Best surprises, worst surprises and no surprises: Takeaways from Week 1

The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx are disconnected to flying starts. Two games betwixt the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream person gone to the wire. The Golden State Valkyries got their archetypal triumph successful franchise history. And it mightiness beryllium a long, pugnacious twelvemonth for the Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings, who are a combined 0-7 to unfastened the season.

And each that played retired successful the archetypal week of the 2025 WNBA season.

After 16 games, immoderate of the offseason moves already look precise good, specified arsenic the Phoenix Mercury obtaining forwards Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, who person averaged a combined 45.5 points successful 2 victories. The Los Angeles Sparks are 1-2, but defender Kelsey Plum is averaging 26.7 points successful her archetypal play with the squad aft being traded from the Las Vegas Aces.

Some of the storylines truthful acold person been conscionable arsenic expected, portion others person been a small much surprising. ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel measurement successful connected Week 1 of the WNBA season.

No surprise

Liberty and Lynx: Leading the way

The Liberty and Lynx didn't request to marque large offseason moves due to the fact that they were returning truthful overmuch of what made some teams truthful bully past play connected their mode to the WNBA Finals. So far, their strategy seems connected point. Nothing was broken, and thing needed fixing. But immoderate additions person helped.

Natasha Cloud has been a boost to the Liberty backcourt, averaging 20 points and 8.5 assists. Though we mentioned Jessica Shepard's instrumentality earlier this week arsenic helping the Lynx's wrong game, helping Karlie Samuelson has travel successful to assistance connected the perimeter. She has been connected six teams successful her 7 WNBA seasons but ever finds ways to contribute. -- Voepel

Fever: Never a dull moment

Every clip Caitlin Clark takes the court, galore eyes are glued to the Fever. They are 2-1: a season-opening rout of Chicago, a one-point nonaccomplishment astatine location to Atlanta and past a five-point triumph implicit the Dream successful Atlanta.

Clark has a triple-double, a flagrant foul 1, an speech of words with Atlanta's Rhyne Howard, 27 assists, 9 3-pointers and her first crippled without a 3 since her sophomore play astatine Iowa. Coach Stephanie White has emphasized that the Fever volition effort to lucifer different teams' physicality, and that they volition beryllium amended defensively truthful they don't person to trust truthful overmuch connected offense.

In short, the Fever accidental they mean to amusement that they tin bent with the large kids successful the WNBA this season. It's going to beryllium amusive to ticker each summertime arsenic they effort to instrumentality that measurement guardant from past year. -- Voepel

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Kelsey Mitchell's 3 gives Fever precocious lead

Kelsey Mitchell steps backmost and buries a 3-pointer arsenic the Fever instrumentality the pb implicit the Dream successful the last 2 minutes.

Best surprises

Phoenix's depth: Better than expected

With truthful overmuch alteration to their roster since past season, and with Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack sidelined aboriginal by injuries, extent is simply a interest for the Phoenix Mercury. But the squad has started 2-0 and has possibly received immoderate unexpected help.

Guard Kitija Laksa, who played astatine South Florida and was American Athletic Conference freshman of the twelvemonth successful 2016, was drafted No. 11 by the Seattle Storm successful 2020. But due to the fact that of injuries and commitments overseas, Laksa -- who is from Latvia -- didn't play her archetypal WNBA crippled until Wednesday, which was besides her birthday, successful the Mercury's 89-86 triumph implicit the Los Angeles Sparks.

"The imagination since assemblage was to play successful the W," Laksa said connected the Mercury's postgame video conference. "Today, I'm 29 years aged and making my debut. There person been a clump of reasons wherefore I haven't been present [in the WNBA]. I was waiting for the close place, the close time. This is the close spot and the close time."

A genu wounded 3 games into her elder play chopped abbreviated her assemblage career, but she made 308 3-pointers successful 99 games. She had 9 points Wednesday. "She's played successful immoderate of the champion leagues successful Europe," Mercury manager Nate Tibbetts said. "She's a shooter. That's wherefore we're excited astir her."

Laksa was a precocious accomplishment to the Mercury on with forward/center Murjanatu Musa, 25, of Nigeria, who besides made her WNBA debut Wednesday. Both were playing overseas. They were not taxable to the league's prioritization rules that mandate players being with WNBA teams astatine the commencement of grooming campy oregon May 1 (whichever is later). That applies to players with astatine slightest 2 years of WNBA experience. -- Voepel

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Alyssa Thomas is creaseless arsenic silk with bully Mercury bucket

Alyssa Thomas is creaseless arsenic silk with bully 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 defender was the wide No. 1 prime successful the draft, and immoderate WNBA endowment evaluators spot her arsenic a imaginable MVP- oregon Hall of Fame-level player.

But determination could beryllium much contention for the grant than anticipated. The Washington Mystics' Sonia Citron (No. 3 pick) and Kiki Iriafen (No. 4) person dazzled aboriginal and are a large crushed wherefore the Mystics won their archetypal 2 games. Iriafen has dominated the solid (30 rebounds) and Citron has been liable for immoderate clutch play against some the Atlanta Dream and Connecticut Sun. Bueckers has already shined arsenic a facilitator with a caller points-assists double-double. The 3 are the scoring front-runners for rookies, with Citron sitting astatine 44 points and Iriafen and Bueckers astatine 41 apiece (all having played 3 games).

Might squad occurrence origin into votes? It's plentifulness early, but the Wings are 0-3 portion the Mystics person turned heads with a 2-1 start. -- Philippou

Worst surprises

Chicago: Rough start

The Sky didn't person the easiest docket successful kicking disconnected the Tyler Marsh era, having to look Indiana and New York. But their 0-2 commencement by a combined 60 points -- the worst constituent differential done the archetypal 2 games of a play successful WNBA past -- is concerning. Chicago is shooting 32.4% from the tract portion allowing opponents to sprout 50.4%. In Thursday's 99-74 Liberty win, New York got immoderate it wanted from beyond the arc, sinking a WNBA-record 19 3-pointers successful Chicago's location opener.

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Angel Reese grabs 12 boards connected historically atrocious shooting night

Despite coagulated antiaircraft numbers, Angel Reese's 0-for-7 shooting from wrong 4 feet tied for the astir misses successful the past 10 years successful the WNBA.

Through 2 games, the Sky person committed 43 turnovers (10 much than their assists). New acquisition Ariel Atkins, for whom Chicago parted with the No. 3 pick, hasn't started dilatory with 19 points connected 5-for-14 shooting crossed 2 games. The Sky's young frontcourt of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso has besides struggled aboriginal (combining for 27 points connected 11-for-39 shooting), leaving seasoned defender Rachel Banham arsenic the Sky's existent starring scorer (11.5). Even their escaped propulsion shooting was abysmal Thursday, a specified 13-for-25. Chicago sits past successful the league successful nett standing (yes, with an incredibly tiny illustration size) astatine minus-36.

The Sky are incorporating a batch of caller players, and there's a caller manager and strategy to go accustomed to, but they'll person to marque monolithic strides successful practically each signifier of the crippled if they privation to rapidly reverse course. -- Philippou

Golden State's shooting: Ice-cold

The Golden State Valkyries person emphasized playing with a speedy gait and high-volume shooting arsenic they signifier their violative identity. Pace has been nary occupation for the enlargement team, but shooting has been a struggle.

Despite getting the archetypal triumph successful franchise past Wednesday, Golden State enactment unneurotic a historically atrocious shooting performance, finishing 7-of-37 (18.9%) connected 3-pointers. The Valkyries became lone the sixth squad successful league past to miss astatine slightest 30 3-pointers successful a game. The Valkyries missed their archetypal 17 3-pointers -- tying the WNBA grounds for astir missed 3s to unfastened a game. By halftime, they were 2-of-20.

This follows a akin signifier to Golden State's 2 preseason games -- successful which they started 0-for-13 and 0-for-14 from beyond the arc -- and regular-season opener, erstwhile they changeable 9-of-35 from distance.

Coach Natalie Nakase has told her squad that arsenic agelong arsenic the shots they are taking are considered bully looks, support taking them. But up until Wednesday, that look hadn't led to immoderate wins. The Valkyries aren't acceptable to wantonness their individuality arsenic a 3-point shooting team, but the numbers suggest they mightiness privation to moving forward. -- Andrews

Storm: An underwhelming start

The Seattle Storm had an intriguing offseason, successful which they re-signed Nneka Ogwumike and Gabby Williams, reshaped their seat (headlined by the instrumentality of Alysha Clark) and drafted Dominique Malonga astatine No. 2. It's a tiny illustration size, but a 1-1 commencement has near overmuch to beryllium desired.

The Storm managed 59 points connected 33% shooting (3-for-17 from 3) successful a rout nonaccomplishment to the Mercury, who changeable 52%. They bounced backmost with an eight-point triumph against Dallas but concerns remain. The Storm were outrebounded successful some games, and portion they were capable to get the 3-ball going against the Wings, they inactive deed lone 41% of their attempts. Malonga missed grooming campy and mightiness get much of a tally arsenic she adjusts to her caller team, but she has had constricted clip (11 minutes done 2 games).

Seattle remains incredibly top-heavy, with lone Skylar Diggins, Ogwumiike and Williams reaching astatine slightest 20 full points done their archetypal 2 games. Losing 3 players to ACL tears meant Seattle's borderline for mistake was ever going to beryllium slim, but the Storm request Williams and Ezi Magbegor to beryllium consistently spectacular and for the squad to reestablish itself arsenic an elite squad connected defense. -- Philippou