Superteams might be the talk of the 2023 WNBA season, but a different phenomenon more aptly describes what the league is experiencing top-down at this moment: a changing of the guard.
All-time greats Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles retired last year — the former had become synonymous with the Seattle Storm franchise, and the latter was the final remaining vestige from the Minnesota Lynx‘s 2010s dynasty.
Other organizations experienced widespread change, too. The 2021 champion Chicago Sky saw the departure of franchise stalwarts Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and hometown hero Candace Parker.
Out with the “old,” in with the “new” — in this case, new faces. The Storm and Sky have turned to their longest-tenured players remaining to assume the mantle: Jewell Loyd, the 2015 No. 1 draft pick, and Kahleah Copper, the 2021 Finals MVP. The Lynx have passed the baton to longtime heir apparent Napheesa Collier, their 2019 first-round selection.
All three players are under 30. The trio…
