The W Is for Wow š„
The WNBA tips off today with more stars, more teams, and more wow than ever before.
Some seasons feel special from the start.
This one? Itās bursting at the seams.
With the WNBA season starting today, weāre previewing a league thatās expanding, evolving, and electrifying like never before.
Thereās too much story here for one day. So weāre posting it all, but we recommend reading half today and saving the rest for Saturday.
But first, we had some firepower in the NBA playoffs last night, too.
š
Scoreboard Snapshot
Only two of the four second-round series made it to Game 6. One played last night, and one hits the court tonight.
Will we get a Game 7? Letās check the scoreboardā¦
ā” Thunder at šļø Nuggets
Have 3 minutes to see what happened? Hereās a link to the highlights!
Otherwise, keep reading belowā¦
The Nuggets overcame SGAās 32 points and won 119ā107 to force a Game 7. Nikola JokiÄ led the way for the Nuggets with 29 points. Jamal Murray, battling an illness, added 25 points.
Itās the third straight playoff series the Nuggets have taken to a Game 7 ā dating back to last yearās series against Minnesota and this yearās opening round vs. the Clippers.
One more game. Sunday decides it.
Todayās only playoff game: š Celtics at š½ Knicks
One win from the Eastern Finals, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks try to eliminate the defending champs. Can Boston keep the momentum going and force another Game 7ā¦ on the road and without Jayson Tatum?
Experts say 59% chance Knicks win
While the NBA playoff field narrows, the WNBA is just getting started. Letās meet the stars and stories of a season we canāt wait to watch.
š Rookies, Rivalries, and a League on the Rise
Thereās so much story heading into this season, itās going to take us two halves just to tell it all.
šŖ The GOAT Passes the Torch
The WNBA turns 29 this season. And it enters that milestone without the greatest to ever do it. Diana Taurasi has played her last game with the Phoenix Mercury.
20 years. 3 championships. 5 Olympic golds.
The all-time leading scorer. The ultimate trash talker. The heartbeat of a franchise, a league, and a generation.
She didnāt just win. She redefined how winning could lookā¦ with flair, fire, and fearlessness. See for yourself:
So while a new era begins, this one ends with a roar: the legend saying goodbye, and the league she helped build rising to new heights.
š Stars Worth Stopping For
The league may no longer have Diana, but it has plenty of dazzle.
Caitlin Clarkā¦ well, you remember her. (And if not, click here to catch up Smallball style!). Now watch Caitlin tell the story of the time she scored 22 points in 2 minutesā¦ playing against boys.
Aāja Wilson is the reigning MVP and the face of the Las Vegas Aces. Sheās a dominant scorer, elite defender, and now sheās got her own Nike shoe and a TV ad thatāll make you want to clap along.
Breanna Stewart, fresh off a championship with the New York Liberty, is the leagueās most complete playerā¦ and one of its most amazing leaders.
Sabrina Ionescu is Stewartās Liberty teammate and one of the leagueās most creative guards. Sheās a triple-double threat with deep range, sharp vision, and a flair for big moments.
Napheesa Collier is doing it all. She led the Minnesota Lynx to the WNBA Finals against the Liberty, came this close to a championship, and now returns for revenge. A two-way force who can guard every position and fill up every stat column, Collier enters this season with one goal: finish what she started.
And thatās just a few of the top stars.
The top rookies from the most recent WNBA Draft are ready to make a name for themselves.
Paige Bueckers went #1 to the Dallas Wings, a franchise in full reset mode and hungry for a new identity. A dynamic scorer and silky passer, Bueckers has the poise of a vet and the pull-up of a superstar. She's already turning heads in preseasonā¦ and along with Cooper Flagg, helping the city of Dallas dream again.
Dominique Malonga, a 19-year-old from France, was the #2 pick by the Seattle Storm for a reason. Sheās 6'6", already has an Olympic silver medal, and moves like sheās on roller skates. Oh and she can THROW. IT. DOWN. She might be the most intriguing rookie the league has ever seen.
The WNBA isnāt just competitiveā¦ itās crowded.
š¤ Letās pretend you get to build a new WNBA team! You can pick any superstar. Whoās on your team. And whatās your team name? Tell us in the comments.
Nowās a good stopping point if you're reading in halves. Pick it back up tomorrowā¦ the second part is just as fun!
āļø Parity, Power, and Possibility
New York and Las Vegas are still loaded.
Minnesota is deep and driven.
Indiana, Atlanta, Seattle, and Phoenix are all on the rise.
In a league this deep across 13 teams, there are no easy wins. No oneās ājust happy to be here.ā The regular season is just 44 games. So every game countsā¦ and every night brings something wild.
Hereās who the experts think the top 5 teams are to start the season:
š Growth Mode: Bigger, Bolder, Unrivaled
The WNBAās 29th season is its most ambitious yet.
One new team debuts this week: the Golden State Valkyries.
Two more join next year in Toronto and Portland.
And cities from Nashville to Denver are raising their hands.
But the boldest growth? Itās coming from the players themselves.
Meet Unrivaled, the new, player-led 3-on-3 league born from a simple but powerful idea:
What if WNBA players didnāt have to fly far from home just to keep playing and take care of their families?
For years, most WNBA players couldnāt rely on their WNBA jobs alone to support themselves or their families. So after the W season ended, many had to go play overseas in places like Turkey, Russia, or Australia.
Unrivaled is changing that and showing whatās possible when the people who play the game also shape it.
Co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, Unrivaled was built by players, for playersā¦ with better pay, better support, and more say in how things work.
The league features fast-paced, full-court action with star-studded teams, vibrant visuals, and a family-first setup that includes things like on-site childcare. The vibe? Part playground, part pro league ā and 100% thrilling.
This should give you the idea:
For the athletes, itās more than a side gig.
Itās proof that womenās basketball can build and own something all its own.
Like what youāre hearing? This video brings the energy, the stories, and the magic of Unrivaled to life. Pop some popcornā¦ itās worth the five minutes. šæš
š§ What We Learned Today
You can get a lucky bounce. But you donāt build greatness on luck.
You build it with heart, hustle, and doing whatās rightā¦ one day at a time.
Thatās what the WNBA has doneā¦ and what Unrivaled is proving all over again.