the New York Liberty and Minnesota Linux Outside to start flying. Two games between Indiana fever and Atlanta dream I went to the wire. the Golden State Falkris They won their first victory in the history of the concession. It may be a long and difficult year for Chicago Skyand Sunnettet Shams and Dallas wingsWho are combined 0-7 to open the season.
All of this played in the first week of the 2025 WNBA season.
After 16 games, some moves outside the season seem very good, such as Phoenix Mercury Get the attackers Sato in the form of a car and Alisa ThomasThe average of 45.5 points in two wins. the Los Angeles Sparks 1-2, but guard Kelly Bloom Its average is 26.7 points in its first season with the team after circulating Las Vegas is an overwhelming sending.
Some stories were so far as expected, while others were more surprising. Kindra Andrews weighs ESPN, Alexa Philipo and Michael Fuebel in the first week of the WNBA season.
It is not a surprise
Liberty and Linux: driving the road
Freedom and Linux did not need great moves outside the season because they were returning a lot, which made both teams good last season on their way to the WNBA finals. So far, their strategy appears on a point. Nothing has been broken, and nothing needs to be installed. But some additions helped.
Natasha cloud It was a batch to Liberty backcourt, with an average of 20 points and 8.5 assists. Although we mentioned Jessica ChaibardBack earlier this week as it helps Lynx Inside, Wing Carly Samuelson He came to help in the ocean. She was in six teams in the seven WNBA seasons, but she always finds ways to contribute. – Voepel
Fever: Never a boring moment
every time Ketlin Clark Take the court, many eyes are pasted into fever. They are 2-1: an opening defeat in Chicago, one point losing at home for Atlanta and then a five-point victory in the dream in Atlanta.
Clark contains a dress, a luxurious mistake 1, an exchange of words with Atlanta Ryan Howard27 passes, nine throws 3 The first match without 3 Since its second season in Iowa. Coach Stephanie White confirmed that fever will try to match the physical teams of other teams, and that it will be the best defense so that they do not have to rely a lot on the attack.
In short, the fever says they intend to show that they can accommodate the big children in Wnba this season. It will be fun to watch all the summer as they try to take this step forward last year. – Voepel
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Kelissi Mitchell 3 gives late fever
Kelissi Mitchell is declining and burying an indicator 3 as the fever takes the initiative to dream in the last minutes.
Best surprises
Phoenix depth: Better than expected
With a lot of change in their list since last season, and with Copper caught and Natasha Mac It was marginalized early due to injuries, the depth is a source of concern for Phoenix Mercury. But the team started 2-0 and may have received some unexpected help.
Protect Kitija LaksaWho played in South Florida and was a student at the American Sports Conference in 2016, was formulated No. 11 before Seattle Storm In 2020, but due to injuries and obligations abroad, Laxa-from Latvia-did not play her first match in WNBA until Wednesday, which was also her birthday, in Mercury 89-86 victory over Los Angeles Sparks.
“The dream has been playing in W,” Luxa said at a video conference after Mercury Games. “Today, I am 29 years old and showed for the first time. There was a set of reasons that make me here I was not here [in the WNBA]. I was waiting for the right place, the right time. This is the right place and the right time. “
A knee injury made three games in its oldest season, as her university career disappeared, but she made 308 of 3 drawings in 99 games. She had nine points on Wednesday. “I played in some of the best championships in Europe,” said Mercury coach Nate Tipts. “It’s the shooter. That’s why we are excited about it.”
Luxa was late to mercury with the front/center Murjanataru Moses25, from Nigeria, which was also presented for the first time in WNBA on Wednesday. Both were playing abroad. They were not subject to the rules for determining the league priorities that stipulate the presence of the players with the WNBA teams at the beginning of the training camp or May 1 (whichever is later). This applies to players who have at least two years of the WNBA experience. – Voepel
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Alyssa Thomas is smooth like silk with a cute mercury bucket
Alyssa Thomas is soft like silk with cute mercury bucket.
Rising for this year: More than one player race
Producing to the season, Paige Bokerz Unanimous prediction was in favor of this year. the Dallas wings Guard was the 1st selection of the draft, and some residents of WNBA’s talents see it as a possible player at the MVP level or the celebrity hall.
But there can be more competition for the prize than expected. the Washington Sufi‘ Sonia Citron (No. 3 choice) and Kiki IRIAFEN (No. 4) They dazzled early, and they are a great reason for the Sufis to win the first two games. IRIAFEN took control of the glass (30 rebounds) and Citron was responsible for some holding against each of Atlanta dream and Sunnettet Shams. The seeds have already starred as a facilitator with recent specialists. The three are from the first place in the juniors, where Citron sits in 44 points, IRIAFEN and Puckers in 41 each (all played three games).
It may be the team’s success factor in votes? It is very early, but the wings are 0-3 while the Sufis turned their heads at 2-1. – Philipo
The worst surprises
Chicago: a rough start
The sky did not have the easiest time schedule in the start of the Tyler Marsh era, as it had to confront Indiana and New York. But the start of 0-2 by 60 points combined-the worst differential point through the first two games of one season in the history of Wnba-related. Chicago shoot 32.4 % of the field while allowing opponents to shoot 50.4 %. On Thursday 99-74 Liberty Win, New York got everything she wanted from outside the bow, which led to a drowning in Winba Seated 19 throws in the opening match in Chicago.
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Angel Rees
Despite the solid defensive numbers, the shooting on Angel Reese 0 for 7 through 4 feet is linked to the largest number of errors in the past ten years in WNBA.
Through two games, Sky has committed 43 rotation (10 more than her passes). New acquisition Ariel AtkinsFor those who disintegrated Chicago with selection No. 3, did not start slowly with 19 points in fire 5 against 14 in two games. Young sky stadium Angel Rais and Camilla Cardoso He also struggled early (combining 27 points in fire 11 against 39), leaving a veteran guardian Rachel Banham As the current top scorer (11.5). Even their free throwing was the shooting on Thursday, just 13 against 25. The last Chicago is in the league in the net classification (yes, with incredibly small sample size) in Minus-36.
The Sky merges a lot of new players, and there is a new coach and system that is used to them, but they will have to take tremendous steps at almost every stage of the game if they want to reversal of the path quickly. – Philipo
Golden State: Ice-Phorcod
the Golden State Valeres She confirmed playing at a quick pace and high -size shooting because it forms their offensive identity. Pace was not a problem for the expansion team, but the shooting was a conflict.
Although the first victory in the date of the concession was obtained on Wednesday, Golden Station put a historic bad performance, with 7 out of 37 (18.9 %) finished 3 throws. Valkyries has become only the sixth team in the history of the league losing at least 30 throws in a game. Falkerez missed the first 17 drawings-linking the WNBA record for most of the missing 3s to open a game. By the end of the first half, they were 2 out of 20.
This follows a style similar to Golden State games in Preseason-where they started 0 for 13 and 0 against 14 Beyond The Arc- and Forman-Season, when they shot 9 out of 35 of the distance.
Trainer Natalie Nakasi told her team that as long as the shots they take are a good look, they continued to take it. But until Wednesday, this recipe did not lead to any victories. The Kererez is not ready to abandon its identity as a 3 -point shooting team, but the numbers indicate that they may want to move forward. – Andrews
Storm: an easy beginning
the Seattle Storm They had an interesting season, as they re -signed nneka ogwumke and Gabi WilliamsThey reshaped their seat (titled Odeh Alisha ClarkAnd formulation Dominic Malonga In No. 2. It is a small sample size, but the beginning of 1-1 left a lot of what is desirable.
The storm managed from 59 points at 33 % of the shooting (3 versus 17 of 3) in a loss to the mercury, which fired 52 %. They wore eight points against Dallas, but fears are still. The storm is equipped in both games, and while they managed to get 3 balls against the wings, it is still up to only 41 % of their attempts. Malonga missed the training camp and may get more running as it modified with its new team, but has spent a limited time (11 minutes through two games).
Seattle is still incredibly heavy, with just with Skylar DigginsOGWUMIIKE and Williams reached at least 20 points through the first two games. The loss of three players in the ACL tears meant that the Seattle margin of error would always be small, but the storm need Williams and Ezzy Magbour Be constantly amazing and for the team to re -establish itself as the elite team for defense. – Philipo
