The 2025 WNBA season tips off Friday night with six teams beginning their quest for a championship.
An offseason that saw three former No. 1 overall picks switch teams, multiple players back in the league after sitting out for a couple of years, and the top teams retooling— in other words, “the rich get richer.”
Here are the top five squads heading into 2025.
5. Seattle Storm
Seattle was swept by Las Vegas in the first round last year.
Led by former MVP Nneka Ogwumike and All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith, Seattle boasts a pair of players who have averaged over 15 points per game over their careers.
Seattle picked Dominique Malonga second overall. Malonga has a good face-up game and can hold her own when she switches onto guards in the pick and roll.
The Storm also drafted three guards in the second round.
All three have upside as they took Serena Sundell (Kansas) 26th overall. She is the Big 12 all-time assists leader. At 29, Seattle drafted Madison Conner, who shot 45 percent from downtown and led the country in 3-pointers (128). Jordan Hobbs went 34th overall and averaged 13.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Seattle hopes to get a full season of Gabby Williams, who hasn’t been healthy since 2022. She missed 58 games over that span.
4. Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota lost a heartbreaking overtime battle with New York in the decisive game of the 2024 Finals.
In Game 5, Napheesa Collier fouled out in overtime. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was carrying the team, leading them in points (19) and rebounds (8) per game. Collier broke the record for most points in a single playoff run last year.
Minnesota retained the same starting five for the ultimate “run it back.”
The Lynx won 30 games for the first time in franchise history last season.
Minnesota relies on its defense, ranking first in defensive shot percentage (41 percent) and defensive 3-point percentage (30.1).
3. Indiana Fever
In her rookie year, Caitlin Clark led Indiana to a seven-win improvement, the sixth seed, and their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade.
Clark has the second-best odds to win the league MVP. The lead guard was seventh in scoring (19.2) and led the league in assists (8.4) and 3-pointers made per game (3.0).
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Indiana added a pair of veteran forwards with championship experience in DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard, averaging 15 and 17.6 points per game, respectively last year.
They also added knockdown shooter Sophie Cunningham, who shot nearly 38 percent from deep and scored 8.4 points per game.
With Indiana being a perennial playoff team last year, Clark was one of the MVP favorites and the addition of a veteran presence, expectations are sky-high in Indiana.
Head coach Stephanie White enters her second stint in Indiana. White is 92-56 record and won Coach of the Year honors in 2023.
2. Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas’ quest for a three-peat ended in the hands of the eventual champions, the New York Liberty, in the semi-finals.
A’ja Wilson is amid her prime, having a trajectory to go down as one of the greatest WNBA players ever.
Last year, she added her third league MVP and first scoring champion title to her resume. She averaged a career-high 26.9 points per game, breaking the record for most points per game in a single season.
Jackie Young, their main facilitator and defensive ace, averaged a career-best 5.3 assists per game, ranking eighth in that category.
Las Vegas added six-time All-Star and former scoring champion Jewell Loyd to bolster the backcourt.
The former number one overall pick had requested a trade out of Seattle, with accusations of receiving mistreatment from Seattle’s staff.
The Aces added last year’s Sixth Player winner Tiffany Hayes as part of a retool. They are also getting former first-round pick Elizabeth Kitley, a center coming off a torn ACL.
1. New York Liberty
New York is coming off a 32-8 record for the second straight year.
The Liberty are similar to the Boston Celtics— they led the WNBA in 3-pointers and 3-point jacks in 2024.
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The defending champs traded for Natasha Cloud. Cloud led the league in assists in 2022 and has three All-Defensive team selections.
They have a phenomenal balance of offense and defense. Sabrina Ionescu remains one of the top shooters in the league.
Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart combine to shut down offenses in the paint. The two combine for ten All-Defensive team selections.
Jones took home Finals MVP honors. Her ability to switch onto guards in pick-and-rolls contributed to New York’s capturing the title.
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