10 players who will define the 2025 WNBA season

A lot can change in one year. One minute, Luka Doncic is in Dallas, taking the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, the next, he’s in purple and gold and suddenly the pope is from Chicago. There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.

The WNBA experienced that sort of sea change last season with the arrival of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, coupled with a historic season from MVP A’ja Wilson and a long-awaited return of basketball glory to New York after the Liberty’s first title.

Intrigue around the league has never been higher, and the talent pool has never been deeper. Players are becoming household names and global sport icons, and as interest in the sport continues to grow, the league has responded, introducing its first expansion team in 17 years in the Golden State Valkyries, with two more teams in Portland and Toronto to follow next season.

Entering the 2025 season, the WNBA finds itself at the edge of glory. With the CBA set to expire after this season and with the league’s popularity only continuing to blossom, this year could shape the future of the WNBA in more ways than one.

As leagues are often defined by their players, it’s worth looking at 10 of the players who will have the biggest impact this season.

Caitlin Clark — Indiana Fever

Clark is the most transformative player in league history, full stop. She had her struggles in her rookie season, adjusting to the rhythm and skill of the WNBA is a challenge, but she still managed to net 19.2 points and 8.4 assists per game while breaking countless rookie records along the way, following up a historic collegiate career with a taste of what should become a historic WNBA career. Clark is the face of the league heading into her second season, and the Fever have adjusted their contention timeline in response to her growing star power, adding players like Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard to build around Clark and gun for a title right away. The Fever look legit, and Clark should only raise her game — and the profile of the league — in the suddenly expedited rebuild.

Angel Reese — Chicago Sky

Clark and Reese’s careers will forever be intertwined after their respective times at the NCAA level, and even more after some high-profile clashes and record-setting rookie seasons in the WNBA. Reese has put in the work over the off-season, dominating in the Unrivaled League, averaging 13.3 points and a league-leading 12.1 rebounds en route to winning Defensive Player of the Year. Though she struggled with efficiency in her rookie year, the Bayou Barbie’s impact on and off the court is undeniable, and if she can translate her work from the off-season, the sky’s the limit. Couple that with the continued growth of Kamilla Cardoso and the additions of Courtney Vandersloot, former LSU Tigers teammate Hailey Van Lith and Canadian Kia Nurse, and Chicago could make some noise this season.

Paige Bueckers — Dallas Wings

If there was anyone who could match the star power of Reese and Clark coming out of college, it’s Bueckers. The former UConn phenom, after finally basking in the glory of a National Championship, now takes her talents to Dallas to suit up alongside Arike Ogunbowale. Bueckers is coming into the league as a superstar already, complete with one of the most well-rounded scoring and playmaking packages we’ve seen. She’s smart, respected, feared and steady, and though the Wings may not be ready to compete just yet, Bueckers has the talent to transform a struggling franchise into a potential threat down the line. This year should just be a taste of what’s to come.

Dominique Malonga — Seattle Storm

Though Bueckers was the consensus top pick in the 2025 Draft, the second-overall selection Malonga is no slouch. The six-foot-six French centre is the WNBA’s response to Victor Wembanyama, showcasing a ridiculous seven-foot-one wingspan and enough athleticism to be the next prized dunker at this level. The 19-year-old averaged 16.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 40 games for ASVEL in the French league and Euroleague. While the Storm are also in the midst of a rebuild, they sport an intriguing frontcourt with Malonga, Nneka Ogwumike, Gabby Williams and Ezi Magbegor, and could be a physical force in the West. Fellow WNBA-ers are already scared of what Malonga may be able to throw down once she gets to the league.

Brittney Griner — Atlanta Dream

Speaking of players who can dunk, Brittney Griner is set to ply her trade on a team other than the Mercury for the first time in her 11-year career. The Atlanta Dream signed the hulking centre to a one-year deal in the off-season, hoping to build on their back-to-back first-round losses in the playoffs and finally get over the hump in the Eastern Conference. Alongside fellow free-agency acquisition Brionna Jones and fourth-year star Rhyne Howard, the Dream could turn into one of the most physically imposing squads in the Association this season. The Dream were already the fifth-best defence in the WNBA last year, but with Griner patrolling the paint, they could be the toughest team out there.

A’ja Wilson — Las Vegas Aces

Despite the massive infusion of young talent across the league, M’VP A’ja Wilson remains far and away the best player in the WNBA. Coming into her eighth season, Wilson has already collected three MVPs, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, five All-WNBA selections and four All-Defence selections. Last season, she became the first player in league history to eclipse the 1,000 point threshold, broke the single-season rebounding record and was the second-ever unanimous MVP. Though her individual success didn’t translate to a strong playoff push for the Aces — who were gunning for a threepeat — it stands to reason that the disappointment should only add fuel to her fire.

Napheesa Collier — Minnesota Lynx

Though oddsmakers have Clark as the favourite for MVP, the biggest threat to Wilson’s trophy is possibly Collier. Fresh off winning her first DPOY and carrying the Lynx to the WNBA Finals, the seventh-year forward looks poised to come back hungry. Over the off-season, she averaged an absurd 25.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.4 blocks over 14 Unrivaled League games and followed it up with 20.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks in the pre-season. The Lynx and Collier are coming into this season pissed off after the controversial loss to the Liberty, and after retaining much of their core, they seem primed for some redemption.

Sabrina Ionescu — New York Liberty

Though she had her struggles with efficiency in the post-season, Ionescu still managed to get the Liberty over the hump and had a couple unforgettable Finals moments, elevating her profile in the process. People will forget she went 1-for-19 in the series-clinching Game 5 win, but they’ll never forget the ring. Now, with a bigger target, the Liberty are faced with the tall task of defending their title. Though they retained the big-three of Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, much of the onus will fall on the 27-year-old to take the reins, particularly with point guard Courtney Vandersloot off the roster.

Alyssa Thomas — Phoenix Mercury

In one of the most shocking moves of the off-season, five-time All-Star and three-time All-WNBA selection Thomas was sent off to the desert as the Sun set in Connecticut. Thomas spent the first 11 years of her career in Uncasville, developing into one of the best two-way players in the league and setting the record for career triple-doubles with 15. Though the Mercury saw Diana Taurasi retire and Griner leave in free agency, they’re arguably in a much better place this season after the additions of Thomas and Satou Sabally to pair alongside Kahleah Copper. With Thomas’ point-forward abilities pushing the pace, the Mercury’s length and positional versatility could play a big part in their re-emergence this season.

Kelsey Plum — Los Angeles Sparks

Though the Sparks missed out on the top pick of the Draft, they made the best out of a bad situation and traded away their No. 2 pick to the Storm in a three-team deal that netted them three-time All-Star Kelsey Plum. The former top pick has shown out in pre-season so far, averaging 17.8 points and 4.6 assists, and will finally get a chance to be a lead option running the Sparks’ offence. Not just a bucket-getter, Plum has shown some playmaking chops in years past, averaging 5.1 assists in 2022 en route to her first All-WNBA nod and will now get to reunite with one of her partners from that season in star forward Dearica Hamby. The Sparks are young and are eagerly waiting for the return of Cameron Brink, but don’t count them out just yet if Plum can find that extra gear as the face of the franchise.

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