There are no shortages of challengers to the reigning WNBA champions or star power across the league.
The New York Liberty won their first WNBA title last fall by denying the Minnesota Lynx in a best-of-five series that went the distance.
Breanna Stewart of the Liberty, Napheesa Collier of the Lynx and three-time MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces are some of the veterans who will share the spotlight with young stars Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky and recent No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings as the WNBA hopes to continue its rise in popularity in its 29th season.
It tips off Friday, with the Golden State Valkyries playing their first game that night as the expansion franchise in San Francisco rises the WNBA’s ranks to 13 teams. A day later the Liberty will host the Aces as New York players and coaches will receive their rings and raise the first championship banner for one of the league’s founding franchises.
Later that day, reigning rookie of the year Clark and record-setting rival Reese will meet for the first of five matchups this season between Indiana and Chicago. Both are looking to build off their stellar debut seasons in which they helped the league to record ratings and attendance.
No team made more offseason moves than the Fever, who brought in a lot of talented veterans around star guard Clark and talented post player Aliyah Boston, who was the top draft pick and rookie of the year in 2023. Indiana added DeWanna Bonner, Sophie Cunningham and Natasha Howard in addition to re-signing Kelsey Mitchell.
Clark is a slight favorite over Wilson and Collier to win this season’s MVP award, according to BetMGM. The Fever are one of the betting favorites to win the title.
Indiana is not the only team to make major moves, with several franchises adding marquee names to their roster during the offseason via free agency and trades.
The Atlanta Dream picked up 10-time WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner, who had spent her entire pro career with the Phoenix Mercury since being drafted No. 1 in 2013. The Dream also added former Connecticut Sun standout Brionna Jones.
Phoenix was active in bolstering its roster, trading for Alyssa Thomas and signing Satou Sabally.
The Sun lost their entire starting five from last season and brought back Tina Charles, the former University of Connecticut star who began her pro career with that franchise in 2010.
The Liberty made a few key offseason moves, bringing in veteran guard Natasha Cloud as well as forward Isabelle Harrison, and they’ll also have exciting guard Marine Johannes back this season after she missed last year to prepare for the Olympics with France’s national team.
The Liberty, bidding to become a rare repeat champion for the WNBA, did lose guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton to an offseason knee injury that will keep her out for the year. When the Aces repeated in 2023, they became the league’s first to do it in 21 years.
Minnesota was overlooked at the start of last season, but led by Collier, they made it back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2017 before losing in a decisive Game 5 to New York. While they didn’t make many offseason moves, the Lynx return all five starters. Collier, the league’s defensive player of the year last season, anchors a solid defense that held opponents to a league-best 41% shooting from the field.
Just as Clark boosted the Fever after a record-setting college career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Bueckers will try to help elevate the Wings. She was the most efficient player in college on offense last season and capped her UConn career by helping the Huskies win their record-extending 12th NCAA Division I women’s basketball championship. Before she went through a series of injuries at UConn, Bueckers became the first freshman ever to win AP women’s basketball player of the year.
Eight of the league’s 13 teams will have new head coaches this season.
Atlanta and Los Angeles turned to college coaches Karl Smesko and Lynne Roberts, respectively. Indiana brought back former coach and player Stephanie White, who had been in charge of the Sun — who replaced her with former Belgium national team coach Rachid Meziane.
Former WNBA assistants are now head coaches for the Sky (Tyler Marsh), Wings (Chris Koclanes) and Washington Mystics (Sydney Johnson). Golden State also brought in a former assistant coach, Natalie Nakase, to be the club’s first head coach.