The WNBA preseason schedule gets underway on Friday night with the Dallas Wings facing the Las Vegas Aces at Notre Dame, part of a trend that will see several WNBA stars play at their alma maters this preseason. In another major change from last season, will be televised and available during a free preview of the WNBA’s League Pass. Just one season ago, a fan’s grainy cell phone stream on X of the Minnesota Lynx-Chicago Sky nearly a million views. Now, it will be much easier for you to tune in.
But what you should be watching for now is a little different than in regular-season games. Preseason games aren’t as much about winning as they are chances to see how players handle the pressure of a full-speed game. Coaches will fiddle with starting lineups, give more time to players who are fighting for a final roster spot, and play it cautiously with players who may be nursing injuries. Here are some questions we hope will get answered in the preseason, and the games where we could get some answers.
After falling short of winning three consecutive WNBA championships and getting bounced in the semifinals — despite a record-breaking season from MVP A’ja Wilson — the Aces made some major changes. In a three-team swap, they sent Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles and received six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd in return. Loyd is one of the league’s best scorers, and she’s joining the team that led the league in scoring in 2024. How will Loyd work into their offense? How will the now-healthy Chelsea Gray make sure the ball gets into the hands of the team’s many capable scorers?
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The Aces start their preseason against the similarly retooled Dallas Wings (more on that later) on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET. We’ll get to see how they’re figuring each other out then.
READ MORE: Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and all the reasons why we’re excited about the WNBA season
Caitlin Clark will be back at her alma mater this weekend as her Indiana Fever play the Brazilian national team in an exhibition game. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
How will second-year players follow up blistering rookie seasons?
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese had a fascinating 2024 season, creating frenzy and sold-out crowds wherever they went. Clark won Rookie of the Year, and Reese broke the WNBA single-season rebounding record. Whether they were playing each other or playing together on the All-Star team, they were making headlines.
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So what’s next? Reese finished the season with an injured wrist, but played well in Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league many of the league’s stars joined this winter. Clark stayed busy in the offseason, but didn’t play any organized basketball, giving herself a break after a grueling final college season that went straight into her pro debut. How will they follow up such thrilling seasons?
Both teams will play the Brazilian national team in preseason games on Clark and Reese’s college campuses. Tune in as the Chicago Sky play Brazil in Baton Rouge on Friday at 9 p.m. ET, and on Sunday when the Indiana Fever play in Iowa City at 1 p.m. ET. A bonus in the Sky-Brazil matchup will be seeing the Sky’s other young star, Kamilla Cardoso, play against the Brazilian team she is normally a part of.
And what about this new crop of rookies?
The WNBA has a whole new group of rookies looking to make their mark, and they’re sure to be featured heavily in the preseason. Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 draft pick, started Dallas Wings training camp just weeks after winning an NCAA title for UConn.
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Another team with a big crop of rookies is Washington, which had three draft picks in the top six this year. Unfortunately, Georgia Amoore suffered an ACL injury in training camp and is out indefinitely. But the No. 3 and 4 picks, Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron, respectively, will play for Washington in a game against Atlanta on Wednesday morning. Yes, you have our permission to miss that meeting that should have been an email to watch this game.
Phoenix looks so different from last year. How have they come together?
Not much will look the same in Phoenix this year. Diana Taurasi retired, and Brittney Griner signed with the Atlanta Dream. The Mercury added six-time All-Star Alyssa Thomas and two-time All-Star Satou Sabally, and both will team up with Kahleah Copper. It’s a team built for physical play and creative scoring. But will we see that on day one?
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We’ll find out on Tuesday, May 6, as the Mercury head to Las Vegas to play the Aces. The players of these two teams know each other well, and it should be a fun matchup worth staying up for with a 10 p.m. ET tip.
Do the Liberty look ready to repeat?
The Liberty made a few changes in the offseason: signing Natasha Cloud after losing Courtney Vandersloot in free agency, and bringing back Marine Johannes, a French player known for her physics-defying passes. But for the most part, they are sticking with the core that brought them to a title in 2024, including Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Finals MVP Jonquel Jones.
Will that be enough, and do they have the juice for another championship run? We will find out starting on May 9 when the Liberty start their preseason against the Connecticut Sun. The game tips off at 7 p.m. ET.
