First impressions aren’t permanent. But they matter. The first five days of the WNBA season are already providing a window into the league’s teams, their strengths and their struggles. Let’s take a first look at each of the 12 WNBA teams and what we know about them so far.

Atlanta. The Dream are 0-1 and looking for more of everything – scoring and rebounding, not to mention the defensive play that has been the Atlanta hallmark. The return of Tiffany Hayes, who has not played in a WNBA game in nearly two years, should inject some energy into this young group on both ends of the floor. Hayes, back from winning a championship in Spain, will be available for Wednesday night’s game against the Sky. Only two players on the Dream roster have played with Hayes. It will be interesting to see if it takes time for the chemistry to develop.

Chicago. The Sky won their first game with Candace Parker in the lineup, despite getting outrebounded thanks to a strong opening effort from Kahleah Copper with 19 points and eight rebounds. Re-signing rookie post Natasha Mack is a sign that Chicago wants more help inside. Chicago will face Atlanta on Wednesday before coming home for a five-game homestand that could set them up well for early-season success.

Connecticut. The Sun are going to rely on the new pairing of Jonquel Jones and DeWanna Bonner to lead them to another playoff berth and so far, it’s working as Connecticut gets off to a 2-0 start. Bonner is averaging 24 points a game, and Jones is averaging 20.5 points and 10 rebounds. After hosting Indiana on Wednesday, the Sun will go on the road for a tough three-game trip to Phoenix, Las Vegas and Seattle, a journey that will give them a lot of information about their place in the playoff race.

Dallas. The Wings are not waiting around for their young team to mature, they are ready to challenge right now after a statement win against Los Angeles in which they dominated the Sparks on both ends of the floor. Arike Ogunbowale is a double-figures machine, running her streak to 38 games against L.A. and No. 1 pick Charli Collier notched her first WNBA double-double. Collier was supposed to help the Wings become a better rebounding team and she is off to a good start as Dallas collected 45 rebounds in their opener, the team’s most since 2019.

Indiana. Two losses to an improved New York team shows that there is more work to do for the Fever to find their way out of the lower half of the WNBA standings. Playing consistent basketball is going to be key to turning this team around, said coach Marianne Stanley. As will find a way to knock down 3-pointers after a 3-for-21 performance from beyond the arc in the second game against the Liberty. Wednesday’s game against Connecticut on the road will then lead to a three-game homestand, which may help the Fever capture some momentum.

Las Vegas. Bill Laimbeer admitted after Saturday’s loss to Seattle that the Aces are not yet a “cohesive team”, with the loss of Angel McCoughtry and the addition of Chelsea Gray marking a transition point. But they are definitely a resilient team, bouncing back from a 14-point opening loss to Seattle to post a 16-point win against the defending champions. And Jackie Young was the catalyst with 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead six players in double figures. That kind of firepower is why the Aces are title favorites.

Los Angeles. A decisive loss to Dallas in the season opener left a mark on this proud team in the middle of moving into a new era without Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray. And next up during this transition period for L.A. comes Las Vegas, fresh of a dominant win over Seattle. The Sparks will need more than the 10 combined backcourt points they got from Brittney Sykes and Erica Wheeler in the opener.

Minnesota. A two-point loss to Phoenix, in a game decided by a Diana Taurasi buzzer-beater was no real reason for dismay from the Lynx, particularly without Napheesa Collier on the floor yet. But a second straight loss to New York is a little more concerning and shows that Minnesota is definitely missing Collier, who is in the Twin Cities, but likely won’t be able to take the floor with the Lynx for another week. Kayla McBride is off to a strong start and Sylvia Fowles put up 26 against the Liberty, but Minnesota needs another consistent scorer or two.

New York. In their first three games, the Liberty already have more wins than they had all of last season and their first 3-0 start in 14 years, including Tuesday night’s win over Minnesota that marked the first professional triple-double (but likely not the last) of Sabrina Ionescu’s young career, becoming the youngest player in league history to accomplish the feat. Winning builds confidence and having Ionescu and Betnijah Laney together on the floor builds even more. New York can prove itself even further in a pair of tough upcoming road games at Washington (Friday) and Chicago (Sunday).

Phoenix. A 2-1 start for the Mercury, including Tuesday night’s win over Washington gives Phoenix a good idea where it stands, very solidly in the playoff chase. Ten of 11 players scored in the 91-point effort against the Mystics and the addition of Kia Nurse has added some good offensive punch as they wait for Bria Hartley to eventually return from the torn ACL that ended her season a summer ago. Meanwhile, Diana Taurasi, averaging 16.7 points over the first three games, looks healthy and hungry.

Seattle. The Storm deflated preseason favorite Las Vegas in their season opener with a 14-point win and then took one on the chin against the Aces on Tuesday in a counterpunch battle with the team that looks best poised at this point to block their path to a title repeat. But Breanna Stewart is in MVP form with 54 points and 24 rebounds in her first two games. Next up is a challenging pair of games against Minnesota, still looking for its first win, and upstart Dallas.

Washington. In the absence of Elena Delle Donne – and it’s unclear at this point exactly how long EDD will be absent for – Tina Charles is going to need to be the bearer of the load. The Mystics got eight different scorers against Chicago, but Charles was the only one in double figures. On Tuesday against Phoenix, the Mystics again struggled to score nearly enough to keep up with one of the league’s most balanced offensive teams. Charles put up 22 and Natasha Cloud added 18. But Washington needs more. Ariel Atkins, who is 6 of 24 from the floor in her first two games, needs to warm up offensively.

An Ode to Mone

The prettiest jump shot any of us might ever see. A steely resolve and a quiet ending that doesn’t do justice to the decorated career of a 15-year veteran with four championships and the respect of an entire league. Thank you Seimone Augustus for being a consummate pro. Thank you for elevating the game with the same ease that you pulled up at mid-range. Thank you for setting a championship standard. You deserved a farewell tour. And the Sparks are lucky to have you on their bench.