The first weekend of the WNBA season is behind us, so it's time for everyone's favorite game: drawing conclusions from extremely small sample sizes.
Or, well...maybe not conclusions, but at least trying to take stock of what we've learned already in the short WNBA season.
Here are five early takeaways from opening weekend of the 2025 WNBA season.
READ MORE: FanSided's WNBA35, ranking the best players in the WNBA this season
The Fever look like contenders
It was only one game, but the Indiana Fever had no trouble against the Chicago Sky on Saturday, winning 93-58. Caitlin Clark had a triple-double, but more important for the team's chances of success was how well the team shared the ball.
Clark unsurprisingly led the team with 13 field goal attempts, but three players — Natasha Howard, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell — were just one behind her at 12 attempts, while Lexie Hull took 10 shots and DeWanna Bonner nine.
Indiana spent the offseason trying to build a cohesive unit for Clark to thrive. Early results are promising. With additional players ready to step up, a lot of pressure comes off Clark's shoulders, though she'll still get the most intense defensive attention every night.
(Also ... this result might partially be because Chicago is bad. It's already clear that this isn't a playoff contender, and that the decision to trade the No. 3 pick for Ariel Atkins was a short-sighted move. Chicago would be much better off with Sonia Citron. And speaking of Citron...)
Washington's rookies were ready to play
If Rookie of the Year was awarded today, Sonia Citron would probably take home the award.
Or maybe it'd be Kiki Iriafen? Both Mystics rookies have opened the year with strong performances and have helped Washington start a slightly surprising 2-0.
On Friday against Atlanta, Citron scored 19 points, going 6-for-7 from the floor. She already looks comfortable out on the wing, and the Mystics are smartly starting Sug Sutton at point guard next to Brittney Sykes, allowing Citron to play the three, which is theoretically her best position.
Iriafen was solid in the opener, but it was in her second career game that she really asserted herself. Washington beat Connecticut 90-85 on Sunday, with Iriafen recording her first double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 14 boards.
Is this sustainable? Probably not. Washington has also counted on strong early play off the bench from Jade Melbourne, putting the team in a spot where it relies heavily on young, untested players. It's going to be hard for that to hold, but this team has the makings of something good down the line.
Paige Bueckers and the Wings need a little more time
The problem in the first game of Paige Bueckers' career? She didn't touch the ball enough.
Well, that's not quite correct. She touched the ball plenty, but once she initially gave it up to initiate a play, it felt like she didn't get it back. Bueckers had just two assists in her WNBA debut, and only one of her three made baskets came off an assist. It felt like she wasn't fully integrated yet.
That makes sense, though. Arike Ogunbowale is a ball-dominant combo guard, so it won't be easy for her and Bueckers to figure out how to play off each other. It just seems, after one game, that it might take longer than we thought.
Then there's the weird center rotation. The team started Myisha Hines-Allen and NaLyssa Smith in the frontcourt, going without a traditional five. Teaira McCowan played just five minutes off the bench despite being the presumed starter for the Wings. It was ... odd, and this roster will probably remain fairly odd. I've been highly complimentary of how GM Curt Miller has reshaped this team, but we're seeing some of the shortcomings now, from Smith's defensive issues to the lack of reliable shooting off the bench outside of Maddy Siegrist.
The Lynx are as good as advertised
Minnesota played two games this weekend. It won both of them.
Sure, the Wings and Sparks aren't some murderer's row, but Minnesota took care of business.
Against the Wings, the team showed it can win with its offense, putting up 99 points. Even with Kayla McBride out for opening weekend, the offense didn't miss a beat, with Courtney Williams scoring 25 in the opener. Oh, and Napheesa Collier scored 34 points on opening night.
The team picked up right where it left off on Sunday, beating the Sparks 89-75. Jessica Shepard showed off her importance off the bench, while Williams posted a double-double.
And after looking like a breakout candidate in the opener, Diamond Miller barely saw the floor on Sunday, which really speaks to just how deep this team is.
The Mercury are going to be weird
Phoenix shockingly demolished the Storm on Saturday night, winning 81-59 despite missing two key starters, Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack.
In addition to stars Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, the Mercury started Kathryn Westbeld, Sami Whitcomb and Monique Akoa Makani. And they won by that much. Against a Seattle team that most people think is the fifth-best team in the league at worst.
Huh.
This does not feel like something that can last. Copper is set to miss 4-6 weeks with a knee injury and it's going to be tough to cobble together the production to replace her.
At the same time, I'm intrigued by what this team will look like in the second half of the season if everyone is healthy. These untested role players looked solid. Alexa Held had 11 points. Alexis Prince pulled down eight rebounds. Westbeld was 2-for-3 from deep, giving the team the ability to stretch the floor and free up space for Thomas to drive.
I don't know. It's the league's most confusing roster. Factoring in injuries to two starters, it shouldn't work. Somehow, at least for one night, it did.