Wnba first game

As everyone involved readily acknowledges, it showcased neither team at its best. But all things considered, no one should have expected it would. The ABL, the women's pro league that would last just two full years, had finished its first season earlier in Now it was the WNBA's turn, and it was the league that would last. When reporters began asking Toler about scoring the first basket, and she had to think about it for a second.

I did that? She later asked teammate Daedra Charles, who had missed an earlier shot, if she had realized its potential significance. I didn't know it at the time. But looking back on it, it's an honor I love to have. There can only be one first basket. Skip to main content Skip to navigation.

Inside the WNBA's inaugural game, 25 seasons later. Los Angeles Sparks. What can we expect from WNBA free agency? Seattle Storm. Ranking the top 20 WNBA free agents.

Las Vegas Aces. Brondello: 'Exciting' to join Liberty, be in N. New York Liberty. Hammon on taking Aces job: Ready to run a team. Parker voted AP's top female athlete for 2nd time. Chicago Sky. Ginobili headlines list of first-time HOF nominees.

San Antonio Spurs. NBC Sports. The Liberty, Storm, Lynx, and even the Wings, could have benefited from a best-of-three matchup. The Libs, who backed into the playoffs, lost their first-round game by one point and had the Mercury on the ropes down to the wire.

And the Storm lost to the Mercury by five points in their second-round meeting. Both teams would have still had a shot under the new format. The format the W played under in was originally adopted in and did away with the traditional Eastern and Western Conference-based playoffs. The eight teams with the best records regardless of conference made the postseason.

The Liberty were the No. Teams have until Friday to make decisions on utilizing their core designation -- as the Connecticut Sun already did with reigning MVP Jonquel Jones -- as well as make qualifying offers to potential restricted and reserved free agents. Come Saturday, players and teams will be able to begin negotiating, allowing decisions to be made even if contracts can't officially be signed until Feb.

We've already projected the top 20 free agents in terms of their value and looked at the cap room situations for all 12 teams ahead of free agency. Now, before the action starts, it's time to have some fun and make some predictions.

We look at which teams might end up winners and which big names could be on the move over the next month to shake up the WNBA's power structure. Kevin Pelton: Seattle Storm. The Storm can't core both Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart , meaning one of the cornerstones of the team's most recent two championships will be an unrestricted free agent.

Losing either player would be a crushing blow to the Storm's long-term future. With Sue Bird 's return, however, re-signing in Seattle gives them the best chance at winning another title -- particularly with the Storm's flexibility. Because Seattle doesn't have a single protected contract on the roster, the team could re-sign the big three then try to add a veteran like Tina Charles in pursuit of a championship. That's a luxury other contenders, more strapped for cap space, can't realistically have.

Mechelle Voepel: The Chicago Sky have a lot to figure out, but at least they are doing so in the glow of claiming a long-pursued championship. They are coming off a title run that was magical: a. That Candace Parker won a title in her hometown made it all the more special. But there are just four players, Parker being one of them, under contract, and the Sky will need to decide how much they want to commit to being a lot like last season.

Considering she is 27 turns 28 in August , Copper is in the heart of her prime. It also seems like the Sky won't want to let franchise cornerstone Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley get away. One of the odd veteran returners out could be Stefanie Dolson.

Someone will have to go. Is there still the chance that the Sky could go for another home run signing in free agency like they did last season with Parker. Might it be another Chicago native: Storm guard Loyd?

It would be hard to make the numbers work, but we'll see. Pelton: Atlanta Dream. The Dream enter free agency as something of a blank sheet, with just five players under contract and only one of them Cheyenne Parker , who gave birth in December protected.