huge factor for any team seeking to become a true contender. Their second unit has averaged 42 points per game through two contests and is shooting 52 percent from deep. They’re also averaging 2.5 blocks per game, which is good for second in the league so far. Again, small sample size, but it’s clear that the Valkyries have the depth necessary to go up against other powerhouse squads early on in the year. 
Taking a look at New York, it’s hard not to point out the start that Breanna Stewart has had. She’s leading the team in shot attempts and is still shooting an efficient 47.5 percent from the field overall. With Sabrina Ionescu out to begin the year, it was important that either she, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, or newly-added guard Pauline Astier would pick up the scoring slack, and Stewart has taken that role seriously through two contests. 
New York’s bench has been a bit shakier of a foundation for them compared to that of Golden State’s, but with no Leonie Fiebich or Ionescu during tip-off weekend, that drop-off was expected. Getting Laney-Hamilton back is also a huge plus for the Liberty’s future depth, with the forward an ever-lurking threat from midrange for New York’s guards to play off of. 
Their veteran-heavy roster and ability to match up with just about anyone make them a top threat once again. 
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<h2>5. The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire’s Opening Crowds</h2>
If you caught the Toronto Tempo’s first-ever home game against the Washington Mystics, which nearly ended with a ton of drama, then you probably had to turn your television down a few times. The crowd at the Coca-Cola Coliseum was unbelievably loud, which is well-deserved after the team pushed things down to the wire against a talented Mystics squad. 
Portland’s crowd was not only loud, but they added themselves to the history books with a record-breaking 19,335 fans at their season opener. That’s the largest crowd for any inaugural team’s season opener in WNBA history, and a great representation of just how great the demand is for more WNBA basketball. 
While the Fire and Tempo lost their respective opening contests, they’re off on the right foot. They have too much talent to be struggling for long.

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Five Things I Like: WNBA Tip-Off 2026

Analysis

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Editor&#8217;s Note: Read more WNBA coverage from the Athletic <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/">here</a>. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its teams.
***
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INDIANAPOLIS — The Dallas Wings were at rock bottom in 2025 when they selected Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 overall pick.
They were fresh off a nine-win season and moving on to their third coach in four seasons when Bueckers became the rope thrown to the drowning franchise. But even she can’t work miracles. At least, not in Year 1 anyway, as the Wings missed the playoffs.
But Saturday, as the Wings opened the 2026 season against the Indiana Fever with a 107-104 win in Bueckers’ sophomore season debut, a franchise that’s been adrift looked like it could finally see land.
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“I’ve been saying, I feel like this is the best roster we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Wings four-time All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale said. “It’s just complete.”
Bueckers wasn’t the final missing puzzle piece, but she was the catalyst.
After her rookie season ended with 10 wins, the Wings’ second-straight without a postseason, Dallas opted to find its fourth coach in five years as it fired Chris Koclanes. The Wings then went against the coaching trend of hiring from the NBA in favor of a well-respected, winning college coach in Jose Fernandez from South Florida. When free agency finally opened following a contentious 17-month-long negotiation period for a new collective bargaining agreement, general manager Curt Miller signed players, such as forwards Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard, who looked on paper like they could make the Wings legitimate playoff contenders. He followed those free agency moves by drafting Buecker’s familiar backcourt UConn running mate in sharpshooter Azzi Fudd.
The result of every move over the last 13 months was on full display Saturday, and the early grade passed with top marks. Bueckers finished with 20 points, four assists, three rebounds and just one turnover.
“She’s special,” Fernandez said. “She reads how she’s being guarded. Having coached against her and seeing her now, I mean, she sees things two, three times ahead of stuff. That’s remarkable.”
Bueckers is fresh off a busy offseason that included her first season playing with Unrivaled, the professional three-on-three league, and with Team USA’s senior national team.
Individually, she committed to bulking up in an effort to withstand the toll of a 44-game WNBA season, the results of which are apparent in her noticeably stronger frame. Bueckers said she lived in the weight room, ate better and even prioritized better sleep.
One area of Buecker’s development that can’t be visibly measured is her leadership.
“She’s one of those generational talents that not only shows up on the court, but off,” Smith said. “She leads by example. She holds herself to a certain standard, which I think is really important for people in leadership positions. You gotta walk the walk to talk the talk. That’s something she naturally does, which is really rare for a young player to do.”
Beyond Smith, Bueckers has garnered the respect of a team full of WNBA veterans, including Ogunbowale, who shouldered the weight of the Wings’ expectations for six seasons.
“We just got to have our hands up, because we know she’s going to make the right read,” Ogunbowale said. “She’s super efficient every night. … She’s just really elite.”
The Wings entered the 2026 season with lofty expectations surrounding them. At minimum, they’re widely predicted to get back to the playoffs. But at the peak of possibilities for the Wings is title contention.
Bueckers holds the keys.
“I’m not one to live in the past,” Bueckers said. “But I’m not sure how long it was until we got our first win last year, and three counting the preseason. It’s not to say get complacent, or oh, we got one win, we’re going to go 44-0. We’re so focused on winning the day, winning the practice and getting better every single day, which leads to wins in total.”
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/annie-costabile/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Annie Costabile</a> is a Senior Writer for The Athletic covering the WNBA and women&#8217;s basketball at large. Before joining The Athletic, she worked as a women&#8217;s sports reporter for Front Office Sports and, prior to that, was a sports reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times for seven years, where she covered the Chicago Sky and women&#8217;s sports. Annie also served as the high school preps and recruiting editor at The Clarion-Ledger. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa, based in Brooklyn.
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Paige Bueckers Showed Why She Holds Keys to Dallas Wings’ Season in Win Over Indiana Fever

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The 30th WNBA season is finally upon us. 210 days after the Las Vegas Aces hoisted the 2025 championship trophy, the 2026 campaign opens with WNBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax.



Beginning Friday, May 8, seven nationally broadcast games will celebrate the start of the season, including the debuts of the league’s two newest franchises — the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. The slate also features a Finals rematch, a contest featuring the four most recent No. 1 draft picks, and much more.



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We’ll dive into each matchup below, so all that’s left is to get the popcorn ready for a new season of WNBA hoops.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Friday, May 8</h2>



Connecticut Sun at New York Liberty (7:30 p.m. ET, ION)



New York opens the season as a favorite to reach the WNBA Finals for the third time in four years (and seventh time overall). According to the league’s general managers, who voted Aces vs. Liberty as the most likely Finals matchup.



The Liberty return the core of their 2024 title squad by re-signing Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu, the latter of whom will be sidelined for this season-opening matchup after suffering an ankle injury during the preseason. New York also added two-time All-Star Satou Sabally in free agency and has Betnijah Laney-Hamilton returning after missing the 2025 season with a knee injury.



The Liberty’s stacked roster will host a Connecticut squad set to open its “Sunset Season” before the franchise relocates in 2027. While much of Connecticut’s roster is young, the Sun signed former champion and 10-time All-Star Brittney Griner, who will make her Sun debut on Friday.



Washington Mystics at Toronto Tempo (7:30 p.m. ET, ION)



In the first of two expansion debuts to take place during WNBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax, the Toronto Tempo will host the Washington Mystics in their inaugural game.



This game offers the first regular-season look at the Tempo roster, which was built over a whirlwind five weeks through the expansion draft, college draft, and free agency. It also introduces a new WNBA city, ready to build its own identity and traditions.



The Mystics were voted third among teams with the most promising young core by the league’s GMs. Led by last year’s pair of rookie All-Stars — Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — the Mystics’ roster is loaded with rookies and sophomores and features only two players with at least four years of experience. This matchup in Toronto will be an early opportunity to help this young group grow together.



Golden State Valkyries at Seattle Storm (10 p.m. ET, ION)



After an inaugural season like no other in league history — Golden State became the first expansion team to make the WNBA playoffs — the Valkyries open their sophomore season on the road against the new-look Seattle Storm.



Gabby Williams, Golden State’s marquee offseason addition, will make her Valkyries debut and her return to Seattle — where she played from 2022-25 — on the same night. Williams dominated the GM voting as the best perimeter defender in the league, earning 60% of the vote. She joins an already top-flight defense, making the Valkyries even more dangerous.



In Seattle, the Storm tied with Dallas for the GM vote on the most promising young core. That includes rookies Awa Fam (No. 3 overall) and Flau&#8217;jae Johnson (No. 8) as well as last year&#8217;s No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga, who tied for the most votes to have a breakout season in 2026.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Saturday, May 9</h2>



Dallas Wings at Indiana Fever (1 p.m. ET, ABC)



Saturday’s ABC doubleheader begins with a star-studded clash between the Wings and Fever, with the last four No. 1 overall picks sharing the court – Indiana’s Aliyah Boston (2023) and Caitlin Clark (2024) vs. Dallas’ Paige Bueckers (2025) and Azzi Fudd (2026).



This marks the first regular-season appearance for Clark since July 15, as her sophomore season was limited to 13 games due to injury. Clark’s return, alongside Boston and All-WNBA First Team selection Kelsey Mitchell, gives the Fever a “Big Three” that can match up with any trio in the league.



This game also features the WNBA debut of sharpshooter Fudd, who became the seventh UConn player selected with the top pick in the draft. Fudd reunites with former college teammate Bueckers, who is coming off one of the most impressive rookie seasons in WNBA history. That backcourt duo, alongside Arike Ogunbowale, plus the addition of reigning co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith, helped Dallas earn 67% of the GM’s vote as the most improved team entering 2026.



Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)



The Las Vegas Aces open their title defense with a 2025 Finals rematch against the Phoenix Mercury, which ended in an Aces sweep last October.



Coming off their third title in the last four seasons, the Aces return their championship core as they look to run it back. The league GMs named the Aces the favorites to repeat as champions and superstar A’ja Wilson as the favorite to win a fifth league MVP. The Aces swept the vote for best point guard (Chelsea Gray), best shooting guard (Jackie Young), best forward (Wilson), and best center (Wilson).&nbsp;



Meanwhile, the Mercury will look to return to the Finals with the returns of Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, and Kahleah Copper. However, Phoenix did lose All-Star Satou Sabally in free agency. This game gives Phoenix an early test against the defending champions and a chance to snap a seven-game losing streak to Las Vegas – the four Finals games, plus the last three regular-season meetings of 2025.



Chicago Sky at Portland Fire (9 p.m. ET, NBA TV)



For the first time since Aug. 11, 2002, a regular-season WNBA game will be played in the Rose City as the Portland Fire reignites after a three-season run from 2000-02.



Nearly 24 years later, WNBA hoops officially returns to Portland as the Fire welcome the Sky for their season opener. Similar to the Tempo, this game provides the first regular-season look at the Fire’s roster and game-day atmosphere. Similar to Golden State’s “Ballhalla” nickname for their home court at Chase Center, Portland has dubbed its Moda Center home “The Fire Pit.”



The new-look Sky will be the first team to enter The Fire Pit after a busy offseason featuring the additions of Skylar Diggins, DiJonai Carrington, Azurá Stevens, Rickea Jackson, and No. 5 draft pick Gabriela Jaquez, following the departures of Angel Reese and Ariel Atkins.



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Sunday, May 10



Las Vegas Aces at Los Angeles Sparks (6 p.m. ET, USA)



Rounding out the opening weekend’s nationally broadcast slate is a matchup of two franchises with three WNBA titles apiece — the Las Vegas Aces (2022, 2024, 2025) and Los Angeles Sparks (2001, 2002, 2016).



This is also a clash between two of only four active players to have won league MVP honors — Las Vegas’ four-time winner A’ja Wilson (2020, 2022, 2024-25) and Los Angeles’ Nneka Ogwumike (2016), who returns to the Sparks after playing the last two seasons in Seattle. L.A. also added defensive stalwart Ariel Atkins from Chicago this offseason.



While the Aces tip off their title defense on Saturday, this marks the season opener for the Sparks. It also features two former Aces — Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby — facing their former squad after going 1-3 against them last season. Can the new-look Sparks make an early statement by knocking off the defending champs?
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Game Previews: WNBA Tip-Off 2026 Weekend

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The WNBA is officially tipping off its 30th season on May 8, with the preseason already wrapped up and fans given a glimpse of what’s to come for several contenders, rookies, and big signings from a tumultuous free agency.&nbsp;



The excitement surrounding this season is reaching a fever pitch, especially with so many moving parts this offseason and with two new teams added to the league ahead of 2026. While there’s likely an infinite number of things that fans are looking forward to this season, we’ll take a look at 10 things that should be on fans’ radars ahead of tip-off weekend.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. How Dominant will the Aces Be?</h2>



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The Las Vegas Aces shocked the world in 2025. Sitting at 14-13, the Aces headed into a fateful August 2nd contest against the Minnesota Lynx, where the Lynx had the biggest road victory in WNBA history &#8211; the final score was 111-58.



That loss handed Las Vegas a 14-14 record with just 16 games left in the season. Their response to being on the losing end of that WNBA record? Winning 16 games in a row, blowing by their postseason competition, and sweeping the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Finals to land their third championship in four seasons.&nbsp;



The team didn’t shake up their starting lineup much for 2026, and why would they? A’ja Wilson is primed for another MVP run, while their mid-season trade last year that landed NaLyssa Smith ended up paying off in dividends. They also re-signed Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Dana Evans, while also upgrading their bench with Chennedy Carter, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, Brianna Turner, and Stephanie Talbot.&nbsp;



It’s hard to imagine a world where Las Vegas gets anywhere close to their lows from their 2025 season &#8211; and that&#8217;s a scary prospect for the rest of the league. This is not to say that there aren’t other contenders, but it sure does feel like the championship runs through Michelob Ultra Arena.&nbsp;



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Tight ROTY race</h2>



Azzi Fudd went first overall to the Dallas Wings, and that pick immediately re-paired her with former championship backcourt sidekick Paige Bueckers. We’ll get into that momentarily.&nbsp;



Fudd, while an electric guard who can score at all three levels, has some stiff competition ahead for the 2026 Rookie of the Year award. Preseason was a great look into that potential race, with several neophytes proving they’re more than ready for the challenge of WNBA physicality, speed, and competition.&nbsp;



Lauren Betts, the fourth-overall pick in this year’s draft, averaged 15 points per game along with 4.5 rebounds, two assists, and one steal for the Washington Mystics in the preseason. Raven Johnson was a defensive stalwart for the Indiana Fever in preseason, contributing 2.3 steals, 4.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and six points per game in Indiana’s three preseason games. Olivia Miles, who was snagged by the Lynx right after Fudd was off the board, looks like an extremely tidy fit next to Courtney Williams in Minnesota’s backcourt already. She averaged 10.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and three assists in three games. 



We haven’t even mentioned Flau’jae Johnson’s preseason performances, which were capped by a 20-point performance against the Portland Fire.&nbsp;



This is going to be a ridiculously fun ROTY race.&nbsp;



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Two New Expansion Teams</h2>



The Toronto Tempo and Fire are kicking off their inaugural seasons during the WNBA’s 30th year, with Portland “reviving” its past franchise and returning to create a neat rivalry with the Seattle Storm. For Toronto, the Tempo’s tip-off marks a major expansion into Canada, with games scheduled in Vancouver and Montreal.&nbsp;



As we saw with the Golden State Valkyries in 2025, you simply cannot write off a new team before they’ve even gotten a chance to establish their play style and identity in the regular season. The league is teeming with talent, and Portland and Toronto are offering 24 more roster spots to players who would not have gotten the opportunity to suit up or even start in 2026.&nbsp;



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. The Impending MVP race</h2>



As mentioned, it’s expected that Wilson will continue her dominance over the MVP award in 2026. This could be the year that Napheesa Collier, also, finally, breaks through this wall and wins the award for the first time. She was considered a frontrunner alongside Wilson last year. Alyssa Thomas is also always an underrated force to be reckoned with in this race.&nbsp;



Other names to watch include Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum, Allisha Gray, or even Paige Bueckers. It’s difficult to imagine this award going to anyone other than a big, but these guards have a shot at making Wilson’s road to a fifth MVP honor a bit shakier.&nbsp;



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. Surprising Contenders</h2>



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The preseason was a nice window into what’s to come for this year, and an even better glimpse into which teams could shock fans with great seasons. The Wings looked fantastic in their final preseason contest against the Aces, with Aziaha James leading the way with 18 points, four rebounds, two steals, two assists, and a block. Their depth could come up huge for them in 2026, especially as much of that depth was added by way of free agency. The more veterans like Alanna Smith and Jess Sheppard to help lead their young core, the better.&nbsp;



Another potential contender could be the Indiana Fever, who now have a healthy Clark back in the fold. With her, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell, their core is set up for a decent run at top seeding this season. Plus, their depth seems to be a strength this year. It depends on how healthy they can remain throughout the season. On paper, the Fever look primed for a return to the postseason.&nbsp;



A third team to watch for a deep postseason run is the Atlanta Dream. They aren’t necessarily a surprising team considering they’ve made the postseason each year for the last three years. But their addition of Reese this offseason changes their makeup. As a team heavily reliant on spacing, lending itself to the effectiveness of its bigs, they made quite the splash acquiring a player who lives at the rim for her offense as well as Reese does.&nbsp;



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">6. The Impact of Big Free Agency Signings</h2>



Free agency was just as chaotic as the trade market this offseason. There were some notable returns, like Nneka Ogwumike heading back to the Los Angeles Sparks and Azurá Stevens landing back with the Chicago Sky. The Sky also acquired Skylar Diggins on the free agent market, adding some much-needed veteran guard play to a young roster in need of some direction. 



Other significant free-agent moves included Alanna Smith heading to the Wings after spending her last two seasons with the Lynx, Gabby Williams leaving the Storm for the Valkyries, and Brittney Griner heading to the Connecticut Sun after a brief stint with the Dream.&nbsp;



These are all hugely impactful signings, and some could even swing teams from having fringe postseason potential to being full-fledged contenders. The Wings and the Valkyries certainly qualify under that umbrella thanks to these signature signings.&nbsp;



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">7. Fudd and Bueckers Reunited in Dallas</h2>



With Fudd landing with Dallas, the Wings have an opportunity to witness a rookie come into the WNBA and immediately be comfortable with their backcourt company. Fudd and Bueckers finally won an NCAA championship together in 2025, before Bueckers was drafted by the Wings. Their work together as the UConn Huskies’ starting backcourt was must-watch TV, and Dallas is seemingly hoping to replicate their success in the WNBA with their Fudd pick.&nbsp;



In preseason, Fudd&#8217;s play was a mixed bag, averaging just 8 points per game and 1 assist, struggling with the league’s physicality and speed during the transition. However, her upside is obvious from her time with UConn, and the Wings have an opportunity to recreate one of the best one-two offensive punches in women’s college basketball history with her added to the fold. 



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">8. Angel Reese in Atlanta</h2>



Reese landed with the Dream following a shocking trade with the Sky this offseason. Following yet another All-Star campaign in 2025, she lands with an Atlanta team that feels a piece or two away from making a Finals push.&nbsp;



Whether or not she is that final piece will be fun to see, especially since the Dream already roster two powerful scoring options in Gray and Rhyne Howard. Atlanta already led the league in rebounding prior to acquiring Reese, who will be aiming to add her 2025 league-leading 12.6 rebounds per game to the fold. Three-point shooting for the Dream will be key to unlocking her potential with this lineup.&nbsp;



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">9. Sophomore Leaps</h2>



Anyone catching Wings, Mystics, or Sun games was probably impressed by the performances of second-year players headed into the 2026 season. For Dallas, that includes Bueckers, of course, but also Aziaha James, who averaged 17.5 points per game along with 5.5 rebounds, three steals, and 2.5 assists in the preseason. For Washington, both Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen look poised to continue to raise the ceiling of the Mystics after both nearly spoiled Bueckers’ bid for ROTY in 2025.&nbsp;



Saniya Rivers already looks like a huge leader for the Sun on the floor headed into 2026. She was excellent in Unrivaled this past offseason, and her 2nd season with the Sun looks poised to be a launching pad for her to go from an impressive rookie to a borderline star. Her defensive strengths were on display throughout the preseason, and she unlocked Connecticut’s potential on offense thanks to her quick thinking in transition and her speed.&nbsp;



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">10. Celebrating Season 30</h2>



Of course, in addition to all of these things, the WNBA’s players have to be excited about putting on a show for the league’s 30th year. There have been so many legends that have defined the league in such a short period of time, and we’re also witnessing legendary careers unfold before us in real time.&nbsp;



You cannot take the current talent on display this season for granted, especially the performances by players like Wilson, Clark, Collier, Thomas, and so many others. This is a major milestone for the league to have reached, and the momentum for players and fans in 2026 is only getting stronger.
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10 Things to Look Forward to in Season 30

Preseason 2026

The WNBA preseason is an excellent time for all 15 teams to figure out what’s working for their rosters, and what’s not. With significant turnover in free agency and a whirlwind draft season, all teams are experiencing some growing pains. Preseason ball helps iron out those pains. 
With each team having already played one game in preseason so far, we’re going to take a look at some key moments that stood out from each team’s debut. 
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<h2>Atlanta Dream</h2>
<div id="attachment_259715" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-259715" class="wp-image-259715" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273777985-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273777985-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273777985-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273777985-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273777985-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273777985-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273777985-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream</div>
The concept of positionless basketball was taken to an extreme in Atlanta’s first preseason game. Head coach Karl Smesko told reporters after the game that he hadn’t called any plays throughout the contest, specifically to see how well newly acquired forward Angel Reese would fare on the floor with her new teammates. 
The results? Pretty great, all things considered. Reese finished up with eight points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists in her first game against her former team. 
The Dream have one of the most versatile rosters in the league, with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Grey always a threat on all three levels, and now with Reese in the fold as a defensive threat in the paint. We got a nice glimpse into how she’ll fit into the mix in Smesko’s three-point-heavy offense, and it’s clear that Reese and Smesko have some room to grow in their partnership headed into the regular season. 
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<h2>Chicago Sky</h2>
The Sky had some major turnover this offseason, trading Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream and adding veteran leadership in free agency. Skylar Diggins, Dijonai Carrington, and Azurá Stevens highlight that group. 
 
However, it was the Sky’s top pick from the 2024 draft, Kamilla Cardoso, who really shined in Chicago’s first game. 
It was clear from tip-off that Chicago’s intention on offense this preseason, and potentially for their regular season, is to get Cardoso involved in plenty of actions alongside Skylar Diggins, Rickea Jackson, and basically any other ball handler equipped to feed Cardoso in the post. 
She’s become the nucleus for the Sky’s offense with Reese now gone, and Chicago’s offense looked a lot more open than in 2025 with Diggins and Cardoso working in the pick and roll together. With improved shooting around Cardoso, Chicago already looks like a sleeping giant ahead of the 2026 regular season. 
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<h2>Connecticut Sun</h2>
Connecticut had a quietly great offseason, acquiring Brittney Griner in free agency in addition to trading for Diamond Miller, who has bounced around the league since getting drafted second overall in 2023. Miller, specifically, looked very solid in her limited time on the court. Her eight points and three assists came thanks to her rim running, which could work very well alongside new acquisition Kennedy Burke &#8211; kick-outs to Burke for three pointers could become a staple in this offense. 
Speaking of, Burke was another standout from the Sun’s preseason debut. The former New York Liberty sharpshooter and 2026 EuroCup Finals MVP had 13 points on 60 percent shooting from three-point range and 62.5 percent shooting from the field overall. Connecticut has a plethora of players who can make you pay in the paint &#8211; Griner, Miller, Saniya Rivers, and Aneesah Morrow, to name a few. So, it was huge for them to add a legitimate three-point shooting threat like Burke to their roster. So far, that signing looks great. 
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<h2>Dallas Wings</h2>
The Wings’ first preseason game came against the Fever, so it was an impromptu battle between No. 1 overall picks Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, Caitlin Clark, and Kelsey Mitchell. The victor was anyone watching the battle between Clark and Bueckers throughout the game. 
Bueckers, especially, brought life to the Wings throughout the entire game. She finished up with 20 points on 8-12 shooting, as well as three assists, two rebounds, and a steal. Bueckers is looking ready for a huge sophomore leap. 
And, for all the hype around the Wings’ acquisitions this offseason, two members of their 2025 roster were players that stood out around Bueckers &#8211; Maddy Siegrist and Aziaha James. Both were confident with their shot-taking and were helpful in pushing the pace for Dallas and Bueckers. They’re suddenly looking like a huge part of the young core growing around Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale. 
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<h2>Golden State Valkyries</h2>
Golden State seems ready to build off an impressive 2025 campaign, all thanks to a ridiculous preseason debut from Veronica Burton. The 2025 Most Improved Player looks ready to leap right into All-WNBA conversations this season, especially if she can maintain her level of play from this first contest. Finishing up with 14 points on 4-7 three-point shooting, Burton looked like the leader for this Valkyries starting lineup. 
The rest of the squad also looked on point defensively, another piece of their 2025 success they’re surely looking to carry over into this year. Seattle shot just 39.1 percent from the field in this game, much thanks to the off-ball activity of Golden State’s defense. 
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<h2>Indiana Fever</h2>
<div id="attachment_259716" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-259716" class="wp-image-259716" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272549289-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272549289-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272549289-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272549289-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272549289-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272549289-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272549289-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Raven Johnson #3 of the Indiana Fever</div>
The Fever are entering 2026 after dealing with a ridiculous amount of injuries to their starting lineup last year. Now fully healthy, it seems like Indiana is looking to capitalize on their biggest strength: a point guard who can push the ball in transition effectively. Caitlin Clark was looking to distribute a bit more in their opening contest against the New York Liberty, which helped players like Sophie Cunningham and Makayla Timpson get comfortable on offense. 
Defensively, though, one player stood out: rookie Raven Johnson. She was fighting over screens, acting as a rim protector on Liberty cuts, and overall being a pest in the halfcourt. That’s the kind of defensive impact that Indiana was missing last year, and it’s something that’ll greatly impact their bench, assuming she sticks on the roster. She finished up her debut with six points, eight assists, three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. 
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<h2>Las Vegas Aces</h2>
Would this be a proper first game evaluation for the Las Vegas Aces without mentioning the play of Chennedy Carter? Probably not. 
Carter was sensational in her Aces debut, scoring 18 points in 19 minutes. She also had five rebounds, two assists, and a block. Her effectiveness in transition could be huge for an Aces bench that took half a season to gel in 2025. Las Vegas was one of the very few contenders to retool effectively in free agency, and Carter’s a huge piece of that retooling. Having her as a backup point guard is quite the luxury. 
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<h2>Los Angeles Sparks 
</h2>
After a 2025 season that left much to be desired defensively, the Sparks are coming into 2026 with a healthy Cameron Brink. That’s already a huge plus for their rim protection, as seen by her two blocks in 18 minutes on the floor. Another key contributor to their defense was Ariel Atkins, who was just acquired by Los Angeles in a player-for-player swap involving Rickea Jackson. 
 
Atkins had three steals and six defensive rebounds for the Sparks in her debut, immediately bringing the sort of pressure Los Angeles had been missing defensively all of 2025. Between that and her solid shooting, the Sparks might’ve found the perfect solution to their porous defense in Atkins. 
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<h2>Minnesota Lynx</h2>
We got a taste of the Lynx’s potential starting backcourt in Courtney Williams and Olivia Miles in their first preseason game. Miles’ speed and finishing were immediately on display in the 1st quarter of the Lynx’s win over the Mystics, and her work with the Lynx’s bigs gave viewers a small preview of how she and Napheesa Collier will work on the floor together. 
Another new acquisition for the Lynx, Nia Coffey, also looked great in limited action. The forward had five points, three blocks, and four rebounds in nearly 13 minutes played. With the departures of Alanna Smith and Bridget Carleton in the offseason, Minnesota needs some help from a depleted forward room &#8211; and Coffey seems more than ready to provide that help and fill that gap. 
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<h2>New York Liberty</h2>
New York is one of those veteran-heavy teams that you just assume will figure things out by the time the regular season rolls around. Their opening lineup of Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Sabrina Ionescu, and Rebekah Gardner didn’t look very sharp in the first quarter, but settled in once they found some scoring behind Stewart and Jones. The team was without Satou Sabally in this first preseason contest, so it’s hard to say how they’ll look once their season tips off on May 8. 
However, their bench feels a little more set than their starting lineup, and two players that stood out for their impact on the floor in this game were Anneli Maley and Han Xu. Xu was not afraid to shoot, providing some decent backup minutes to Jones (although her work defensively doesn’t compare to Jones’ impact). As for Maley, she was just all over the place. Rebounding and distributing were her biggest positives in this game, as she finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 29 minutes. 
Deep teams go far in the postseason, so if the Liberty found key bench members in Xu and Maley, that’s already a great sign ahead of a highly anticipated season. 
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<h2>Phoenix Mercury</h2>
In Phoenix’s first preseason game, one thing stood out: Kahleah Copper’s green light. 
Copper had 16 points in seven minutes in the first half, and she was far and away the Mercury’s biggest threat on all three levels. With Satou Sabally having left for the New York Liberty in free agency, Phoenix is back to relying a ton on Copper’s midrange and three-point shooting to generate offense in a pinch. She showed in this first preseason bout that she is more than capable of maintaining her hot shooting from last postseason. 
In addition to Copper, Natasha Mack and Alyssa Thomas both looked ready to go for Phoenix. All three were getting to the basket without hesitation, while Thomas looked comfortable in her rightful spot as floor general for the Mercury. She finished up with a team-high eight assists. Phoenix’s chemistry will be one of their strongest qualities in 2026, with those three players from their 2025 Finals squad serving as hubs for the team.  
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<h2>Portland Fire</h2>
The Fire got some incredible contributions from their international players, with Luisa Geiselsöder, Carla Leite, and Nyadiew Puoch all impressing in their minutes for Portland. Geiselsöder was especially electric, hitting 50 percent of her three-point attempts and shooting 60 percent from the field overall. 
Puoch and Leite took a bit longer to get going, but both finished up with stuffed stat sheets. Puoch’s defense was on immediate display in the Fire’s preseason debut, adding three rebounds, two steals, and a block. Leite, who endeared herself to Golden State Valkyries fans last season thanks to her relentless style of play, finished up with 12 points, five assists, and two rebounds on 50 percent shooting from the field. 
These players’ efforts, in addition to the solid team defense from the entire Fire squad, have definitely helped to show that the Fire aren’t going to be an easy out in any game this season. 
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<h2>Seattle Storm</h2>
<div id="attachment_259717" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-259717" class="wp-image-259717" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273794102-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273794102-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273794102-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273794102-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273794102-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273794102-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273794102-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Flau&#8217;jae Johnson #4 of the Seattle Storm</div>
The Storm boast a frontcourt that should terrify the entire WNBA. Dominique Malonga, Ezi Magbegor, and now Awa Fam Thiam will all be a part of Seattle’s rebuild, and what incredible players to have leading that effort. 
However, it wasn’t Seattle’s frontcourt that stood out in their preseason debut &#8211; it was their guard room. Rookie Flau’jae Johnson, probably the surprise of no one who’s followed her career at LSU, didn’t look scared of the moment in her own debut. She had 20 points in 19 minutes on 5-12 shooting from the field, coupled with three rebounds and an assist. Lexie Brown contributed significant minutes for the Storm, with her three steals and six rebounds providing strong defensive pressure for Seattle. Zia Cooke, following an excellent season with Athletes Unlimited’s basketball league, contributed 19 points in 18 minutes. 
The Storm might be in a rebuild on paper, but their current roster &#8211; stacked with veteran guard talent and ascending stars &#8211; seems to say otherwise. 
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<h2>Toronto Tempo</h2>
The Tempo’s home debut did not disappoint. Their first preseason game came with a loss, but there were plenty of highlight-worthy moments to build off of from that contest. Lexi Held, who was taken by the Tempo during the expansion draft, had the biggest performance of the night &#8211; 21 points on 62.5 percent shooting from three-point range, in addition to two steals, two assists, and a block. She clearly hasn’t missed a step since her breakout season with the Phoenix Mercury in 2025. 
Sharpshooting across the board doesn’t seem like it’ll be an issue for Toronto this season. Held, Aaliyah Nye, Kiki Rice, and soon, Marina Mabrey, will all be threats from long range for head coach Sandy Brondello’s offense. That should go a long way towards getting bigs like Temi Fagbenle and Nyara Sabally comfortable with the team. 
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<h2>Washington Mystics</h2>
The Mystics turned heads in this year’s draft, taking an exorbitant amount of bigs rather than focusing on a position of need, guard. After trading Jacy Sheldon to the Chicago Sky this offseason, it felt like a no-brainer that they’d focus on a fairly good guard class in this draft. Instead, they took three standout bigs in the first round: Lauren Betts, Angela Dugalić, and Cotie McMahon.
There might’ve been some concern about how these pieces would fit into the Mystics’ roster prior to their first preseason game, but after, it’s very clear that they hit on all three selections. Betts was a defensive force in the paint, picking up a block, steal, and three defensive rebounds in 23 minutes on the floor. McMahon was the exact tweener guard-forward that Washington’s been missing from their depth chart, providing rim pressure in transition and picking up two steals. 
The Mystics are still missing some pop from three-point range, but they likely hope to get that from McMahon and Dugalić once they settle into their roles in the WNBA.

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Rapid Reactions: How All 15 Teams Fared in Preseason Debuts

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: March. Where superstars are made. Where shots become historic. Where teams hoist trophies. As we gear up for a month-long women’s basketball frenzy with today’s stars like UConn’s Azzi Fudd, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, and UCLA’s Lauren Betts, let’s flash back to some WNBA greats who made their mark during the Big Dance in the 1990s before they were pros. 
These players deserve their due for how they captivated audiences en route to winning a national championship. As a nod to the viral social media trend, “What were you like in the ‘90s?” let’s go down memory lane while “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls serenades in the background. 
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<h2 style="text-align: center">Jennifer Azzi, Stanford (1986–1990)</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-257751" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-314250-688x1024.jpg" alt="" width="538" height="800" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-314250-688x1024.jpg 688w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-314250-202x300.jpg 202w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-314250-768x1143.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-314250-1032x1536.jpg 1032w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-314250-1376x2048.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-314250-scaled.jpg 1720w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 538px) 100vw, 538px" />
Before Azzi was an Olympic gold medalist with the 1996 Dreamers and a member of the WNBA Top 20@20, the point guard led Stanford to its first women’s basketball National Championship in 1990. They defeated Auburn, and her future Olympic teammate and WNBA foe Ruthie Bolton, in a thrilling 88-81 victory. Stanford trailed in the first half, but rallied back thanks to Azzi’s 17 points.  
Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer knew her Cardinals were going to win it all that 1990 season. She hung a sign on the locker room door: “1990 National champions. Get comfortable with it.” 
“Not winning never entered our minds,” Azzi <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/annkillion/article/In-Tara-they-trusted-Stanford-s-1990-16053720.php">said</a>.
That year, Azzi racked up the awards. She was named the Wade Trophy winner, Naismith Player of the Year, and the tournament’s most outstanding player. Azzi was drafted fifth overall in the 1999 WNBA draft by the Detroit Shock, who reached the playoffs in her first season. She then played three seasons with the San Antonio Silver Stars, leading the league in the 3-point percentage in both 1999 and 2001.
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center">Sheryl Swoopes, Texas Tech (1991–1993)</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-257752" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-295331-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="533" height="800" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-295331-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-295331-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-295331-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-295331-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-295331-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-295331-1365x2048.jpg 1365w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px" />
Swoopes was on a mission in 1993. Her Texas Tech Lady Raiders entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the West Regional and demolished everyone in their path to reach the National Championship game. They’d face No. 1 overall seed Ohio State, and future WNBA legend Katie Smith, for the title. 
Swoopes scored a Final Four record of 47 points (16-24 from the field and 11-11 from the free-throw line) in the upset, being named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Her 144 total tournament points (35.4 ppg) in a five-game stretch still holds 30 years later. It was her 17th 30-plus game. 
“There are no words to describe what a great player she is,” head coach Marsha Sharp <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-05-sp-19403-story.html">said of Swoopes then</a>. “I’ve never seen a player who can dominate a game like she can. She’s the greatest player of her time, and she does everything with so much class. She has a certain charisma—it’s why all our people love her so much.”
It was not only women’s basketball’s first title, but it was also the first National Championship in any sport at Texas Tech. 
The Texas native would go on to win the first four championships in WNBA history with the Houston Comets, and would finish her Hall-of-Fame career as a three-time MVP, six-time All-Star, and three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center">Charlotte Smith, North Carolina (1991–1995)</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-257753" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-2002807-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="535" height="800" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-2002807-scaled.jpg 1712w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-2002807-201x300.jpg 201w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-2002807-685x1024.jpg 685w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-2002807-768x1149.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-2002807-1027x1536.jpg 1027w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-2002807-1369x2048.jpg 1369w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 535px) 100vw, 535px" />
Trailing by two points with 0.7 seconds left, North Carolina’s coach Sylvia Hatchell burned back-to-back timeouts. The first huddle’s play was drawn for a 6-foot-5 center, Sylvia Crawley, to catch a lob and finish at the rim. But Louisiana Tech quickly caught on and clogged the paint. The next whistle, a new one was drawn up: a baseline out-of-bounds play that would go for the win. Junior forward Charlotte Smith started on the ball-side block in a box set. On the whistle, she screened diagonally. Tech’s miscommunication left Smith wide open for a weak-side 3. The hometown kid sinks it. UNC’s lone title is stamped as one of the most thrilling title finishes ever.
“When I look back at that moment, the magnitude of it is still pretty shocking because it created waves all over the world,” Smith <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-women/article/2022-02-16/1994-womens-ncaa-tournament-north-carolinas-charlotte-smith-remembers-buzzer">reminisces</a>. “It put not only women’s basketball on the map and UNC women’s basketball on the map, but Charlotte Smith became a household name.”
Smith was selected 33rd overall in the 1999 draft by the Charlotte Sting, then also played for the Washington Mystics and the Indiana Fever. She’d play eight seasons in the WNBA before getting into coaching; after serving as a long-time assistant coach at UNC, she took over at Elon University and led them to their first NCAA tournament bid in history. 
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center">Rebecca Lobo, Connecticut (1991–1995)</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-257754" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-280422-e1774456985332.jpg" alt="" width="562" height="800" />
UConn’s first unblemished season came in 1995 with six-foot-four Lobo in the center, and it would go down as one of the most dominant seasons ever. They went a perfect 35-0, and won every regular-season game by double digits. They set the record for the highest average scoring margin at 33.2. (<a href="https://justwomenssports.com/reads/uconn-womens-basketball-undefeated-regular-season-31-0-2026/#:~:text=However%2C%20the%20Huskies%20went%20on,third%2Dhighest%20in%20DI%20history.">This season’s UConn team</a> is winning by a whopping 37.8 ppg. Sheesh.) 
Lobo was crowned the Naismith Player of the Year, the Wade Trophy, and AP Player of the Year for averaging a near double-double (17.1 points, 9.8 rebounds). Soon after the confetti and the national championship celebrations concluded, Lobo was headed to join Team USA — she skipped her college graduation to attend tryouts — and won gold with the 1996 Olympic squad. 
She was one of the founding players of the WNBA with the New York Liberty, was an All-Star in 1999, and is a part of the Naismith Hall of Fame. 
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center">Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (1995–1999)</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-257755" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-395005-scaled-e1774457155924.jpg" alt="" width="533" height="800" />
Before Holdsclaw was the No. 1 WNBA draft pick in 1999 and had a historic career for the Washington Mystics, she was wreaking havoc for Pat Summitt’s Tennessee Lady Vols. She’s the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She won three national championships (1996, 1997, and 1998), was the back-to-back MOP in 1997 and 1998, and was the back-to-back Naismith Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999. 
She was also one part of the “Three Meeks”: Semeka Randall, Tamika Catchings, and Holdsclaw. Mik, Meek, and Mique. Not only did they share the same middle syllable, but they shared the same winning desire at Tennessee. “We wanted to go out there and dominate and embarrass people,” Holdsclaw would say decades later. During the 1998 season, they did. A perfect 39-0 with a fairytale national championship ending. They each knew their role: Randall was the floor general, orchestrating Summitt’s offense to a T. Catchings was the defensive wizard, picking pockets and taking names. Holdsclaw was a precisionist, slicing through the defense like she was a contestant on Iron Chef. Together, they molded into a three-headed Meekmonster, virtually impossible to contain. 
Holdsclaw was a six-time WNBA All-Star, getting her first start as a rookie, and won Olympic gold in 2000. 
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center">Stephanie White, Purdue (1995–1999)</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-257757" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/03/GettyImages-401663-scaled-e1774457260866.jpg" alt="" width="536" height="800" />
When the game clock struck zero on March 28, 1999, in San Jose, CA, Purdue’s All-American Stephanie White and her head coach Carolyn Peck were national champions. The top-ranked Boilermakers handily beat Duke, 62-45, despite White going down with a severe ankle injury with only four minutes to go in the contest. It was Peck’s last game before heading to the WNBA to be the coach and GM of the Orlando Miracle. The 17,753 fans in the San Jose Arena went wild, and chanted “One more year!” as she cut down the net.
They wish they could’ve said the same for White, who in her senior year nabbed the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year, Wade Trophy, and the Honda Sports Award while averaging 20.2 points per game. She’s still the Boilermakers’ third all-time leading scorer. 
White was drafted by the Charlotte Sting in 1999, then played the rest of her six-year WNBA career with the Indiana Fever. But White took to coaching early on, even while she was still playing pro. In the WNBA, she’s made stops in Chicago and Connecticut, where she won Coach of the Year in 2023, before returning to the Fever as head coach in 2025. 
Jordan Robinson is a freelance journalist, author, host, analyst, and content creator based in Los Angeles, CA.

a-look-back-at-tournament-greats

March Icons: A Look Back at Tournament Greats

It&#8217;s 2025 WNBA Assists Week! Who had the best dime-dropping action from the 2025 season?
<hr />
<h2>Best Team: Minnesota Lynx</h2>
The Minnesota Lynx have established themselves as one of the most efficient passing teams in WNBA history. In the 2025 season, the Lynx averaged 23.3 assists per game, ranking third all-time in single-season assist averages. This follows their 2024 season where they averaged 23.0 assists per game.
With these back-to-back seasons, the Lynx now account for two of the four instances in league history where a team averaged 23+ assists per game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/minnesotalynx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@minnesotalynx</a> led the league with 746 assisted catch and shoots this szn, a masterclass in timing and touch.
See how these dimes turned into pure rhythm! 👇<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBAAssistsWeek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBAAssistsWeek</a> | Powered by GeniusIQ <a href="https://t.co/hlGHRaQeAC">pic.twitter.com/hlGHRaQeAC</a>
&mdash; WNBA (@WNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1986841337396662422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<hr />
<h2>Best Player: Alyssa Thomas</h2>
With a 2025 campaign highlighted by a record-breaking eight triple-double performances, Alyssa Thomas set the record for most total assists in a regular season (357) over 39 games. Her 9.15 APG led the league and marked the second-highest regular season APG average in WNBA history.
Thomas made history by becoming the first player to record three seasons with 300+ assists.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Of course we&#39;re leading the week with the season assists leader 👏
Alyssa Thomas delivered elite pace and vision all year, averaging 9.2 APG and recording her third 300+ assist season.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBAAssistsWeek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBAAssistsWeek</a> <a href="https://t.co/VPEE5jhc7K">pic.twitter.com/VPEE5jhc7K</a>
&mdash; WNBA (@WNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1985380989950889997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<hr />
<h3>Best Performance: Alyssa Thomas (August 22, 2025)</h3>
On August 22, 2025, Thomas delivered one of the most memorable performances of the season, dishing out 16 assists in a single game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The top single-game assist performances of the szn ✔️
Alyssa Thomas recorded a <a href="https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@phoenixmercury</a> franchise record against the Valkyries with 16 AST to go along with 13 PTS and 12 REB.
Thomas finished the szn as the league leader in AST!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBAAssistsWeek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBAAssistsWeek</a> <a href="https://t.co/jhvEemSOC5">pic.twitter.com/jhvEemSOC5</a>
&mdash; WNBA (@WNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1986177476674916722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<hr />
<h3>Top 10 Assists of the Year</h3>
Check out the best dimes from the 2025 season!
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Top 10 Assists of the 2025 Season" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/440-EA_0kR4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

2025-wnba-assists-week

2025 WNBA Assists Week: Best in Ball Movement

2025 Playoffs

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-199787" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1.png" alt="" width="2560" height="100" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1.png 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1-300x12.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1-1024x40.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1-768x30.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1-1536x60.png 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/06/2560-x-100-1-2048x80.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />
Editor&#8217;s Note: Read more WNBA coverage from the Athletic <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/wnba/">here</a>. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its teams.
***
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-205369" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2240353739-1.jpg" alt="A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces celebrates with head coach Becky Hammon after winning Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2240353739-1.jpg 5315w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/GettyImages-2240353739-1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
PHOENIX — For a while, Becky Hammon grew used to being overlooked. Not recruited by the biggest college programs, undrafted by the WNBA and perpetually passed over by NBA teams looking for head coaches.
It ate at her. Hammon is hypercompetitive, the product of a household that made everything into a game. Nothing was fun unless you were keeping score.
“No one ever picks me,” Hammon said during her first season in Las Vegas.
The Aces, however, did. They moved on from head coach Bill Laimbeer, who had won three WNBA championships and picked Hammon as their future coach, the person to lead them in their next chapter.
Now, Hammon is the standard of excellence in the WNBA, the owner of the greatest coaching record in finals history (10-2) as Las Vegas collected its third title in four years in a sweep of the Phoenix Mercury with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6708093/2025/10/10/las-vegas-aces-wnba-championship-sweep-phoenix-mercury/" data-index="0">Friday night’s 97-86 victory</a>. She is one of four coaches in WNBA history to win three titles. The league’s newest dynasty is a product of her creation.
Hammon was a Hall of Fame player. She trained under one of the best coaches in NBA history, serving as an assistant under Gregg Popovich for seven seasons and having a front-row seat to the rapid evolution of the modern game. Her basketball bona fides and her understanding of the X’s and O’s are unimpeachable. Hammon knows how to push the right buttons on the court with her team.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“This one hits different because it is different.” 🥹
— Becky Hammon after the <a href="https://twitter.com/LVAces?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LVAces</a> championship-clinching Game 4 performance.
 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBAFinals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBAFinals</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/YouTubeTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YouTubeTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/dJv4I6RI5U">pic.twitter.com/dJv4I6RI5U</a>
&mdash; WNBA (@WNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1976882547650068953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
She coached a masterclass series against the Mercury. Turning to a zone defense in the second half of Game 1 suffocated Phoenix’s offense, denying Alyssa Thomas the middle of the floor and turning the tide of the game. The defensive adjustments on the Mercury’s middle pick-and-roll, with the guards digging in on Thomas’ dribble, continued to fluster Phoenix throughout.
In the third game, already armed with a 2-0 lead, Hammon went for the jugular. The Aces had poor starts in both of their wins, so she made a preemptive adjustment with a box-and-one on Kahleah Copper. It had the dual outcomes of helping her team lock in at the beginning of the game to implement a new defense and further confuse the Mercury’s offense.
“We ran into a team that has been through it together. We ran into a team that had the ultimate belief and trust that they could get it done as a unit with a great coach that has been through this,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said.
Despite winning with a sweep, this is arguably not even the best finals series Hammon has coached, considering she won a clinching game on the road in 2023 without two starters, designing a new scheme on the fly and trusting that her team would respond.
However, it was the intangibles Hammon brought to Las Vegas that allowed a team that was knocking on the door — a finals loss in 2020 and semifinals defeats in 2019 and 2021 — to push through into immortality.
The Aces love Hammon for her creativity and the specific ways she works with each player.
“She does a really good job of just finding ways to connect with each player, finding different ways for us to stay focused,” Aces guard Jewell Loyd said. “But also, it’s never boring, whether it’s an animal analogy and just finding ways to connect, whether it’s music, art or storytelling.”
Hammon’s father was a storyteller. She said he once told her and her siblings the plot of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” on a family road trip, but changed the names of the characters to the names of his children. He always wanted to make sure there was a lesson in every tale. Hammon has commissioned the Las Vegas content team to produce videos that tell a story for her players; none resonated more than a midseason feature titled “The Champions Who Lost Their Way.” on many occasions, Hammon went back to that video for motivation.
Hammon gave each player a plant with a special message on it at the start of the season. For Kierstan Bell, who had just lost her father, the message was to “keep choosing joy.” Most of the players didn’t have green thumbs and weren’t accustomed to caring for plants, especially with their itinerant lifestyles. But they honed in on a new challenge — Loyd, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray all bragged to Hammon on the championship podium that their plants are still alive — and ran with the metaphor all season of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6679057/2025/10/01/las-vegas-aces-wnba-finals-return/" data-index="7">being planted, not buried.</a>
When Las Vegas was struggling earlier in the season, she had the players watch the movie Thunderbirds, a film about the U.S. Air Force squadron. The goal was for the players to see blind trust in action, a feeling they were missing on the court. It was an ethos Hammon tried to reinforce with an egg-walking activity where players were blindfolded on a mat with their teammates and had to navigate to the other side backwards without crushing any eggs.
There are many other Hammon-isms in her inspirational toolkit: animal analogies, the acronyms and more. One of her pet words of choice is “grace” — each Aces player has to run her race and be given grace. The path may not have been what they expected at the beginning of the season, but it was their specific journey.
“It’s not just her basketball mind, it’s because she can form relationships and bonds,” finals MVP A’ja Wilson said. “That’s when you see winning cultures is when your leader is so poured into you. You want to win and play for her, so we’re grateful. Obviously, (Hammon) keeps bringing championships to Vegas, and we’re just happy to be on the ride.”
In the modern era of the WNBA, Las Vegas is the standard, the team the rest of the league continues to chase. Hammon may have come from humble beginnings, but there is nothing ordinary or overlooked about her story now.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/sabreena-merchant/" aria-label="Sabreena Merchant's Author Page">Sabreena Merchant</a> is a women&#8217;s basketball Staff Writer for The Athletic. She previously covered the WNBA and NBA for SB Nation. Sabreena is an alum of Duke University, where she wrote for the independent student newspaper, The Chronicle. She is based in Los Angeles. Follow Sabreena on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/sabreenajm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Follow Sabreena on Twitter">@sabreenajm</a>

becky-hammon-architect-wnba-dynasty

How Las Vegas Aces Coach Becky Hammon Became Architect of a WNBA Dynasty

The stage for the 2025 WNBA Finals presented by YouTube TV is set.
The second-seeded Las Vegas Aces will face the fourth-seeded Phoenix Mercury in the first-ever best-of-seven series in WNBA history to decide the league&#8217;s 29th champion.
Finals Schedule
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Game 1: Mercury at Aces (Friday, Oct. 3, 8 ET, ESPN)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Game 2: Mercury at Aces (Sunday, Oct. 5, 3 ET, ABC)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Game 3: Aces at Mercury (Wednesday, Oct. 8, 8 ET, ESPN)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Game 4: Aces at Mercury (Friday, Oct. 10, 8 ET, ESPN)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Game 5: Mercury at Aces (Sunday, Oct. 12, 3 ET, ABC)*</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Game 6: Aces at Mercury (Wednesday, Oct. 15, 8 ET, ESPN)*</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Game 7: Mercury at Aces (Friday, Oct. 17, 8 ET, ESPN)*</li>
</ul>
*If necessary
How They Got Here
Aces: Las Vegas entered the playoffs on a 16-game win streak, but went the distance in both playoff rounds to return to the Finals stage following a one-year absence.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Regular Season: Sitting at .500 (14-14) through 28 games, the Aces won their final 16 games to finish 30-14 and earn the 2 seed</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">First Round: Defeated the Seattle Storm in three games (2-1)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Semifinals: Defeated the Indiana Fever in five games (3-2)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Finals: Making their third Finals appearance in last four seasons (fifth overall: 2008 as the San Antonio Silver Stars, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025), and seeking third championship in franchise history (2022, 2023)</li>
</ul>
Mercury: Phoenix defeated last year’s two finalists – the defending champion Liberty and runner-up Lynx – in the first season of their new-look squad following the retirement of Diana Taurasi and departure of Brittney Griner as part of a roster overhaul.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Regular Season: Despite dropping their final three games, the Mercury finished two wins shy of a franchise record at 27-17 to earn the 4 seed</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">First Round: Defeated the New York Liberty in three games (2-1)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Semifinals: Defeated the Minnesota Lynx in four games (3-1)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Finals: Making their first Finals appearance since 2021 (sixth overall: 1998, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2021, 2025), and seeking fourth championship in franchise history (2007, 2009, 2014)</li>
</ul>
Regular Season Series
Las Vegas won the season series over Phoenix, 3-1, with three of the four games decided by six points or less.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">June 15: <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/game/1022500070">Mercury 76, Aces 70</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">June 29: <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/game/1022500106">Aces 84, Mercury 81</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Aug. 15: <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/game/1022500215">Aces 86, Mercury 83</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Aug. 21: <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/game/1022500231">Aces 83, Mercury 61</a></li>
</ul>
The Aces were led by four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, who averaged 25 points and 15.7 rebounds over three games (all Aces wins) against Phoenix, while Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray each averaged 14+ points and 5+ assists while playing all four games.
The Mercury were led by All-Stars Satou Sabally, who averaged a team-high 18.3 points along with 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 triples over four games, while triple-double queen Alyssa Thomas stuffed the stat sheet, averaging 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.8 steals over the four matchups.
Series Breakdown: 3 Things To Watch
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-204861" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/unnamed-1.png" alt="" width="512" height="341" />
1. Strength vs. Strength
This matchup sees the best offense of the postseason (Las Vegas) against the best defense of the postseason (Phoenix).
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The Aces lead the WNBA playoffs in offensive rating (108.9), points per game (87.0) and effective field goal percentage (53.9%) over eight games.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The Mercury lead the WNBA playoffs in defensive rating (92.2) and fewest opponent points per game (75.9), while allowing the third-lowest effective field goal percentage (45.5%) over seven games.</li>
</ul>
The must-see matchup in this series is Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson vs. Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas, who finished first and third, respectively, in MVP voting this year. Both serve as their team’s centerpiece on both ends of the court.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">On offense, Wilson led the league in scoring (23.4 ppg), while Thomas led the league in assists (9.2 apg).</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">On defense, Wilson led the league in blocks (2.3 bpg), while both players finished top five in steals and rebounding.</li>
</ul>
How will Phoenix try to contain the scoring from Wilson, who is coming off a 35-point effort in Game 5 against Indiana to set the WNBA record for most career 30+ point playoff games (8)? This year, the Aces are 14-2 between the regular season and playoffs when Wilson scores 30+ points. 
Between Thomas, Sabally and Natasha Mack, the Mercury have tough post defenders to throw at Wilson as it will take a team effort to keep the MVP from getting buckets.
Conversely, can the Aces slow down Thomas as a playmaker and prevent AT from distributing to her teammates? Between the regular season (13-3) and playoffs (3-0), the Mercury are 16-3 this season when AT drops at least 10 dimes. Finding a way to make “The Engine” more of a scorer than a passer could be key for Vegas.
In 26 career head-to-head matchups, Wilson has a 17-9 edge over Thomas, including a 6-3 record in the playoffs as Wilson’s Aces eliminated Thomas’ Sun in both 2020 (Semifinals) and 2022 (Finals).
2. Which Team Will Win Clutch Time?
With three of their four regular season matchups being decided by six points or less, we can expect close games throughout this series. That means the team that executes best in the pressure-packed closing minutes will have the best shot at hoisting the WNBA championship trophy this month.
Throughout the regular season and postseason, the Aces and Mercury have been two of the best teams in the league in clutch situations – defined as the final five minutes with the score within five points.
During the regular season, the Aces went a league-best 14-5 (.737 win percentage) in clutch games, with the Mercury not far behind with the third-highest win percentage at 13-8 (.619). In the playoffs, six of Phoenix’s seven games have featured clutch time and the Mercury have gone 4-2 in those games, while Vegas is 2-2 in clutch playoff games.
Keep an eye on these players as the clock ticks down in the fourth quarter.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Alyssa Thomas (PHX): Tied for fifth in total clutch points (50) and first in clutch assists (17) while shooting 74.1% (20-of-27) – second among players with 10+ shot attempts.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Jackie Young (LVA): Tied with Thomas with 50 total clutch points, while posting 50-50-100 shooting splits, showing off the ice water in her veins by going 21-of-21 at the line.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Jewell Loyd (LVA): The only player to shoot a higher percentage than AT was Loyd, who shot 75% (9-of-12), including tying for the league-high in clutch 3-pointers made with six on just seven attempts (85.7%).</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Satou Sabally (PHX) and A’ja Wilson (LVA): Tied for 12th in clutch scoring with 40 points apiece, with Wilson leading all players in clutch plus/minus at +52 in 47 minutes.</li>
</ul>
3. AT Chasing Elusive WNBA Title
After an eight-year run of contention in Connecticut &#8212; including WNBA Finals losses in 2019 (to Washington) and 2022 (to Las Vegas) &#8212; Alyssa Thomas joined the Mercury in the offseason as part of a historic 10-team trade.
She was part of a roster overhaul for the Mercury, who carried over only two players from 2024 to 2025 – Kahleah Copper and Mack. The city may have changed for Thomas, but AT’s all-around excellence (single-season record nine triple-doubles, more than any other player in league history for their career) led to another deep playoff run.
While Thomas has racked up plenty of accolades over the course of her WNBA career – she’s a six-time All-Star, a three-time All-WNBA performer (likely to soon to be four-time), a six-time All-Defensive Team selection (likely to soon to be seven-time), a season-long league lead in three different categories (steals in 2020, rebounds in 2023, assists in 2025) – the ultimate prize of a WNBA title (and potential Finals MVP) has eluded her thus far.
Will the third WNBA Finals appearance be the charm for Thomas to add champion to her already outstanding resume.
Potential X-Factors To Watch
AT Triple-Double Watch: The Mercury are 8-1 this season when Alyssa Thomas records a triple-double, including her 20-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist performance in the series-clinching win over New York in the first round.
DB Back In The Valley: After being released by Indiana, DeWanna Bonner signed with the Mercury as a free agent, returning to Phoenix, where she played her first 10 WNBA seasons and won two titles (2009, 2014). The Mercury are 8-2 this season (including the playoffs) when Bonner scores 13+ points.
Trio Of Finals MVPs: Three of the last four players to be named WNBA Finals MVP will be in this series: Las Vegas&#8217; A&#8217;ja Wilson (2023) and Chelsea Gray (2022) as well as Phoenix&#8217;s Kahleah Copper (2021 with Chicago). All three players possess the skills to take over a game at any time and have proven to be players that can single-handedly swing a series.
Jewell Looking For More Gold: Already a two-time champion during her decade-long run in Seattle, Loyd is in her first season in Vegas following an offseason trade. Loyd’s midseason move to a reserve role coincided with Las Vegas’ season-ending run to the 2 seed. She’s averaged 12.1 points on 40.9% 3-point shooting off the bench.
Limited Travel: With Las Vegas and Phoenix separated by just 300 miles, travel between the two cities should be a breeze in this duel of the desert – compared to a matchup of teams on opposing coasts – giving both teams more time to recover and prepare for each ensuing game.

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2025 WNBA Finals Preview: (2) Las Vegas Aces vs. (4) Phoenix Mercury

After a thrilling opening round, the field is down to four as the best-of-five Semi-Finals tip off on Sunday with an ABC/ESPN doubleheader.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Semi-Finals No. 1: Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces: 3 p.m. ET, ABC</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Semi-Finals No. 2: Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx: 5 p.m. ET, ESPN</li>
</ul>
How good was the first round? Three of the four best-of-three series went the distance, with every clinching game coming down to the wire. The four series-clinching games were decided by a total of 10 points, including three by two points or less.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Mercury 79, Liberty 73 (Game 3): Alyssa Thomas’ 5th career playoff triple-double powered Phoenix past the defending champs</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Fever 87, Dream 85 (Game 3): Indy pulled off the upset on the road to be the final Eastern Conference team standing</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Aces 74, Storm 73 (Game 3): A’ja Wilson dropped 38 points and Jackie Young had the game-winning putback for Vegas</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Lynx 75, Valkyries 74 (Game 2): Napheesa Collier and the Lynx rallied in the 4th quarter on the road to end the Valkyries inaugural season</li>
</ul>
While we are guaranteed a new champion after the Liberty were eliminated by Phoenix, the four remaining teams are all familiar with the Finals stage and have at least one championship trophy in their case. Each team also features one of the five finalists for the Kia MVP.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Lynx: Look to extend record with 8th Finals appearance, going for record 5th WNBA title (first since 2017)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Aces: Seeking 5th Finals appearance, going for 3rd WNBA title (all in past four seasons)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Mercury: Seeking 6th Finals appearances, going for 4th WNBA title (first since 2014)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Fever: Seeking 4th Finals appearance, going for 2nd WNBA title (first since 2012)</li>
</ul>
Let’s take a closer look at the four remaining teams and the two series that will determine which teams compete for the 2025 WNBA championship.
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(1) Minnesota Lynx vs. (4) Phoenix Mercury
The Teams: How They Got Here
Minnesota: 34-10 regular season for No. 1 seed, eliminated Golden State (2-0) in first round
The Lynx were the only team to sweep its first round opponent – outscoring Golden State 26-11 in the 4th quarter to win Game 2 on the road – but had to wait until the final buzzer of the final game of the opening round to learn their Semi-Finals opponent.
MVP finalist Napheea Collier hit the go-ahead jumper to cap off Minnesota’s rally in Minnesota’s series-clinching win. She finished with 24 points and seven boards, while Kayla McBride added 18 points and two steals for the Lynx. Minnesota had the top-ranked defense during the regular season (97.5 def rating) and was stingier in the first round (95.4).
Phoenix: 27-17 regular season for No. 4 seed, defeated New York (2-1) in first round
After dropping Game 1 at home, the Mercury bounced back with their largest win on the road (+26) since the 2021 postseason, setting up a winner-take-all Game 3 back in Phoenix.
Behind Alyssa Thomas’ 9th triple-double of the season – the first 20-point playoff triple-double in WNBA playoff history – along with Satou Sabally’s 23/12 double-double and clutch buckets from DeWanna Bonner and Kahleah Copper in the final 75 seconds, the Mercury outlasted the Liberty to advance.
The Matchup: Three Things to Know
1. Lynx Won Season Series, 3-1
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">May 30: <a href="https://www.wnba.com/game/1022500038">Lynx 74, Mercury 71</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">June 3: <a href="https://www.wnba.com/game/1022500046">Lynx 88, Mercury 65</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">July 9: <a href="https://www.wnba.com/game/1022500125">Mercury 79, Lynx 71</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">July 16: <a href="https://www.wnba.com/game/1022500142">Lynx 79, Mercury 66</a></li>
</ul>
Since these teams have not met in over two months, they have not faced each other at full strength until now. For Phoenix, Copper missed all four regular season matchups, while Thomas, Sabally and Bonner each appeared in two games. For Minnesota, Collier missed one game, but the Lynx still got the win.
2. MVP Finalist vs. MVP Finalist
The must-see matchup in this series is between league MVP finalists Collier and Thomas as two of the most dominant two-way forwards in the game go head-to-head. Unlike the other series, which features a guard and a forward in the MVP race, these two will guard each other each night looking for an edge for their respective teams.
Head-to-Head Stats This Season
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Collier: 15.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.3 apg, 54.1% FG, +11.3 over three games</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Thomas: 20.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 7.0 apg, 46.5% FG over two games</li>
</ul>
Collier led the league in scoring for much of the season until a late-season ankle injury coupled with A’ja Wilson’s late season surge. Collier finished the season ranked top five in points (2nd, 22.9 ppg), steals (3rd, 1.6 spg) and blocks (5th, 1.5 bpg).
Thomas had twice as many triple-doubles in her debut season in Phoenix (eight in the regular season, nine including playoffs) than any player has had in their entire career (Sabrina Ionescu has four). Thomas led the league in assists (9.2 apg), while finishing top five in rebounds (3rd, 8.8 rpg) and steals (5th, 1.6 spg).
Of course, if the two MVP candidates play each other to a draw, who else could be the ultimate difference maker in this series? For Phoenix, look at Sabally (20.5 ppg vs. Minnesota this season) and Copper (2021 Finals MVP) to step up. For Minnesota, watch McBride and Courtney Williams in the backcourt along with co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith.
3. Which Defense Prevails
This series is a matchup of two of the top five defenses in the league – Minnesota finished first (97.5 DefRtg), while Phoenix finished fifth (100.4). 
In their four regular-season matchups, both were held to their lowest scoring average against any opponent – 78.0 ppg for Minnesota, 70.3 ppg for Phoenix. The Lynx held the Mercury to 16.3% (16-of-98) shooting from 3-point range, while the Mercury forced the Lynx into 18.5 turnovers per game – nearly two more than they had against any other opponent.
Both teams rank in the top four in opponent turnovers – 15.4 (2nd) for Minnesota and 15.0 (4th) for Phoenix, which means limiting turnovers and not allowing easy buckets in transition will be key in this series for both teams.
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(2) Las Vegas Aces vs. (6) Indiana Fever
The Teams: How They Got Here
Las Vegas: 30-14 regular season, won final 16 games to earn No. 2 seed, defeated Seattle (2-1) in first round.
No team entered the postseason hotter than the Aces and they kept rolling in Game 1 against Seattle, winning by 25 at home. However, the Storm battled back and edged out the Aces to snap the win streak at 17 straight games and force a decisive Game 3.
After suffering their first loss in 45 days and facing a win-or-go-home situation, the Aces got a massive game from A’ja Wilson – scoring 38 points and assisting on seven more (all by Jackie Young) to account for 60.8% of Las Vegas’ offense – to eliminate the Storm and advance to their seventh straight Semi-Finals.
For the series, Wilson averaged 29.3 ppg on 55.4% shooting along with 8.7 rpg, 2.3 spg and 2.0 bpg. Young averaged 19.0 ppg on 52.6-42.9-91.7 shooting splits – including the go-ahead tip-in with 12 seconds left to help seal Game 3 for Las Vegas.
Indiana: 24-20 regular season, won final three games to earn No. 6 seed, defeated Atlanta (2-1) in first round.
In a season filled with adversity – including five season-ending injuries – the Fever have shown a never-give-up attitude to reach the Semi-Finals for the first time since 2015.
After falling to the Dream in Atlanta in Game 1, the Fever bounced back in front of their home crowd to force a winner-take-all Game 3. Trailing by as many as eight points and down by five with 2:32 to play, the Fever ended the game on a 7-0 run, capped by Aliyah Boston’s game-winning layup with 7.4 seconds left.
With the win, the Fever are the lowest remaining seed and the final Eastern Conference representative in the playoffs as they get ready to take on Las Vegas for a spot in the Finals.
The Matchup: Three Things to Know
1. Fever Won Season Series 2-1
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">June 22: <a href="https://www.wnba.com/game/1022500087">Aces 89, Fever 81</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">July 3: <a href="https://www.wnba.com/game/1022500109">Fever 81, Aces 54</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">July 24: <a href="https://www.wnba.com/game/1022500153">Fever 80, Aces 70</a></li>
</ul>
All three of these games came before Las Vegas’ season-changing 16-game win streak to close the regular season as the Aces went from a .500 team (14-14) to the No. 2 seed in the league (30-14).
Wilson (24.3 ppg) and Young (14.7 ppg) led Las Vegas in the season series, but were the only two players to average double figures as the Fever held the Aces to season lows in points (71.0 ppg), 3-pointers made (3.7), 3-point percentage (21.6%) and assists (14.3). Las Vegas’ 54 points on July 3 were not only a season-low, but the fewest points the franchise had scored in any game in a decade.
For the Fever, Clark missed both of Indiana’s wins in the season series as MVP finalist Kelsey Mitchell led the way at 22.0 points per game while shooting 47.6% from beyond the arc. Boston nearly averaged a 20/10 at 19.7 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 54.0%.
2. Clash Of Top Four Offenses
While Mercury-Lynx could be a defensive battle with two top-five defenses, this series features two of the league’s top four offenses this season with Indy ranked 3rd (106.2 OffRtg) and Vegas ranked 4th (105.9). 
For the Aces, they ranked 9th in offense (101.0) prior to their win streak before closing the season ranked first (114.7 over the final 16 games) and second in the first round of the playoffs (111.6).
This series features two MVP finalists and top-three scorers in Wilson (23.4 ppg, 1st in WNBA) and Mitchell (career-high 20.2 ppg, 3rd in WNBA) that each carry the bulk of the scoring load for their respective teams.
In addition to the individual greatness of Wilson and Mitchell, both teams also generate offense from their defense – ranking in the top four in points off turnovers with Indiana third (16.9 ppg) and Las Vegas fourth (16.2). Which team will be able to create the most easy buckets in this series?
3. South Carolina Legends Face Off
A’ja Wilson set the blueprint – win a NCAA title at South Carolina as Final Four Most Outstanding Player (2017), become the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft a year later (2018), then go on to win MVPs (three with a possible fourth on the way) and championships (two with the Aces going for three).
Aliyah Boston has checked the first two items off that list as she led the Gamecocks to the 2022 NCAA title and was named MOP, and was taken with the top pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. While not a finalist in this MVP race, she is in contention to make her first All-WNBA Team and has the Fever in contention to reach their first Finals since 2012.
Watching these two battle in the paint over a five-game series may split Gamecocks fans, but will be a treat for everyone who loves the game to see two of the best battle each other each night.
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Playoff Power Rankings
Each week throughout the regular season, I ranked all 13 teams to go beyond the simple win-loss record and give a more complete look at each team’s overall strength and performance at that time in the season.
We’re keeping it going in the playoffs, with new rankings of the remaining teams at the end of each round. While Minnesota got the first round sweep, while Las Vegas needed three games to advance, I’m keeping the Aces at the top of the rankings entering their Semi-Finals matchup with the Fever.
<ol>
<li> Las Vegas Aces (1st Round: 1)</li>
<li> Minnesota Lynx (1st Round: 2)</li>
<li> Phoenix Mercury (1st Round: 5)</li>
<li> Indiana Fever (1st Round: 6)</li>
</ol>

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Semi-Finals Series Previews: 2025 WNBA Playoffs

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