2025 WNBA Season Preview Roundtable: Predictions, storylines to follow as season tips off
It’s finally here. The start of the 2025 WNBA season is upon us, with three games on the schedule for Friday night.
With a new expansion team in the mix, a flurry of offseason activity, and yet another marquee name in Paige Bueckers joining the league, there’s a deep well of storylines and topics to follow as the 2025 WNBA season tips off.
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That’s why we’ve gathered Jackie Powell, Natalie Esquire, Cole Huff, and Raphielle Johnson to break it all down for you in a staff roundtable discussion.
WNBA: Dallas Wings-Media Day
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Who will be the most impactful player on a new team this season?
Jackie Powell: Kelsey Plum is going to give the Sparks the best guard play they’ve had since Jordin Canada left for Atlanta after the 2023 season. Plum specifically sought out Los Angeles because she has family there but also because the roster gave her a chance to lead and be the backcourt’s first option and franchise’s face alongside rookies Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink and former Aces teammate Dearica Hamby. Plum played as the third fiddle to A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray for years and won two titles doing it. She wanted a change and an opportunity to shine in the second largest media market in America. While the Sparks aren’t contenders and could very well miss the postseason for a fifth eason in a row, Plum is positioned well to have a breakout season on a team where she can have the ball in her hands.
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Natalie Esquire: Not sure about this, but I think Natasha Cloud is critical to New York’s success this season and will need to be very impactful for the Liberty this year if they want to repeat. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will be out this season so the Liberty’s offense and defense will take a hit, but I think defensively is where it will be more critical for Cloud to perform.
Cole Huff: There are several good options here, but the player I keep landing on is Kelsey Plum. The Sparks really struggled to win games last season and lacked a true lead guard and primary playmaker to elevate the team. Plum instantly checks both boxes in her first season in Los Angeles. She’ll consume a ton of usage, which should raise the Sparks’ floor quite a bit, given that she’s still in her prime years as a dynamic offensive player.
Raphielle Johnson: For me, it’s Jewell Loyd in Las Vegas. An All-Star in each of the last four seasons, the former Storm guard averaged 19.7 points per game last season. Sharing the court with A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray should benefit Loyd from an efficiency standpoint, as there’s only so much attention that opposing defenses can pay her. While there are questions about the Aces’ bench depth, the addition of Loyd should ensure that Las Vegas remains on the short list of WNBA title contenders.
All the hype is behind Paige Bueckers, quite understandably, but who are the other rookies to know in the WNBA this season?
Powell: Sonia Citron, the third overall pick in the 2025 draft, is going to be a highly productive player this season. Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson confirmed just that when he told reporters that Citron has become a vital player for this young roster very quickly. While Citron won’t play the same role that Bueckers plays for the Wings in her rookie season, part of what made her so attractive to many WNBA GMS is her really high floor and ability to fit nicely as a 3-and-d wing, a role that is indispensable on any team as the league continues to modernize. Also, French players Dominique Malonga and undrafted Monique Akoa Makani are bound to make an impact on their respective teams. While Malonga won’t be starting like Citron, she’ll make her mark. Expect the phrase a “Dom Dunk” to become a new common occurrence in the new WNBA lexicon. The undrafted rookie Akoa Makani could be the answer to the Mercury’s spacing issues after constructing a new big three that includes Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper.
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Esquire: Sonia Citron, for sure. Paige is the presumptive favorite for Rookie of the Year, but Sonia may have a legitimate chance to win as well. Heading into the draft, Sonia was viewed as a WNBA-ready player. She looked great in the preseason and scored 15 points in her debut. Her coach is on record already saying how important she’s become to the team in a very short amount of time. Sonia is steady and she’s a versatile two-way wing who can do multiple things well on the court. On a rebuilding team like the Mystics, she will get a lot of playing time and I think that will give her the ability to stuff the stat sheet and potentially challenge Paige for ROY. Paige will also be getting a lot of playing time, and both will likely be starters, but Paige will be playing next to Arike Ogunbowale so her load will likely be less than Citron’s.
I think another rookie to pay attention to with respect to impact is Aaliyah Nye, a sneaky-good pickup by the Las Vegas Aces. I don’t expect Nye to be in ROY discussions, but she is a three-point sharpshooter and the spacing she will provide on the court for A’ja Wilson and her other teammates will be chef’s kiss. On draft night she spoke about how excited she is to space the floor for A’ja Wilson:
I think she is a legitimate difference maker for the Aces.
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Huff: Sonia Citron and Te-Hina Paopao are two other rookies to watch. Cintron had some good moments in the preseason and might be a day-one starter for a Mystics team emphasizing developing its youth. Meanwhile, Paopao could find herself relied upon pretty quickly in the Dream’s backcourt due to Jordin Canada’s knee injury. Like Citron, Paopao also made a good impression in her preseason action, making her an interesting player to follow early on in this season.
Johnson: Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen in Washington stand out immediately, despite the fact that it’s going to take a lot for the Mystics to contend for a playoff spot. The front office’s decision to embrace a rebuild means Citron and Iriafen should play plenty, and the former should begin the regular season as a starter. Citron’s versatility on both ends of the floor makes her one of the top rookies in this class. Aaliyah Edwards’ presence in the lineup may limit Iriafen’s ceiling in the short term, but it would be unsurprising if her role were to expand later in the season.
WNBA: Preseason-Minnesota Lynx at Chicago Sky
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What’s a team and/or a player that is going to surprise people this season?
Powell: Brittney Griner and the Atlanta Dream. I’ve been very impressed with how Atlanta has handled bringing in a college coach in Karl Smesko into the WNBA. They’ve surrounded him with a staff that includes WNBA veteran assistants in Brandi Poole and LaToya Sanders in addition to two of Smesko’s previous assistants at FGCU in Chelsea Lyles and Camryn Brown. Smesko is implementing a new system that will aim to proiritize the most efficient offense, meaning shots at the rim in addition to wide open threes. Instead of avoiding players like Griner and fellow new free agent signing Brionna Jones due to their inexperience as perimeter bigs, Smesko and his staff aim to develop those veterans and get them more confident and comfortable shooting outside shots. Both Giner and Jones have looked confident shooting wide open threes and I expect them to continue.
Esquire: I would pay attention to some of the players who played in the inaugural season of Unrivaled like Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese. Rae Burrell, Aaliyah Edwards and Azurá Stevens also come to mind. The first two I mentioned are more recognized stars, but Chelsea Gray is coming off a down year where she just didn’t look like herself as she tried to work her way back from a foot injury. But at Unrivaled she looked like the Point Gawd that we all know her to be and she did not appreciate the narrative around her game like she lost it. I expect to see a revitalized Chelsea Gray. Angel Reese on the other hand, I think is going to showcase the many other things she can do on the court besides rebound. I don’t think people are expecting it because most simply chalk her game up to being a player who gets rebounds with an extended motor. I think people will be surprised with what they see from Angel this season.
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Burrell, Edwards and Stevens all showcased parts of their game that I’m not sure many were familiar with. Edwards nearly beat Napheesa Collier in Unrivaled’s one-on-one tournament and concluded as the runner-up. I think all three players will play larger roles on their respective teams this season. The Sparks, who both Burrell and Stevens play for, will benefit greatly from their time at Unrivaled.
Huff: I’m all in on Chicago being the surprise team of the season. The Sky quietly had a stellar offseason, bringing Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot to start in the backcourt, with both presumably providing additional boosts to Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso in their sophomore seasons. Kia Nurse and Rachel Banham’s shooting will also make for many entertaining and impactful moments throughout games as the Sky look for a bounce-back season.
Johnson: Chicago. I considered Atlanta for this spot, but the Jordin Canada knee injury leaves the Dream without a proven point guard until she’s healthy enough to return. That isn’t an issue for the Sky, which brought back Courtney Vandersloot and acquired Ariel Atkins this offseason. Their additions will help Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso improve in their second WNBA seasons, and Vandersloot will also serve as a valuable mentor for rookie Hailey Van Lith. The Sky added some experienced options to the roster, which will help Tyler Marsh in his first season as head coach.
Have the Indiana Fever become championship contenders in Caitlin Clark’s second season?
Powell: My answer to this question is yes, and no. WNBA Draft and pro scouting analyst Hunter Cruse referred to the Fever as “flawed contenders” and I happen to agree with his assessment. Indiana’s two marquee free agents in DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard are both past their prime and are streaky and inconsistent shooters from deep. Also, it could be quite possible that the Fever’s best-starting lineup won’t feature both Howard and Bonner. How does head coach Stephanie White manage that fact while keeping all personalities in check? She’ll have to rely upon Bonner’s leadership on a team whose big three in Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell have never won a playoff series.
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Esquire: On paper the Fever have built a team to contend, but like anything else, we have to see it. I currently have the Fever ranked at No. 4 in my preseason power rankings, but I group my rankings into tiers, and I did include the Fever with the other contender teams. I do think the other teams ahead of them are still better and in a series with any of them, Caitlin Clark wouldn’t be the best player on the court. A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier or Breanna Stewart would be. In a basketball playoff series that usually matters. My other reservation about the Fever is there were a number of changes to their roster. It may not matter because their core three of Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston remain the same, but historically speaking, teams that make multiple roster changes don’t usually put it all together in the first year, so we’ll just have to see.
Huff: Yes! This team hit its stride early last July, going 12-8 over the back half of the season and at one point won nine of 11 games in that stretch (five-game winning streak included!). Their roster has improved since then, with veteran rotation players like DeWanna Bonner, Sophie Cunningham and Natasha Howard brought in to help speed up Indiana’s rebuild. Also, former No. 1 overall picks Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston are primed to take steps forward as they grow in WNBA experience. But will they win a title this year? I’m not ready to commit to such a take. They’re on my shortlist of contenders, though.
Johnson: While I wouldn’t put the Fever in the same class as New York, Minnesota and Las Vegas immediately, they aren’t far off the pace. Of course, there’s the dynamic Clark, and backcourt partner Kelsey Mitchell and post Aliyah Boston were also All-Stars last season. But the additions of DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham are critical, as was the hiring of Stephanie White as head coach. It may take a little time for the new pieces to mesh, but Indiana can be a factor in the postseason.
Indiana Fever v Atlanta Dream
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It’s a new era for the Phoenix Mercury with Diana Taurasi retired and Brittney Griner now in Atlanta. How will they respond to the changes?
Powell: Ever since the Mercury hired Nick U’ren as their general manager in the middle of the 2023 season, the vision has always been to play a style that resembled the modern NBA. More threes, more space and less positional barriers. And based on Brittney Griner’s comments about moving to the Atlanta Dream, it seems as though she was forced out and not given an opportunity to develop. She explained that Atlanta’s front office and coaching staff has made her feel young and believed in again. And for Taurasi, it became a challenge for the all-time leading scorer to stay healthy and take on a smaller role and earn a salary below the super max. Phoenix’s response was to acquire two versatile forwards in Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally to play alongside Kahleah Copper. But because the Mercury didn’t do the best job maintaining players assets, they have an opening day roster that is very top heavy. I think Phoenix will play the closest to the system U’ren had always envisioned but that doesn’t mean it will translate to winning many more games than their 19-21 record from a season ago.
Esquire: This is really a brand-new team, so I just view it more as how will the new-look Mercury perform? Kahleah Copper is the only star returning from last season and she was only there for one season. Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally going there are great additions, but the team is top-heavy and didn’t do much to build out their depth. So, I’m not sure this team can contend yet, but with three top 15-ish players (if healthy) leading the way, I still believe they will be a very good squad this year and I think an improvement over the team the Mercury rolled out the last couple of seasons.
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Huff: The Mercury will have a new feel this season, but probably one that’s a bit overdue. Since their WNBA Finals loss to the Sky in 2021, they’ve finished the following three regular seasons with losing records, leading to two first-round exits and one failure to qualify for the postseason. Phoenix replaced two franchise icons with a pair of players, Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally, who could slot in nicely with Kahleah Copper to help raise the team’s floor and ceiling immediately.
Johnson: There’s a new “big three” in the Valley of the Sun. While Kahleah Copper remains, the additions of Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally give the Mercury two talented forwards who can impact games in multiple ways. The concern for Phoenix is the rest of the roster, due to the lack of consistent contributors. Some of the supporting cast members will need to step up for the Mercury to not only reach the playoffs but also potentially be a problem once they get there.
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What is a reasonable expectation for the Valkyries in their first season?
Powell: That Bay Area fan base has been absolutely starved of a pro team and after almost thirty years of waiting, the wait is finally over. The Valkyries are a team of talented role players that they mostly collected from last December’s expansion draft, free agent signee Tiffany Hayes in addition to some intriguing international players. I expect Golden State to play a very engaging and high volume offense. Case in point, they shot 43 three-pointers in their 84-79 preseason win over the Mercury on May 11.While I don’t expect that Golden State makes the playoffs in year one, I do expect that their scrappiness and buy-in to head coach Natalie Nakase’s system will earn them a bunch of unexpected wins against much more talented teams during the 2025 season. I will be shocked if Hayes doesn’t lead the team in points per game and shots taken.
Esquire: The Valkyries are confusing to me. I still am not sure it is wise for an expansion team to cut ties with two draft picks, which is what they did with Shyanne Sellers and Kaitlyn Chen. Their No. 5 pick, Justė Jocytė, opted not to come from overseas, so none of the Valkyries 2025 draft picks will be on the inaugural roster. With the league and union set to renegotiate the CBA, having some players that you can have for longer than one year (which are the types of deals most players signed for this season) is important. Shyanne Sellers, even though she fell in the draft, was initially a projected first-round pick. Why not keep and develop her to pair with a potential franchise star you could select in next year’s draft? They also cut Laeticia Amihere who was one of their best players in the preseason. I can’t imagine she doesn’t fit or wouldn’t help the Valkyries this season. I have the Valkyries ranked last in my power rankings. I think they will be competitive in some games, and that’s all you can really ask for in the inaugural season of a team.
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Huff: It’s unlikely that the Valkyries experience any great success from a wins standpoint. However, head coach Natalie Nakase comes from Becky Hammon’s coaching tree, and it’s conceivable that she helps establish a culture in Year One that the organization can build upon rather quickly. Probably not a playoff team right away, but fans will come away from this season with some optimism.
Johnson: While ownership has made it clear that it expects the team to be competitive immediately, life as an expansion team is never easy. Can the Valkyries reach ten wins? That may be the most reasonable expectation for this group, with Tiffany Hayes and Kayla Thornton leading the way. Two players to watch: Carla Leite and Julie Vanloo. The former was a first-round pick in the 2024 draft, and the latter started 34 games last season with the Mystics in her first WNBA season.
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