WNBA Wraparound: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese make their debuts, as the Sun, Liberty, and Aces all start undefeated

The WNBA season has officially begun — marking the professional debuts of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the dominant return of the Las Vegas Aces, and more. And just as veterans like Diana Taurasi warned, the adjustment to the WNBA is going to be a challenge for all the rookies — even Clark, who came in touted as one of the top prospects in the league’s history but struggled in the early days. 

Ultimately, it was the three best teams from the 2023 season — the Las Vegas Aces, Connecticut Sun, and New York Liberty — who had the strongest first weeks, serving as a reminder that the WNBA is a veteran-run league, and that success doesn’t come overnight. 

3 highlights from last week around the WNBA

Alyssa Thomas’s MVP-caliber season was not a fluke: Thomas, the 6-foot-2 Connecticut Sun forward, holds the WNBA record for all-time triple-doubles. Last year’s runner-up for MVP noted that she wanted to show the world that her near-nightly triple-double last year was not a fluke, and she started the year strong, putting up her 12th career triple-double with 13 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds. She followed that up with another balanced 13-point, 11-rebound, 6-assist performance in a Friday night win against the Mystics, as the Sun finished the week 2-0. 

A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces start strong: The talk of the town has been the newbies. But it’s the Aces who have won the last two championships and racked up an undefeated week one. Neither win was particularly dominant — they beat the Mercury by 9 and the Sparks by 7 — but Wilson was in MVP form, averaging 26 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in the two wins. It’s not a bad time for Wilson to dominate on a national stage, as Nike announced she’s launching a signature shoe last week. 

The New York Liberty, and Breanna Stewart, are rolling. The Liberty got crushed in a preseason game against the Sky, leading some to wonder if last year’s runner-ups were in store for a down year. But opening week helped quell some of those concerns, as the Liberty beat the Mystics once and the Fever twice. It still remains to be seen how they fare against stronger competition, but it was a good start for Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. 

2 WNBA games to tune into this week 

Seattle Storm @ New York Liberty – Monday, May 20 at 7 p.m.

The New York Liberty, led by Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu, began the season 3-0 last week, including back-to-back demolitions of the Fever. Stewart is playing at an MVP level, putting up a 31-point, 10-rebound, 4-assist, 3-steal, 2-block stat line against Indiana on Thursday, and following that up with a 24-point, 4-steal, 3-block performance in a Saturday rematch with the Fever. 

Meanwhile, the Storm, led by Nneka Ogwumike, Jewell Lloyd, and Skylar Diggins-Smith dropped their first two games, but continue to gel and should be one of the more competitive teams this season.

Indiana Fever @ Las Vegas Aces – Saturday, May 25 at 9 p.m. 

Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and the Fever face off against the star-studded defending champions, the Aces. Week 1 was tough for Indiana, who went 0-3, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier as they visit what most expect to be the most dominant team in the league.

Still, this one will be worth tuning into, as Clark and Boston — two of the best young stars in the league — face off against the most dominant player in the world in A’ja Wilson, and two of the best guards in the WNBA, in Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. 

1 WNBA story to monitor this week: How have the rookies fared? 

Cameron Brink (No. 2 pick, Sparks), Angel Reese (No. 7 pick, Sky), Caitlin Clark (No. 1 pick, Fever), Rickea Jackson (No. 4 pick, Sparks), and Aaliyah Edwards (No. 6 pick, Mystics) headlined last weeks’ rookie debuts. 

Caitlin Clark put up 20 points on opening night against the Sun but did so on poor efficiency (5-of-15 from the field) and with a franchise-record 10 turnovers. She followed that up with a 9-point, 6-assist outing in a 36-point loss to the Liberty, struggling against one the league’s best defenders in Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. 

But on Saturday, Clark had the best game of her young WNBA career, scoring 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting to go along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. It’ll continue to be a transition for Clark and the Fever, who were the worst team in the league last year and have struggled in the early days of the 2024 season — but Clark has had some promising moments in the midst of tough overall games for Indiana. 

Cameron Brink has looked comfortable in two games for the Sparks, particularly on the defensive end, where she’s most dominant. She scored 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting and added 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Then, against the defending champs, Brink swatted 5 shots and grabbed 8 rebounds. Foul trouble remains a concern, as Brink has racked up 9 fouls in 45 minutes of play so far. 

In her first two games — both against the Wings — Angel Reese averaged 11.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and a steal. The rebounding, Reese's greatest strength, has clearly translated, while she increasingly gets more comfortable on offense.

Rickea Jackson played 18 minutes off the bench in her debut, scoring 8 points on 3-of-10 shooting. She followed that up with a 13-point performance in a game against the Aces, showcasing that her versatile offensive game has carried over quite well. 

Aaliyah Edwards scored 6 points on opening night against the Liberty, battling against New York’s veteran frontcourt, and then followed that with another nice showing in a tight loss to the Sun. 

One surprise from opening week on the rookie front? Kate Martin, who wasn’t even expected to get drafted, played 26 minutes in an Aces victory against the Sparks. Martin finished with 3 points, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds — but most importantly, she looked like she belonged on both ends.