The bottom line of last night’s highly anticipated WNBA season premiere did not disappoint, from the enthusiastic young fans in the stands to the star players on the court. With increasing league parity, now is the perfect time to hop on the bandwagon.
Caitlin Clark had a rough start in her debut with the Indiana Fever. Despite eventually scoring 20 points, the NCAA all-time leading scorer struggled with 10 turnovers after sitting out most of the first quarter due to early foul trouble against Sun superstar Alyssa Thomas, the 2023 MVP runner-up.
In a 92-71 victory for the Sun, Thomas achieved her ninth career triple-double while her fiancee DeWanna Bonner scored 20 points and climbed to fifth on the all-time scoring list in the WNBA. Talk about a power couple.
Surprisingly, last season’s superteams, the Las Vegas Aces and NY Liberty, did not dominate in their season openers. Vegas managed to secure an 89-80 win against the revamped Phoenix Mercury, where Diana Taurasi made a strong presence with seven three-pointers.
Meanwhile, the NY Liberty narrowly won an 85-80 game against the Washington Mystics, but reigning MVP Breanna Stewart only scored eight points, well below her typical double-digit outputs.
Looking forward, tonight is a treat for college basketball fans as rookies take center stage. LSU alum Angel Reese will make her pro debut with the Chicago Sky facing the Dallas Wings at 8 p.m. ET. Later, the LA Sparks’ Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink of Stanford will hit the court against the Atlanta Dream at 10 p.m. ET. It’s a night you won’t want to miss.