2025 WNBA Regular Season Discussion Thread

[Green Chile]

So what's going on in Vegas?

A lot of things, but IMO, the fatal flaw is doubling down on the Core 4 approach and doing it poorly (with no GM).

A Core 4 is incredibly hard to pull off.
The Aces managed for a few years, the Liberty are now. When it worked for the Aces all the 4 were paid about $200K, some even a little less (not the 250K they could get). Similar deal with the Liberty right now, nobody over $208K.

I think there were 2 problems with the Plum trade (if they were going to stick with a Core 4 approach, which I don't think they should have).
One was not going big. It's been clear for a long time now that they need another good big.

Plum for Jewell is a downgrade you can't afford when there's no margin for error. And Jewell making $250K makes it even harder to find/retain depth (it basically eliminated the option to keep Hayes or AC).

[Green Chile]

Also, on the WIngs 5-2 run. That's when Aziaha James got put into the starting lineup (for Nai), and her and Quinerly both started to get heavy minutes.

James dropped a 28-6-6 in, probably, the Wings' biggest win of the year so far.

The race for All-Rookie Team might be the most insane in history.

[Wingy]

How long until A'ja asks out? This Aces team is falling around her. In the blowout against Indy, she went 9/18 for 29 points. The next highest was all of six (Loyd). In fact:
Wilson - 50% FG, 11/13 FT
Aces - 7/43 FG (16%), 3/16 3P (19%).

Who would trade, and what, for her?

Hmm, idk if she will. The new CBA is kicking in from my understanding, and everyone knew it…so look at this FA list. One of the most fascinating things I’ve seen from any sports league in my lifetime. Teams are going to look completely different next year:

https://www.spotrac.com/wnba/free-agents/_/year/2026/sort/contract_value

In my short time as a W fan, I feel like I’ve seen much more player movement and players willing to leave via FA. So this CBA bonanza is going to be wild.

So if A’ja wants to stay in Vegas, they can build a whole new team around her. This isn’t some NBA star locked on a 5 year deal and no hope situation.

A squad with A’ja, Phee, and Stewie anyone? (I know Stewie probably wants to stay close to home…just crazy this is contractually very possible).

If anything, I’m pretty sure Becky will get canned sooner, or at season’s end.

[MrDollarBills]

How long until A'ja asks out? This Aces team is falling around her. In the blowout against Indy, she went 9/18 for 29 points. The next highest was all of six (Loyd). In fact:
Wilson - 50% FG, 11/13 FT
Aces - 7/43 FG (16%), 3/16 3P (19%).

Who would trade, and what, for her?

Hmm, idk if she will. The new CBA is kicking in from my understanding, and everyone knew it…so look at this FA list. One of the most fascinating things I’ve seen from any sports league in my lifetime. Teams are going to look completely different next year:

https://www.spotrac.com/wnba/free-agents/_/year/2026/sort/contract_value

In my short time as a W fan, I feel like I’ve seen much more player movement and players willing to leave via FA. So this CBA bonanza is going to be wild.

So if A’ja wants to stay in Vegas, they can build a whole new team around her. This isn’t some NBA star locked on a 5 year deal and no hope situation.

A squad with A’ja, Phee, and Stewie anyone? (I know Stewie probably wants to stay close to home…just crazy this is contractually very possible).

If anything, I’m pretty sure Becky will get canned sooner, or at season’s end.

You mean A'ja coming to NY

[MrDollarBills]

How long until A'ja asks out? This Aces team is falling around her. In the blowout against Indy, she went 9/18 for 29 points. The next highest was all of six (Loyd). In fact:
Wilson - 50% FG, 11/13 FT
Aces - 7/43 FG (16%), 3/16 3P (19%).

Who would trade, and what, for her?

No trades. A'ja will leave.


Vegas is in a precarious position honestly.

[OriAr]

How long until A'ja asks out? This Aces team is falling around her. In the blowout against Indy, she went 9/18 for 29 points. The next highest was all of six (Loyd). In fact:
Wilson - 50% FG, 11/13 FT
Aces - 7/43 FG (16%), 3/16 3P (19%).

Who would trade, and what, for her?

Hmm, idk if she will. The new CBA is kicking in from my understanding, and everyone knew it…so look at this FA list. One of the most fascinating things I’ve seen from any sports league in my lifetime. Teams are going to look completely different next year:

https://www.spotrac.com/wnba/free-agents/_/year/2026/sort/contract_value

In my short time as a W fan, I feel like I’ve seen much more player movement and players willing to leave via FA. So this CBA bonanza is going to be wild.

So if A’ja wants to stay in Vegas, they can build a whole new team around her. This isn’t some NBA star locked on a 5 year deal and no hope situation.

A squad with A’ja, Phee, and Stewie anyone? (I know Stewie probably wants to stay close to home…just crazy this is contractually very possible).

If anything, I’m pretty sure Becky will get canned sooner, or at season’s end.

I bet Indiana goes huge and tries to land one of Aja, Phee or Stewie, especially as Clark and Boston will NOT be FAs.
Theoretically with the much higher cap Boston and Clark will be insane value for money for 2026 (And 2027 too for Clark).
A Boston/Phee frontcourt would be just... wow.

[Green Chile]

How long until A'ja asks out? This Aces team is falling around her. In the blowout against Indy, she went 9/18 for 29 points. The next highest was all of six (Loyd). In fact:
Wilson - 50% FG, 11/13 FT
Aces - 7/43 FG (16%), 3/16 3P (19%).

Who would trade, and what, for her?

Hmm, idk if she will. The new CBA is kicking in from my understanding, and everyone knew it…so look at this FA list. One of the most fascinating things I’ve seen from any sports league in my lifetime. Teams are going to look completely different next year:

https://www.spotrac.com/wnba/free-agents/_/year/2026/sort/contract_value

In my short time as a W fan, I feel like I’ve seen much more player movement and players willing to leave via FA. So this CBA bonanza is going to be wild.

So if A’ja wants to stay in Vegas, they can build a whole new team around her. This isn’t some NBA star locked on a 5 year deal and no hope situation.

A squad with A’ja, Phee, and Stewie anyone? (I know Stewie probably wants to stay close to home…just crazy this is contractually very possible).

If anything, I’m pretty sure Becky will get canned sooner, or at season’s end.

I bet Indiana goes huge and tries to land one of Aja, Phee or Stewie, especially as Clark and Boston will NOT be FAs.
Theoretically with the much higher cap Boston and Clark will be insane value for money for 2026 (And 2027 too for Clark).
A Boston/Phee frontcourt would be just... wow.

They really do have a chance to pull off something special.

There's no young duo as good and championship ready as AB/CC, but other teams are in a similar spot (core of the team still on rookie deals).

Dallas and Washington mainly come to mind.
But also Chicago, LA, and I guess the Sun.

Chicago and LA should be even better positioned than they are, but of course, they have terrible GM's.

[ellobo]

How long until A'ja asks out? This Aces team is falling around her. In the blowout against Indy, she went 9/18 for 29 points. The next highest was all of six (Loyd). In fact:
Wilson - 50% FG, 11/13 FT
Aces - 7/43 FG (16%), 3/16 3P (19%).

Who would trade, and what, for her?

Hmm, idk if she will. The new CBA is kicking in from my understanding, and everyone knew it…so look at this FA list. One of the most fascinating things I’ve seen from any sports league in my lifetime. Teams are going to look completely different next year:

https://www.spotrac.com/wnba/free-agents/_/year/2026/sort/contract_value

In my short time as a W fan, I feel like I’ve seen much more player movement and players willing to leave via FA. So this CBA bonanza is going to be wild.

So if A’ja wants to stay in Vegas, they can build a whole new team around her. This isn’t some NBA star locked on a 5 year deal and no hope situation.

A squad with A’ja, Phee, and Stewie anyone? (I know Stewie probably wants to stay close to home…just crazy this is contractually very possible).

If anything, I’m pretty sure Becky will get canned sooner, or at season’s end.

It's going to be CRAZY. Virtually every player not on a rookie contract is going to be an unrestricted free agent all at once. And then there are a bunch of fourth year players who will be restricted free agents (AFAIK, their current team would have to extend a qualifying offer to retain matching rights). And right now, no one knows what the salary cap or max salary structure is going to look like, so it's hard to predict what teams are going to be able to do, although every team is going to have a ton of cap room, whatever the cap may be.

There's going to be massive opportunities for teams to make big moves, and massive opportunities to screw it up (not just for next year, but bad signings are going to set back some teams for years to come). I do think teams that already have top players and/or quality rotation players on rookie contracts for a few more years, are starting with an advantage (Indiana, Dallas, and Washington for example).

[jc23]

didnt realize Kelsey Mitchell was one of the top paid players in the league.

[Green Chile]

Going back through that Dallas game, it's even more impressive than the box score.

PHX came out with a clear plan to make life hell on Paige. Good physical defense, trapping, etc.
Unfortunately for PHX, she had James and Quinerly on the, um, Wings. They can both shoot, drive, and pass really well.

Great cutting and ball movement.
Quinerly taking over a lot of the ball handling duties

And those 2 rookies just DGAF. Quinerly had AT on the wing, about 15 feet out. It's AT on a rookie, no problem, right? Quinerly gives a little fake, AT bites just a little, but it's enough for Quinerly to blow by.

Quinerly is just an amazing finisher. As Ice Man said about rookie bigs struggling around the rim because they haven't had to be creative until they get to the W, that's not a problem for Quinerly. I think she's about 5'5", so she's had to learn how finish over bigger people for a long time and it shows.

They were moving the ball everywhere. All making great entry passes into the paint. Li Yueru didn't have a huge game scoring, but look at the free throws. When Li was in a good spot, they got her the ball in position where the defender had to foul (and Li is a good FT shooter).

It looked like the exactly the way Paige wants to play.

Mercury tightened up in the 3rd and made a run. Wings cooled off a bit. They had to. The 1st half 61 points was the most by any team this season.

But they buckled down and finished it out.

Paige is so damn good.
She takes what the defense gives. In the first half, that was sending JJ and ZaZa to the moon. But when the team had to have it, she gets a tough bucket.
It's so wild with her. She gets tough buckets, but somehow does it efficiently.

Curious to see how it goes when Arike and Dijonai get healthy. We can't unsee this.
I'd guess both are on the trade block, but they both make too much money to really be able to trade at this point in the season.

Random stuff from this game.
Wings started 4 rookies. Nobody has done that since 2000, apparently.
ZaZa dropping a 28-6-6 with 5 3-pointers as a rookie? Only Caitlin, Stewie, Diana, and Sabrina did it.

[Green Chile]

I know ain't nobody tryna hear this, but that Minny-WAS game goes a lot differently if Sug Sutton is healthy.

Lucy had a nice game, and so glad to see her finding her way.
Slim is great, the rookies are great.

But Sug sets the tone on both ends.

Same as Burton in SF. People may not see it in the box score. That head of the snake dawg on both ends just makes everybody look better.

She's not as good as Court, but it's a similar effect. Lynx are loaded, but you take CW out of the equation, and it doesn't look so good.

[cdubbz]

I'll take that loss against the Lynx. Valkyries first game back with some of their Euros back and they looked like they haven't played with each other. Burton didn't look great and overall offensive flow wasn't there.

[Green Chile]

Just got home. Glad the Storm are keeping it close so far.

And very glad to see Kayla Thornton is an All-Star!!!!!!!

[Green Chile]

Gabby is ridiculous.

[Green Chile]

Liberty can't buy a bucket, but the Seattle D has a lot to do with that.

Go on and get you some Dom!

[Green Chile]

Malonga growing TFU right before our very eyes!

Stewie already struggling then they threw a fired up kid with a 7'1" wingspan at her

[hermes]

I know ain't nobody tryna hear this, but that Minny-WAS game goes a lot differently if Sug Sutton is healthy.

like how the first was-minn game would have gone differently if phee had been healthy?

[hermes]

time for another scheduling rant

the lynx have back to back stretches of 3 games in 4 days!

[Movics]

Courtney Williams made the all star team!! Let’s go Court!!!!

[hermes]

lynx win!