Top Storylines from Day 1


All 13 WNBA teams have begun their training camps. Here are the standout players and highlights from various teams across the league on Sunday.

Angel Reese WNBA Sky
 (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

The Phoenix Mercury Enter A New Era Without Taurasi and Griner

The Phoenix Mercury head into the new era with a new look team, as guard Diana Taurasi announced her retirement and center Brittney Griner left for the Atlanta Dream in the offseason.

Nate Tibbetts is entering his second season as head coach in the league after spending most of his coaching career as an assistant coach across the NBA. The Mercury also formed a big three by acquiring  Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally in the offseason to pair with Kahleah Copper.

Tibbetts and the coaching staff have emphasized defense at the start of training camp. Last season, the Mercury ranked No. 9 in defensive rating, allowing 84.8 points per game. 

“We started off with defense,” Copper said Sunday. “We didn’t touch the ball. We got right on the court, and we’re committed to that. Our coaches are really invested. [Alyssa Thomas], she started. Her first thing when she spoke with the coaches was, ‘are we gonna guard?’ Last night, we had our team dinner, and we straight up adjusted. We’re gonna guard this year. Us setting the tone earlier in training camp with our defensive stuff, whether it’s zig-zag or whether it’s team shell, we’re gonna lock in defensively.”

-Aya Abdeen, Ballislife

During a scrimmage at training camp, Thomas was seen advising Copper on the court. A triple-double machine, Thomas brings a winning mentality, athleticism, and an innate ability to rebound.  Throughout her tenure in Connecticut, Thomas led the Sun to eight straight playoff runs, including two two trips to the WNBA Finals. 

Last year, Phoenix finished last in the league with an average of 30.9 rebounds per game. With the additions of Thomas and Sabally, the new-look Mercury aims to improve both offensively and defensively.

“She’s a basketball wizard,” Tibbetts said. “She’s got some [Diana Taurasi] stuff to her, like when it comes to seeing and feeling and making plays. I’ve been super happy with how she’s been willing to speak up and use her voice in situations. You could say a lot of things about [Alyssa Thomas] but the number one thing is she’s a winner. Her teams win, and they win at a high level. That’s what we want to win at the highest level here, too.”

-Aya Abdeen, Ballislife

Could the ‘Positionless’ Basketball Experiment Work for Phoenix?

There are questions about who will take over Natasha Cloud’s point guard position throughout the season, but the team is optimistic that the Mercury’s ‘position-less basketball’ experiment will succeed.

“I’m excited for multiple ball handlers,” Copper said. “What I love about our offense is that it’s position-less. Anybody can start the break. [Thomas] starting the break, imagine a four trying to pick up her full court? That’s tough.”

Copper continued to express her enthusiasm for positionless basketball this year. 

“It’s not just going to be Sami [Whitcomb as a guard], it’s not just going to be myself [as a guard]. I’m excited for us to be able to play our position-less basketball and just create mismatches.”

The Mercury chanted, “All gas, no brakes,” during their huddles throughout training camp—instilling confidence about their high expectations for the upcoming season. Additionally, the team has marked 166 days on their TVs, reflecting their goal of bringing the title back to Phoenix for the first time since 2014.

Copper’s ‘All Free Agents’ Campaign


Throughout the offseason, Copper was active on her social media platforms, pursuing free agents inside the newly opened Phoenix Mercury practice facility.

Just last week, the Mercury revealed the name of its facility: the Mountain America Performance Center. During the event, Copper was seen reacting positively to the video and called the place a “paradise” on Sunday.

“Just really trying to show people what we have, you know, ‘at all free agents,’ that was my thing,” Copper said. “Just trying to get people to understand what we have, what we can offer, and how much better you can be and how you can really feel like a pro. For those that have come from organizations who aren’t truly invested in into their their franchise, this is a great thing for them.”

-Aya Abdeen, Ballislife

In addition, Copper emphasized that athletes get to experience top of the line facilities, along with nutritionists. All of this will contribute positively to their performance on the court.

More importantly, all WNBA teams need to invest in their facilities. Teams such as the Aces and Mercury have set the standard. 

Mercury Envisions Poindexter as the Modern Sabally in Today’s WNBA

Tibbetts and Copper highly praised forward Temira Poindexter, who signed a training camp contract with the team after the 2025 WNBA Draft took place.

“It’s good for young players to have role models or people they think compare themselves to their game,” Tibbetts said. “[Temira Poindexter] is long and athletic. She blocks a lot of shots, shoots a lot of threes, and that’s why we like that. We are more excited about [the addition].”

-Aya Abdeen, Ballislife

Poindexter spent her first three years of collegiate career with the University of Tulsa Hurricanes and spent her senior year with the Kansas State Wildcats. She now has the opportunity to participate in training camp and secure a spot on the roster by the first day of the regular season,

“I love it,” Poindexter said of the Mercury coaching staff. “They seem like a great group of coaches. Actually, one of them was my college coach a couple of years ago. So it’s all exciting.”

-Aya Abdeen, Ballislife

Paige Bueckers’ First Training Camp with the Wings

First overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, guard Paige Bueckers, participated in training camp for the first time with the Dallas Wings, just three weeks after leading the UConn Huskies to a National Championship.

Despite overcoming challenges and finishing her collegiate career positively, Bueckers appreciates the support of Huskies fans as she embarks on her professional journey with the Wings.

“It means everything,” Bueckers said. “Just to see that love and support.  People tune in to watch women’s basketball. I feel like a lot of times they start with a player, and then they fall in love with the game the whole entire team— and then the whole entire league. Just to get the game moving like that in the right direction and be part of that momentum, it’s awesome.”

—Grant Afseth (Ballislife)

There’s optimism in Dallas after the Wings introduced Bueckers and the members of the 2025 WNBA Draft class at Dallas City Hall. General Manager Curt Miller was thrilled about acquiring Bueckers through the draft as the team looks to return to playoff contention

First-year head coach Chris Koclanes is pleased with how Bueckers is handling the pressure of being a top draft pick and the attention she has received.

“It’s just extremely impressive,” Koclanes said. “The grace that she’s able to handle everything that’s thrown her way.  Then you get her on the floor and just makes the game look easy. Credit to her for all the hard work and time and effort she puts in.”

—Grant Afseth (Ballislife)

“It’s fun to coach because you can just kind of keep it simple, give her a little bit and then allow for her to go do what she does—It’s been fun to watch her build those relationships with Arike [Ogunbowale] and all the new playes—and just start to build that chemistry.”

Guard Arike Ogunbowale is prepared to team up with Bueckers as teammates in the backcourt, forming the ‘Parike’ duo.

“We can be really dangerous,” Ogunbowale said. “Obviously it looks good on paper. We got to put it together, but I know we will so I’m excited for it.”

—Grant Afseth (Ballislife)

Reese is Excited for Year 2 with the Chicago Sky Alongside Vandersloot’s Return

The Chicago Sky has had a busy offseason, from hiring Tyler Marsh as their next head coach to bringing in veterans to build around the young stars, the team is hopeful to return to playoff contention.

Having won the Unrivaled Championship and the Defensive Player of the Year award with Rose BC during Unrivaled’s inaugural season, forward Angel Reese is confident about the Sky’s expectations for the upcoming season.

“Just winning, being consistent and just just being there for my team every day,” Reese said. “I had a great first year, obviously, things that I want to continue to work on, but you can see on Unrivaled, just being able to stretch the floor more.

“Coach Tyler [Marsh] has done a great job putting that confidence in me, being able to take long shots [and] to take long threes, being able to dribble and get the rebound, push and do a lot of those things. So I’m going to be doing a lot of that this year.”

—Alissa Hirsh of The Next

Chicago has acquired a significant amount of talent through the draft over the past two years. In the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Sky selected center Kamilla Cardoso and guard/forward Reese with the No. 3 and No. 7 overall picks, respectively. Additionally, they brought in Hailey Van Lith with the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft.

Guard Courtney Vandersloot now has the chance to mentor the young stars on the Sky team after returning to Chicago in the offseason, having already won two WNBA championships with Chicago and New York.

“I always leave the door open; you just never know,” Vandersloot said. “Obviously, Chicago is a very special place to me. I was drafted here. I would never close the door on them. To be back in it, I’m not that surprised, and it feels right.”

—Brian Sandalow (Chicago Sun Times)

Vandersloot mentioned that she has developed chemistry mainly with Cardoso during the first day of training camp. She looks forward to continuing to build that chemistry with Cardoso and Reese in their second year in the league.

“That was something I love what they were building around them,” Vandersloot said. “To have two big post players with a big presence, great screeners, all the things are going to be a big part of our offense.”

—Alissa Hirsh of The Next





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