The Liberty began their much hyped season as the newest superteam on the block, winning their home opener against the Indiana Fever, 90- 73.
Fans at Barclays Center welcomed Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot and Jonquel Jones, as Indiana fans had their second regular-season glimpse of Aliyah Boston, the No. 1 overall draft pick.
It was Stewart who stole the show, scoring 45 points, a career high and single-game franchise record, in her Brooklyn debut with the Liberty.
But this weekend fans across the country did not see any of the standout players from this year’s N.C.A.A. Division I championship game who had been drafted last month. They did not see Charli Collier, who was the first overall pick just two years ago. Neither a championship ring nor first-round status could guarantee a spot on a W.N.B.A. roster.
In the days before the season began Friday, those players were all part of a long list of N.C.A.A. stars who found themselves unceremoniously cut from professional rosters.
Instead, fans saw the emergence of two superteams thanks to a free agency arms race. The Las Vegas Aces, the defending champions, added the seven-time All-Star Candace Parker to a roster that already included A’ja Wilson, last season’s most valuable player, and the high-scoring guard Kelsey…
