WNBA 2024 Week 1 Recap & Takeaways

                                   

Week 1 is in the books of the 2024 WNBA season. With new stars entering the league like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the same question from last season remains. Can anyone beat the Las Vegas Aces? New young cores creating storylines, and new super teams in places like Phoenix, Seattle, and New York, could make this the most exciting and intriguing WNBA seasons of all time. Let’s look at some of the biggest takeaways from week 1. 

Las Vegas Aces are still the team to beat

All the talk of super teams, rookie phenoms promising to be the new G.O.A.T of the league, and a contender from New York out for revenge, it was business as usual for the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces opened against the Phoenix Mercury. The Mercury were competitive behind 41 year old Diana Taurasi’s (23 PTS, 3 REB) 23 points and newcomer and former Sky Kahleah Copper’s 19 point effort (19 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST). But A’Ja Wilson reintroduced herself to the new WNBA viewers by dropping 30 points and 13 rebounds in a dominant double-double. And close behind her were the usual suspects in Kelsey Plum (19 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST) and Jackie Young (23 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK). The Aces would follow that up by hosting a welcoming party for Cameron Brink and the rebuilding Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks brought their best effort behind Dearica Hamby’s 29 points, but the Aces big 3 of Young (22 PTS 6 REB 11 AST), Wilson (22 PTS 10 REB 1 AST), and Plum (17 PTS 1 REB 5 AST) were too much. The Aces seem to have picked up right where they left off, and the ability for their Big 3 players to step up in big moments make them the favorites once again

Liberty are on a Mission for Revenge 

The Liberty passed the eye test in the first 3 games of the season. Even though they played the worst two teams in the league, it’s still impressive the way they’re playing right off the jump. In the opener, it was a team effort that earned them their thin 5-point victory over the Mystics. Despite raining MVP Breanna Stewart only scoring 8 points, center Jonquel Jones took over with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists. They also got great efforts out of Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists) and Sabrina Ionescu (15 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assist). But it was their bullying of Caitlin Clark and the Fever that made the largest statement. In the first game, they shut Clark down to only 9 points, and Breanna Stewart got back to MVP things with 31 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Clark has drawn comparisons to Ionescu leading to this point, as both are dangerous perimeter players. However, Clark should learn from this meeting. Ionescu’s defensive pressure makes her a more complete player right now. And then in game 3, it was much more of a better effort from the Fever. Clark scored 22 points on the Liberty, but the Liberty relied on their superior rebounding and once again Breanna Stewart was the x-factor in this game with 24 points. Jonquel Jones also had a double double. You can’t blame that on Clark, and the Liberty have been doing that to everyone in the league. It was a rather slow start from Ionescu, not surpassing 15 points in the first week, but the Liberty seem to be off to a great start and on a mission to avenge their championship loss to the Aces. 

New Brood on the rise: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink 

The sports media world is brutal. As I write this, there are podcasters and analysts calling Caitlin Clark “a bust.” I think that those people need to watch these last couple games again. In the opener, Clark had 10 turnovers, a record for any debut in the WNBA, and followed it up with a 9 point effort in a blow out against the Liberty. But at the end of her first week Clark’s numbers are solid. She’s averaging 17 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1 steel per game. She has two games where she got over 20 points, and she’s only going to improve. No doubt she needs to make improvements but give her a year to make adjustments. But after 3 games, with all the analysts jumping down her throat, I have to question their credibility if they’re using the “B” word to describe Clark’s play. The Fever are a rebuilding team, and not to make excuses, played 2 of the top 3 teams in the league. The Liberty are just as good as the Aces, and the Connecticut Sun should be close to the top spot at season's end. And I think the turnovers are just from Clark trying to do too much. Nalyssa Smith and Aliyah Boston have been moderate scoring help, but were women handled by the Liberty’s interior rebounding. 

Angel Reese is slaying in her first week with the Sky. They played two really tough games in Dallas. Reese is averaging 11.5 points per game, and 8.5 rebounds per game. The Sky nearly swept the road trip in Dallas. The Wings needed a late game comeback to beat the Sky. The Sky are as advertised with their defensive pressure. Marina Mabrey and Diamond DeShields provided the offense to support Reese’s interior play. They accomplished this without the 3rd overall pick Kamilla Cardosa, who’s out the first month with a shoulder injury.  

The Sparks had a similar start to the season as the Fever. Cameron Brink got off to a slow start to her WNBA career. In the opener against the Atlanta Dream, she scored 11 points and got 2 rebounds with 4 assists in a 92-81 loss. She struggled against the stars of the Aces. She had 8 rebounds and 3 points. 

Slow Start for Superteams 

Slow stars to the season have become common with super team formations. One of the storylines in the offseason were the efforts of teams to try and build their own big 3 to compete with Las Vegas.

The Seattle Storm revamped their roster after a nightmare season. They’re riding into this season with high hopes. With Jewell Loyd, Nneka Ogwumike, and Skylar Diggins-Smith, expectations are high. The Minnesota Lynx crashed their party. Napheesa Collier was a problem for the Storm, with back-to-back games over 20 points. The Storm would rebound on Sunday against the now 0-3 Washington Mystics. Jewell Loyd has 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in a get right game for the Storm. 

The Phoenix Mercury fell to the champs on opening night. But Kahleh Copper would lead this team to a win on their home opener against Atlanta. Copper scored 38 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist. The Mercury were down 3 with 1:30 left in the game. Sophie Cunningham hit a clutch 23 foot 3-pointer to go up 84-83 with 1:11 left. 4 of the career high 38 of Cooper came to ice the game in the final minute. 

The Connecticut sun are the last of these superteams, and the ones with the highest expectation. They were one of the top teams before the offseason moves. They weren’t really tested, they beat the fever on opening night and the defensive pressure force 10 turnovers out of Caitlin Clark, and they brought that same defensive pressure behind DeWanna Bonner’s 22 points to beat the Washington Mystics. 

Sources 

1. 5/14 - Indiana Fever (0-1) VS Connecticut Sun (1-0): Connecticut Sun win 92-71 

• IND: G Caitlin Clark 20 PTS 3 AST 2 STL (10 turnovers); F Nalyssa Smith 13 PTS 9 REB 1 AST 2 BLK 

• CON: F Dewanna Bonner 20 PTS 6 REB 1 AST 1 STL; G Tyasha Harris 16 PTS 2 AST 1 STL; G Dijonai Carrington 16 PTS 5 REB 1 AST 2 STL; F Alyssa Thomas 13 PTS 10 REB 13 AST 3 STL

2. 5/14 - Phoenix Mercury (0-1) VS Las Vegas Aces (1-0): Las Vegas Aces win 89-80 

• PHX: Diana Taurasi 23 PTS 3 REB; G Kahlea Copper 19 PTS 4 REB 4 AST; G Rebecca Allen 14 PTS 7 REB 2 AST 2 STL 1 BLK 

• LVA: A’ja Wilson 30 PTS 13 REB 5 AST 1 STL 3 BLK; G Kelsey Plum 19 PTS 3 REB 5 AST 1 STL; G Jackie Young 23 PTS 7 REB 6 AST 3 STL 2 BLK 

3. 5/14 - New York Liberty (1-0) @ Washington Mystics (0-1): Liberty win 85-80 

• NYL: C Jonquel Jones 25 PTS 8 REB 2 AST; F Betnijah Laney-Hamilton 20 PTS 4 REB 2 AST; G Sabrina Ionescu 15 PTS 7 REB 8 AST 

• WSH: G Ariel Atkins 20 PTS 2 REB 3 AST; G Brittney Sykes 14 PTS 10 REB 7 AST; F Shakira Austin 13 PTS 5 REB 2 AST

4. WNBA: New York Liberty (2-0) @ Indiana Fever (0-2): New York Liberty win 102-66 

• NYL: F Breanna Stewart 31 PTS 10 REB 4 AST 3 STL 4 AST 2 BLK; G Sabrina Ionescu 14 PTS 7 REB 3 AST 1 STL 1 BLK; F Jonquel Jones 14 PTS 10 REB 4 AST 

• IND: F Aliyah Boston 12 PTS 7 REB 2 AST 1 STL 1 BLK; G Caitlin Clark 9 PTS 7 REB 6 AST 1 BLK

5. WNBA - Seattle Storm (0-2) VS Minnesota Lynx (2-0): Minnesota Lynx win 102-93 

• SEA: Nneka Ogwumike 20 PTS 9 REB 2 AST; 

• MIN: Napheesa Collier 20 PTS 12 REB 1 STL 2 BLK; F Alana Smith 22 PTS 8 REB 2 AST 1 STL 

6. WNBA - Washington Mystics (0-2) VS Connecticut Sun (2-0): Sun win 84-77 

• WSH: F Karlie Samuelson 18 PTS 3 REB 4 AST; G Julie Vanloo 12 PTS 4 REB 8 AST; F Shakira Austin 10 PTS 9 REB

• CON: F DeWanna Bonner 22 PTS 6 REB 1 AST; F Alyssa Thomas 13 PTS 11 REB 6 AST; G Dijonai Carrington 21 PTS 4 REB 3 AST 

7. 8/15 - Atlanta Dream (1-0) @ LA Sparks (0-1): Atlanta wins 92-81 

• ATL: C Tina Charles 21 PTS 14 REB 2 AST; F Rhyne Howard 25 PTS 3 REB 3 AST; G Allisha Gray 12 PTS 3 REB; G Haley Jones 14 PTS 2 REB 4 AST 

• LA: C Derica Hamby 20 PTS 14 REB 3 AST; F Kia Nurse 23 PTS 2 REB 1 AST; G Layshia Clarendon 11 PTS 10 REB 10 AST

8. 5/15 - Chicago Sky VS Dallas Wings: Dallas Wings win 87-79 

• CHI: G Marina Mabrey 19 PTS 9 REB 3 AST; F Diamond DeShields 14 PTS 2 REB 1 AST; C Elizabeth Williams 12 PTS 8 REB 1 AST 

• DAL: C Teaira McCowan 18 PTS 13 REB; G Arike Ogunbowale 25 PTS 3 REB 7 AST; F Natasha Howard 15 PTS 13 REB 5 AST; F Maddy Siegrist 13 PTS 5 REB 1 AST 

9. 5/18 - Indiana Fever (0-3) @ New York Liberty (3-0): Liberty wins 91-80 

• IND: G Kelsey Mitchell 17 PTS 2 REB 2 AST; G Caitlin Clark 22 PTS 6 REB 8 AST; C Aliyah Boston 12 PTS 7 REB 1 AST 

• NYL: F Breanna Stewart 24 PTS 5 REB 2 AST; C Jonquel Jones 14 PTS 12 REB 5 AST; F Betnijah Laney-Hamilton 13 PTS 3 REB 4 AST  

10. 5/18 - Atlanta Dream (1-1) @ Phoenix Mercury (1-1): Phoenix Mercury wins 88-85 

• ATL: F Allisha Gray 22 PTS 6 REB 2 AST; F Cheyenne Parker 18 PTS 6 REB; G Rhyne Howard 21 PTS 9 REB 2 AST 

• PHX: F Kahleah Copper 38 PTS 6 REB 1 AST; G Diana Taurasi 15 PTS 7 REB 2 AST 

11. 5/18 - Chicago Sky (1-1) @ Dallas Wings (1-1): Chicago Sky wins 83-74 

• CHI: F Diamond DeShields 16 PTS 5 REB 3 AST; C Elizabeth Williams 12 PTS 10 REB 3 AST; G Marina Mabrey 14 PTS 8 REB 8 AST 

• DAL: G Arike Ogunbowale 35 PTS 5 REB 3 AST; G Kalani Brown 11 PTS 9 REB 1 AST

12. 5/18 - Los Angeles Sparks (0-2) VS Las Vegas Aces (2-0): Aces win 89-82 

• LAS: C Dearica Hamby 29 PTS 9 REB 1 AST; G Lexie Brown 16 PTS 2 REB 2 AST; F Kia Nurse 13 PTS 2 REB 3 AST 

• LVA: F Jackie Young 22 PTS 6 REB 11 AST; F A’ja Wilson 22 PTS 10 REB 1 AST; G Kelsey Plum 17 PTS 1 REB 5 AST; G Alysha Clark 13 PTS 4 REB 2 AST 

13. 5/18 - Minnesota Lynx (1-0) @ Seattle Storm (0-1): Lynx win 83-70 

• SEA: F Nneka Ogwumike 24 PTS 11 REB 1 AST; G Jewel Loyd 20 PTS 6 REB 6 AST; G Skylar Diggins-Smith 22 PTS 2 REB 5 AST 

• MIN: C Alanna Smith 16 PTS 5 REB 2 AST; F Napheesa Collier 29 PTS 9 REB 5 AST; G Kayla McBride 19 PTS 4 REB 4 AST; G Courtney Williams 10 PTS 6 REB 6 AST

14. 5/19 - Seattle Storm (1-2) @ Washington Mystics (0-3): Seattle Storm win 84-75 

• SEA: F Ezi Magbegor 15 PTS 14 REB 1 AST; G Jewell Loyd 24 PTS 4 REB 2 AST; G Skylar Diggins-Smith 18 PTS 5 REB 5 AST 

• WSH: G Ariel Atkins 19 PTS 3 REB 1 AST; F Karlie Samuelson 13 PTS 2 REB 4 AST