Another exciting week of WNBA action is behind us. Road teams continue to have success, and parity remains early in the season, leading to fun games and unpredictable outcomes. But one of the bigger takeaways from the week was how many teams saw key players make their season debuts.
Let’s unpack.
▶ FIRST-LOOKS & RETURNS TO THE FLOOR
Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally (New York Liberty)
New York’s offense had been humming through the first four games of the season, which is notable, considering the early-season injuries and roster movement — Pauline Astier stepped into the starting lineup and thrived as both a scorer and facilitator, as did Marine Johannes and Julie Vanloo. Since the 3-1 start, Astier has transitioned back to New York’s bench, Johannes has totaled three points on 1-of-15 shooting over the last three games, and Julie Vanloo was recently waived. The decline in offensive production over the past two outings coincides with New York’s efforts to reincorporate two major pieces into the lineup: Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally.
Sabally’s debut came a game prior to Ionescu’s return, where she understandably displayed some first-game rust. She responded nicely in her second appearance, however, leading New York in scoring with 20 points and three triples in the loss to Dallas on Sunday, showcasing the type of matchup nightmare she has proven to be as a versatile inside-out scorer at the forward position. Ionescu needs no introduction. The seventh-year pro made her season debut on Sunday and tallied 11 points and seven assists during her 31 minutes on the floor, offering the facilitating and high-volume three-point shooting that’s made her a dangerous offensive weapon over the years.
Between the two players, the Liberty receives big-time offensive performers with a history of impact — they step in and arguably function as two of New York’s top-three scorers in 2026. Whatever short-term lumps the team takes as they reintroduce Sabally and Ionescu will be more than worth it in the long run. They’ve got major upside that not many teams possess, and should be back in rhythm soon if health is a non-issue.
Awa Fam (Seattle Storm)
The Spanish League has concluded, and the Storm officially introduced their third-overall pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft, Awa Fam, to the rest of the league on Sunday. Her arrival comes at a perfect time for Seattle, which has been troubled by frontcourt injuries to begin the season. Ezi Magbegor (foot) has been inactive for all seven games, while Dominique Malonga (concussion) has missed the last four — between the two, that’s Seattle’s likely starting frontcourt that’s been mostly unavailable over the first part of the season.
Fam is widely expected to supply the Storm frontcourt with stellar play while joining a promising young nucleus of first-round picks. The question is: how soon? Malonga didn’t immediately hit her stride last season as a rookie, nor did Magbegor during her first WNBA season back in 2020. Fam logged 10 points and one steal in 20 minutes in her long-awaited debut in Sunday’s 97-85 win over the Mystics, offering a first glimpse of the talent that made her a lottery pick. Pressure shouldn’t be on her to exceed expectations this early in her career while sharing minutes with two high-quality bigs (when healthy), but her upside makes it difficult not to be optimistic.
Azura Stevens (Chicago Sky)
A quiet, but noteworthy, recent debut came in Chicago, where Azura Stevens logged 16 minutes in her first action as a member of the Sky. What immediately stands out is that the veteran came off the bench in her first appearance, something easy to make sense of in a return from injury. However, I can’t help but wonder how long she will remain in a reserve role. Given Chicago’s recent history with double bigs in the starting five, it would seem as though their four-guard lineups won’t last long, but the smaller unit to begin games has been head coach Tyler Marsh’s preference to this point. Regardless, the proven Stevens should be able to provide the Sky with much-needed floor spacing and added rim protection in the frontcourt. It’s easy to see her fit on both ends of the floor alongside a more traditional center in Kamilla Cardoso. Plenty of rust to knock off and wrinkles to iron out, but I’m intrigued.
▶ THE WEEK AHEAD
Phoenix Mercury @ New York Liberty
(Wednesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. ET on USA Network)
Phoenix and New York are both off to less-than-ideal starts. The Liberty has a .500 record that includes two recent double-digit home losses, one against the Wings, in which they squandered a 16-point lead. Similarly, the Mercury gave away a 12-point fourth-quarter lead in a loss to the Dream on Sunday, marking their third straight defeat and fifth loss overall. Both teams earned a trip to the WNBA Finals over the past two seasons (Liberty as champions, Mercury as runner-ups) and retain much of the talent from those appearances. Their continuity should lead to turnarounds fairly soon, once the injury bug disappears and early-season rust wears off. Behind star players, Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas, both teams will look to find momentum on Wednesday when they meet for the first of two consecutive matchups at Barclays Center.
Atlanta Dream @ Minnesota Lynx
(Wednesday, May 27 at 9 p.m. ET on USA Network)
Should anyone be surprised that the Lynx — without their MVP candidate, with a rookie point guard running the show, and after losing several key offseason pieces — have a 4-2 record out of the gate? You probably shouldn’t be, even though it would be merited. Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve has her team winning with defense, and it has been a fun start for 2025’s best regular-season team. Atlanta’s also winning with defense — statistically, the Dream have the best defensive rating in the W. Both teams have strong individual offensive talent, which leaves the door open for one of these defenses to see some slippage on Wednesday. But more likely, this game will be a grind — so if you don’t mind defensive battles, be sure to tune in!
Las Vegas Aces @ Dallas Wings
(Thursday, May 28 at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video)
A’ja Wilson, Paige Bueckers — need I say more? It’s not like the two will spend much time guarding one another, but the two headliners of Thursday’s contest are certainly worth the price of admission (or subscription). But the two teams find themselves in interesting spots following somewhat inconsistent starts to the season. The Wings have certainly ridden the rollercoaster early on. Bueckers isn’t far removed from a seven-point performance, which she followed with a 24-point outing a game later against the Liberty. No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd also had a breakout, 24-point outing vs. New York after a slower start to her rookie campaign. And Alanna Smith is still adjusting, trying to find her fit alongside her new teammates. But realistically, given the roster turnover and new coaching staff, an inconsistent start to the season is sensible for a team that had a lot of offseason hype. Meanwhile, the Aces are 4-2, with both losses coming at home, so perhaps a road trip to Texas is what they need in order to bounce back from Sunday’s loss to the Sparks? Home or away, Las Vegas could use some more production from Jackie Young, who’s gone scoreless over the past two games.
Indiana Fever @ Golden State Valkyries
(Thursday, May 28 at 10 p.m. ET on Prime Video)
Not only was last week’s matchup between these two teams competitive, but Golden State actually led this one a decent way through the third quarter before losing some steam on the second game of a back-to-back just as Indiana stepped on the gas. The back-and-forth action led to a great viewing experience, and the battle between Caitlin Clark and Tiffany Hayes was entertaining on its own. Aliyah Boston was also phenomenal in this game, as her 20 points and 16 boards led her to a team-high in plus-minus (+15) during her 29 minutes on the floor — she looked very sharp and unbothered in the post on offense. The Valkyries will need to put together four consistent quarters of strong basketball, rather than the two they played in Indiana, to redeem themselves after their loss. Nonetheless, the energy should be high in the Bay Area in front of the Chase Center crowd. Game of the week for me!
Los Angeles Sparks @ Washington Mystics
(Friday, May 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION)
After flirting with the 100-point mark in its three games prior, Los Angeles finally hit the century mark in its 101-95 win over Las Vegas on Friday — a win the Sparks will get to bask in for five whole days before taking the floor again for the first time on Friday against Washington. The Mystics, on the other hand, will be on game No. 3 of the week, after finishing up a four-game road trip. The highs and lows on the offensive end for them have been fascinating to this point. Fortunately for Sonia Citron and the Mystics, they’ll face a Sparks team that currently owns the league’s worst defensive rating. Between L.A.’s willingness to engage in high-scoring affairs, Kelsey Plum’s sensational start to the season, and Washington’s variance, Friday’s matchup has a chance to be an entertaining one.
