For all of the surprises and new players that emerge during opening weekend, the best part of the WNBA’s 2025 debut was that the best teams and players accepted expectations and set a high standard for the new campaign. The 2025 championship contenders looked the part early, with returning MVP candidates bolstered by new additions in New York, Minnesota and Indiana.
The Liberty dominated with their size, protecting the paint with their length and taking advantage of switches against smalls. Their frontcourt of 6-foot-4 Breanna Stewart (who made all eight of her shot attempts in the restricted area) and 6-6 Jonquel Jones remains a matchup nightmare, especially against teams with limited frontcourt depth. The addition of perimeter-stopper Natasha Cloud, who also provides rim pressure, was the separating factor against Las Vegas.
The Fever addressed their defensive deficiencies during the offseason while keeping their offense as potent as ever. The two-player action between Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston still gets results nearly every time, with Clark making every possible pass against Chicago, Boston attacking compromised defense out of the pick-and-roll and DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard making the right pass on the second side and finishing easy baskets.
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