The last time there was non-preseason WNBA basketball to watch was Oct. 20, 2024, 207 days ago. That will change Friday night when the 2025 season tips off with a three-game slate highlighted by No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers’ debut for the Dallas Wings in their matchup with the Minnesota Lynx.
Ahead of the season, CBS Sports has brought you no shortage of preview content, from preseason Power Rankings and top 25 player rankings to award predictions and Finals picks. Now, it’s time for one last look at each team and how they stack up heading into the season.
Below, all 13 teams have been broken down into tiers, from the title favorites to the lottery bound rebuilders:
Tier I: The favorite
New York Liberty
The Liberty, one of the league’s original franchises, made their sixth trip to the Finals last season, and finally got the job done in thrilling fashion. In one of the best Finals series ever, the Liberty outlasted the Minnesota Lynx and captured their first title with an overtime victory in the winner-take-all Game 5.
Now, the Liberty are back with an even bigger goal: join the now-defunct Houston Comets, Los Angeles Sparks and Las Vegas Aces as the only clubs to repeat as champions. Going back-to-back is extremely difficult, but the Liberty have to be considered the favorites.
Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu is the best Big Three in the league, and Natasha Cloud and Marine Johannes were major additions to their backcourt. Their only real concern is wing depth after Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s season-ending knee surgery, but she was limited in the playoffs last season en route to the title.
Tier II: The main contenders
Minnesota Lynx
Last season, the Lynx came as close as you possibly can to winning a title without actually lifting the trophy. In a hard-fought Game 5, they were up by two when Alanna Smith was called for a controversial foul with 5.2 seconds remaining in regulation. Breanna Stewart made two free throws to force overtime, and the Liberty pulled away in the extra frame.
Considering how close they were to a record-setting fifth championship, it’s no surprise that the Lynx didn’t make many big changes. The entire starting lineup, which had an absurd plus-21.9 net rating last season, is back, as is key reserve guard Natisha Hiedeman. Myisha Hines-Allen is the only non-returner who averaged more than five points per game last season.
The Lynx boast an elite defense, led the league in 3-point shooting last season and have a legitimate superstar in Napheesa Collier leading the way. With reigning Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve directing things from the sidelines, they should be considered the main contender for the Liberty’s crown, and will be extremely driven after the way last season ended.
Las Vegas Aces
The Aces’ attempt to become the first team to pull off a three-peat since the Comets won the first four titles in league history never really got off the ground. A combination of injuries, a lack of depth and overall fatigue was too much to overcome, despite A’ja Wilson’s best efforts.
There were a number of changes in Las Vegas during an interesting offseason that did not seem to go to plan. Most notably, Kelsey Plum was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in a three-team deal that brought back Jewell Loyd. Meanwhile, Alysha Clark, Tiffany Hayes and Kate Martin all departed via free agency or the expansion draft. They’ve been replaced by Tiffany Mitchell, Dana Evans, Aaliyah Nye and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (who is currently on maternity leave).
Questions remain about the Aces’ depth, and if Loyd cannot get back to her best, she will be a downgrade from Plum. However, even when everything was falling apart last season, the Aces won 27 games, had a plus-6.5 net rating and made it to the semifinals of the playoffs. Wilson is the best player in the world, Chelsea Gray is healthy and this team will have a lot to prove. They could be in for a bounce-back season.
Tier III: High upside potential
Indiana Fever
The Fever are officially back on the map thanks to Caitlin Clark’s arrival. Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, put together one of the best rookie campaigns of all time, and helped the Fever make the playoffs last season for the first time since 2016.
Clark and Co.’s post-Olympics surge was particularly impressive, and convinced the organization to go all-in this season. Stephanie White was hired as their new coach, while DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham highlighted the group of veterans additions. In the league’s annual GM survey, the Fever were picked as the team that made the best moves in the offseason and will be most improved.
The Fever have made it clear they want to compete for a title this season, and while that will be easier said than done considering the teams in the top tier, they cannot be overlooked. Clark is already a top-five player in the league and a unique offensive talent. If all of the new pieces gel and help improve their defense, they could be a very tough out come playoff time.
Seattle Storm
The past year in Seattle has been chaotic.
Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins arrived in 2024 free agency; the team underperformed last season and was swept in the first round of the playoffs; Noelle Quinn and her coaching staff were investigated for bullying and harassment; after Quinn and Co. were cleared of wrongdoing, Jewell Loyd requested a trade; the Storm eventually traded Loyd to the Aces in a three-team deal that brought back the No. 2 pick, which they used to select Dominique Malonga in the 2025 draft; Nika Mühl, Jordan Horston and Katie Lou Samuelson all went down with season-ending ACL tears.
And those are just the highlights. The Storm may have less overall talent than they did last season, but it was clear last summer that talent isn’t everything. There appear to be much better vibes in Seattle this time around, and the team is shaping up to have perhaps the best defense in the league.
Phoenix Mercury
The Mercury revamped their team last year by hiring Nate Tibbetts as their new coach and acquiring Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud and Rebecca Allen. That didn’t really work, in part due to injuries, and so they tore everything up this winter and started over again.
Franchise legends Diana Taurasi (retirement) and Brittney Griner (free agency) are gone, as are Cloud, Allen and Sophie Cunningham. Copper is the only returning player who averaged more than four points. She’ll be joined by Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally, whom the team acquired in sign-and-trade deals to form a legit Big Three.
The truth is that no one knows how this is going to play out. Behind the Liberty’s trio of Stewart, Jones and Ionescu, the Mercury arguably have the most talented top three in the league, and together they may propel the team into title contention. They’ve also never played together, Sabally is injury prone and their depth is a significant concern. There are a lot of ways this could go wrong, as well.
Tier IV: Likely playoff teams
Atlanta Dream
After yet another first-round playoff exit, the Dream knew they had to shake things up this winter. Karl Smesko was an out-of-the-box hire as coach, and they signed Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones in free agency to give their frontcourt an upgrade. Jordin Canada’s knee injury during preseason was a blow, but she shouldn’t be a long-term absence. There’s a lot of talent on this team, but also some questions about how everything will fit together in Smesko’s 3-point heavy system.
The Dream should make the playoffs, but can they actually win a series for the first time since 2016? That remains to be seen.
Chicago Sky
There were some exciting moments in Chicago last season, but ultimately too few wins and too much drama. The Sky cleaned house, and brought in Tyler Marsh as coach, as well as a number of veterans who will help professionalize the environment and make life easier for Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. The likes of Ariel Atkins, Courtney Vandersloot, Kia Nurse and Rebecca Allen are all significant upgrades and can also help space the floor. Draft picks Hailey Van Lith and Maddy Westbeld also fit into the new culture and approach.
Are the Sky going to compete for a title this season? No, but they should probably get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
Tier V: Could challenge for a playoff spot
Los Angeles Sparks
The Sparks are coming off a last-place finish and the fewest wins in a season in franchise history, but have a much brighter outlook this season. That is thanks in large part to the arrival of three-time All-Star Kelsey Plum, who will lead new coach Lynne Roberts’ analytically-driven offensive system. It will be interesting to see what happens in Los Angeles this season. They could make the playoffs if Kelsey Plum hits the ground running, Rickea Jackson takes a leap and Cameron Brink returns sooner rather than later, but they also could be a year or two away.
Dallas Wings
No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers has arrived in Dallas, generating plenty of excitement about the present and future. She is not the only new addition, as the Wings hired Chris Koclanes as coach, and acquired DiJonai Carrington, NaLyssa Smith, Myisha Hines-Allen and fellow rookies Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly. The Wings should be much better than last season, when they won just nine games. Just how much so may depend on how quickly Bueckers adapts.
Paige Bueckers WNBA debut: Where to watch Wings vs. Lynx, preview, TV channel, live stream, start time
Isabel Gonzalez
Tier VI: Rebuilding and lottery bound
Connecticut Sun
This winter was devastating for the Sun, who lost their entire starting lineup from their final playoff game last season, and seven of their top eight scorers, including franchise stalwarts Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones. After eight consecutive playoff appearances, it is finally rebuild time in Uncasville. In Jacy Sheldon, Leïla Lacan, Aneesah Morrow and Saniya Rivers, they have four first-round picks from the last two drafts, as well as Olivia Nelson-Ododa. This is going to be a long season, but they do have some hope for the future.
Washington Mystics
Little has gone right for the Mystics since they won their first title in 2019. They haven’t won a playoff game, let alone a series, since that season, and have been hit with devastating injury problems along the way. That trend unfortunately continued in training camp, when No. 6 pick Georgia Amoore suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Despite that loss, the Mystics still have a number of intriguing young players, including the Nos. 3 and 4 selections, respectively, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. This season will be about developing them.
Golden State Valkyries
The Valkyries will make their long-awaited debut this season as the first expansion team to join the league since the Dream in 2008. That season, the Dream went 4-30. While the league is in a much different place now, the Dream’s inaugural campaign gives some insight into how things could go for the Valkyries this summer. They just don’t have enough high-end talent on the roster. Tiffany Hayes is the only player on the team with an All-Star appearance, but that came back in 2017 and she’s now 35 years old.