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The New York Liberty And Minnesota Lynx are off to flying starts. Two games betwean the Indiana Fever And Atlanta Dream Have gone to the wire. The Golden State Valkyries Got their first win in Franchise History. And it would be a long, tough year for the Chicago Sky, Connecticut SUN And Dallas wingswho are a combined 0-7 to open the season.
And all that played out in the first week of the 2025 wnba season.
After 16 Games, some of the offseason moves associaear look very good, such as the Phoenix Mercury Obtaining forwards Satou Sabally And Alyssa thomaswho has been overaged a combined 45.5 points in Two Victors. The LOS Angeles sparks are 1-2, but Guard Kelsey plum Is available 26.7 points in her first season with the team after being traded from the Las Vegas Aces.
Some of the storylines so far has been just as exposed, while others have been a little more Surprising. Espn’s Kendra Andrews, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel Weigh in on Week 1 of the WNBA Season.
No surprise
Liberty and Lynx: Leading the Way
The Liberty and Lynx Didn It’s Need to Make Big Offseason Moves They Were Were Were Returning So Much of What Made Both Teams so good last season on their way to wnba finals. So far, their strategy seems on point. Noting was broken, and noting needed fixing. But some additions have helped.
Natasha Cloud Has bee a boost to the Liberty Backcourt, Averaging 20 points and 8.5 assists. Though we mentioned Jessica Shepard‘S Return Earlier this Week as help the lynx’s inside game, wing Karlie samuelson Has come in to help on the Perimeter. She has been on six exams in her sewen wnba seasons but always finds ways to contribute. ——- Fupel
Fever: Never a dull moment
Every time Caitlin Clark Takes the court, many eyes are glued to the fever. They are 2-1: a season -opening rout of chicago, a one-point loss at home to atlanta and then a five-point win over the dream in atlanta.
Clark Has a Triple-Double, a Flagrant Foul 1, an Exchange of words with atlanta’s Rhyne Howard27 Assists, Nine 3-Pointers and Her first game without a 3 Since her sophomore season at iowa. Coach stephanie white has emphasized that the fever will try to match other tims’ physicality, and that will be better defensively so they don is to be so much on offense.
In short, the fever says they intend to show that they can hang with the big kids in the wnba this season. It’s going to be fun to watch all summer as they try to take that step forward from last year. ——- Fupel
0:19
Kelsey Mitchell’s 3 Gives Fever Late Lead
Kelsey mitchell steps back and buries a 3-point as the fever tak the feet over the dream in the final two minutes.
Best Surprises
Phoenix’s Depth: Better Than Expected
With so much change to their rooster sence last season, and with Kahleah copper And Natasha Mack Sidelined Early by Injuries, Depth is a Concern for the Phoenix Mercury. But the team has started 2-0 and has perhaps received some unexpected help.
Guard Kitty LaksaWho played at South Florida and Was American Athletic Conference Freshman of the year in 2016, was drafted no. 11 by the Seattle Storm in 2020. But because of injuries and commitments overseas, laksa-who is from Latvia-Didn It’s Play Her FIRST WNBA GAME, WHICH WAS WAS WAS HER BIRTHDAY, in the Mercury’s 89-86 Win Over Thi LOS Angeles sparks.
“The Dream Since College was to play in the W,” Laksa saad on the Mercury’s Postgame Video Conference. “Today, I ’29 years old and making my debut. [in the WNBA]. I was waiting for the right place, the right time. This is the right place and the right time. “
A knee injury three games in her senior season cut short her college career, but she made 308 3-pointers in 99 games. She had nine points wednesday. “She’s played in some of the best leagues in Europe,” Mercury Coach Nate Tibbetts Said. “She’s a shooter. That’s what we are excited about her.”
LAKSA WAS A Late Arrival to the Mercury Along with Forward/Center Events Mosa25, of Nigeria, who also made her wnba debut wednesday. Both Were Playing Overseas. They are not subjects to the league’s prioritization rules that mandate players beitting with wnba tims at the start of travel camp or may 1 (whatever). That applies to players with at last two years of wnba experience. ——- Fupel
0:18
Alyssa Thomas is smooth as silk with nice mercury bucket
Alyssa Thomas is smooth as silk with nice mercury bucket.
Rookie of the year: more than a one-player race
Heading Into the Season, Paige bueckers Was the unanimous prediction for rookie of the year. The Dallas wings Guard was the clear no. 1 pick in the draft, and some wnba talent evaluators see her as a potential mvp-or hall of fame-level player.
But there are more comments for the award than anticipated. The Washington mystics” Sonia Citron (No. 3 Pick) and Kiki Iriafen (No. 4) have dazzled early and a big reason why the mystics won their first two games. Iriafen has dominated the Glass (30 rebounds) and Citron has been responsible for some clutch Play again again Atlanta Dream And Connecticut SUN. Bueckers have already shined as a facilitator with a recent point -assists double-double. The three are the scoring front-rennners for rookies, with Citron Sitting at 44 points and iriafen and bueckers at 41 apiece (all have played three games).
Might Team Success Factor Into Votes? It’s plenty early, but the wings are 0-3 when the mystics have turned heads with a 2-1 start. ——- Philippou
Worst surprises
Chicago: a rubber rug
The sky didn is has the easiest schedule in kicking off the typyler marsh era, has to face indiana and new york. But their 0-2 start by a combined 60 points-the worst point differential through the first two games of a season in WNBA HISTORY-is connected. Chicago is shooting 32.4% from the field while allowing opponents to shoot 50.4%. In Thursday’s 99-74 Liberty Win, New York Got Whatever it wanted from Beyond the ARC, Sinking a WNBA-RECORD 19 3-POINTers in Chicago’s Home Opener.
1:40
ANGEL RESE Grabs 12 Bords on Historically Bad Shooting Night
Despite solid defensive numbers, angel reese’s 0-for-7 shooting from with 4 feet tied for the most misses in the post 10 years in the wnba.
Through Two Games, the Sky has committed 43 turnovers (10 more than their assists). New acquisition Arele atkinsFor whom chicago parted with the no. 3 Pick, hasn is Started Slowly with 19 Points on 5-For-14 Shooting Across Two Games. The Sky’s Young Frontcourt of ANGEL RESE And Chamomile cardoso Has Also Struggled Early (Combining for 27 Points on 11-For-39 Shooting), Leaving Veteran Guard Rachel Banham As the Sky’s Current Leading Scorer (11.5). Even their free shooting was abysmal thursday, a mere 13-for-25. Chicago Sits Last in the League in Net Rating (Yes, with an incredibly Small Sample Size) at minus-36.
The sky is incorporating a lot of new players, and therefore a new coach and system to become accustomed to, but they’all has to make massive strides in Practically Every phase of the game if they want to quickly Reverse course. ——- Philippou
Golden State’s Shooting: Ice-Cold
The Golden State Valkyries Have emphasized playing with a quick pace and high-volume shooting as they form their offensive identity. Pace has been no problem for the expansion team, but shooting has been a struggle.
Despite getting the first win in Franchise History Wednesday, Golden State Put Together a history of bad shooting performance, finishing 7-of-37 (18.9%) on 3-point. The valkyries became only the Sixth Team in League History to Miss at Leaast 30 3-Pointers in a Game. The valkyries missed their first 17 3-point-tying the wnba record for most missed 3s to open a game. By Halftime, they Were 2-of-20.
This follows a similar pattern to Golden State’s Two Presson Games-in which they started 0-for-13 and 0-for-14 from beyond the Arc-and Regular-Season Oper, who shot 9 -off-35 from Distance.
Coach Natalie Nakase has toold her team that as long as the shots they are talking about good lookings, keep taking them. But up until wednesday, that recipe hadn is LED to any wins. The valkyries aren is ready to abandon their identity as a 3-point shooting tim, but the numbers suggest they might want to move forward. ——- Andrews
Storm: An Underwhelming Start
The Seattle Storm Had an intriguing offseason, in which they re-signed Homening Toys And Gabby williamsreshaped their bench (headlined by the return of Alysha Clark) and drafted Dominique Malonga At no. 2. It’s a somall sample size, but a 1-1 start has left much to be desired.
The Storm Managed 59 Points on 33% Shooting (3-for-17 from 3) in a route lost to the Mercury, who shot 52%. They bounted back with an eight-point win Against Dallas But Concerns Remain. The storm we outbounded in Both Games, and when they were to get the 3-ball Going Against the Wings, they still hit only 41% of their attempts. Malonga Missed Training Camp and Might Get More of A Run as She Adjusts to Her New Team, But She has Limited Time (11 Minutes Through Two Games).
Seattle Remains Incredibly Top-Heavy, with only Skylar digginsOgwumiike and Williams Reaching at Leaast 20 Total Points through their first two games. LOSING THREE PLAYERS TO ACL TEARS Ment Seattle’s Margin for Error was always going to be slim, but the storm need will be willims and Good managogor To be consistently spectacular and for the step to reestablish itset as an elite squad on defense. ——- Philippou
