In a few short days, the WNBA will kick off the 2025 campaign. As the league continues to grow in viewership and popularity, there are countless players and teams worth keeping a close eye on.
No matter how things unfold, the WNBA will be making history this year, with the Golden State Valkyries kicking off the first season in the franchise’s history.
Following a busy offseason that saw numerous notable players change teams, the league’s landscape has undergone some changes. Before things officially get underway, here are some storylines to watch in the coming months.
1) Can the new-look Las Vegas Aces get back in the title hunt?
Among the teams to go through a big change this offseason was the Las Vegas Aces. Their biggest swing was trading guard Kelsey Plum to bring in All-Star guard Jewell Loyd.
Led by arguably the league’s top talent in A’ja Wilson, the Aces have had a vice grip on the league. They entered the 2024 campaign looking to become just the second team in league history to complete a three-peat. Vegas ended up falling short of this goal, being eliminated by the eventual champion New York Liberty in the postseason.
With the addition of Loyd, the Aces have a new high-level scorer in the backcourt. If she and Wilson can establish a functional two-woman game, Vegas will be a tough team to defend.
Still armed with a star-studded roster, Vegas has the talent to contend for a title. The road ahead will be tough, as a handful of teams got better. That said, how the new-look roster can coexist is something worth monitoring.
2) How will the Chicago Sky’s core look following their latest addition?
In the 2024 draft, the Chicago Sky solidified their frontcourt for the future with Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. A year later, they managed to secure another touted prospect by drafting Hailey Van Lith.
With Van Lith entering the fold, the Sky now have one of the WNBA’s most exciting young cores. Reese was an All-Star who put up historic rebounding numbers, and Cardoso showed a lot of promise towards the end of the 2024 campaign. Now, the two bigs have a dynamic guard who can set the table for them while opening up the floor offensively.
Before Reese suffered a season-ending injury, the Sky were on the cusp of making the playoffs. Given her history with Van Lith (teammates for one season at LSU), the two should be able to thrive alongside one another quickly. Now with a complementary core of promising young talent, Chicago has become a dark horse team to keep an eye on in 2025 and beyond.
3) Kelsey Plum taking on a leadership role on a young, up-and-coming L.A. Sparks team
To acquire Jewell Loyd, the Aces had to part with another All-Star in Kelsey Plum. She was routed to the L.A. Sparks, where she will embark on a new journey in her WNBA career.
Similar to the Sky, the Sparks have spent the past two years stockpiling young talent. They nabbed Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson in the 2024 draft, though the former ended up suffering a season-ending ACL injury. With their top 10 pick this year, L.A. brought in Alabama guard Sarah Ashlee Barker to bolster its backcourt depth.
Now surrounded by teammates in the early stages of their careers, Plum finds herself in a veteran leadership role with the Sparks. As an All-Star with championship experience, she understands what it takes to win at the highest level. Given her new situation, it will be interesting to see what kind of impact Plum can have in L.A. on and off the floor.
4) Can Paige Bueckers deliver an impressive rookie campaign?
One of the most talked-about players this WNBA offseason was Paige Bueckers. Following an impressive college career at UConn, the highly-touted guard now finds herself on the Dallas Wings.
Last season, Caitlin Clark managed to deliver a strong rookie campaign despite the massive expectations set for her. Coming out of college with almost as much hype, the pressure is now on Bueckers. Though it’s a slightly unfair comparison, many will be watching to see if she can hit the ground running similarly to how Clark did last year.
With her ability to do just about everything on the basketball court, Bueckers has the skill set to rise to prominence in the WNBA. After years of waiting, fans will finally get to see her in action at the pro level.
5) How big of a leap will Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever make in 2025?
Heading into this season, by far the biggest storyline in the WNBA is Clark and the Fever. Following a busy offseason, this new-look roster has a chance to climb the ranks and enter the title conversation in 2025.
Over the past year, Clark has become one of the biggest mainstream athletes in all of sports. Coming off a rookie season where she shattered multiple records, the star guard will have endless eyes on her to see how she looks in year two.
As for the Fever overall, they have a bolstered supporting cast around their cornerstone prospect. The front office sought out reliable veterans like Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner to play alongside Indiana’s young core. Sophie Cunningham is another notable addition who should provide a boost for the Fever off the bench.
With more weapons around her, Clark has what she needs to continue her rapid ascension to superstardom in the WNBA. If the reigning Rookie of the Year can maintain her current trajectory, the Fever may very well become a bona fide contender this season.
