New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces met to gather the last three WNBA championships. The 2025 season took a look more than ever in the league on Friday, while these franchises are in a arms race, while Indiana Fire is preparing to make a leap in Caitlin Clark’s second season.
The twenty -two normal season match overshadowed 1 million viewers in 2024. A game between Indiana and Chicago Sky pitized Clark against his college rival Angel Reese, WNBA’s most watched match in 23 years; It attracted 2.3 million rematchs next week.
Clark and Reese accelerated the popularity of a league that has been growing since the beginning of a decade.
Now, WNBA has expanded by introducing the Golden State Valkyries for the first time in San Francisco for the first time since 2008. To go with a new WNBA Final format, the season was extended to 44 games again. And except for the court, everything is building a new collective bargaining agreement that will be hung throughout the season.
Freedom and Aslar definitely want to stay on the central stage. Before winning a five -game final against Minnesota Lynx, New York overturned the champion Las Vegas twice in the semi -finals last autumn.
ACES, Seattle 2023 score champion Jewell Loyd reacted by reacting to a nucleus that plays MVP A’ja Wilson three times. Loyd, a WNBA champion and Olympic gold medal twice, is a winner in itself.
“I think A’Ja Dawn (Staley) referred to A’ja Dawn (Staley), you know, there is a mood and feeling of the championship teams.” He said. “I don’t get along any more. I feel this mentality and it’s a good sign.”
Liberty’s great move was to buy the two -way guard Natasha Cloud to play with Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Company.
“Not about repeating … We must evolve.” He said. “So this is what we focus on. How do we do this? Individuals, all of us collectively.”
Ateş intends to improve Clark’s 20-20 records in the rookie season and the first round of playoff output. Coach Christie Sides was released and Stephanie White left Connecticut Sun for the same position in Indiana.
Indiana, Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell’s nucleus to help Gazi Dewanna Bonner and Natasha Howard and shooting officer Sophie Cunningham’ı added.
“(The front office) has done a really great job to build this team.” He said. “I think the main thing we were missing last year was experience. Really great veterinarians … And this experience is not only in this league, but also to win at the same time to win.
Even more WNBA players changed their postal codes this winter. Kelsey Plum went to Los Angeles Sparks in Las Vegas’s Loyd agreement, and Britney Griner signed with Atlanta Dream for the first time, tested the free agency.
Phoenix Mercury watched Griner left and hung Diana Taurasi Nikes, but they trade for Alyssa Thomas, a perennial MVP candidate from Connecticut. The Sun also sent Dijonai Carrington to Dallas Wings, because a competitive Connecticut chose to destroy and rebuild a competitive Connecticut franchise.
It doubled for the head coaches for the entire Star Player movement. Indiana was one of the seven teams to hire new coaches who did not count Golden State.
As an example, Dallas brought former college and WNBA assistant Chris Koclanes. The general draft election number 1 is coaching Paige Bueckers, now he starts his professional career after wrapping his time in Uconn with a national title.
“Success seems to be trying to be better every day to be a great team, to be a great teammate, to be a great teammate.” He said. “… We create the basis for how we want to look in the future, so success is our best selves every day.”
The joker card of the season, Valkyries, bringing together a draft expansion in December and most of its teams. Former ACES assistant and for the first time by the head coach Natalie Nakase.
“We are trying to establish a very, very competitive culture, Nak Nakase said to ESPN. “I have three pieces: No. 1, they need to be ultra -competitive. They really have to love to win.
The WNBA Finals will be the first seven best series following the same 2-2-1-1-1 format used by the NBA for the home court. The league also goes to the first round of 1-1-1 in the first round to enable each Playoff team to host a game.
Far from the court, leagues and players Association CBA will attract negotiations, salaries, benefits and staff is expected to be affected. WNBPA, if players think they were necessary, did not exclude the idea of a strike.
Since the CBA and the new TV rights agreements are expected to increase the salary limit in 2026, more than 100 players were time to expire their contracts after 2025 – therefore, these figures were the last season of many recognized faces with the existing teams.
-Adam zıelonka, field level media
-FELD level media
