wnba fan orientation
After a free agency frenzy and the most-watched women’s NCAA Tournament ever, the WNBA is poised for its highly anticipated 28th season. If you’re new to the W, welcome! We’ve got you covered with a look at all 12 teams just in time for tip-off.
Atlanta Dream
Finals appearances: 2010, 2011, 2013
Championships: 0
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Head Coach: Tanisha Wright
Star Player: Allisha Gray
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Player to Watch: Jordin Canada is currently nursing a hand injury, but once she battles back, she’ll be an intriguing new addition to the Dream after being traded this past offseason.
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Vibe: “Young & Hungry”
The Dream put together a decent season last year and made interesting offseason acquisitions in Canada and WNBA veteran Tina Charles.
Atlanta Dream
Finals appearances: 2010, 2011, 2013
Championships: 0
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Head Coach: Tanisha Wright
Star Player: Allisha Gray
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Player to Watch: Jordin Canada is currently nursing a hand injury, but once she battles back, she’ll be an intriguing new addition to the Dream after being traded this past offseason.
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Vibe: “Young & Hungry”
The Dream put together a decent season last year and made interesting offseason acquisitions in Canada and WNBA veteran Tina Charles.
Chicago Sky
Finals appearances: 2014, 2021
Championships: 1 (2021)
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Head Coach: Teresa Weatherspoon
Star Player: Angel Reese
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Player to Watch: Dana Evans has the explosiveness, defensive tenacity, and range to catapult herself into the ranks of the best guards in the league.
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Vibe: “Ferocious Flair”
The Sky are going to be a gritty squad under TSpoon’s leadership while embodying all that Chicago swag.
Chicago Sky
Finals appearances: 2014, 2021
Championships: 1 (2021)
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Head Coach: Teresa Weatherspoon
Star Player: Angel Reese
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Player to Watch: Dana Evans has the explosiveness, defensive tenacity, and range to catapult herself into the ranks of the best guards in the league.
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Vibe: “Ferocious Flair”
The Sky are going to be a gritty squad under TSpoon’s leadership while embodying all that Chicago swag.
Connecticut Sun
Finals appearances: 2004, 2005, 2019, 2022
Championships: 0
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Head Coach: Stephanie White
Star Player: Alyssa Thomas
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Player to Watch: Brionna Jones will be a key comeback player for the Sun after rupturing her Achilles just 13 games into the 2023 season.
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Vibe: “Always a Bridesmaid”
The Sun have been regarded as a highly promising squad in recent years, but they’ve yet to reach their full potential of winning a championship.
Connecticut Sun
Finals appearances: 2004, 2005, 2019, 2022
Championships: 0
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Head Coach: Stephanie White
Star Player: Alyssa Thomas
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Player to Watch: Brionna Jones will be a key comeback player for the Sun after rupturing her Achilles just 13 games into the 2023 season.
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Vibe: “Always a Bridesmaid”
The Sun have been regarded as a highly promising squad in recent years, but they’ve yet to reach their full potential of winning a championship.
Dallas Wings
Finals appearances: 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008
Championships: 3 (2003, 2006, 2008)
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Head Coach: Latricia Trammell
Star Player: Arike Ogunbowale
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Player to Watch: Kalani Brown is coming off of an impressive offseason with Athletes Unlimited, where she led the entire league in field goal percentage.
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Vibe: “Chip on Their Shoulder”
The Wings have a great mix of vets and youngins, and folks may be surprised at how competitive this squad can be.
Dallas Wings
Finals appearances: 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008
Championships: 3 (2003, 2006, 2008)
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Head Coach: Latricia Trammell
Star Player: Arike Ogunbowale
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Player to Watch: Kalani Brown is coming off of an impressive offseason with Athletes Unlimited, where she led the entire league in field goal percentage.
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Vibe: “Chip on Their Shoulder”
The Wings have a great mix of vets and youngins, and folks may be surprised at how competitive this squad can be.
Indiana Fever
Finals appearances: 2009, 2012, 2015
Championships: 1 (2012)
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Head Coach: Christie Sides
Star Player: Caitlin Clark
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Player to Watch: Everyone’s eyes will be on Clark and Boston, which gives NaLyssa Smith the perfect opportunity to jump in and make a difference. Smith seems to be peaking at just the right time, as she dropped over 20 points in Indiana’s first two preseason games.
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Vibe: “Ready to Prove Themselves”
They’ve got their back-to-back number one picks in Boston and Clark, and now it’s time to see how the pieces come together.
Indiana Fever
Finals appearances: 2009, 2012, 2015
Championships: 1 (2012)
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Head Coach: Christie Sides
Star Player: Caitlin Clark
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Player to Watch: Everyone’s eyes will be on Clark and Boston, which gives NaLyssa Smith the perfect opportunity to jump in and make a difference. Smith seems to be peaking at just the right time, as she dropped over 20 points in Indiana’s first two preseason games.
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Vibe: “Ready to Prove Themselves”
They’ve got their back-to-back number one picks in Boston and Clark, and now it’s time to see how the pieces come together.
Las Vegas Aces
Finals appearances: 2008, 2020, 2022, 2023
Championships: 2 (2022, 2023)
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Head Coach: Becky Hammon
Star Player: A’ja Wilson
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Player to Watch: If you’re looking for a favorite player who does all the little things, look no further than Alysha Clark. Her defensive effort on the final play of the WNBA Championship game is a perfect example of how Clark shows up for the Aces squad.
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Vibe: “The Top Dawgs”
Going for the three-peat. *Insert MJ shrug here*.
Las Vegas Aces
Finals appearances: 2008, 2020, 2022, 2023
Championships: 2 (2022, 2023)
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Head Coach: Becky Hammon
Star Player: A’ja Wilson
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Player to Watch: If you’re looking for a favorite player who does all the little things, look no further than Alysha Clark. Her defensive effort on the final play of the WNBA Championship game is a perfect example of how Clark shows up for the Aces squad.
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Vibe: “The Top Dawgs”
Going for the three-peat. *Insert MJ shrug here*.
Los Angeles Sparks
Finals appearances: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2016, 2017
Championships: 3 (2001, 2002, 2016)
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Head Coach: Curt Miller
Star Player: Cameron Brink
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Player to Watch: Last season, Lexie Brown was off to one of the best starts of her career. But Brown was only able to appear in the first twelve games, as an undiagnosed illness kept her off the court. After learning she had Crohn's disease and having several operations, Brown is back in working order and will look to be a veteran leader for the Sparks.
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Vibe: “Bright Lights & a Big Stage”
Rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson will face pressure to quickly and seamlessly transition into the big leagues as the Sparks try to find their identity in their first season without Nneka Ogwumike in 12 years.
Los Angeles Sparks
Finals appearances: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2016, 2017
Championships: 3 (2001, 2002, 2016)
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Head Coach: Curt Miller
Star Player: Cameron Brink
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Player to Watch: Last season, Lexie Brown was off to one of the best starts of her career. But Brown was only able to appear in the first twelve games, as an undiagnosed illness kept her off the court. After learning she had Crohn's disease and having several operations, Brown is back in working order and will look to be a veteran leader for the Sparks.
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Vibe: “Bright Lights & a Big Stage”
Rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson will face pressure to quickly and seamlessly transition into the big leagues as the Sparks try to find their identity in their first season without Nneka Ogwumike in 12 years.
Minnesota Lynx
Finals appearances: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017
Championships: 4 (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017)
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Head Coach: Cheryl Reeve
Star Player: Napheesa “Phee” Collier
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Player to Watch: Kayla McBride may not be the biggest star in the WNBA, but she *is* a star for her overseas squad in Turkey, where she led Fenerbahçe to back-to-back championships and recently earned the 2024 Final 4 MVP award.
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Vibe: “Nose to the Grindstone”
Minnesota may not be a flashy team with multiple stars, but Coach Reeve is experienced, disciplined, and knows how to get what’s needed out of her squad.
Minnesota Lynx
Finals appearances: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017
Championships: 4 (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017)
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Head Coach: Cheryl Reeve
Star Player: Napheesa “Phee” Collier
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Player to Watch: Kayla McBride may not be the biggest star in the WNBA, but she *is* a star for her overseas squad in Turkey, where she led Fenerbahçe to back-to-back championships and recently earned the 2024 Final 4 MVP award.
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Vibe: “Nose to the Grindstone”
Minnesota may not be a flashy team with multiple stars, but Coach Reeve is experienced, disciplined, and knows how to get what’s needed out of her squad.
New York Liberty
Finals appearances: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2023
Championships: 0
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Head Coach: Sandy Brondello
Star Player: Breanna Stewart
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Player to Watch: Marquesha Davis flashed some promising skills in her Liberty preseason games, dropping eight points in just 11 minutes against Connecticut. Davis’s style of play and athleticism have been compared to former Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, so she’ll be an exciting prospect to watch if she can crack the rotation and earn more minutes.
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Vibe: “Revenge Tour”
The Liberty will do whatever it takes to return to the Finals and secure the franchise's first-ever championship.
New York Liberty
Finals appearances: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2023
Championships: 0
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Head Coach: Sandy Brondello
Star Player: Breanna Stewart
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Player to Watch: Marquesha Davis flashed some promising skills in her Liberty preseason games, dropping eight points in just 11 minutes against Connecticut. Davis’s style of play and athleticism have been compared to former Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, so she’ll be an exciting prospect to watch if she can crack the rotation and earn more minutes.
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Vibe: “Revenge Tour”
The Liberty will do whatever it takes to return to the Finals and secure the franchise's first-ever championship.
Phoenix Mercury
Finals appearances: 1998, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2021
Championships: 3 (2007, 2009, 2014)
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Head Coach: Nate Tibbets
Star Player: Diana Taurasi
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Player to Watch: Phoenix's guard room is pretty crowded with the offseason acquisitions of Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen, and more, but the most intriguing player here is Kahleah Copper. If Kah can regain the magic of her 2021 Finals MVP showing, then Phoenix might be a tough team to beat.
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Vibe: “Brand New”
New coach, mostly new squad… and lots of question marks.
Phoenix Mercury
Finals appearances: 1998, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2021
Championships: 3 (2007, 2009, 2014)
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Head Coach: Nate Tibbets
Star Player: Diana Taurasi
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Player to Watch: Phoenix's guard room is pretty crowded with the offseason acquisitions of Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen, and more, but the most intriguing player here is Kahleah Copper. If Kah can regain the magic of her 2021 Finals MVP showing, then Phoenix might be a tough team to beat.
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Vibe: “Brand New”
New coach, mostly new squad… and lots of question marks.
Seattle Storm
Finals appearances: 2004, 2010, 2018, 2020
Championships: 4 (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)
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Head Coach: Noelle Quinn
Star Player: Jewell Loyd
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Player to Watch: If you haven’t been tuned into the Ezi Magbegor show, you should be. In 2023, Ezi started all 40 games for the Storm and averaged over 13 points and eight rebounds per game.
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Vibe: “Gunning for the Title”
The Storm are in “win now” mode, and they’ve taken big swings to get there. They traded away the 2024 #4 overall draft pick to secure enough cap space to sign free agents Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike.
Seattle Storm
Finals appearances: 2004, 2010, 2018, 2020
Championships: 4 (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)
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Head Coach: Noelle Quinn
Star Player: Jewell Loyd
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Player to Watch: If you haven’t been tuned into the Ezi Magbegor show, you should be. In 2023, Ezi started all 40 games for the Storm and averaged over 13 points and eight rebounds per game.
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Vibe: “Gunning for the Title”
The Storm are in “win now” mode, and they’ve taken big swings to get there. They traded away the 2024 #4 overall draft pick to secure enough cap space to sign free agents Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike.
Washington Mystics
Finals appearances: 2018, 2019
Championships: 1 (2019)
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Head Coach: Eric Thibault
Star Player: Brittney Sykes
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Player to Watch: After going unsigned in the 2023 season, DiDi Richards headed down under to improve her game in the WNBL with the Sydney Flames. Richards was the Flames' second-leading scorer and rebounder, setting the stage for a successful return to the W.
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Vibe: “Rebuilders”
The loss of Natasha Cloud in free agency and Elena Delle Donne’s break from basketball definitely threw a wrench in Washington’s hopes for this season. The Mystics will look to find their identity on the court without two of their biggest centerpieces.
Washington Mystics
Finals appearances: 2018, 2019
Championships: 1 (2019)
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Head Coach: Eric Thibault
Star Player: Brittney Sykes
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Player to Watch: After going unsigned in the 2023 season, DiDi Richards headed down under to improve her game in the WNBL with the Sydney Flames. Richards was the Flames' second-leading scorer and rebounder, setting the stage for a successful return to the W.
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Vibe: “Rebuilders”
The loss of Natasha Cloud in free agency and Elena Delle Donne’s break from basketball definitely threw a wrench in Washington’s hopes for this season. The Mystics will look to find their identity on the court without two of their biggest centerpieces.
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