The league’s 28th annual draft is set to take place on April 15 with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announcing the draft picks at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a famed performing arts theater that is just minutes away from Barclays Center.

About 1,000 tickets will be sold for this year’s draft, the league announced Wednesday. It’s the first time the draft will have fans in attendance since the 2014-16 drafts were held at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

“We are focused on creating elevated events that WNBA fans won’t want to miss, at a time when the energy for the WNBA has never been higher,” Engelbert said in a statement. “Last season resulted in our most-watched regular season in over two decades, our highest total attendance in 13 years and set record figures across WNBA digital and social platforms.”

Last year, Spring Studios in Manhattan hosted the 2023 WNBA Draft, where the Indiana Fever selected eventual unanimous Rookie of the Year winner Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 overall pick. The Fever are again slated to have the first selection in this year’s draft.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Stanford’s Cameron Brink, Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson, LSU’s Angel Reese and South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso are the biggest names heading into April’s draft.

Clark has yet to declare for the draft, but is the consensus No. 1 overall pick, according to multiple mock drafts. The owner of the NCAA women’s scoring record said she won’t make her decision until after the end of the collegiate season.

Brink, Cardoso and Reese could also return to college for the 2024-25 season.

The Los Angeles Sparks will get a head start on their rebuild with the second and fourth picks in the draft. The Chicago Sky, who recently traded franchise cornerstone Kahleah Copper, will pick third. The Dallas Wings will pick fifth

General manager Jonathan Kolb and the Liberty will pick 11th. The defending champion Las Vegas Aces currently don’t own a first-round pick in this year’s draft.

The Liberty star Ionescu chose to set up behind the NBA line rather than the WNBA line for Saturday night’s head-to-head 3-point shooting contest, which the Warriors’ Curry narrowly won by a score of 29-26.

“She should have shot it from the women’s line,” Smith said during the TNT broadcast. “That would have been a fair contest.”

The comment garnered instant pushback from fellow analyst Reggie Miller, who replied, “Why are you putting those boundaries on her?”

Smith doubled down, saying, “She should have shot from the line. There is a women’s tee in golf and there’s a men’s tee for a reason.”

Miller later said, “You just want her playing with dolls, right?” Smith responded, “There’s nothing wrong with playing with dolls.”

The organizers of Saturday’s event originally announced Ionescu would shoot from the WNBA line, which maxes out at 22 feet, 1.75 inches. Ionescu quickly clarified, however, that she planned to shoot from the NBA line, which maxes out at 23 feet, 9 inches.

Saturday’s shootout came down to the wire, yet Smith chose to question Ionescu’s strategy anyway, prompting plenty of social-media backlash against the broadcaster.

“Sabrina Ionescu and Stephen Curry made it abundantly clear prior to this shootout that their goal was to dismantle misconceptions and stereotypes about women’s basketball,” Jackie Powell, who covers the Liberty for The Next Hoops, wrote on X. “Clearly Kenny Smith either didn’t get the memo or didn’t pay attention to the press prior to the shootout.”

Sharing a similar sentiment was Atlanta Hawks assistant coach Brittni Donaldson, who wrote, “Sabrina hitting the exact score that [Damian Lillard] won with [in Saturday’s NBA 3-point contest], losing to Steph, and the immediate commentary being ‘welp, she should’ve shot from the women’s line’ pretty much sums up our experience if ya’ll are wondering.”

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid also appeared to weigh in, writing, “Kenny smith been drinking lmao.”

The first-of-its-kind shootout between an NBA star and a WNBA star took place seven months after Ionescu set the record for both leagues by scoring 37 out of a maximum 40 points in the final round of the 2023’s WNBA 3-point contest.

Ionescu then challenged Curry, a two-time NBA 3-point contest winner, to a shootout after he celebrated her record-setting performance as “RIDICULOUS” in a social-media post at the time.

Following Saturday’s contest, Ionescu, 26, and Curry, 35, hailed the event as a success.

“Just continuing to be able to use my platform, and I think a night like tonight shows a lot of young girls and young boys that if you can shoot, you can shoot,” Ionescu said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or boy. I think it just matters the heart that you have in wanting to be the best that you can be.”

Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty won the WNBA’s 3-point contest in July with a record-setting 37-point final round, making 25 of 27 3-pointers and 20 straight at one point. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, the NBA’s 3-point king with 3642 makes and counting, took note of Ionescu’s legendary performance and extended a friendly challenge.

“I got to go after Sabrina’s record, so I got something to shoot for now that she went crazy with the 37 points at All-Star Weekend,” Curry said on ESPN’s NBA Today last July. “So I guess we got to settle that one for sure. Who’s the better 3-point competition shooter?”

Ionescu, a Bay Area native, accepted Curry’s challenge after back-and-forth banter on social media. The NBA handled the rest. And it created a full-circle moment for one of the WNBA’s brightest stars.

“I have this picture up, I think I was about 10 years old and giving him a high five in the tunnel,” Ionescu said of Curry. “Obviously, being from the Bay Area, he was that player that I idolized growing up.

“Ten years ago I never would’ve thought this was possible. Now being the day when we’re able to go out there and play, no matter what happens, it’s a blessing and an opportunity to even be in the same conversation as Steph. To be able to see how much he’s respected me as a player and a basketball player and a person to want to come out here and do this.”

While Curry’s contest against Ionescu was separate from the traditional 3-point shootout at All-Star weekend, the two-time league MVP has participated in the 3-point contest seven times and won twice in 2015 and 2021. And Curry came into Saturday’s competition on fire, as he had made 38-of-75 treys (51%) over the Warriors’ last five games ahead of the break.

Prior to Golden State’s 140-137 defeat of the Utah Jazz on Thursday, Curry had made seven or more 3-pointers in four straight games, the first player in NBA history to do so.

Meanwhile Ionescu, a two-time WNBA All-Star, will begin her fifth season with the Liberty in May. She was the first WNBA player to record a triple-double in three quarters and the youngest to record a triple-double. She was the first WNBA player with more than 500 points, more than 200 rebounds and more than 200 assists in one season. And during her college days at Oregon, she became the only Division I player to record at least 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds in a career.

Ionescu and Curry’s resumes are legendary, as was the trash talk entering Saturday’s special All-Star event.

“He wants to beat me; I can tell you that,” Ionescu said. “He’s not taking it easy. He was out there booing me as I was practicing yesterday and trying to get in my head. Obviously, we’re great friends and I look up to him, but once we get out there, we’re both trying to win. I think it speaks a lot to who we are as individuals and competitors.”

Said Curry: “There’s only one outcome, though, is that I win, right? So I’m excited to go out there and shoot with her. She’s unbelievable. An unbelievable shooter, an unbelievable player, and it’s going to be great for the game to have a little competition.”

Once the Kia Skills Challenge and Starry 3-point Contest concluded, the stage was set, and Ionescu and Curry’s shootout began inside Lucas Oil Stadium. A single round for all the bragging rights. And Ionescu did not want any handicaps. She decided beforehand to shoot from the NBA line with WNBA basketballs.

“I’d rather go down fighting for what I believe I’m capable of doing,” Ionescu said.

Ionescu and Curry both had 70 seconds to take their 27 shot attempts. Each shot triggered a donation from State Farm to the NBA Foundation. Ionescu set the tone with a 26-point round, meaning Curry needed at least 27 to win. Curry started slow. The competition wound up coming down to the final rack. And a last-second money ball gave Curry the 29-26 win. Ionescu’s score (26) was the same as Damian Lillard’s winning score in Saturday’s traditional 3-point contest.

While the night — and the championship belt — went to the NBA’s 3-point king, Ionescu was appreciative of the opportunity to compete against Curry on a national stage.

“That was amazing,” Ionescu said. “Just to be able to have this be the first of its kind event and come out here and put on a show, but understanding what this means and excited to change the narrative and to be able to do it alongside the best to ever do it… Just continuing to be able to use my platform and I think a night like tonight shows a lot of young girls and young boys that if you can shoot, you can shoot. It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or boy. I think it just matters the heart that you have in wanting to be the best that you can be.”

Said Curry: “This couldn’t have gone any better in the sense of us two taking a chance in front of this stage, one round with all the hype, and to deliver like that. She set the bar and it was unbelievable to watch… I don’t know if anybody can fill these shoes, but this might be something we do more often.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he could be down to watch the superstars run it back in the future. The 2025 NBA All-Star game will be held at Chase Center in San Francisco.

“Are there plans to add more integration of the WNBA women’s game into All-Star festivities? Possibly,” Silver said. “I’ve been encouraged by the amount of interest in Sabrina and Steph engaging in this 3-Point Contest, so of course let’s see how it goes.

“I’ve said this before. I think increasingly in this league, the opportunity to have more female refs, more female coaches, more focus on women’s basketball, more opportunity for these leagues to support each other and cross promote, I think is just fantastic on behalf of the game of basketball.”

The Liberty re-signed star center Jonquel Jones on Friday, the team announced. The deal will keep Jones in New York for two years, according to ESPN.

The move comes weeks after reports surfaced that Jones intended to stay in New York despite receiving significant interest from other WNBA teams.

Getting the 6-6 center to stay in New York was Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb’s “first priority.” And with her return, the team’s path to returning to the WNBA Finals is a bit clearer.

“We are overjoyed to welcome back JJ,” Kolb said. “In just one season, she became an indelible part of the Liberty’s core identity, on and off-the-court, and keeping her in seafoam was our first priority in open free agency as we continue our championship pursuit in 2024.”

Jones returns after helping the Liberty reach its first WNBA Finals since 2002. She was the Commissioner’s Cup MVP in 2023 and posted averages of 11.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 blocks per game in the regular season. She shot 52.7% from the field and 35.2% from downtown.

Unlike last year, the star center is on track to enter training camp fully healthy. A foot injury sustained in the 2022 WNBA Finals as a member of the Connecticut Sun hindered Jones’ transition to the Liberty. She finally turned a corner after the 2023 All-Star Break, when she recorded a double-double in seven of the 10 matchups after the break. Jones averaged 14.6 points and 12.4 boards during that span. The center had recorded just two double-doubles before the break.

Jones was also the team’s most reliable player in the postseason. The Freeport, Bahamas native set the WNBA’s all-time single postseason record for most double-doubles (8) during the Liberty’s 2023 playoff run. She averaged 17.0 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game during that stretch.

Kolb will now shift his efforts to re-signing 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart. The star forward was designated a core player by the team, which makes her ineligible to test free agency this winter.

The Liberty’s first game of the 2024 season will take place on the road against the Washington Mystics on May 14.

Fast forward over a decade later and Ionescu, the WNBA’s single-season record holder for three-pointers made (128), will get a chance to face Curry in a three-point contest during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend.

The one-on-one competition is set to take place between the NBA’s own three-point contest and slam dunk competition at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday night. It’ll be seven months after Ionescu set the basketball world on fire by scoring a record 37 of a possible 40 points to easily win the three-point shooting contest at the WNBA’s All-Star Weekend. The 37 points easily surpassed Curry’s NBA record of 31 he set in 2021. The Liberty sharpshooter made 20 consecutive shots in last season’s event.

This weekend’s contest is the first of its kind in the pro basketball world. The shootout will also serve as a spotlight to the ever-growing WNBA that features one of the world’s best shooters who currently plays on one of the league’s best teams.

“There’s going to be a young kid who maybe hasn’t watched many WNBA games but is going to watch and tune into this and they’re going to have that dream of one day going up shooting against their idol,” Ionescu said during a Zoom call with media members to discuss the impact of the contest.

“I don’t think either of us really understand — obviously I’m speaking for Steph — the gravity and magnitude that this could take on,” Ionescu added. “We’re just a small piece of kinda just changing the narrative. This isn’t really scripted. This isn’t something that we’re doing to try and check something off the box. It’s more like we’re really excited for the opportunity to do this. From my perspective, it’s something that I could have never imagined being a part of. It’s really organic and nothing about this is done to just check a box off for the league.”

Curry, a two-time three-point contest winner (2015, 2021), acknowledged the impact of the crossover shootout during Tuesday night’s video call. He described the WNBA-NBA connection as “awesome” because the two seasons don’t overlap, giving fans a rare opportunity to witness stars from both leagues compete simultaneously this weekend. WNBA players have been featured in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, but never before in a three-point shootout.

Curry added that Saturday’s competition is uncharted territory and the pair are both “privileged” and “honored” to be the first to do a competition of this kind.

The 15-year veteran has been a longtime supporter of women’s basketball and its goals of growth and expansion. The Warriors will have an expansion team set to begin play in 2025.

“You look for opportunities to just raise the bar on what it means to be a basketball fan,” Curry said during Tuesday’s call. “It’s an authentic competition between two great shooters. We’ve had success in a three-point contest and now you’re trying to level the playing field. Let’s see who the best shooter is on that given night.”

Initially, Ionescu was expected to shoot from the WNBA three-point line, which is set at 22 feet and 1.75 inches at the top of the key. That’s shorter compared to the NBA’s 23 feet and nine inches at the top of the key. After the initial announcement of the contest, Ionescu requested to shoot from the NBA line.

“Personally I shoot from that range to begin with,” said Ionescu, who shot 37.7% on 7.9 attempts from downtown in 2023. “I practice from that range in wanting to be a better shooter or a better basketball player and get better as a whole.

“It was a no-brainer from when it was presented that I wanted to shoot from the NBA line. And continue to just prove that we’re capable, and we’re willing.

“Very thankful that I was given the opportunity and I’m going to capitalize on it.”

The competition stemmed from a joke that now has come to life, per Ionescu. The two-time WNBA All-Star hopes to come out victorious in the shootout, similarly to how she’s beaten Curry in a different basketball competition in the past.

The pair laughed when mentioning a prior showdown in a game of H-O-R-S-E..

“Well, Steph remembers the last time that we played so I don’t know if he wants to talk about it,” Ionescu said while attempting to hold back laughter.

Curry’s response?

“That’s why I called her the champ.”

Skylar Diggins-Smith, the most sought after guard on the market, signed with the Seattle Storm Thursday, the team announced. The contract is a two-year deal, according to The Next’s Howard Megdal. The six-time All-Star joins the Storm after missing the entire 2023 WNBA season while on maternity leave. The signing also puts an end to a rocky tenure with the Phoenix Mercury.

“Joining the Seattle Storm is the ideal next step in my basketball journey,” Diggins-Smith said in a statement. “The organization’s dedication to its players and the progression of the league is commendable. I’m laser focused for the upcoming season.”

The Storm now have an all-Notre Dame starting backcourt. Diggins-Smith and Storm star guard Jewell Loyd will once again share the floor, like their days with the Fighting Irish during the 2012-13 NCAA season. The team, under the helm of head coach Noelle Quinn, hope that the star backcourt will help the team improve on a 13-27 season in 2023.

“Stepping onto the court alongside Jewell, benefitting from the leadership of Noelle Quinn and feeling the energy of the Seattle Storm fans is a combination that I am confident will lead to success,” Diggins-Smith said.

The addition of Diggins-Smith comes after Loyd averaged career-highs in points (24.7) and rebounds (4.7). Loyd was named to the WNBA Second Team in 2023. Her scoring average was the second-highest average in WNBA history behind Diana Taurasi’s 25.3 points per game in 2006.

The last time Diggins-Smith was on the court, she averaged 19.7 points, 5.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds for the Mercury, which landed her a WNBA First Team selection in 2022. Diggins-Smith was selected to a WNBA First or Second Team six times in her career.

The second-most sought after guard on the market reportedly came off the board on Thursday. Natasha Cloud intends to sign with the Phoenix Mercury, a move first reported by Girls Talk Sports TV’s Khristina Williams. Cloud spent her entire eight-year career with the Washington Mystics. She played a crucial role as a starter in the team’s 2019 WNBA championship and is most known for her defensive toughness on the perimeter.

Her last game for the Mystics came in a gut-wrenching five-point elimination loss against the Liberty in Game 2 in the first round of the playoffs in 2023. She finished with 33 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals. The guard averaged 12.7 points and 3.7 boards for the Mystics last season. Her 6.2 assists per game in 2023 ranked fifth in the league.

LIBERTY CAMP SIGNINGS

The Liberty announced they signed four players to training camp deals: Okako Adika, Ivana Dojkić, Leonie Fiebich and Stephanie Mawuli.

The Liberty has signed Okako Adika, Ivana Dojkić, Leonie Fiebich & Stephanie Mawuli to training camp contracts.

Welcome to NY! pic.twitter.com/zPn3muxeXW

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) February 1, 2024

The Libs acquired Fiebich’s rights last season in a four-team trade that sent 2021 Rookie of the Year winner Michaela Onyenwere to the Mercury. The 6-4 wing is averaging 12.7 points and and 6.7 boards in Euroleague action with Casademont Zaragoza.

Guard Dojkić averaged 6.5 points and 2.8 assists in 23 games with the Storm last season. The 6-0 Adika was selected by the Liberty in the third round of last season’s draft out of USC. The Trojan product averaged 7.3 points and 4.9 boards in the 2022-23 NCAA season. Japanese forward Mawuli is averaging 9.3 points and 2.5 boards in 19 games with Spanish club Estudiantes.

OTHER NOTABLE SIGNINGS

Guard Jordin Canada is finalizing a contract with the Atlanta Dream via a sign-and-trade deal with the Los Angeles Sparks, according to ESPN’s Andraya Carter. The Sparks sent Canada and the No. 12 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft in exchange for Aari McDonald and the No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft, the teams announced. The move comes after the Sparks used a core designation on the guard following a career year. Canada averaged career-highs in points (13.3), assists (6.0), rebounds (3.1), steals (2.3) and three-point percentage (33.3%) after signing a training camp deal with the Sparks last offseason. She was also a WNBA First Team All Defense selection in 2023.

The Dream continued their busy offseason by signing eight-time All-Star Tina Charles and former Lynx wing Aerial Powers, the team announced. Tanisha Wright’s team also re-signed forward Nia Coffey.

Guard Courtney Williams is expected to sign a two-year guaranteed deal with the Minnesota Lynx, according to Girls Talk Sports TV. Williams averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds in 40 games with the Chicago Sky in 2023. Her assists average ranked fourth in the league in 2023 and will improve a Lynx team that already include MVP candidate Napheesa Collier and young star Diamond Miller.

Former Liberty forward DiDi Richards is signing with the Washington Mystics, the 24-year-old announced on her podcast with Terrika Foster-Brasby. Richards was a fan-favorite in her two seasons with the Liberty from 2021-22. The Liberty cut the Baylor product at the end of training camp last season. She later went on to play overseas with the Sydney Flames in the WNBL. Richards is averaging 12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists in 19 games with the Flames.

The Dallas Wings announced they reached a multi-year agreement with center Kalani Brown.

“I am so excited to be returning and making Dallas home,” said Brown. “I can’t wait to get back with my teammates and win a championship here in the future.”

The news of Browns’ return was first reported by Girls Talk Sports TV and The Athletic’s Dorothy J. Gentry reported the big turned down higher offers in order to stay with the Wings. Brown averaged 7.8 points and 4.5 boards in 16.4 minutes played with the Wings last season. The news of her return comes after the team announced 2023 Most Improved Player Satou Sabally re-signed with the Wings.

Back-to-back champions Las Vegas Aces re-signed center Kiah Stokes and signed center Megan Gustafson, according to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. Both bigs join the Aces on two-year deals. The team also announced they re-signed guard Sydney Colson on Thursday.

“I’m excited to re-sign with the Aces because I love this organization and I truly feel like we’re a team in every sense of the word,” said Colson.

Morgan James will join the squad on a training camp deal, per the team.

The Liberty’s Ionescu and the Golden State Warriors’ Curry, having both already conquered their leagues’ 3-point challenges, are set to participate in their unprecedented shootout on Feb. 17 at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, organizers announced Tuesday.

The event, billed as “Stephen vs. Sabrina,” marks the first official 3-point contest between the NBA and WNBA.

Ionescu set the record for both leagues last July by scoring 37 out of a maximum 40 points in the final round of the WNBA’s 3-point challenge — a feat that included 20 consecutive makes from deep. It was her first time winning the event.

“I knew they were going in,” Ionescu said at the time. “I was telling my agents over there, I didn’t even wait for the ball to get through the net. As soon as I shot it, it looked good and I just went down and kept grabbing [basketballs] and was listening to the fans as they were cheering, knowing that they went in. So they were my validation.”

Curry, a two-time NBA three-point contest winner, described her performance as “RIDICULOUS” in a celebratory social-media post, to which Ionescu replied, “Shoot out??”

And now it’s happening.

The duo will follow their leagues’ respective 3-point rules, with Curry, 35, shooting from behind the NBA 3-point line with NBA balls, and Ionescu, 26, using the WNBA line and WNBA balls.

“Stephen vs. Sabrina” is set to take place between the NBA’s standard 3-point challenge and the slam-dunk contest.

Curry, a nine-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion, entered Tuesday having made a league-record 3,577 3-pointers in his career. Ionescu, the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, made 128 3-pointers last year to set the WNBA’s single-season record.

Center Jonquel Jones intends to re-sign with the Liberty after receiving significant interest across the league, according to The Next’s Jackie Powell.

The news of the re-signing comes months after the 2021 MVP said she’s “definitely trending towards coming back here,” when asked about her possible return to New York. Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb said during his exit interview in October that Jones is “a player we definitely want to retain.”

Jones was the Liberty’s most consistent player in the postseason. She contributed 16.8 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in the playoffs. The former Connecticut Sun averaged 11.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while appearing in every regular season game for the Liberty in 2023.

The 30-year-old initially landed in New York last offseason after the Sun traded her to the Liberty in exchange for forward Rebecca Allen and draft compensation. The three-team deal — which included the Dallas Wings — also brought Kayla Thornton to the Liberty.

Jones hopes to be a full participant in the team’s training camp in 2024 after missing time in last year’s camp due to a foot injury. The injury was sustained as a member of the Sun during the 2022 postseason. Jones getting acclimated to her new team while returning from the injury attributed to a slow start with the Liberty last season. She failed to score in double-digits in three of her first eight games with the team and didn’t record her first double-double until the 10th game of the season. 

After hitting her stride, Jones looked like her dominant self for the Liberty. She was awarded the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup MVP Award after recording 16 points and 15 boards in the 82-63 victory over the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena. The center recorded nine double-doubles after the All-Star Break, including a stretch of four consecutive games during that period.

The Liberty still have one more star to re-sign. Breanna Stewart, the 2023 MVP, was cored by the team, which makes her ineligible to test free agency this winter. Kolb will be busy during the WNBA Draft in April, with the team currently owning four total picks (No. 11, No. 17, No. 23, and No. 35).

Finals MVP A’ja Wilson and the Aces became the first team to win back-to-back championships since the Los Angeles Sparks (2001-02). WNBA fans witnessed a suspenseful, three-woman MVP race that ended with Liberty star Breanna Stewart winning by a narrow margin. The league was also introduced to a new crop of stars that could one day compete for their own MVP award.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league have a lot to build on next season. And there are prospects who could declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft that could shake up the league as well. Let’s take a look at potential storylines for the 2024 WNBA season.

ACES 3-PEAT

The Aces will embark on a mission that only one other team has accomplished. Only the Houston Comets have won three straight championships in WNBA history. In fact, the team, led by Hall of Famer Cynthia Cooper, won four consecutive championships (1997-2000) in the first years of the league.

Head coach Becky Hammon, Wilson and the Aces are primed to make history. The core — Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young — are all returning while in the primes of their careers. Wilson seems to progress each season after being taken No. 1 overall out of South Carolina in 2018. In 2023, she averaged 22.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.2 blocks per game. She won her second-consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award after a dominant season.

Young’s progression in 2023 — she averaged 17.6 and four rebounds per game — garnered early-season MVP talks and eventually landed her a spot on the All-WNBA Second Team.

The pieces are intact for an Aces three-peat.

LIBERTY RUNNING IT BACK

Sandy Brondello and her squad were one game away from forcing a do-or-die Game 5 in the WNBA Finals. All signs point to them running it back with the same squad in hopes to win the franchise’s first title. Brondello said the team did “miracles” in its first season together after an offseason roster overhaul. But she noted that more time together could be the special ingredient needed to reach the mountaintop.

“So we’re gonna grow with more time with each other because it’s a new group,” Brondello said at the end of the 2023 season. “I’m excited. Going through the fire, that’s how you grow, isn’t it?”

Starters Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney will get another year to mesh in Brooklyn. The starting five will be complete if star Jonquel Jones decides to re-sign with the team. After the Finals loss, the 2021 MVP signaled that she is “definitely trending towards coming back here.”

SDS TO CONNECTICUT SUN?

Aside from Jones, star guard Skylar Diggins-Smith headlines the 2024 free agent class. She’s set to be an unrestricted free agent after a rocky tenure with the Phoenix Mercury. The six-time All-Star didn’t play a game in 2023 while on maternity leave and she later said that the team didn’t allow her to use its facilities.

They’re not gonna acknowledge me this year and it’s ok guys. We’re not affiliated unless it’s the checks….per management. I can’t even use the practice facility or any resources. But I still love the X-Factor!! https://t.co/lcDb05fVVg

— Skylar Diggins-Smith (@SkyDigg4) August 3, 2023

“They’re not gonna acknowledge me this year and it’s OK guys,” she said on X. “We’re not affiliated unless it’s the checks… per management. I can’t even use the practice facility or any resources.”

She added in another post: “But “I’m fine with being distanced… [because] now I can’t possibly be the villain anymore,” she wrote.

Diggins-Smith averaged 19.7 points, 5.5 assists and four rebounds in 30 games played in 2022. Her playmaking at the point would suit any team in the league, but Connecticut looks like a great destination. Her possible addition fills the team’s need of a true starting point guard. Diggins-Smith at the point allows 2023 MVP runner-up Alyssa Thomas to not have the burden of ballhandling duties for majority of games.

And having two assist machines — Diggins-Smith and Thomas — on the floor together creates an offense that becomes more difficult for opposing defenses to handle. Thomas ended 2023 ranked second in assists per game — behind Vandersloot — with 7.9. Diggins-Smith’s 5.5 per game in 2022 ranked seventh.

ALIYAH BOSTON, CAITLAN CLARK DUO

The Fever winning the 2024 WNBA draft lottery quickly led the basketball world to imagine: how good could Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark be together?

Clark has one more year of college eligibility, but all signs point to her leaving Iowa and ending up as the Fever’s top selection.

“How versatile she is,” Boston told Wish-TV News 8 when describing the Iowa guard in December. “Her vision on the court. I think that’s super important. And I think she does a great job of that at Iowa. And so, I think it’s going to be exciting whatever she decides, whether that’s to come out [into the WNBA Draft] or that’s to stay in. Regardless, ultimately, it’s her decision. She has to do what’s best for her. But whoever we get in the number one pick, they’re going to enjoy the Fever.”

Clark currently leads the NCAA in points (30.9) and in three-pointers made (4.86). Her possible addition to the Fever could induce nightmare pick-and-roll sequences for years to come. Clark landing in Indiana doesn’t mean the team will shoot to the top of the WNBA, though. The Fever finished with a 13-27 record in 2023 after winning just five games in 2022.

The Iowa guard’s addition would certainly add to a rebuilding roster that includes the unanimous Rookie of the Year Winner Boston, who played all 40 games while averaging 14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.

The duo complements other key pieces on the Fever as well: 2022 All-Rookie Team selection NaLyssa Smith and guard Grace Berger.

The Liberty — along with the rest of the league — will experience changes in the new season, including a reformatted Commissioner’s Cup tournament and a mid-season break right after All-Star Weekend.

Here are some key dates that stick out for head coach Sandy Brondello and the Liberty this season.

1ST GAME OF THE SEASON

For the second year in a row, the Liberty’s first game of the season will be on the road against the Washington Mystics on May 14. Last season, the Mystics shut down the new-look Liberty and cruised to a 16-point victory. In 2024, the matchup could be a bit different between the two teams that met in the first round of last year’s postseason.

The Mystics may be without two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne and star Natasha Cloud, who are both unrestricted free agents. Three-time All-Star Kristi Toliver, who hasn’t officially announced her retirement, became an associate head coach for the Phoenix Mercury.

HOME OPENER

Breanna Stewart and the Liberty will have their first game at Barclays Center on May 18. The 2023 MVP hopes to put on a show like she did in last year’s Barclays Center debut, when she broke the Liberty’s single-game scoring record with a 45-point performance against the Fever.

The home opener will give the Libs their second look of the season against 2023 unanimous Rookie of the Year winner Aliyah Boston. The teams will meet two days prior at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The matchups could also give the Libs a look at consensus No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark. Many project Clark to forgo her final year of eligibility and declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft.

1ST COMMISSIONER’S CUP GAME

The Libs will host the Fever for their first Commissioner’s Cup game on June 2. It’ll be the first of five in-conference matchups within the span of two weeks (June 1-13). The new format differs from last season’s structure. In 2023, teams played 10 Cup games. The championship game takes place on June 25 at the arena of the team with the best record in Cup play. The team from each conference with the top record in Commissioner’s Cup games will compete for a $500,000 prize pool.

“After crowning three Commissioner’s Cup champions since 2021, we believe it is time to introduce a new, streamlined format for the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase for the 2024 season,” said Engelbert. “The newly designed, concentrated structure for this in-season tournament adds an increased sense of urgency and excitement as we place a particular spotlight on Eastern and Western Conference Commissioner’s Cup play in a two-week window near the tip-off of our regular season.”

Jonquel Jones, who is currently an unrestricted free agent, won Commissioner’s Cup MVP after lifting the Liberty to a win over the Las Vegas Aces in 2023.

SEMIFINALS REMATCH

The Liberty will travel to Uncasville for their first matchup against the Connecticut Sun and fourth Cup game overall. The two teams last met in Game 4 of last season’s semifinals, when Stewart and Betnijah Laney played every minute to eliminate MVP runner-up Alyssa Thomas and the Sun.

The Sun could have more than one key player missing in 2024. Guard Tiffany Hayes, who averaged 12.1 points on 47.6% shooting, announced her retirement weeks ago. DeWanna Bonner, Rebecca Allen and Brionna Jones are all unrestricted free agents.

The team is also believed to be a contender to sign six-time All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith. Her possible addition would satisfy the team’s need of an elite true point guard.

WNBA FINALS REMATCH

Superstar A’ja Wilson and the Aces will host the Liberty at Michelob Ultra Arena on June 15. It’ll be the first matchup between the two teams since the Aces eliminated the Libs in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals in Brooklyn.

The teams will meet at least two more times in 2024: Aug. 17 at Michelob Ultra Arena and Sept. 8 at Barclays Center.

ALL-STAR WEEKEND

The 2024 WNBA All-Star Weekend will take place from July 19-20 in Phoenix, with the All-Star Game being on the latter date. Team Stewart defeated Team Wilson, 143-127, in last year’s game in Las Vegas. Liberty stars Courtney Vandersloot and Sabrina Ionescu helped captain Stewart get the win.

Ionescu also finished the weekend with extra hardware after scoring a record 37 of 40 points to win the 3-point contest.

OLYMPIC BREAK

The regular season will break from July 21-Aug. 14 when the Paris Olympics are set to take place. Many WNBA stars will represent their respective countries in the tournament.

REGULAR-SEASON FINALE

Brondello and the Libs will end their regular season against the Atlanta Dream at home on Sept. 19. All 12 teams will be in action that day with playoff seedings and berths on the line.