The latest CBA was approved in late March. This meant that the entire offseason process had to be rushed. With the expansion draft, WNBA draft, and the free agency happening back-to-back, the buzz around the WNBA grew quite stronger.
Owing to a stacked draft roster this time, the event recorded the second-highest viewership in history. At the moment, most teams are pretty much sorted with their roster. And the ones making the last-minute fine-tunings, too, are looking forward to a stellar 2026 season.
However, no team can be perfect. And heading into the new season, there are some big question marks lingering over several teams’ roster decisions. Here are the top 5 concerns that the teams need to sort as another WNBA season closes in.
5. Connecticut Sun’s Backcourt Issues
This will be the last season for the Sun in their home court. While the franchise is set to relocate to Houston in the next season, they would like to make their final year a memorable one. In their quest for a decent season, Connecticut has roped in a pretty solid frontcourt. The likes of Aaliyah Edwards, Aneesah Morrow, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, and Brittney Griner will be a deadly combination for the opponents to handle. However, the problem lies in the backcourt choices. With Leila Lacan, Gianna Kneepkens, and Saniya Rivers, the backcourt looks utterly vulnerable. Despite these names having potential to impress, it does not look like a playoff-caliber combination.
4. Golden State Valkyries Lack Proper Shooters
Valkyries had a stellar season last year. Coming in as the expansion team, Golden State reached the playoffs, much to everyone’s surprise. Owing to their strong showing, the expectations from the team are quite high this year. Trying to maintain a strong roster, the front office took a bold decision to sign Gabby Williams. Unfortunately, this does not solve their frontcourt issues at all. While Williams is a good acquisition, her shooting hasn’t been particularly impressive. This is evident from the fact that her career-high percentage from the three-peat range is a mere 32.3 percent.
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3. Will Angel Reese Click For The Atlanta Dream?
In a blockbuster trade, Reese joined the Atlanta Dream from the Chicago Sky. At face value, the deal looks like an interesting one. In fact, Reese’s inclusion has already yielded some fine results for Atlanta. But in reality, there are a few questions that are left to be answered. The 23-year-old will come in for Brittney Griner. Last year, Grinner’s chemistry with Brionna Jones felt a little off. However, with Jones and Reese playing side-by-side, spacing might be an issue. And this is something that the head coach will have to sort out as fast as possible if they want to make the blockbuster signing work.
2. Will Azzi Fudd Click For The Dallas Wings?
After a long set of rumors and speculations, the Dallas Wings finally put an end to all the noise. Roping in Azzi Fudd as the overall number 1 pick this year, the Wings now want to redo the forgettable season they had last year. Now, Fudd pairing up with Paige Bueckers will be the biggest highlight. Understandably, the duo played together in college and also guided the UConn Huskies to a championship. But in the Wings’ setup, they needed an on-ball defender. While Fudd is marvelous off the ball, how Jose Fernandez utilizes her will be interesting to see.
1. Caitlin Clark Needs To Bounce Back For Indiana Fever
Coming off the NCAA, Clark looked in fantastic touch. Breaking several records, the 24-year-old instantly made a mark and took the Rookie of the Year honors. Unfortunately, last year was not a great one. Suffering from her groin injury, Clark could play only 13 games before retiring for the season. This year, while she will be back from game 1, the Fever fans would want the 2024 version of the Clark to be back. Last year, even without Clark and Sophie Cunningham’s absence, the team reached the semifinals. Thus, the hopes for this year are really high.