Rookie stars, Aces look to win again and more: Five storylines as the WNBA season kicks off in an Olympic year
The WNBA season kicks off on Tuesday 14 May, with expectations and excitement around the league at an all-time high. Attendance and ratings for women’s basketball has been growing for years, and rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are already bringing in new fans. Meanwhile established stars like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart will be ready to welcome them.
Here’s what to look out for as the season begins.
Olympic basketball at the heart of the season
The Olympic Games Paris 2024 are intertwined with the WNBA season, with the league taking a monthlong break to accommodate players representing not just the USA, but many of the countries participating in both women’s basketball and the 3x3 tournaments. Team USA’s roster will be made of all WNBA players and is coached by Cheryl Reeve, who also coaches the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA, but plenty of other countries will likely have WNBA stars on their teams. The 3x3 team’s coach is Jenn Rizzotti, the president of the Connecticut Sun, and the pool the team will be chosen from includes several WNBA players.
Countries are still deciding on their rosters, but look for Australia to have Ezi Magbegor (Seattle Storm) and Alanna Smith (Minnesota Lynx), Belgium with Julie Vanloo (Washington Mystics) and Julie Allemand (Los Angeles Sparks), Canada with Bridget Carleton (Minnesota Lynx) and Aaliyah Edwards (Washington Mystics), Spain with Megan Gustafson (Las Vegas Aces) and Germany with Satou Sabally (Dallas Wings) and her sister Nyara Sabally (New York Liberty). France and People's Republic of China are also expected to have players who have recently played on WNBA teams, but have taken the season off to focus on the Olympics.
The Olympics will also play a part in the league’s All-Star Game on July 20 in Phoenix, Arizona. Team USA will face off with the league’s All Stars, giving the U.S. a memorable warm-up for the tough tournament ahead of them.
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
• Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.
Changing of the guard as rookies take center stage
2024 promises to be a pivotal year for the WNBA. Rookies have made headlines before they even started the regular season. NCAA phenom Caitlin Clark already has a signature shoe, while Angel Reese hit the Met Gala on Monday and then scored 13 points in her Chicago Sky’s preseason win on Tuesday. On the other end of the spectrum, WNBA legend and two-time Olympic gold medalist Candace Parker announced her retirement earlier this month. This new generation of players will have to prove themselves, like every group of WNBA rookies have before them. But they are bringing with them new excitement to the league.
Can the Aces three-peat …
In 2023, the Las Vegas Aces became the first WNBA team to repeat titles in back-to-back years since the Sparks completed the feat in 2002. They were treated to a White House visit for their feat. Now, they can be the first team to get a three-peat since the Houston Comets. The Aces were a juggernaut last season, putting together a record of 34-6 before losing only one game in the playoffs on the way to their title. The team’s roster is relatively unchanged. Can they make history?
… or will the Sun or Liberty be able to stop Las Vegas?
Las Vegas isn’t going to just walk away with the title. The Connecticut Sun have made it deep into the WNBA playoffs, including two finals appearances, for the last five seasons. This year, they have Brionna Jones back after an Achilles injury, and want to take down Las Vegas.
Just a few hours south, the New York Liberty also have revenge on their mind. Led by 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart, the Liberty lost in the finals to the Aces. With so many star players, including Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu, and coached by Australian national team coach Sandy Brondello, the Liberty has everything they need to win. But can they do it?
The final season of a 12-team league
In 2025, a WNBA team will start in the Oakland-San Francisco area of California, while CBC has reported that a franchise was awarded to Toronto for the 2026 season. The league is growing, and is finally adding charter flights for every game, but the need for more teams is clear. With just 12 roster spots for 12 teams, qualified players get cut every season. With new teams joining in the next two seasons, the league will look very different.