After a busy offseason complete with a historic amount of player and coach movement, the 2025 WNBA season is finally here.
This year will prove to be unlike any other before, as it features an expansion franchise in the Golden State Valkyries, a new 44-game regular season, and a revamped playoff format that sees more travel in the first round and a best-of-seven in the Finals.
Before the action officially gets underway, Sporting News' experts brought out their crystal balls to predict how the upcoming season will go.
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From the New York Liberty's title defense to Caitlin Clark's Year 2 leap with the Indiana Fever to the ceiling of A'ja Wilson and the new-look Las Vegas Aces, we covered all bases.
Below, find our expert picks on end-of-season awards, the Commissioner's Cup champion, the top teams in the playoff hunt, and, of course, a prediction for the 2025 WNBA Finals.
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WNBA predictions 2025
Gilbert McGregor
MVP: Napheesa Collier, Lynx
Rookie of the Year: Paige Bueckers, Wings
Defensive Player of the Year: Ezi Magbegor, Storm
Coach of the Year: Stephanie White, Fever
Commissioner's Cup champion: Indiana Fever
Top four teams: Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces, Indiana Fever
Finals prediction: Minnesota Lynx over New York Liberty
The amount of offseason movement around the league may have been difficult to keep up with, but the elite teams have remained elite. The Fever's offseason overhaul will get most of the headlines — and understandably so — but the biggest "addition" is a fresh Clark, who added an offseason's worth of muscle and got to rest for the first time in a while.
Indiana is still one step away from big-scale success, but the Commissioner's Cup feels like the first one along the way. As for the big winners, the Lynx will be on a mission after coming up short in 2024, and that mission will be fueled by Napheesa Collier. Don't sleep on the Storm, either — they aren't mentioned much among the elite teams, but there's still plenty of talent on that roster.
Carlan Gay
MVP: Napheesa Collier, Lynx
Rookie of the Year: Paige Bueckers, Wings
Defensive Player of the Year: Napheesa Collier, Lynx
Coach of the Year: Stephanie White, Fever
Commissioner's Cup champion: Las Vegas Aces
Top four teams: New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces, Minnesota Lynx, Indiana Fever
Finals prediction: Minnesota Lynx over Indiana Fever
This is the year Napheesa Collier steps into the No. 1 spot on the pound-for-pound player rankings. That spot has been held by A'ja Wilson for the past couple of seasons and will eventually be claimed by Caitlin Clark, but this is Phee's year. She'll finally capture league MVP, she'll once again win DPOY, and she'll lead her team to the Finals once again for a chance at lifting the championship trophy at year's end.
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Daniel Yanofsky
MVP: Caitlin Clark, Fever
Rookie of the Year: Paige Bueckers, Wings
Defensive Player of the Year: A'ja Wilson, Aces
Coach of the Year: Stephanie White, Fever
Commissioner's Cup Champion: New York Liberty
Top four teams: Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx
Final prediction: New York Liberty over Las Vegas Aces
The New York Liberty got better this past offseason with the addition of Natasha Cloud. The team didn't lose its swagger, and I believe a new dynasty is coming in the form of the Liberty.
I am curious to see how Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith do as teammates again, this time in the WNBA. It will be interesting to see how Kamilla Cardoso does this year, too, and how she'll fit next to Reese.
The new-look Aces will be one to watch, especially following some dysfunction towards the end of last season. I do believe the Fever will be a force and Caitlin Clark will prove her greatness, but the team still needs a few more pieces before Indiana can be a Finals threat.
Final thought: I believe the Valkyries will exceed expectations.
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David Suggs
MVP: Caitlin Clark, Fever
Rookie of the Year: Paige Bueckers, Wings
Defensive Player of the Year: Ezi Magbegor, Storm
Coach of the Year: Stephanie White, Fever
Commissioner's Cup champion: Indiana Fever
Top four teams: Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Indiana Fever, Las Vegas Aces
Finals prediction: Minnesota Lynx over New York Liberty
With an expansion franchise, high-profile rookies, and a host of supernovas hoping to leave their imprint on matches, the W should be as enthralling as ever in 2025. Clark, Collier, Wilson, and Stewart are the standouts, but there's a plethora of storylines I'm interested to see develop over the course of the campaign. Will Satou Sabally return to her All-W best in the Valley of the Sun? How will Brittney Griner fare alongside Rhyne Howard? Who will be in the Mystics' frontcourt come the end of the year?
All told, WNBA action should make for a compelling watch this season. After an eye-catching past few months of basketball (both men's and women's), we shouldn't expect anything less.
Sloan Piva
MVP: A'ja Wilson, Aces
Rookie of the Year: Dominque Malonga, Storm
Defensive Player of the Year: A'ja Wilson, Aces
Coach of the Year: Sandy Brondello, Liberty
Commissioner's Cup champion: Minnesota Lynx
Top four teams: New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces, Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury
Finals prediction: Las Vegas Aces over New York Liberty
Obviously, the most compelling storyline is still Caitlin Clark and the Fever, and I have Indiana finishing with the fifth-best record but not sniffing the title or any major awards. It's impossible to overlook A'ja Wilson and the Aces coming off a semifinals defeat at the hands of the Liberty. Wilson remains the best bet for MVP and DPOY — as Tina Turner would say, she's "simply the best."
We could very well be in for a Finals rematch, too, although the Mercury might be closer than many realize. I like Dominique Malonga to beat out odds-on favorite Paige Bueckers for Rookie of the Year. Like Victor Wembanyama, Malonga has professional experience in France, and she might make a more immediate impact than Bueckers, who could take some time to adjust to a big market in the pros.