WNBA 2019: Team-by-team guide to the new season
Watch live WNBA games every week on Sky Sports Arena
Wednesday 29 May 2019 11:30, UK
The NBA season has reached its final chapter but the WNBA season has just begun, which makes it the perfect time to get clued up on the 2019 edition.
The WNBA season tipped off on May 24 and Sky Sports' live coverage gets underway in the early hours of Thursday morning (1am) as the Seattle Storm visit the Minnesota Lynx.
Match-ups will come thick and fast over the coming months, and if last year is anything to go by, this could be the most competitive season in the league's 23-year history.
Whether you're a newcomer to the league or just want to learn more about where your favourite team's campaign is heading, read part one of our WNBA team-by-team season guide.
WNBA team-by-team season guide part 2
Atlanta Dream
Joined WNBA: 2008 | Championships: 0 | Head coach: Nicki Collen | Last year's record: 23-11
Roster: Alex Bentley, Monique Billings, Jessica Breland, Maite Cazoria, Nia Coffey, Blake Dietrick, Marie Gülich, Tiffany Hayes, Angel Mcoughtry, Renee Montgomery, Haley Peters, Brittney Sykes, Elizabeth Williams
After one of the league's best players, Angel McCoughtry, went down with five games left during the regular season last year, the Dream went on in Atlanta, as they finished with a 4-1 record and came within two baskets of playing in the Finals. McCoughtry is still recovering but expects to return, and the team is set to rally behind potential MVP candidate Tiffany Hayes.
While Hayes and Elizabeth Williams started slow in their first game back, the duo had been late arrivals to the team this season after deep runs playing overseas. But the great thing about the team is that it has developed depth with the additions of Marie Gülich and Nia Coffey, and certain players returning, such as Renee Montgomery, Monique Billings and Alex Bentley are more than capable of taking on the extra workload until the stars get acclimatised.
Head coach Nicki Collen is coming off her debut season, one in which she earned Coach of the Year honours, and hopes are high once again. Last year's record will be tough to beat, but the team has only improved. With the core of this group getting a second go around, they could be dangerous - they could be finalists.
Chicago Sky
Joined WNBA: 2006 | Championships: 0 | Head coach: James Wade | Last year's record: 13-21
Roster: Kahleah Copper, Diamond DeShields, Stefanie Dolson, Jamierra Faulkner, Chloe Jackson, Jantel Lavender, Astou Ndour, Cheyenne Parker, Allie Quigley, Katie-Lou Samuelson, Courtney Vandersloot, Gabby Williams
After missing the playoffs for two straight years, James Wade took over as head coach during the recent off-season. He spent those months developing a system, scouting college players and winning a championship in Europe as an assistant coach with UMMC Ekateriburg alongside his new Chicago Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot.
Wade told the Double Clutch podcast recently: "I think hands down [Vandersloot] is the best [point guard in the WNBA]. Now the winning has to follow and we're going to help with that. We had a great time with her this year in Ekaterinburg, and I had a great time watching her grow and helping her get to where she wants to go, in terms of dominating the EuroLeague, and she did a great job carrying that mantle - hopefully she can carry it into the WNBA season."
The team will play with pace. Vandersloot will be able to pick out one of the best shooters in the world - just check out Allie Quigley's performance in the All-Star Game Three-Point Contest. Alternatively, she could pass to one of two of the best young players in the WNBA Draft - another great shooter in Katie-Lou Samuelson and a feisty scorer in Chloe Jackson - or Sloot could trade passes with the most fun offensive talent in the league, Diamond DeShields. If things get slow, Stefanie Dolson is a perfect low-post player, and even has some range on her shot, to get a good bucket.
When the Chicago Sky are playing, you are going to want to watch.
Connecticut Sun
Joined WNBA: 1999 (after moving from Orlando in 2002) | Championships: 0 | Head coach: Curt Miller | Last year's record: 21-13
Roster: Kristine Anigwe, Rachel Banham, Bridget Carleton, Layshia Clarendon, Bria Holmes, Jonquel Jones, Brionna Jones, Shekinna Stricklen, Alyssa Thomas, Jasmine Thomas, Morgan Tuck, Courtney Williams
After losing last year's leading scorer after Chiney Ogwumike demanded a trade before preseason began, Connecticut could have gone to a dark place, but the Sun is shining brighter than ever for point guard Courtney Williams. She said: "I'm feeling confident. Our goal is to win a championship this year. We've been falling short every year, but we have all the pieces and we all have that mindset and mentality."
So why does she remain so confident? Partly because of a player by the name of Jonquel Jones.
The 6ft 7in forward is like TV show Parks & Recreation. The show was a success when it first came out, but also went slightly under the radar. When Amy Poehler's star rose even further and Chris Pratt became a movie star, the comedy found new fans and gained greater prominence internationally.
The WNBA had a great look at Jones during her second year when Ogwumike was injured, but two years on and with Ogwumike now playing for the LA Sparks, Connecticut's big is set to take over the league. Her individual growth, and with the core team returning, the team is ready to take the next step.
For two consecutive years, they have been knocked out the playoffs by the Phoenix Mercury, but the Connecticut Sun are growing up, and with Williams, Jones and Alyssa Thomas on the roster, this young core is ready to take the next step.
Dallas Wings
Joined WNBA: 1998 (moved from to Tulsa in 2010 and then to Dallas in 2016) | Championships: 3 (as Detroit Shock) | Head coach: Brian Agler | Last year's record: 15-19
Roster: Kaela Davis, Skyler Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Isabelle Harrison, Tayler Hill, Moriah Jefferson, Glory Johnson, Brooke McCarty-Williams, Imani McGee-Stafford, Arike Ogunbowale, Theresa Plaisance, Azurá Stevens, Kayla Thornton
With two championships to his name, new head coach for the Dallas Wings Brian Agler will not be concerned about starting the season without the powerful offensive force that is Liz Cambage. Last year the team made the playoffs with the Australian center but the team was knocked out in the first round.
After she requested to be moved, Agler and the front office were patient. A deal with the LA Sparks didn't materialise, but a good haul from the Aces would see Cambage sent to Las Vegas in return for Isabelle Harrison, Moriah Jefferson and a handful of future draft picks.
Without Skyler Diggins-Smith to start this season, after recently having a baby, you would have thought the Wings will be looking to invest in youth, but despite winning the Naismith Player Of The Year Award in college, Megan Gustafston was waived along with the 22nd pick Kennedy Burke. The only draft selection who survived into the season was Arike Ogunbowale, who nearly guided Notre Dame to an NCAA championship in March.
Instead, the team looked to reload with veterans and play-now pieces. After the Cambage trade, they went a step further to secure the services of Imani McGee-Stafford, a standout in college a few years ago who has shown flashes of potential in the WNBA, but never got the best opportunity with the Atlanta Dream during the past two seasons. She said: "You're always frustrated when you're not the go-to player. That's just the ego of us all. Obviously, this season I hope it's not the same reality, but I can only prove my worth, and I hope that they see it as well."
Expect the Dallas Wings to be competitive and work hard. Without Diggins-Smith and Moriah Jefferson for a few weeks, there will be stumbles at the early hurdles, but Agler will have high expectations and has proven he can get results.
Indiana Fever
Joined WNBA: 2000 | Championships: 1 | Head coach: Pokey Chatman | Last year's record: 6-28
Roster: Natalie Achonwa, Kennedy Burke, Candice Dupree, Shenise Johnson, Paris Kea, Betnijah Laney, Stephie Mavunga, Erica McCall, Teaira McCowan, Tiffany Mitchell, Kelsey Mitchell, Victoria Vivians, Erica Wheeler
The Indiana Fever have been poor for a few years. During the first two years of Pokey Chatman's head coaching gig with the team, they have gone 15-53.
One area they have struggled with is rebounding - they allowed more rebounds than any other team and the 6ft 3in Natalie Achonwa averaged the highest on the team. Her 6.9 per game was enough to finish 13th in grabbing boards in the league, but aside from some help from the 6ft 2in Candace Dupree, as a team, the Fever were outrebounded most nights.
Enter the 6ft 7in frame of Teaira McCowan, a rookie from Mississippi State University who was drafted third in the 2019 WNBA draft. Not quite trusted to start in her opening WNBA game, she certainly finished in style. In just 14 minutes, McCowan scored 11 points, six rebounds and, crucially, including the final two points in a buzzer beater layup off the assist from Dupree.
This year's roster has some talent to build not. Not just McCowan but they have signed Kennedy Burke, who was drafted and let go by the Dallas Wings. The Fever are building, and while they won't be seeing a full turnaround this season, don't expect them to lose 78 per cent of their games again.
Las Vegas Aces
Joined WNBA: 1997 (moved from Utah to San Antonio in 2003 then Las Vegas in 2018) | Championships: 0 | Head coach: Bill Laimbeer | Last year's record: 14-20
Roster: Liz Cambage, Sydney Colson, Dearica Hamby, Kayla McBride, JiSu Park, Kelsey Plum, Sugar Rodgers, Carolyn Swords, A'ja Wilson, Tamera Young, Jackie Young
Had it not been for a 24-hour delay in flights between Las Vegas and Washington, the Aces might have been in the playoffs last year. For of a key regular season game against the Mystics, the travel schedule kept getting pushed back until the team managed to get into the nation's capital city just three hours ahead of the original tip-off time. The players hadn't slept due to being at airports waiting for flight after flight, and opted to forfeit the game rather than risk injury and still probably lose to one of the best teams in the league.
Despite this, the Aces gave a good showing during their first year in Las Vegas. A new star emerged in A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum showed signs of development and Kayla McBride made her second All-Star Game - solidifying her place as one of the league's best young players. On top of that, the Aces struck three-of-a-kind with another No 1 Draft pick and selected Jackie Young.
But during the preseason, Liz Cambage's request to be traded away from the Dallas Wings was finally resolved, and again, Vegas won. The Australian is only 27, and fits with the team's timeline as a leader for the young and similarly-aged stars listed. On top of that, she's possibly the most unstoppable big in the world.
The moment Cambage arrived in Nevada, pundits tipped the Aces to finish with a trip to the WNBA Finals. Much of the roster is still young, so there is still growing to do, but it would certainly be worth placing a bet in Las Vegas.
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