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What we learned from WNBA preseason debuts of Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese

The WNBA tipped off its preseason this weekend, with many of the league’s biggest stars in action. Coming off its buzziest season in history, the WNBA televised all of its preseason games for the first time, including an ESPN showcase for Caitlin Clark’s return to Iowa with her revamped Indiana Fever squad.

The Fever won their first two exhibition games, even with Clark sitting out their opener against the Washington Mystics. A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Jewell Loyd and Chelsea Gray took the floor for the first time as a Las Vegas Aces quartet. Paige Bueckers began her career with the Dallas Wings, and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese returned to LSU in a homecoming.

Although only seven of the league’s 13 teams have played, and last year’s WNBA finalists, New York and Minnesota, have yet to take the court, here are six early thoughts on what we’ve seen.

1. Has Angel Reese’s game expanded?

It’s hard to draw too many conclusions from the Sky’s 27-point win over the Brazilian national team, but it’s already clear that Chicago’s offense will look different this season. After attempting a league-low 14.9 3-pointers per game last year, the Sky took 12 first-half 3s in their preseason opener and finished with 29 3-point attempts. Although they made only seven, first-year head coach Tyler Marsh was pleased with Chicago’s shot selection and how players used open driving lanes to score and find teammates for open treys. Almost 60 percent of Chicago’s field goal attempts against Brazil were jump shots, according to Synergy Sports, up from just 42.3 percent last year. The Sky also had 21 assists on 32 baskets.

Throughout training camp, Marsh and his staff have talked about wanting to draw Reese away from the basket. The strategy allows more space for Reese to screen-and-dive while also allowing teammates to attack the rim and avoid facing a crowded paint. Expect Reese to also handle more playmaking, initiating some offense much like Wilson does in Las Vegas. (Marsh was an Aces assistant from 2022 to 2024.) Guard Courtney Vandersloot’s return to the Sky should also pay huge dividends for Reese and fellow second-year frontcourt player Kamilla Cardoso. Vandersloot found Reese for her first basket of the game and finished with five assists in 15 minutes.

2. Sonia Citron’s strong first impression

Throughout draft preparation, executives around the WNBA raved about Citron’s potential immediate impact. At Notre Dame, she was a versatile defender and a three-level scorer. In Washington’s preseason debut against the Fever, the No. 3 pick in April’s draft reinforced that she doesn’t need the ball in her hand to make an impact. She buried two spot-up 3-pointers with experienced defenders DeWanna Bonner and Lexie Hull closing out on her. She scored 6 of her 15 points off cuts. One field goal came on a hard drive right as she finished over Bonner. In 22 minutes, Citron spent time guarding Bonner, Kelsey Mitchell, Hull and Sophie Cunningham as first-year coach Sydney Johnson tested her against players of various sizes and skill sets. She’ll be a Swiss Army knife for Washington this season, shifting between roles. Saturday was the start of what should be a productive rookie season.

3. Clark, Fever don’t miss a beat

The Fever had the league’s best offense after the All-Star break in 2024: 109.6 points per 100 possessions, more than 3 points better than second-place New York. In Clark’s first game of the year Sunday against the Brazilian national team (she missed Indiana’s preseason opener against Washington with a left leg injury), that dynamic offense hit another level, albeit against a non-WNBA opponent, posting an offensive rating of 138.5 in a 108-44 win.

Clark was at the center of it all. Despite coach Stephanie White saying that Clark looked like she hadn’t practiced in three days, the Fever star was efficient from the field, hitting 6 of 10 shots and 4 of 6 3-pointers. The ball zipped across the court on offense, as the Fever kept things moving with a series of drive-and-kicks, handoffs and screening actions. The team made 12 of 18 3-pointers in the first half, nine coming off assists.

One of White’s offseason goals was to ease the offensive burden on Clark by spreading the workload so Clark wasn’t responsible for creating everything. Clark still took several step-back and pull-up jumpers — to be expected, especially when her own logo is on the Carver-Hawkeye Arena court — but offseason addition Sydney Colson tied Clark with a game-high five assists. Five other Indiana players had at least three field goals in the first half (the competitive portion of the game), as the Fever generated good shots in various ways.

That’s an important first step for Indiana as it prepares for a 44-game regular season and long playoff run.

4. Aces stars’ healthy, productive debuts

Beyond Wilson’s MVP season, Las Vegas’ star quartet struggled to put together consistent production in an unsuccessful three-peat chase in 2024. Gray never quite looked right after a foot injury sidelined her in the 2023 WNBA Finals, and Young played through an undisclosed injury after her Team USA gold medal contest to play in only six games during the Unrivaled season.

Both stars were in fine form in their preseason debuts. Young showcased her trademark bowling-ball style getting into the paint. She had a career night drawing contact and earning foul shots, perhaps inspired by her new teammate Loyd, who was second among rotation guards in free-throw rate in 2024. Young also had nine assists and no turnovers, showing off sterling playmaking in transition; Las Vegas broadcaster Krista Blunk inadvertently attributed one of Young’s outlet passes to Gray out of habit. Gray made 6 of 9 field goals, including two from her sweet spot in the midrange that had to be especially dispiriting for Joyner Holmes and DiJonai Carrington.

As the Aces figure out their second unit with the offseason departures of Alysha Clark, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin and Colson, they will need to rely on their elite star power to remain in the championship picture. When at least three of Gray, Loyd, Wilson and Young were on the court against Dallas (about 20 minutes of game time), Las Vegas won those minutes by 26 points.

5. Which Dallas rookies will make cut with Paige Bueckers?

Coach Chris Koclanes said before the game that the Wings knew who their top eight rotation players would be in 2025, but he hoped to use the preseason to sort out Nos. 9 through 12. Those eight include the five starters — Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, Carrington, NaLyssa Smith and Teaira McCowan — plus Myisha Hines-Allen, Maddy Siegrist and Tyasha Harris off the bench. That leaves four spots for 10 other training camp players, two of whom (McKenzie Forbes and Kiki Herbert Harrigan) were already waived after the preseason loss to Las Vegas.

Harris was unavailable Friday, making Aziaha James the first guard off the bench, and the NC State rookie was aggressive immediately. Her first two scores didn’t even require dribbles, as she hit a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer and a layup on a cut. She forced two dead-ball turnovers in one-on-one defense and even had a steal on the reigning MVP, which she turned into an assist to Siegrist. James also gave up her body attempting to take a charge on Wilson; Koclanes said he should have challenged the blocking call. James’ place on the opening night roster is likely already secure, but the all-around effort in her debut should help her earn more minutes.

A rookie who is closer to the roster bubble is JJ Quinerly, a third-round pick out of West Virginia. Still, Quinerly looked as comfortable as she was on Big 12 courts in her first WNBA action. Thrown into the fire, she guarded Young on her first possession, but Young didn’t score on her. Quinerly helped James force a travel on Gray and got a stop on Loyd in transition, all within her first two minutes. There are questions about Quinerly’s height; listed at 5 feet 8, she is likely shorter and was blocked on her first rim shot attempt by 6-foot Aaliyah Nye. However, for the most part, Quinerly excelled at getting downhill, particularly in her second shift. She made 7 of 10 shots, nine in the paint.

The Wings likely need more frontcourt depth in their final 12, especially as McCowan and Smith struggled defensively against the Aces. However, Quinerly looks the part of an WNBA player, whether that’s in Dallas or elsewhere.

6. Nneka Ogwumike shows off 3-point shooting, highlights Seattle’s frontcourt depth

The Seattle Storm played their only official preseason game Sunday afternoon against the Connecticut Sun. Gabby Williams, Ezi Magbegor and No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga — key members of Seattle’s core — were ruled out for rest. Still, Seattle’s other veterans — Alysha Clark, Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins — opened the game with great energy, holding Connecticut to only 12 first-quarter points. Ogwumike’s and Diggins’ efficiency resulted in a combined 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting in Seattle’s 79-59 victory.

Ogwumike was effective around the basket, but the 34-year-old forward also made four 3-pointers in 21 minutes. She has made at least four 3s just three times since being the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft. If she steps out and scores from beyond the arc this season, Seattle’s offense should be even more dangerous. Coach Noelle Quinn will have plenty of frontcourt rotation options with Malonga, Magbegor and Ogwumike. Add in Li Yueru — who had 15 points and 10 rebounds in her preseason debut with the Storm — and their frontcourt is one of the league’s deepest.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Washington Mystics, Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, WNBA