With the 2025 preseason closing out tonight, the countdown to opening night is officially on, with the 29th WNBA season tipping off Friday with a three-game slate.

Saturday features the season’s first ABC doubleheader, beginning with a clash of the last two WNBA champions when the 2022 and 2023 champion Aces visit the 2024 champion Liberty, followed by the first meeting between last year’s rookie phenoms, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, in their first game as sophomores.

For this week’s power rankings, we’ll take a look at how each team fared in the preseason, but we’ll hold off on moving teams up and down the ladder until next week, once we have some regular-season games to evaluate.

1. New York Liberty

• Preseason: 0-1, play tonight
• Season Opener: Liberty vs. Aces (Saturday, 1 ET, ABC)

Tonight, Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabally will be back in the arena they lit up during their collegiate runs with the Oregon Ducks as the Liberty host the Toyota Antelopes at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. to close out the 2025 WNBA preseason.

In their only other preseason action, the Liberty fell to the Sun on Friday in a game that did not feature Breanna Stewart (rest) but did see Ionescu (8 pts, 6 ast) and Jonquel Jones (7 pts, 3 reb) play limited minutes in the 94-86 loss. It also saw Natasha Cloud score her first bucket in a Liberty uniform.

2. Minnesota Lynx

• Preseason: 1-1
• Season Opener: Lynx at Wings (Friday, 7:30 ET, ION)

In Minnesota’s final tune-up game on Saturday, Napheesa Collier looked to already be in MVPhee form as she dropped 26 points in 26 minutes, shooting over 60% from the field and from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Courtney Williams added 17 points and Jessica Shepard flirted with a preseason triple-double (10 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast) during the Lynx’s 92-87 win over the Sky.

3. Las Vegas Aces

• Preseason: 2-0
• Season Opener: Aces at Liberty (Saturday, 1 ET, ABC)

One of four teams to go unbeaten in the preseason, the Aces gave their starters an extended run in their 112-78 win over Dallas on May 2. That game was played at Purcell Pavilion at Notre Dame – the alma mater of Aces stars Jackie Young (game-high 28 pts, 9 ast, 29 min) and Jewell Loyd (10 pts, some pregame dance moves in her Vegas debut). 

4. Seattle Storm

• Preseason: 1-0
• Season Opener: Storm at Mercury (Saturday, 10 ET, League Pass)

In Seattle’s lone preseason game, Nneka Ogwumike (18 pts, 6-9 FG, 4 3pm) and Li Yueru (15 pts, 10 reb) both shined for the Storm. Keep an eye out for Nneka in the corners this season. She shot just 10-of-26 from the corners the past three seasons combined, but splashed all three of her attempts in the preseason contest. Could this be a new wrinkle for the former MVP? Also, welcome back to the Emerald City, Alysha Clark.

5. Indiana Fever

• Preseason: 3-0
• Season Opener: Fever vs. Sky (Saturday, 3 ET, ABC)

The Fever played the most games and had the most wins of the preseason, sweeping their three games, including Caitlin Clark’s Iowa homecoming against the Brazilian National Team. The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year may have only logged 19 minutes, but she made them memorable. Clark dropped 16 points with five dimes and four 3s, including a 36-footer a few steps behind the “22” logo on the court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, signifying the exact spot she broke the NCAA scoring record.

6. Phoenix Mercury

• Preseason: 0-2
• Season Opener: Mercury vs. Storm (Saturday, 10 ET, League Pass)

The new-look Mercury are still searching for their first W of 2025 after dropping their two preseason games – by a total of six points combined – to the Aces and Valkyries, respectively. In their final tune-up, the Mercury were without Kahleah Copper (back) while newcomers Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas dropped 15 apiece. Having those three players healthy and on the court together will be key to building the on-court chemistry and timing needed for a successful start to the season.

7. Atlanta Dream

• Preseason: 2-1
• Season Opener: Dream at Mystics (Friday, 7:30 ET, ION)

It’s going to take some time to get used to seeing Brittney Griner in a Dream jersey after she spent her first 11 seasons in Phoenix. While the jersey may be tough to recognize, the game was not, as Griner had 16 points and 10 boards in just 19 minutes of her Dream debut against Washington – the same they’ll meet in Friday’s season opener.

8. Chicago Sky

• Preseason: 2-1
• Season Opener: Sky at Fever (Saturday, 3 ET, ABC)

Angel Reese was back at LSU on May 2 for the Sky’s preseason opener against the Brazilian National Team. The homecoming game gave us something familiar (a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double) and something new (some point forward action) from Reese as she begins her sophomore WNBA season. Keep an eye out for the Courtney Vandersloot-to-Reese connection as the veteran point guard knows how to set up her teammates for easy buckets.

9. Dallas Wings

• Preseason: 1-1
• Season Opener: Wings vs. Lynx (Friday, 7:30 ET, ION)

Dallas’ preseason opened on May 2 with a 37-point loss to the Aces, then swung around for a 67-point win over the Toyota Antelopes a week later. All eyes were focused on Paige Bueckers – the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft – in her first pro action. After scoring 10 in her debut, Bueckers had 15 points (6-of-8 shooting) with six boards and five dimes – including this highlight reel dish – in her second outing.

10. Los Angeles Sparks

• Preseason: 1-0
• Season Opener: Sparks at Valkyries (Friday, 10 ET, ION)

The Sparks opened the preseason last Tuesday by denying the Valkyries of their first win inside a rocking Chase Center hosting its WNBA debut. New Spark Kelsey Plum had 11 points and five dimes in her L.A. debut, while second-year forward Rickea Jackson led all Sparks with 13 in the win.

11. Washington Mystics

• Preseason: 0-2
• Season Opener: Mystics vs. Dream (Friday, 7:30 ET, ION)

Despite ending the 2025 preseason with losses to Indiana and Atlanta, Mystics fans saw a promising debut from rookie Kiki Iriafen, who had 12 points (5-of-8 FG) and six rebounds in 20 minutes in the Mystics’ most recent game. Check out the footwork on these post moves as the rookie gets to her spot and scores.

12. Connecticut Sun

• Preseason: 1-1
• Season Opener: Sun vs. Mystics (Sunday, 1 ET, League Pass)

In Friday’s 94-86 win over the defending champs, Tina Charles was back in New York (where she played for 7 seasons) while playing for the team that drafted her 15 years ago. Charles – the top pick in the 2010 Draft by the Sun – is the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder and second only to Diana Taurasi in career scoring. If the preseason is any indication (15.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg), she’ll add to those totals this season.

13. Golden State Valkyries

• Preseason: 1-1
• Season Opener: Valkyries vs. Sparks (Friday, 10 ET, ION)

The WNBA’s newest team got its first win on Sunday, outlasting the new-look Mercury 84-79 behind 19 points with four 3s off the bench from Mamignan Touré as well as 12 points, five boards and four steals from Kayla Thornton. Next up, the Valkyries will go for their first regular-season win on Friday against a Sparks team that edged them out by one point in the preseason.