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WNBA Season Preview 2019: Every team’s best case scenario

By Miles Wray

UNCASVILLE, CT - MAY 14: Kia Nurse #5 of the New York Liberty shares a laugh with Teresa Weatherspoon before the game against the Atlanta Dream on May 14, 2019 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
UNCASVILLE, CT - MAY 14: Kia Nurse #5 of the New York Liberty shares a laugh with Teresa Weatherspoon before the game against the Atlanta Dream on May 14, 2019 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Keeping with an attitude of optimism, here is the best-case scenario for each of the WNBA’s 12 teams in the 2019 season.

It’s tempting to be pessimistic about things here at the start of the 2019 WNBA year. What did the long, cold offseason bring us — other than the depressing news that some of the league’s biggest stars will be missing out on most or all of the season? Maya Moore’s personal leave and Breanna Stewart’s Achilles injury while playing in Russia had a brutal double-whammy effect: their absences would hurt enough on their own, but it served as a reminder that the low-paying WNBA season just can’t secure all of its stars in the same way the NBA can.

Enough of that. If you look at the league like the glass is half-full, there are plenty of genuine reasons for excitement. There won’t be any asterisk next to this year’s eventual champion, nor should there be: out of last year’s 23 All-Stars, 17 of them are good to go on opening night, with a handful of others anticipated to return later in the year. A uniquely deep field of teams in the NCAA tournament produced a uniquely deep 2019 draft, with intriguing high-ceiling prospects still available on the board in the second round.

This winter also saw a new career path open up for the still-active WNBA player, with 2018 Finalists Sue Bird (Nuggets front office) and Kristi Toliver (Wizards coaching staff) fooling around and picking up jobs in the NBA with their downtime. Plus, the wide-open championship picture means that, on my count, fully half of the teams could be in the title mix if they harness the huge potential on their rosters. The WNBA’s seeding-dependent playoff format means that crucial jockeying for playoff position begins immediately.

Keeping with that attitude of optimism, here is the best-case scenario for each of the WNBA’s 12 teams in the 2019 season:

Tier 4: The Rebuilders, hoping to find the right nucleus

It feels relatively easy, even here in May, to find the four teams who will miss out on the 2019 playoffs. However, none of these teams will be wasting their time wandering in the desert of mediocrity: each franchise has compelling prospects and has been drawing up plausible blueprints to build a future contender. These teams can begin to see their future take shape — plus, one of them is likely to add the Oregon Ducks’ triple-double maestro Sabrina Ionescu in the 2020 Draft.