The 2025 WNBA season has been one of the crucial anticipated in league historical past, partially as a result of a flurry of offseason participant motion and arguably essentially the most thrilling free company interval the W has seen.
A report 4 No. 1 draft picks switched groups, together with Kelsey Plum and Jewell Loyd, who headlined the primary commerce in league historical past involving a number of No. 1 picks. Plum, Loyd, Brittney Griner and Alyssa Thomas are among the many stars enjoying for brand new franchises for the primary time of their careers, a reshuffling that has modified the panorama of the WNBA within the course of.
There’s a variety of basketball left to be performed. However two weeks into the season, and with all groups already enjoying between 4 and 6 video games, we make some early assessments on how these blockbuster strikes are panning out. ESPN ranks essentially the most impactful free company strikes thus far and 4 different gamers who switched groups however have but to interrupt by means of in 2025.
Rating the 5 finest
1. Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks: Plum’s arrival in Los Angeles promised to revitalize the storied franchise. It hasn’t but translated to wins, however she has introduced again star energy to the group. Plum has been each bit the dynamic guard the Sparks wanted: Her 25.2 factors per recreation ranks second within the league (on a 60.3 true taking pictures proportion, no much less), whereas her 151 factors are essentially the most by means of six video games of a season in Sparks historical past.
As quickly as she was traded to L.A., Plum stated she was wanting to be a playmaker, and she or he has additionally shined there, boasting a career-best 5.5 assists per recreation.
Based on Elias Sports activities Bureau, she has scored or assisted on 233 of the Spark’s factors, tied for essentially the most factors scored or assisted on by a participant by means of their first six video games of a season. It is usually troublesome for a participant to win MVP on a crew with a shedding report, however Plum has managed to say herself into the early dialog.
2. Natasha Cloud, New York Liberty: It took a while for the Liberty to execute the commerce that introduced Cloud to New York — the deal was introduced in March on Choice Sunday — however she’s already displaying why she was definitely worth the wait. Cloud was sensational in her first recreation for the defending champs, ending with 22 factors, 9 assists, 6 boards and 5 shares (steals and blocks) in opposition to rival Las Vegas, and she or he has solely continued to shine along with her playmaking and protection. Her emergence as one other go-to scoring choice — she’s New York’s third-leading scorer — takes some strain off the Liberty’s different stars, and Cloud’s toughness and voice make the squad all of the extra threatening in its bid to repeat.
3. Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury: Thomas is shining in Phoenix and in Nate Tibbetts’ system. She’s contemporary off her second profession 15-assist recreation (tying a franchise report) and is delivering as a dependable scorer, all of the extra essential with Copper sidelined: Thomas’ 15.2 factors per recreation are second most on the crew; alongside Satou Sabally they’re the one Mercury gamers averaging greater than 11 factors per recreation. Thomas’ battle and toughness have carried over to her new crew, notably on protection, an finish of the ground Phoenix has leaned on to win video games. Tibbetts has indicated that there are much more methods he’s hoping to unlock Thomas as a playmaker and that she’ll proceed to flourish as she builds belief with the Mercury’s youthful gamers.
4. Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury: At 4-1, the Mercury are off to their finest begin since 2014 — after they gained their final WNBA title — and it is in no small half a product of Sabally thriving in her new metropolis. She’s No. 6 within the league in scoring at 19.8 factors per recreation, which the Mercury have wanted each little bit of with Kahleah Copper sidelined for the primary a part of the season. Phoenix’s deal with spacing, 3-point taking pictures and enjoying positionless basketball has been a boon for Sabally, who has lengthy been labeled a basketball unicorn. And she or he even has room to enhance: Her 3-point proportion is down from final 12 months’s 45.2% (albeit in 15 video games) to 27.3%.
5. Brionna Jones, Atlanta Dream: Jones might need stunned followers by signing with Atlanta after Brittney Griner already determined to play there, however she has acclimated effectively to Karl Smesko’s system, enjoying alongside Griner or as the only real massive. Jones is one in all 5 gamers throughout the league averaging a double-double and is registering what could be profession highs in discipline aim makes an attempt per recreation (11.0), rebounds (10.0) and assists (2.8). She’s not but sinking them at a daily clip, however she has tried almost as many 3-pointers this 12 months (12) as she tried the whole lot of 2024 (14).
It is a small pattern, however the Dream’s offense is a team-best 26.5 factors per 100 possessions higher when Jones is on the court docket versus off it. Jones begins alongside one other heart in Griner when the latter is wholesome (Griner missed the previous two video games due to a knee damage), with the pair sharing the court docket for 87 minutes throughout 4 video games. We gave Jones the nod on this rating for her additional reps, however she and Griner (14.8 PPG) have complemented one another effectively up to now, and so they stay integral to Atlanta’s competition hopes.
4 extra to observe
Jewell Loyd, Las Vegas Aces: Heading into the season, coach Becky Hammon raved about Loyd and stated she thought the Aces’ new acquisition was poised to go on a tear this season. A 20-piece in opposition to the winless Connecticut Solar however, that model of Loyd hasn’t materialized, as her 12.0 factors per recreation on 31.3% taking pictures could be amongst her career-low marks. Hammon has continued to reiterate her religion in Loyd, and the Aces will want her to select up her manufacturing in the event that they need to set up themselves as contenders. Regulate her utilization throughout the Las Vegas offense: Traditionally recognized for her midrange recreation, Loyd’s 3-point price this season sits at a whopping 60%, double what it was final 12 months with the Storm.
DeWanna Bonner, Indiana Fever: Bonner was one of many Fever’s prized free company acquisitions this offseason. Whereas her management has impressed — previous to her 21-point outburst on Wednesday — she had but to make a splash on the court docket, averaging 2.5 factors and 4.0 discipline aim makes an attempt in these contests (in comparison with 15.0 and 12.8 final 12 months, respectively). Bonner’s position was all the time sure to be totally different in Indiana, the place she’s showing alongside a dominant massive three with preexisting chemistry, than it was with the Connecticut Solar, the place getting her seems to be was a precedence of the offense. Coach Stephanie White has stated Bonner is getting accustomed to enjoying in a faster-paced system, and that with a lot of Indiana’s offense predicated on enjoying with freedom and off intuition, Bonner and her teammates are nonetheless studying each other.
Courtney Vandersloot and Ariel Atkins, Chicago Sky: After retooling their roster within the offseason, the Sky have fallen in need of expectations and are one in all two groups remaining with no win. The early going for Vandersloot and Atkins has been powerful: Vandersloot, who returned to the franchise with which she gained the 2021 title, sports activities one of many lowest assist-to-turnover ratios (2.10) and 3-point clips (17.6%) of her profession. Atkins, the participant for whom Chicago traded the No. 3 choose and a 2027 pick-swap, hadn’t managed greater than 11 factors in a recreation previous to Tuesday, when she scored 21 on a season-high 15 shot makes an attempt.
The problems in Chicago transcend anybody or two gamers, however for the Sky to get better from their dreadful begin, they’re going to want extra from their two veteran guards with championship expertise. The crew managed to attain a season-best 89 factors with assists on 25 of 33 baskets in its most up-to-date loss to Phoenix, a efficiency Atkins, Vandersloot and the remainder of the Sky can look to construct on.
