It's finally time, WNBA friends — the preseason starts on Friday. As we get our first looks at these new WNBA rosters, here are 5 things to look out for:
The Paige and Arike connection in Dallas
One of the most exciting parts of the WNBA season starting is definitely seeing Paige Bueckers step onto the WNBA court. It was less than one month ago when we watched Bueckers win a National Championship with the UConn Huskies, and now the No. 1 overall draft pick will be making her debut with the Dallas Wings. An exciting aspect to Paige's fit in Dallas will be to see how her and Arike Ogunbowale play together. Having Bueckers in the back court with Arike will definitely relieve some of the offensive pressure off of Ogunbowale, while also pairing her with an elite passer in Bueckers.
A lot of this Dallas roster is new as well, so seeing the entire ecosystem tested will be intriguing. It's hard to currently measure the ceiling of this team, with so many new pieces. It will also be fans' first look at the potential lineups Dallas is planning on sending out. Dallas not only has new players, but a new coaching staff and a new general manager in Curt Miller — the way this team runs will be different from previous years. As the presumed future star duo of the team, getting a first look at the Paige and Arike connection should get Dallas fans hyped.
Jewell Loyd makes her Aces debut
It's still weird to say "Jewell Loyd is a Las Vegas Ace," but we will finally see Loyd in the black and silver jersey this weekend. Loyd had a little bit of a low season offensively last year, but there was obviously some turmoil going on behind closed doors that could have contributed to that. Now in Las Vegas, Loyd is paired with the Point Gawd Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and reigning MVP A'ja Wilson — all players she has played on Team USA with in the past.
On paper, this roster looks fantastic. When you mix how well Wilson played last season, how well Gray played at Unrivaled, and how well Loyd could play, it's dangerous. Young has experienced a bit of injury in the past year, but she has a high ceiling as well. This new-look Aces team could be on their way to another championship for Las Vegas.
The new Indiana Fever
The remaining core members of the Indiana Fever from last season are Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and Lexie Hull. Other than that, most of their roster consists of free agency signings, and you can see what the Fever were prioritizing in their search. Experienced, veteran players who work well around their young duo of Clark and Boston. While the Fever definitely jumped up in overall performance last year, the main concern was a lack of experience on the roster - not anymore.
With DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Syd Colson and others now on the roster, this is a new Fever team. Plus, year two of the Caitlin Clark experience in Indiana is shaping up to be a movie. The Fever themselves know it too, and the talk on Media Day was all about winning championships.
Year 2 Angel Reese
Another one of 2024's star rookies, Angel Reese will make her return to Chicago with a new coaching staff and many new teammates. With concern about multiple hand injuries she has suffered in the past year, the main thing is keeping her healthy. Yet, if Unrivaled was any indication, Reese's sophomore season is going to show huge improvement in many aspects of her game.
She also has more veteran presence around her this season. With Courtney Vandersloot as her point guard, Reese will have someone with a decade and a half of experience in her ear helping her hone her skills. Chicago is in an interesting place when it comes to where they could end the season in the standings. Many thought it would be another lower year for the Sky, get another lottery pick - then they traded their No.3 pick this year for Ariel Atkins. They don't seem to be "tanking," so Angel Reese's game will be a huge indicator of the ceiling of the team.
The Valkyries are finally here
Expansion is here! The Golden State Valkyries will play their first EVER game this weekend when preseason games start. It's been nearly two years since the WNBA announced they would be expanding into the Bay Area, and this marks the next chapter in a very exciting era for the league.
The Valkyries roster is a little unpredictable right now, given the amount of international and young talent they have. There is no indication of who they will end up keeping on when the season starts in a few weeks - there is no precedent. With a team figuring things out, they could likely take risks with some younger players. It's just extremely exciting to finally be at the point when one of these expansion teams is finally entering the league as an actual team.