Last week, A’ja Wilson’s signature shoe, the A’One, finally went on sale; they were sold out in less than five minutes. Nike’s promoting the A’Ones with commercials (directed by Malia Obama, no less) and billboards in a way they’ve never done before for a women’s signature shoe. The week before, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, and Angel Reese were representing for the W and their respective clubs at the MET Gala. There seems to be a constant stream of moments like these nowadays…moments that I couldn’t have even fathomed ten years ago…moments that show how women’s basketball has captured the zeitgeist. We’re not just changing the game, we’re changing the culture. But that evolution starts on the court and this week — just 41 days after the NCAA crowned its champion — our favorite female ballers are back on floor, competing for a championship.
Between the expansion draft and free agency, it was an unpredictable off-season and it’s only going to get crazier. Over 100 of the WNBA’s 156 players will be free agents at the end of the season, as they hope to take full advantage of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (assuming it’s ratified and there is no work stoppage). The free agent class of 2025 took full advantage of one year deals and found new homes: Alyssa Thomas is in Phoenix, Brittney Griner’s in Atlanta…and, in a move that’s going to take a lot of getting used to, Sydney Colson’s in Indiana with DeWanna Bonner. Couple that player movement with the hiring of eight new coaches in league, this feels like one of the most unpredictable seasons in the WNBA’s 29 year history.
To help you prepare for the new season, I’ve done all the homework on the league’s 13 (!!) teams. I went deep into my nerdy basketball bag and offered my best guess for what the future might hold for the teams across the league. Today, we’re offering previews of teams in the Eastern Conference and tomorrow we’ll talk about what’s happening out West. Final rosters are due to the WNBA by Friday so some of the information included here might change before the season tips off; I’ll update this post as necessary. And, of course, it wouldn’t be Autostraddle without answering the most important question of the WNBA season: who all’s gay here? (WAGH).
Atlanta Dream
2024 Season: 15-25; Lost in the first round of the playoffs
Who All’s Gay Here: Jordin Canada, Brittney Griner
Brittney Griner #42 of the Atlanta Dream reacts after hitting a three-point basket against the Indiana Fever during the first quarter of a preseason game at Gateway Center Arena on May 10, 2025 in College Park, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Do you know who the three winningest coaches in women’s college basketball are? You could probably guess two of them, UCONN’s Geno Auriemma and Baylor/LSU’s Kim Mulkey; they are, for better or worse, household names. The third, you probably don’t know, because mid-majors don’t get the shine they deserve but for 22 years, Karl Smesko has built Florida Gulf Coast into Atlantic Sun Conference powerhouse. During his run at FGCU, Smesko went 611-112 overall, winning a staggering 93% of their conference games. Simply put, Karl Smesko is a winner and now, the Atlanta Dream are hoping he can bring those winning ways to the W.
Smesko’s success at the collegiate level is due in large part to his analytics-driven, high octane five-out system. The offensive scheme prioritizes ball movement and efficiency; Smesko’s teams are either hitting catch-and-shoot three pointers or attacking the basket for a layup. It’s truly position-less basketball that’s incredibly fun to watch, but it’s an identity that Smesko forged at FGCU out of necessity.
“I definitely think it would be wrong with Stanford’s personnel or South Carolina’s personnel to try to do what we do,” Smesko told The Next Hoops in 2023. “Those coaches are obviously two of the best in the game, and they know the way to win is to utilize your talent and maximize your talent, and that’s what they do. For us, it’s hard to get somebody like a Haley Jones or a Cameron Brink or someone like that, so we need to have an alternative that can be successful.”
Which brings us to the problem with a Smesko-led Dream team: the lack of personnel that drove Smesko to adopt the five-out system at FGCU isn’t an issue in the W. In fact, the aforementioned Haley Jones is now sitting on Smesko’s bench. The five-out system prizes the three point shot but Dream All-Star Rhyne Howard excels in the mid-range. Five-out is a position-less scheme but then the Dream go out and grab the two truest of the biggest bigs on the free agent market in the offseason: Brittney Griner (from Phoenix) and Brionna Jones (from Connecticut). Now, admittedly, Griner looked as agile in Unrivaled as we’ve seen her in years — going from dunking to knocking down threes — but it’s still hard to imagine Griner and Jones fitting into the Smesko system. So…does Smesko change the system that got him to the W or does he ask more of the players he has on his roster? It’s truly anyone’s guess.
TL;DR: Last year, the Dream were the least efficient team in the WNBA. If Karl Smesko can develop a system that plays to the strengths of his lineup while also upgrading their efficiency — as he’s wont to do — then I think the Dream could finish this season with a winning record.
Chicago Sky
2024 Season: 13-27
WAGH: Courtney Vandersloot, Maddy Westbeld
Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky Hailey Van Lith #2 of the Chicago Sky and Michaela Onyenwere #12 of the Chicago Sky on the bench during the second half against the Minnesota Lynx on May 6, 2025 (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Early in the 2024 WNBA Season, Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams went down with a torn meniscus. Williams wasn’t putting up big numbers through nine games — she averaged 10 points, 7 rebounds per game prior to her injury — but what she meant to the Sky wasn’t something easily captured on the stat sheet. Drafted into the league in 2015, Williams came into her own as part of the Atlanta Dream: leading the effort to elect Raphael Warnock and oust her own boss from office. She’s a bit of a journeyman, having played in Connecticut, Atlanta, Washington, and Chicago, but at each stop Williams continues to get better and, perhaps more importantly, she makes the players around her better.
On the court, Williams knew how to space the floor to ensure that the then-rookie phenom, Angel Reese, had space to do Angel Reese things. Williams’ 28 minutes per game meant that Kamila Cardoso could take time, recovering from her pre-season injury and acclimating to life in the W. Off the court, Williams is a trusted voice — the Secretary of the WNBA Players Association and the 2023 winner of the WNBA’s Sportsmanship Award — and perhaps could’ve stymied whatever went wrong in the Sky locker room last season. But, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case: Williams got injured and left a leadership vacuum in Chicago.
Williams is back this season and in the off-season, the Chicago Sky prioritized bringing in more players like her — Courtney Vandersloot (from New York), Rebecca Allen (from Connecticut via Phoenix), and Kia Nurse (from Phoenix) — seasoned vets who could help Chicago’s young core hone their game, while being consistent contributors in their own rite. On top of that, the Sky have a new coach, Tyler Marsh, who excelled in player development during his time in Las Vegas. I’m anxious to see what Reese, Cardoso, Hayley Van Lith, and Maddy Westbeld can grow in that kind of environment. If it’s anything like what we saw from Reese during Unrivaled — soaking up feedback from vets like a sponge — it could accelerate the Sky’s development into a championship contender.
TL;DR: With a strong mix of savvy veterans and indefatigable youth, the Chicago Sky has the potential to make a big jump this season; anything short of the playoffs — even in Tyler Marsh’s first year — would be a disappointment. I loved the growth we saw from Angel Reese during Unrivaled but I’m looking for Kamilla Cardoso to fuel Chicago’s offensive leap. Her offseason is China was spectacular: she finished the season averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds per game and was voted the league’s MVP.
Connecticut Sun
2024 Season: 28-12; Lost in the second round of the playoffs
Yvonne Anderson #12 of Connecticut Sun drives against Skylar Diggins-Smith #4 of Seattle Storm (Photo by Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)
September 21, 2024. It’s the day before the Connecticut Sun will open post-season play. They had a big test ahead of them, a resurgent Indiana Fever team who had been playing their best basketball since the Olympic break. But when the Sun players wanted to get a little more practice on that Saturday, on the eve of the playoffs, they were told they couldn’t: the venue needed the space to host a two-year old’s birthday party.
“[It’s the] ultimate disrespect,” Alyssa Thomas told The Next. “We need more, we need better to compete at the highest level.”
Less than five months after that two-year old’s birthday party, the roster of the Connecticut Sun is almost unrecognizable. The players who had propelled the franchise to eight straight playoff appearances was gone: Thomas to Phoenix, Brionna Jones to Atlanta, Dijonai Carrington to Dallas, DeWanna Bonner to Indiana, Tiffany Mitchell to the Las Vegas, Veronica Burton to Golden State. Marina Mabrey is still in Uncasville but that’s not for a lack of trying. No one’s said definitively what happened in Connecticut…whether Stephanie White’s departure hastened the exodus or if seeing how the other half lives at Unrivaled did it…but for me, it feels like that two-year old’s birthday party cost the Connecticut Sun their entire lineup. The Connecticut front office keeps assuring everyone that the franchise is not in rebuilding mode but I’m not sure anyone truly believes them.
(Sidenote: After brushing aside overtures from just last season, new reports suggest that the Mohegan Tribe is looking for buyer for the Connecticut Sun. With so many cities vying for franchises, finding a buyer shouldn’t be a problem but agreeing on a price might be. I can’t imagine Connecticut’s $80M valuation holding up after losing so much talent.)
The Sun look to kick-off their new era with Rachid Meziane taking over as head coach. Admittedly, I don’t know enough about his style of play but his resume is impressive. I’m hopeful that he can continue to leverage the relationships he’s built coaching in France and Belgium to help rebuild the Sun. Already, he’s convinced the Sun’s 2024 draft pick, Leïla Lacan, and Euroleague mainstay Yvonne Anderson to join the squad. Could Emma Meesseman be next?
TL;DR: After losing their head coach and their entire starting lineup in free agency, the Connecticut Sun are in rebuilding mode (even if they don’t want to call it that). It’s hard for me to imagine Connecticut competing for anything but a 2026 lottery pick this year. That said, look out for the Sun’s rookies: there’s so much opportunity for them to have standout seasons and perhaps even compete for Rookie Of the Year.
Indiana Fever
2024 Season: 20-20; Lost in the first round of the playoffs
WAGH: DeWanna Bonner, Syd Colson, Natasha Howard, Head Coach Stephanie White, Assistant Coach Briann January
Indiana Fever forward DeWanna Bonner (25) takes a shot against the Washington Mystics on May 3, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
In 2015, the Seattle Storm took Jewell Loyd with the #1 pick in the WNBA Draft. The following year, the Storm captured the #1 pick again, this time drafting Breanna Stewart. Two years later, the Seattle Storm won the franchise’s third WNBA Championship. Likewise, in Las Vegas, the Aces used back-to-back #1 draft picks to draft A’ja Wilson (2018) and Jackie Young (2019). Three years later, the Aces won their first WNBA championship. Both instances show that it takes time to build chemistry and capitalize on talent at this level.
The Indiana Fever are in a similar situation, having drafted Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark with back-to-back #1 draft picks, but can they do what the Storm and the Aces could not: win a WNBA championship just one year after drafting their second #1 pick? For me, the answer is a maybe.
To be sure, I think the Indiana Fever are already a much better team than they were last year. The core returns strong: Clark looks rejuvenated after a full off-season of rest, Boston’s already showcasing lessons she took from Unrivaled, and Kelsey Mitchell is coming off an impressive off-season in China where she averaged 23 PPG. The team’s front office made the most of free agency and put some strong pieces around their core. Sophie Cunningham brings another outside shooting threat to the Fever rotation. Natasha Howard is a former Defensive Player of the Year who can also bolster Indiana’s interior game on both ends of the court. Syd Colson‘s a skilled ball handler who can allow the Fever to give Clark more rest than she got last season. All three bring much needed playoff experience to this Fever roster.
But, for me, the most crucial acquisition for the Fever in the off-season — Stephanie White, notwithstanding — is DeWanna Bonner. Simply put, she elevates this team in every possible way. She experienced a career resurgence under White in Connecticut and will bring that talent to bear in Indiana. But Bonner’s her veteran leadership that fulfills the Indiana’s greatest need. Who better to show Mitchell and Boston how to co-exist with a superstar than someone who won championships with Diana Taurasi? Who better to teach this show this team how to support each other and how to play their roles than someone who’s a three time Sixth Woman of the Year? Bonner will be the bridge that carries the Fever from a playoff team to a championship contender.
All that said, I’m not ready to crown the Fever yet primarily because I don’t trust their defense, especially on the perimeter. Last year, the Fever had one of the worst defensive ratings in the league and it’s going to take more than Bonner and Howard to turn that around.
TL;DR: The Fever return a strong core — Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, and Kelsey Mitchell — and have surrounded them with all the pieces they needed, most notably an experienced head coach and veteran leadership, to make them into a contender.
New York Liberty
2024 Season: 32-8; WNBA Champions
WAGH: Natasha Cloud, Isabelle Harrison, Marine Johannès, Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart
Natasha Howard, Jonquel Jones and Jaylyn Sherrod after a preseason game against the Toyota Antelopes (Photo by Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)
In some ways, it feels like the celebration of the New York Liberty’s WNBA championship — the franchise’s first — still hasn’t stopped. Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Breanna Stewart alongside Clara Wu Tsai at the MET Gala felt like a continuation of the excitement that spilled out onto Broadway for the Liberty’s ticker tape parade. This franchise, this city, these fans waited 25 years for this so one can hardly begrudge them a few extra months of celebration.
But now we’re at the point where being the reigning champions means something other than banners and rings. Now being reigning champions means targets are on your backs. It means teams being painstakingly put together with a mission to dethrone you. It means that each and every night, you’re going to get the absolute best from whomever your opponent is. There’s a reason that back-to-back championships are so hard to accomplish in the W; heavy is the head that wears the crown.
The quest to repeat has already been stymied: first, by the expansion draft which sent one of New York’s key bench players, Kayla Thornton, to Golden State. Perhaps the Liberty can find another 3-and-D player who can guard multiple positions to fill the void Thornton leaves on the floor, but it’s harder to imagine them filling the void Thornton leaves in the locker room. She was the glue of that championship team and her absence will, no doubt, be felt this season. The Liberty will also be without Betnijah Laney-Hamilton who suffered a meniscus tear while playing in Unrivaled.
That said, there’s also a lot to be excited about with this Liberty team. Courtney Vandersloot’s departure in free agency hurts but acquiring Natasha Cloud from Connecticut feels like a step up, especially on the defensive end. Rebekah Gardner‘s healed from her Achilles injury and should be able to slot into the rotation… if she’s even close to being the player she was in Chicago, New York’s got something to fill Thornton’s shoes. PLUS! Marine Johannès is back and I’m looking forward to seeing how she’ll astound us all with fall-away, one-legged three point shots.
My concerns about the Liberty are two-fold: first, after injuring herself at some point in the playoffs, Stewie played in Unrivaled and then had “minor” knee surgery. I’m curious about how close to 100% she is and will she be on a minutes restriction to start the season. Second, when Leonie Fiebich, Nyara Sabally, and Johannès (presumably) leave New York to participate in Eurobasket, how does the Liberty bench hold up in their absence?
TL;DR: The New York Liberty have brought back much of their 2024 Championship squad and bolstered their bench during the off-season. On paper, they look like a team capable of a repeat.
Washington Mystics
2024 Season: 12-26
WAGH: Stefanie Dolson, Emily Engstler, Sug Sutton, Brittany Sykes
Brittney Sykes #20 of the Washington Mystics dribbles past Kelsey Mitchell #0 of the Indiana Fever during the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 3, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
When the Thibault era ended in Washington — with Eric Thibault’s dismissal as head coach and Mike Thibault’s dismissal as general manager — I had high hopes. There were a bevy of great options available but, in particular, there were a lot of interesting candidates with ties to the Mystics franchise who I thought would be great fits: former Minnesota Assistant Katie Smith, former Mystics Assistant LaToya Pringle Sanders, Phoenix Assistant Kristi Toliver, or former G League Head Coach Lindsey Harding. But since this Mystics franchise never misses an opportunity to confound me, they went with Sydney Johnson instead.
My best guess is that the Mystics want a bit of a placeholder coach: someone who can lead the team through a rebuild and establish a culture within the locker room, before eventually hiring a coach that’ll take the Mystics back to the league’s upper echelon. But even if that’s what they’re looking for, I’m not sure that I’d put my money on Johnson, whose lone experience at this level was in Chicago’s dysfunctional locker room last season.
That said, the vibes out of Mystics training camp are good. Brittney Sykes is coming off a strong performance in Unrivaled and Johnson will definitely be looking to her and Stefanie Dolson, as the team’s most experienced players, to lead this young team. We’ll see how Johnson’s dependence on Dolson as a team leader fares when it clashes with the front office’s interest in cashing in on her trade value. A mobile big who can stretch the floor? A lot of championship contenders will be looking to coax her away by the trade deadline.
For years, I’ve been touting Shakira Austin as a potential WNBA All-Star level talent but injuries have hamstrung her progress. I’m hoping this is the year that Austin can showcase her full range of talent. Likewise, I loved the growth we saw from Aaliyah Edwards during her time at Unrivaled and I hope it translates over to the W this season. I do worry, though, about Austin, Edwards, or Kiki Iriafen, having their development stifled because they’re not given enough time in the Mystics’ post rotation.
Washington’s most pressing issue is at the point guard slot, following Georgia Amoore’s season ending ACL injury. The Mystics still have Jade Melbourne and, obviously, Sykes can take over some ball handling but they need a legitimate point guard. I’m looking for the Mystics to make an extra cut from their training camp roster to claim, possibly, one of the point guards that gets waived in Atlanta.
TL;DR: Washington is fully in their rebuilding era and, as such, wins will likely be in short supply for Mystics fans this season. That said, this young team has a lot of fight in them so other teams shouldn’t expect their wins over the Mystics to come easily.
What are your thoughts on the six teams out East? Which team do you think will represent the Eastern Conference in the Commissioner’s Cup?
The East is stacked this season — culture, talent, and big moves.
thank you as always for this essential guide!
This is exactly what I needed to prep for the season! Can’t wait for tomorrow’s guide.
Just a note for new fans jumping in with the Fever that Sophie Cunningham is openly transphobic. Indiana’s fan base has become…divisive? in the last year with the hoard of new fans coming over from Caitlin Clark+Iowa and I’m nervous about how Cunningham’s presence will play into that. Also don’t understand how she fits Stephanie White’s descriptor of “people who put the shopping cart back”
I agree that Sophie’s politics are terrible, but everyone she’s played with seems to love her, including Brittney Griner who’s been the target of a lot of vitriol, and Bri Turner who’s an advocate of the inclusion of trans kids in sports – I believe going as far as to get a master’s in advocacy.
I don’t think the public’s perception of interpersonal dynamics are always accurate. For example, I believe Natalie wrote last year that Clark wasn’t a good teammate, but in reality multiple players have talked about how tight the Fever were last year, and all of her teammates seem to love her.
thanks for that great information