Season Preview

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Betting + Odds

The 2026 season is off to a hot start, with the reigning champs bouncing back after being routed opening night and young franchises making their mark — I’m looking at you, Golden State. The season is just getting started, but competition is high as four games take place on Friday night.
Let’s go over the <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/wnba?category=game-lines&amp;subcategory=game">WNBA odds</a> for Friday’s four game slate and I’ll provide my best prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook!
Stay locked into the WNBA’s 30th season with game previews, player props, betting splits and more on <a href="https://dknetwork.draftkings.com/draftkings-sportsbook-betting-splits/?tb_eg=94682&amp;tb_edate=n7days&amp;tb_emt=0">DraftKingsNetwork.com!</a>
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<h2>Friday, May 15</h2>
Las Vegas Aces vs. Connecticut Sun (7:30 p.m. ET) — LV -14.5, O/U 171.5
Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever (7:30 p.m. ET) — IND -7.5, O/U 170.5
Toronto Tempo vs. Los Angeles Sparks (10:00 p.m. ET) — LA -7.5, O/U 170.5
Chicago Sky vs. Phoenix Mercury (10:00 p.m. ET) — PHO -3.5, O/U 166.5
Best Bets
Kelsey Mitchell Over 21.5 Points (-110): Kelsey Mitchell, the fan I am of you. Through just two games this season, Mitchell has already dropped 53 points while shooting an impressive 51.5% from the field. And while she didn’t record a single rebound or assist in the Fever’s last outing, the 30-year-old still poured in 23 points in just 27 minutes.
With Caitlin Clark back in the mix, Mitchell doesn’t have to worry about being the primary distributor and can focus on what she does best: creating her own offense, thriving in transition, and being an all-around bucket. I’m expecting another 20+ point night from Mitchell, and she only needs one more basket to clear her points line.
Caitlin Clark 3+ Three Pointers Made (-130): Clark was notably cold from deep in her first outing in over 290 days, hitting just 2-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc. Game 2 against the Sparks wasn’t much better, as the 2024 Rookie of the Year went just 1-for-7 from three, dropping her early-season 3-point percentage to 18%.
While that number looks alarming on paper, I’m not too worried. Clark admitted she’s still working through a “mental hurdle” returning to the court, which helps explain why she’s looked sharp as a facilitator but inconsistent as a shooter. With two games now under her belt, tonight against the Mystics feels like a prime get-right spot for the 24-year-old known for pulling up from the logo without hesitation.
Marina Mabrey Over 28.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-115): Mabrey finished the 2026 Unrivaled season on an absolute heater, leading the league in points per game at 25.3, and I was very curious to see if that production would carry over to the W. Well, through two games, it absolutely has. The former Sun guard, acquired by Toronto in the Expansion Draft, is averaging 26.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists to start the season.
While the Tempo are still working through the expected growing pains of a new franchise, Mabrey has stepped into a strong veteran role as the team’s primary offensive engine, consistently keeping Toronto competitive. Tonight, she faces a 0-2 Sparks team allowing the third-most points per game in the league at 96.0, and I’m confident Mabrey can capitalize on a weaker defense to clear her PRA line.
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All odds and lines provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change.
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WNBA Predictions, Best Bets for Friday, May 15 on DraftKings Sportsbook

As the WNBA begins its 30th anniversary season, the league is seeing an influx of global talent on the court. 
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, as of Thursday night, 51 players born outside the United States had played in at least one game this season. That already marks a league record for a single season, surpassing the previous high of 50 set in 2001.
We’re still only a week into the season. With several players still fulfilling overseas commitments before joining their WNBA teams, that record should continue to climb in the weeks to come.
On Thursday, Alex Fowler of Australia made her WNBA debut in the New York Liberty’s 100-82 win over the Portland Fire. Fowler is the eighth international player to take the court for the Liberty this season — two shy of the single-team record of 10 set by Golden State last year.
While Australia still leads the way in international representation on WNBA rosters, France continues to emerge as a major pipeline of talent, following its push to the brink against the United States in the gold medal game at the 2024 Olympics. Through Thursday’s games, five of the league’s 32 players averaging at least 15 points per game are from France.
The Liberty and France are both well represented among these nine international players who have stood out during the season’s opening week.
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<h3>Marine Johannès, New York Liberty (France)</h3>
<div id="attachment_260680" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260680" class="wp-image-260680" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274983932-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274983932-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274983932-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274983932-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274983932-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274983932-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274983932-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Marine Johannes #23 of the New York Liberty</div>
The sharpshooting Liberty guard leads the league with 15 total 3-pointers made through four games, while her 3.8 made threes per game rank second behind Toronto’s Marina Mabrey. In addition to her shooting, Johannès is a playmaker, leading the Liberty (and tied for 10th in the league) with five assists per game. Her impact hasn’t been limited to offense, either, as Johannès ranks fifth in the WNBA in steals at 2.3 per game.
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<h3>Pauline Astier, New York Liberty (France)</h3>
Johannès isn’t the only French guard thriving in Liberty seafoam so far this season. Astier, a 24-year-old undrafted rookie, has been brilliant in her first four WNBA games. She is New York’s second-leading scorer behind Breanna Stewart at 16.8 points per game and has shot the lights out — 62.5% from the field and 45.5% from beyond the arc — while adding four assists, nearly four rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.
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<h3>Dominique Malonga, Seattle Storm (France)</h3>
The No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft showed flashes of her immense potential as a rookie while coming off the bench in all 42 games, averaging 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game. Now a full-time starter, logging over 26 minutes per game in her second season, the 6-foot-6 center leads the Storm in points (16.0), rebounds (7.3), and blocks (2.0), which are tied for 20th, 11th, and 4th in the WNBA, respectively.
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<h3>Jade Melbourne, Seattle Storm (Australia)</h3>
The Liberty isn’t the only team with multiple international stars near the top of their leaderboards. Melbourne is Seattle’s second-leading scorer behind Malonga at 14 points per game on incredible efficiency — she’s shooting 61.9% from the field and 50% from 3-point range through three games. Melbourne, the Storm’s 2022 third-round pick, also leads the team in assists (5.0, tied for 10th in the WNBA) and is tied with rookie Flau’jae Johnson for the team lead with 1.7 steals per game.
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<h3>Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky (Brazil)</h3>
<div id="attachment_260682" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260682" class="wp-image-260682" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274856481-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="598" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274856481-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274856481-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274856481-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274856481-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274856481-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274856481-2048x1360.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Kamilla Cardoso #10 of the Chicago Sky</div>
In her third WNBA season, Cardoso is putting up career-best numbers through her first two games, averaging 15 points and 10.5 rebounds per game (tied for fourth in the league). She is one of only five players averaging a double-double so far this season, joining Shakira Austin, Aneesah Morrow, Kiki Iriafen, and former Sky teammate Angel Reese.
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<h3>Bridget Carleton, Portland Fire (Canada)</h3>
The top pick in this year’s expansion draft, Carleton put up a career-best 26 points and five 3-pointers to help lead the Fire to their first win Tuesday. Through three games, she is averaging 16.7 points and 3.3 triples per game (third in the league behind Johannès and Mabrey) while shooting 41.7% from deep. She is Portland’s second-leading scorer — behind our next entry — and is tied for sixth in the league in steals at two per game.
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<h3>Carle Leite, Portland Fire (France)</h3>
For the second straight season, Leite was selected in an expansion draft — chosen by the Valkyries in 2025 and by the Fire in 2026. The former top-10 draft pick had 21 points in Portland’s first win, following an 18-point effort in her Fire debut. Leite’s 19.5 points per game rank 11th in the WNBA, and she joins Indiana’s Caitlin Clark as the only players averaging at least 19 points, three rebounds, and three assists this season.
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<h3>Jovana Nogic, Phoenix Mercury (Serbia)</h3>
After playing pro ball overseas since 2019, the 28-year-old Serbian guard signed with the Mercury in April and has made an immediate impact through her first three games. Nogic ranks second in the WNBA in 3-point shooting at 66.7% (8-for-12), third on the Mercury in scoring at 12.3 points per game behind veterans Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas, and first on the team in plus/minus. The Mercury have outscored opponents by 34 points during her 66 minutes on the court.
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<h3>Janelle Salaün, Golden State Valkyries (France)</h3>
<div id="attachment_260683" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260683" class="wp-image-260683" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275905371-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275905371-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275905371-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275905371-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275905371-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275905371-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275905371-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Janelle Salaün #13 of the Golden State Valkyries</div>
Like Nogic, Salaun has played professionally overseas since 2019. After joining the Valkyries for their inaugural season last year, Salaun averaged 11.3 points and 5.1 rebounds while starting 33 of her 36 games as a WNBA rookie. Despite coming off the bench in her first three games this season, Salaun has been even better, averaging a team-high 15.7 points and 3.3 3-pointers per game on 50% shooting from beyond the arc.

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Global Game: WNBA Sees Rise In International Players

Press Release

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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-260602" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-14T113004.211.png" alt="" width="844" height="474" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-14T113004.211.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-14T113004.211-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-14T113004.211-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-14T113004.211-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-14T113004.211-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px" />
Ceremony Set for Sunday, September 20 Ahead of Sparks vs. Portland Fire 
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The Los Angeles Sparks announced today that the organization will honor franchise icon and Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie with a statue in the iconic Star Plaza at <a href="https://www.cryptoarena.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Crypto.com Arena</a>, recognizing her profound impact on the game of basketball, the city of Los Angeles and generations of athletes who followed.
“To be cemented in Los Angeles, the city that raised me, I couldn’t be more proud to be a role model forever!” said WNBA legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie. “God has blessed me and I have truly given my all to this sport and our community. I am thankful to my coaches, teammates, incredible fans, and, most importantly, my family and friends. As the saying goes, ‘The wolf is only as strong as the pack,’ and I’ve been fortunate to have an amazing pack supporting me every step of the way.”
&#8220;I’ve known Lisa for nearly three decades and believe that she is beyond deserving of this incredible honor. She was the driving force behind bringing back-to-back championships to the Los Angeles Sparks franchise in 2000 and 2001, and Lisa’s hard work and commitment has made her one of the best to ever play the game. Lisa’s legacy isn’t just measured by championships and accolades, though; it’s defined by the doors she opened and the standard she set for generations to come,” said Earvin “Magic” Johnson. “More than an athlete, she is a pioneer, a cultural icon and a force who elevated women’s basketball to new heights. This statue celebrates her excellence, her leadership and the future she helped create, and it ensures her impact will forever be part of the fabric of this city.”
A cornerstone of the WNBA since its inception in 1997, Leslie becomes just the second player in league history to be honored with a statue by her franchise. The eight-time WNBA All-Star remains the Sparks’ all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, field goals, free throws, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, Defensive Win Shares, minutes and games. She ranks second among all-time Sparks in assists, steals and Win Shares. The two-time WNBA champion also ranks in the top 15 in league history in several key categories: double-doubles and blocks (third), defensive rebounds and rebounds (sixth), offensive rebounds (ninth), scoring (13th) and field goals (14th). Leslie’s eight First Team All-WNBA selections rank second all-time.
A three-time WNBA MVP and four-time Olympic gold medalist, Leslie spent her entire 12-year career with the Sparks, leading the franchise to back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002. She was also the first player in WNBA history to dunk in a game, a watershed moment that helped redefine what was possible in women’s basketball. Her No. 9 jersey was retired by the Sparks in 2010, cementing her place among the greatest players in franchise history.
The statue, created by renowned sculptors/artists Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany, will join the fifteen other iconic sculptures of celebrated sports superstars Wayne Gretzky, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Oscar De La Hoya, Chick Hearn, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Luc Robitaille, Shaquille O’Neal, Bob Miller, Elgin Baylor, Dustin Brown, Kobe Bryant, Gigi Bryant and Pat Riley.
Beyond her on-court accomplishments, Leslie has been a trailblazer and ambassador for the sport, helping grow the visibility and influence of the WNBA while inspiring the next generation of players. An icon of style and culture, she has also built a successful career in broadcasting and media, further expanding her impact on and off the court.
A ceremony will be held on Sunday, September 20, prior to the Sparks’ game against the Portland Fire. Details surrounding the statue unveiling, including timing, programming and fan opportunities, will be announced at a later date.
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Sparks to Honor Lisa Leslie with Crypto.com Arena Statue

NEW YORK, May 13, 2026 – The WNBA and NBA Board of Governors have unanimously approved the sale and relocation of the Connecticut Sun from the Mohegan Tribe to new owner Tilman J. Fertitta, the league announced today.
Mohegan Sun Arena will remain the home of the Sun for the 2026 WNBA season. During this season, the Sun will host two regular-season games at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut (May 30 and July 2), and return to Boston, Massachusetts for a matchup at TD Garden (August 18). The team will relocate to Houston beginning with the 2027 season.
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WNBA and NBA Approve Sale of Connecticut Sun to Tilman J. Fertitta; Team to Relocate to Houston in 2027

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. 
<hr />
<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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2025 WNBA Points of Education

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