The 2026 WNBA season kicks off with three games featuring the Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty, Washington Mystics vs. Toronto Tempo, and Golden State Valkyries vs. Seattle Storm. Key questions include the Liberty's reliance on Breanna Stewart, Lauren Betts' potential impact for the Mystics, and the Valkyries' ability to overcome draft night criticisms.
The key matchups include Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty, Washington Mystics vs. Toronto Tempo, and Golden State Valkyries vs. Seattle Storm.
Breanna Stewart's performance is critical for the Liberty, especially with injuries to key players, potentially leading to heavy reliance on her for a win.
Lauren Betts is expected to make a strong impact in her debut, particularly as a rim protector against the Toronto Tempo's lineup.
The Valkyries face challenges related to criticisms from their draft night trade and the need to prove their value against the Seattle Storm.
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Last season, New York was great when Breanna Stewart played and very average when she did not. The Libertyâs offseason changes, which included renovating the roster, in addition to hiring a new head coach with a different offensive system, presumably prioritized providing more support for Stewie. And yet, will New York already be pressing the âStewie Save Usâ button on opening day? An ankle injury to Sabrina Ionescu, the continued absence of Satou Sabally and overseas obligations for Leonie Fiebich puts New York without three starters. Returning reserve Rebecca Allen is also sidelined. That leaves Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton as the only consistently proven players who will be wearing seafoam on opening night. It looks like head coach Chris DeMarco not only will be counting on production from Marine JohnannĂšs and Han Xu, two players whose fun factors have historically trumped their winning impact, but also Pauline Astier, a rookie point guard. As an opening loss to the rebuilding Sun would be a uninspiring start to championship-or-bust season, even considering the Libertyâs current context, it will not be surprising if DeMarco heavily relies on Stewart to deliver the win. And certainly, thatâs not a bad option, and no one will be shocked when Barclays Center is celebrating after a Stewie showcase. But, I can see this becoming a tougher-than-expected ugly win for New Yorkâor even a Sun win. While the Sun, beginning their final season in Connecticut, have a history worthy savoring, 2026 could also become a present to be proud of. What are your thoughts on this one? Is it too soon to be worried about the Liberty? Could they drop more games than expectedâincluding against perceived lesser opponents like the Sunâuntil Sabrina returns? Or, do you trust Stewie, JJ and Betnijah to get the job done?
Admittedly, I was quite low on Lauren Bettsâ WNBA prospect early in the 2026 draft cycle, believing her limitationsâinadequate athleticism and strength and a too-mechanical offensive processâoutweighed her strengths as a 6-foot-7 rim-protecting defensive foundation. Her performances in UCLAâs run to the national championship, in addition to her play in preseason, however, has me becoming a Betts believer. With a strong start to her rookie season, Iâll be full convert. Bettsâ official debut should be a favorable matchup for her, especially if she comes off the bench. Outside of Temi FagbĂ©nlĂ©, the Tempo do not have a reliable big, and even FagbĂ©nlĂ© has never been a high-minute player in the WNBA. The Toronto roster also features more drivers than shooters, allowing Betts to remain comfortably stationed around the basket. And if any Tempo players dare venture into the paint, Betts has the opportunity to demonstrate her defensive value with more than a few swats. But, am I now becoming too high on Betts? What do you expect to see from the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft? Will it instead be another rookie who impresses? Maybe Bettsâ former Bruin teammate and Tempo rookie Kiki Rice?
The whole drama that has unfolded since Golden Stateâs infamous draft night tradeâfrom the seemingly poor value for the No. 8 overall pick to Flauâjae Johnson shining in preseason to the Valkyries waiving Marta SuĂĄrez to general manager Oheema Nyanin providing less-than-clarifying explanationsâis well-trod ground. And it will continue to be so, until the Valkyries compel everyone to move on through their play. If the wins come, Golden State (again) can make us all feel foolish. A huge opening victory in Seattle, certainly, would start this process. To make that happen, the Valkyries need to show why 50 percent of WNBA general managers voted them the best defensive team in the league. Elite defense is a non-negotiable for Golden State because the other side of the ball brings a lot of questions. The season-long absence of Iliana Rupert (pregnancy) robs the Valkyries a stretch big who would open up the floor for the teamâs primary offensive options. All of Veronica Burton, Gabby Williams, Kayla Thornton, Tiffany Hayes and Janelle SalaĂŒn are better scoring around the basket. And while head coach Natalie Nakase will encourage her players to fire away from 3, as the Valkyries did lead the league in 3s per game last season, only Hayes, who has a slow release and is the most dynamic off-the-dribble driver, shot above average from deep. On top of that, Golden State will need to generate good offense with hopefully-ready-to-dominate Dominique Malonga looming at the center of the Storm defense. So, it might be hard to ignore how much a high-upside offensive player could give the Golden State offense a jolt. And if Flauâjae goes off in her WNBA debut, the Valkyries should be prepared to sink deeper into their self-created quagmire. How are you feeling about Golden State? Do you trust the teamâs vision? Or, was their expectation-free expansion season an overachieving outlier?