The 2025 WNBA season is just around the corner, and the entire landscape changed this offseason.
Not only was an expansion team added into the mix, but a handful of coaching changes occurred and several key players moved around to different franchises. Every season is different in the W, and new teams and players breed new expectations.
While the league is now full of established stars, there are still a handful of very talented players that could be highly scrutinized if they don't meet expectations next season.
Aliyah Boston
Aliyah Boston may seem like an odd choice considering that she was the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2023 and an All-Star last season, but the young center still has a lot to prove. She plateaued a bit during her second year in the league as the Fever got more talented and she'll need to prove that she can take her game to another level next season regardless of who plays beside her.
Indiana has only gotten more talented since 2024, adding players like Sophie Cunningham and DeWanna Bonner this offseason. With less ball to go around and higher expectations in 2025, Boston needs to show signs of improvement or many will feel that she has already reached her ceiling as a player.
Jackie Young
Jackie Young was the league's most improved player in 2022 and earned All-WNBA Second-Team honors in 2023. However, last season her production took a bit of a hit and the Las Vegas Aces fell short of winning their third straight title.
Now, with Kelsey Plum gone and Jewel Loyd entering the mix, the Aces will lean heavily on Young to lead her team back to the promised land. She will have the help of the league's best player in A'ja Wilson, but every Batman needs a Robin. Young must be up to the task of performing like a legitimate No. 2 option for an elite team in the WNBA if she wants to prove herself in 2025.
Satou Sabally
Satou Sabally wanted a change of scenery next season and her wish was granted when the Dallas Wings traded her to the Phoenix Mercury. After having little-to-no playoff success during her tenure in Dallas, Sabally will have to prove that she can be a solid contributor to a playoff team this year in Phoenix.
Her production dropped off a bit in 2024 as well after winning the league's Most Improved Player Award in 2023. She is still a highly-productive, do-it-all forward, but she must show the league that she can do it in meaningful moments and for a team that can compete for a championship.
Arike Ogunbowale
Arike Ogunbowale has been one of the most electric players in women's basketball since her college days at Notre Dame. However, since she was drafted by the Dallas Wings in 2019, the team has won only a single playoff series. She is quite decorated as an individual, but once her team starts winning consistently, she will get more of the league-wide respect that she deserves.
Her numbers speak for themselves, but Ogunbowale needs to help build her team into a legitimate contender. Losing Sabally hurts the team's chances, but with solid additions like DiJonai Carrington, NaLyssa Smith, and Tyasha Harris, Ogunbowale has no excuse for losing this year, which gives her a lot to prove.
Kelsey Plum
Kelsey Plum may be the most exciting player to watch in the WNBA this season. After being traded from the Las Vegas Aces, the team that drafted her, she made comments recently about her new situation with the Los Angeles Sparks that raised some eyebrows. They indicated that she felt a bit mistreated by the Aces during her tenure despite winning two championships and collecting a myriad of individual awards.
Considering what the Sparks gave up to acquire her, the pressure will be on Plum to turn around the once-great organization. She also has the opportunity this year to prove that she can stand on her own two feet in the W and does not need an elite roster around her to win at a high level.