Around the W: The Beginning

A summary of everything that's happened in the WNBA so far.

The WNBA season is about two weeks old and enough has happened I wanted to take a moment to write up a summary of what has taken place so far this season.

The Top

Las Vegas Aces (6-0)

The defending champions haven’t missed a beat since their impressive run to the title in 2022. Las Vegas has started this season winning their first six games. They are also a perfect 4-0 record in Commissioner’s Cup games with an unbelievable +99 point differential.

Jackie Young continues to grow into her best self averaging a career-high 21.8 PPG. Good for 5th best in the entire WNBA. A’ja Wilson is also in the Top 10 in scoring at 20.7 PPG.

The additions of Candace Parker and Alysha Clark to the core of Wilson, Young, Chelsea Gray, and Kelsey Plum have the Aces dominating the league right now. The Aces are in prime position to compete for another WNBA Championship this season.

They have by far the best overall Net Rating (21.0) which has always been a factor on who wins the WNBA Championship at the end of the season. Las Vegas is #1 in both Offensive (110.4) and Defensive (89.4) Rating. The New York Liberty have the second-best Net Rating in the WNBA up to this point at 5.2. Vegas is four times better than that. Just proving how dominant the Aces have been to begin this season.

Connecticut Sun (6-1)

One of the more impressive teams this season has been the Connecticut Sun who own the second-best record in the WNBA at 6-1 currently. Curt Miller left the team for the Los Angeles Sparks and Stephanie White has come in to lead this veteran Connecticut roster.

DeWanna Bonner, Brionna Jones, and Alyssa Thomas are all averaging over 14.0 PPG. Thomas leads the WNBA in rebounding at 11.6 RPG and is third in assists at 6.9 APG.

Heading into this season I thought the Sun would likely be the 4th best team and they’ve exceeded those expectations up to this point. Their lone defeat came against the New York Liberty (81-65).

New York Liberty (4-2)

After losing their season debut against the Washington Mystics (80-64), the Liberty rolled off four consecutive wins over Indiana, Connecticut, Seattle, and Chicago. They looked like they were well on their way to a 5th straight win as they led Chicago by 17 points into the third quarter. But the Sky used a 56-35 run in the 2nd half including outscoring New York 30-17 in the 4th quarter to upset the Liberty.

Breanna Stewart has been everything New York could have hoped for. The former MVP has already set a new career-high scoring 45 points against the Fever in her New York home debut. Stewart is currently averaging 23.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 2.2 SPG. All of those stats are good for Top 5 rankings in the entire WNBA. With her impressive numbers, Stewart was awarded the Easter Conference Player of the Month award for the month of May.

Courtney Vandersloot leads the WNBA in assists per game with 8.8 APG.

Jonquel Jones has struggled to start the season with disappointing numbers. Part of it has to do with a stress fracture she suffered in her foot at the end of last season that has limited her ability to play big minutes. She’s currently averaging just 18 minutes per game. From the games I’ve seen, Jones definitely doesn’t look like her normal self. I think her performance is definitely something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

The Playoff Contenders

Los Angeles Sparks (3-2)

Curt Miller has done a great job coaching up the Los Angeles Sparks so far this season. Nneka Ogwumike has been playing at an All-Star level leading the way. She’s averaging 20.3 PPG and 8.8 RPG.

The Sparks have picked up two wins against the Phoenix Mercury and another against the Seattle Storm. Their two defeats have both come against the Las Vegas Aces.

Los Angeles has dealt with injuries and illnesses to begin the season and has done a good job of treading water. One of their biggest free-agent signings, Azura Stevens has yet to play a game this season. And Jasmine Thomas, who they acquired in a trade, is also still out recovering from a torn ACL from last year.

Katie Lou Samuelson is out this season pregnant with her first child. Her sister, Karlie Samuelson, has signed a hardship contract with the Sparks and has been a bright light for the Sparks. Karlie Samuelson is averaging 9.8 PPG while averaging 58.8% from the three-point range!

Lexie Brown is also having a standout season for the Sparks. Brown has never looked better averaging a career-high 14.4 PPG; more than doubling her average from a season ago. If Brown can keep this up all season, she’ll definitely be a legit candidate for the Most Improved Player of the Year award.

Chicago Sky (4-3)

Speaking of great coaches, you really have to give a lot of credit to James Wade. The Chicago Sky lost a significant amount of talent this past offseason. Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley, and Azura Stevens were all key members of the 2021 Championship team. That’s on top of losing Stefanie Dolson and Diamond DeShields the year prior, after the 2021 season. Emma Meesseman, who was a huge addition to the team in 2022, opted not to play in the WNBA this season.

Kahleah Copper is the main piece remaining from the 2021 Championship squad. The cupboards were nearly bare before Wade went to work to reload his team. Marina Mabrey and Courtney Williams were the team’s top two additions. But players like Alana Smith and Elizabeth Williams have also been playing quite well for the Sky.

Mabrey is averaging 14.8 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 4.3 RPG. Courtney Williams is averaging 9.3 PPG and career-highs in rebounds (7.9 RPG) and assists (5.4 APG). Alana Smith is having the best season of her career, averaging 9.0 PPG and 5.1 RPG. Elizabeth Williams has contributed with 8.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG. These players along with Copper’s 17.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG have helped push the Chicago Sky to a competitive playoff team early in the year.

Washington Mystics (3-3)

In the first game of the season the Washington Mystics looked fantastic, dismantling the New York Liberty by a score of 80-64. But since then they have lost three of their last five games. On top of that, their other two victories over Chicago and Dallas were by a combined three points. And most recently, they lost to the (previously) winless Minnesota Lynx.

The team brings back much of their core from last season, including Elena Delle Donne, Ariel Atkins, Natasha Cloud, Myisha Hines-Allen, and Shakira Austin. They also added Brittney Sykes in Free Agency.

Delle Donne leads the way in scoring at 19.8 PPG which ranks in the Top 10 in the league.

Their defense is their calling card. They currently rank 2nd in the WNBA in Defensive Rating at 92.9. However, they are struggling offensively. The rest of their scorers beyond Delle Donne can be streaky. The Mystics are ranked dead last (12th) in Offensive Rating at 93.9.

Dallas Wings (3-3)

The Dallas Wings have been solid so far this season. They have won some close games over the Dream, Storm, and Lynx. And they have lost some close games to the Sky, Mystics, and Sun.

Arike Ogunbowale won the Western Conference Player of the Month award and is averaging 21.2 PPG and 4.5 APG. She ranks Top 10 in both scoring and assists.

Surprisingly, Arike isn’t the real story with the Wings up to this point. Yes, she’s been incredible. But it’s been the performance of Satou Sabally that should give Wings fans the most hope. Sabally currently ranks 3rd overall in points (22.2 PPG) and rebounds (10.7 RPG) in the entire WNBA. And is also tied for 4th/5th in steals at 2.0 SPG. If she maintains those rankings throughout the season, Satou will be a serious MVP candidate.

Dallas also ranks 3rd overall in Offensive Rating at 100.8. They’ve always been a very good offensive team since Arike joined the league. New head coach Latricia Trammell has them headed in the right direction.

Atlanta Dream (2-3)

Atlanta has been similar to Dallas. They beat the Minnesota Lynx and dominated the Chicago Sky by 18 points (83-65). But they’ve dropped close games to Dallas, Indiana, and Las Vegas. They had an impressive rally against the Aces outscoring Las Vegas 29-20 in the 4th quarter but ultimately fell short (92-87).

The trio of Rhyne Howard (17.2 PPG), Cheyenne Parker (17.2 PPG), and Allisha Gray (16.8 PPG) are all playing fantastic. Gray has been an excellent addition to Atlanta’s core. If Atlanta can continue to get balanced scoring from these three and just a little more help from the rest of the roster, players like AD Durr and Aari McDonald, then they should be able to rack up some more wins and make a push for the playoffs this season.

The Dream actually have the 3rd best overall Net Rating as they rank 4th in Offensive Rating at 100.7 and 6th in Defensive Rating at 98.3. I think their stock is on the rise!

The Lottery Teams

Phoenix Mercury (1-3)

The best news about the Phoenix Mercury is that Brittney Griner is home safe here in America. And she hasn’t missed a beat on the basketball court! Griner ranks 4th in the WNBA in scoring at 22.0 PPG. And is Top 10 (8th overall) averaging 8.8 RPG. Griner also leads the WNBA in blocked shots at 3.3 BPG and Field Goal Shooting % at 68.2%. She is still one of the greatest players in the WNBA and it’s been wonderful to see.

The Mercury as a team have struggled out of the gate. They’ve dropped two games against the Los Angeles Sparks and another to the Chicago Sky. Their lone victory came against the Minnesota Lynx (90-81).

40-year-old Diana Taurasi still shows signs that made her one of the greatest of all time. Taurasi is averaging 18.3 PPG and 6.5 APG. She ranks just outside the Top 10 in scoring and ranks Top 5 in Assists. She may not be as efficient as she once was but she can still put the ball in the hoop.

Outside of Griner’s successful return, the best surprise has been the quality play of Sug Sutton. Sutton is another story about perserverence. She hasn’t played in the WNBA since 2020, the year she was drafted. However, she’s been one of the Mercury’s best players averaging 12.3 PPG. She’s also averaging 3.5 APG.

Sophie Cunningham and Moriah Jefferson have also played well averaging double figures for the Mercury. However, the team definitely misses Skylar Diggins-Smith who is out on pregnancy leave.

Indiana Fever (1-4)

Despite only having one win in their first five attempts, the Indiana Fever have really been playing quite well. They’ve been very competitive even in their losses. In their two most recent defeats they lost to the Connecticut Sun by just three points (81-78) and the Las Vegas Aces by four (84-80).

Aliyah Boston has been everything the Fever could have hoped for. The #1 overall draft pick won Rookie of the Month award for the month of May while averaging 14 PPG and 5.6 RPG.

Last year’s top pick by the Fever, NaLyssa Smith, has been another key piece to the Fever’s rebuild. Smith is averaging 13.8 PPG and 11.4 RPG.

Kelsey Mitchell, who’s been Indiana’s best player over the past several years, leads the team in scoring at 17.2 PPG.

Offensively, Indiana still struggles to score points. They rank 10th out of 12 in Offensive Rating at 94.8.

The Fever may not qualify for the playoffs this season but the building blocks are there. Another lottery pick could be the final piece Indiana needs to get back to the playoffs consistently.

Minnesota Lynx (1-6)

For a third conescutive season, the Minnesota Lynx have struggled during the first month of WNBA action. They started 0-4 in 2021, 1-6 in 2022, and 1-6 again here in 2023. They turned things around in 2021, finishing the season an impressive 22-10. But they weren’t as fortunate in 2022, where they finished 14-22 and missed the playoffs.

Minnesota is in the process of rebuilding after Sylvia Fowles, the last great from Minnesota’s 2017 Championship team to hang it up.

Napheesa Collier ranks in the Top 10 in the WNBA in scoring at 18.6 PPG. Kayla McBride is averaging 14.8 PPG. And Tiffany Mitchell has been a strong addition to the team this season, currently averaging 12 PPG. Jessica Shepard has been extremely versatile for the Lynx avearging 9.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 5.0 APG.

Rookie Diamond Miller showed promise averaging 10 PPG to start her WNBA career. Unfortunately, she suffered a bad ankle injury against Dallas and it sounds like she’ll miss at least a handful of games.

When looking at the rest of the competition, I think it’ll be an uphill battle for the Lynx to make the playoffs this season.

Seattle Storm (0-4)

After Minnesota’s win over this past weekend, the Seattle Storm are now the only WNBA team that has yet to win a game this season. They’ve also played the least amount of games (alongside Phoenix) of any WNBA team.

The Storm have struggled to find consistent scoring with the absence of Breanna Stewart, Tina Charles, and Sue Bird from a season ago.

Jewell Loyd leads the WNBA in scoring at 28.8 PPG. But overall, she hasn’t gotten enough help. Ezi Magbegor is averaging 12 PPG and 10 RPG. And Kia Nurse has had flashes but hasn’t found consistency.

Seattle is struggling on both ends of the court. Offensively, the team ranks 9th in OFFRTG at 96.1. But more troubling has been the team’s defense. They’ve given up over 90 points in three out of the four games they’ve played. They rank dead last in Defensive Rating at 113.2. They’ve been so bad defensively, that the team’s overall Net Rating is -17.1 (negative 17). That is nearly doubled the 11th place Minnesota Lynx who are a -9.2.

The Storm have a lot of rookies and younger players on the roster. This season the team will endure a lot of growing pains.

Notes:
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