Seven months in the past, the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 within the deciding Sport 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals. It prompted celebration within the Massive Apple for New York’s first league title — and lamentation in Minnesota. Indignant a few late foul referred to as in regulation, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve blasted the officiating, saying, “This s— was stolen from us.”
Prepared for the Liberty and Lynx to attempt to run it again? They’re the front-runners to achieve the 2025 WNBA Finals, in accordance with ESPN’s panel of specialists, who’re feeling Minnesota because the preseason favourite. However there are large challengers, too, together with the two-time champion Las Vegas Aces and the workforce that appears to have essentially the most preseason buzz, the Indiana Fever.
The WNBA’s twenty ninth season begins with three video games Friday, headed by No. 1 draft choose Paige Bueckers’ debut for the Dallas Wings, who host Minnesota. In Saturday’s doubleheader on ABC, we’ll get a have a look at the defending champion Liberty in opposition to the Aces (1 p.m. ET), adopted by final season’s rookie stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese going through off as Indiana hosts the Chicago Sky (3 p.m. ET).
ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Katie Barnes, Kevin Pelton, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel make their predictions for which groups may contend for the title and which gamers may win awards.
Leap to: Playoff and award predictions
Will the Liberty repeat?
Michael Voepel: Sustaining that stage of championship starvation is so tough in skilled sports activities as a result of the challengers are so decided to cease you. The Aces have been capable of do it in 2023 after profitable it in 2022, but it surely may show tough for the Liberty to tug it off.
Kevin Pelton: The Liberty are deserving favorites to win one other title. Perimeter stopper Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will miss the complete season now that she has been positioned on the suspended listing, however the addition of Natasha Cloud helps fill that void, and the return of Marine Johannes ought to strengthen the Liberty bench. I would put them atop the tier of three groups with the very best probability to win the championship, forward of Las Vegas and Minnesota.
Alexa Philippou: Historical past suggests a squad apart from New York will hoist the crown. There is a purpose that just one workforce — the Aces in 2022 and 2023 — has repeated up to now twenty years. It is extremely tough, and that is the case now greater than ever with so many groups stockpiling expertise and in win-now mode.
I nonetheless see the Liberty in the identical tier of groups Pelton outlined, together with Indiana. Maybe it’s going to show advantageous that they do not have the precise forged of characters as final season, although I wonder if the losses of Laney-Hamilton and Kayla Thornton (growth draft) will rear their head. The Liberty are additionally skinny on the wing, although Rebekah Gardner, Kennedy Burke and Leonie Fiebich may make up for that.
If not New York, which workforce is your choose to win the 2025 title?
Philippou: The Lynx have been one foul name away from profitable all of it final season, and there may be loads of purpose to consider they’ll return to that stage and emerge as champions this time. They’ve an enormous benefit in returning a league-high 85.4% of their scoring manufacturing. They may very well be even deeper because of their retooled bench, particularly if younger gamers similar to Diamond Miller and Alissa Pili proceed to develop. The Aces and Liberty have been the primary to say how dropping fueled and knowledgeable their eventual championship runs; final 12 months’s heartbreak may very well be what the Lynx wanted to have all of it come collectively in 2025.
Voepel: Constructing on Alexa’s level, there was a sample over the previous six years of groups profitable the title the season after an enormous disappointment. In 2019, the Mystics received after being swept by the Storm within the 2018 Finals. In 2022, the Aces received after falling at residence in Sport 5 of the 2021 semifinals to the Mercury. And final season, the Liberty bought the title after dropping within the 2023 Finals to the Aces.
We may see that play out with the Lynx this season, however they are not the one workforce that might match this development. The Aces are additionally nonetheless stewing about final 12 months, once they received solely one among seven video games in opposition to the Liberty between the common season and playoffs. Plus, Jewell Loyd is hungry to show herself with a brand new workforce.
As for Indiana, the Fever may be a 12 months away. That may match one other sample of groups (Seattle in 2004 and 2018) profitable titles within the third season of consecutive No. 1 draft picks enjoying collectively.
With all of the roster modifications, what is the one factor you might be most trying ahead to seeing this season?
Pelton: I can not wait to see how Loyd suits in Las Vegas. The sign-and-trade deal that despatched Kelsey Plum to the Sparks with Loyd as her substitute is by far the largest change we have seen for the Aces since Becky Hammon arrived as coach and instantly led them to back-to-back WNBA titles.
Loyd has performed off an MVP submit participant and an elite playmaking level guard earlier than, profitable championships with teammates Sue Chicken and Breanna Stewart in 2018 and 2020 for the Storm. Supplied Loyd buys into that sort of function after taking a number one one in Seattle the previous two years — and sees her 3-point proportion bounce again after a seasonlong hunch — Vegas should not miss a beat.
Katie Barnes: I am trying on the different facet of the commerce Pelton highlighted.
Plum brings veteran and championship expertise to a Sparks squad with a younger core. And Plum is fiercely aggressive and lives for alternatives to show herself. Whereas that is the primary franchise she’s going to play for that did not draft her, there are acquainted faces who will clean the transition, with former Aces teammate Dearica Hamby on the roster and her former school coach Mike Neighbors on the employees.
We must always see the ball in Plum’s arms extra in Los Angeles. The Sparks will look to her to facilitate greater than she was requested to do in Vegas, and extra will probably be demanded of her as a pacesetter. If she meets the problem, her impression will probably be appreciable.
Philippou: All of the participant motion into and out of Phoenix has intrigued me. It is going to be weird to see Brittney Griner enjoying in Atlanta and never competing in entrance of the X-Issue, and to observe Alyssa Thomas enjoying for the Mercury and never the Connecticut Solar.
Will Phoenix’s roster-building technique work? The Mercury have top-of-the-line trios within the league with Thomas, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper, however the workforce’s depth is a query. And in Atlanta, it ought to be enjoyable to see how new coach Karl Smesko brings Griner and Brionna Jones collectively and the way he tweaks his system, usually predicated on 3-point capturing, to account for these inside forces.
Kendra Andrews: I am additionally zeroing in on the Mercury, who’re coming into a totally new period — not solely with out Griner, but additionally with out Diana Taurasi. It is simpler mentioned than executed to start out over, regardless of how proficient the free brokers you landed are.
The group has spoken extremely about how effectively Sabally, Thomas and Copper will play subsequent to one another, however how a lot time will it take to regulate? I am curious if the Mercury should rely closely on their large trio, as a result of, as Alexa mentioned, Phoenix lacks depth and expertise in any other case.
Voepel: No WNBA workforce has had a extra dramatic turnaround by way of fan curiosity and pleasure than Indiana the previous two years, drafting Aliyah Boston and Clark as consecutive No. 1 picks. Including the ageless DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham into the combination whereas returning Kelsey Mitchell, who went by means of all of the franchise’s lowest moments prior to now attending to get pleasure from a few of its finest, makes for a workforce that seems to be essentially the most proficient the Fever have had in a decade. It ought to be a blast to observe.
What was the largest shock from Thursday’s ultimate rosters?
Andrews: I am stunned that none of Golden State’s three draftees are on the ultimate roster, seemingly losing three picks.
The Valkyries stunned followers once they waived seventeenth general choose Shyanne Sellers, then did it once more with twenty ninth general choose Kaitlyn Chen. Each gamers have been fast fan favorites after throwing first pitches at San Francisco Giants video games and driving jersey gross sales, with Chen receiving a standing ovation after her first bucket within the Valkyries’ preseason sport in opposition to Los Angeles.
Much more complicated is fifth general choose Juste Jocyte’s resolution to stay in Europe.
Voepel: Even with a thirteenth workforce in Golden State including extra roster spots, WNBA followers are nonetheless agonizing over cuts. It is onerous to observe gamers not get an opportunity in what is meant to be their rookie season, but additionally to see former first-round picks similar to Diamond DeShields (2018) and Haley Jones, Grace Berger and Laeticia Amihere (Nos. 6-7-8 in 2023) get reduce. We’ll see if any of them get a name to play this season, particularly if groups want damage replacements.
Who’s your preseason choose to win MVP?
Pelton: As terrific as Napheesa Collier was final season, there’s a purpose A’ja Wilson received MVP unanimously. She put collectively a historic marketing campaign to win the award for the third time up to now 5 seasons. There is not any purpose to count on a lot drop-off this 12 months as she pursues changing into the primary participant in WNBA historical past to achieve 4 MVP trophies.
Barnes: Whether or not it is truthful or not, it is attainable that Wilson may very well be a sufferer of her personal historic success this season. She has raised the bar for greatness, and as such, it is a more durable mountain to climb to win MVP once more. My choose is Collier, who’s coming off championship disappointment within the WNBA in addition to a disappointing exit from the Unequalled playoffs. She’s on a mission, and I anticipate she can have a particular season.
Andrews: I agree that Collier is coming into the season with an additional chip on her shoulder and hearth lit underneath her. I had a front-row seat to her dominance at Unequalled, the place she received the one-on-one competitors and MVP award, and the zone she was in is not fading anytime quickly. In Miami, she spoke about how dropping within the WNBA Finals was nonetheless bugging her. Count on that motivation to hold over and for her to proceed the unimaginable tear she has been on.
Voepel: Since we’re speaking about chips on shoulders, Wilson has one, too — from final season, when she and Hammon thought she deserved Defensive Participant of the Yr to associate with MVP. Seeing the league’s normal managers choose Collier because the MVP favourite this 12 months will solely gasoline Wilson’s hearth, and it is a highly effective hearth.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Who’s your choose for MVP?
Kendra Andrews: Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Katie Barnes: Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Kevin Pelton: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Alexa Philippou: Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Michael Voepel: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Who’s your choose for Rookie of the Yr?
Andrews: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Barnes: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Pelton: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Philippou: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Voepel: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Who’s your choose for Defensive Participant of the Yr?
Andrews: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Barnes: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Pelton: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Philippou: Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Voepel: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Who’s your choose for Most Improved Participant?
Andrews: Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky
Barnes: Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky
Pelton: Emily Engstler, Washington Mystics
Philippou: Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky
Voepel: Kate Martin, Golden State Valkyries
Which 5 gamers will make the All-WNBA first workforce?
Andrews: Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson
Barnes: Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson
Pelton: Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Satou Sabally, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson
Philippou: Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson
Voepel: Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson
Which eight groups will make the playoffs?
Andrews: Atlanta, Dallas, Indiana, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York, Phoenix, Seattle
Barnes: Chicago, Dallas, Indiana, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York, Phoenix, Seattle
Pelton: Atlanta, Dallas, Indiana, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York, Phoenix, Seattle
Philippou: Atlanta, Chicago, Indiana, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York, Phoenix, Seattle
Voepel: Atlanta, Dallas, Indiana, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York, Phoenix, Seattle
Which 4 groups will attain the WNBA semifinals?
Andrews: Indiana, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York
Barnes: Indiana, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York
Pelton: Indiana, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York
Philippou: Indiana, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York
Voepel: Indiana, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York
Which groups will meet within the WNBA Finals?
Andrews: Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty
Barnes: Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty
Pelton: Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty
Philippou: Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty
Voepel: Minnesota Lynx and Las Vegas Aces
Which workforce will win the 2025 WNBA title?
Andrews: Minnesota Lynx
Barnes: Minnesota Lynx
Pelton: New York Liberty
Philippou: Minnesota Lynx
Voepel: Minnesota Lynx
