Swish Appeal
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WNBA season preview: Can the Golden State Valkyries prove they weren’t a one-season wonder?
Last year was a smashing success for the Golden State Valkyries. They sold out all their games, established a modern brand of basketball under head coach Natalie Nakase and reached the postseason as an expansion team. Now comes the challenge of replicating or exceeding the standard they set. To accomplish this, they will need to […]
WNBA gameday discussion: The Dallas Wings will get down to the business of basketball with preseason debut against the Indiana Fever
Finally, the Dallas Wings can get down to the business of basketball. On Thursday, Dallas travels to Indianapolis to take on the Indiana Fever for their first preseason game (7 p.m. ET, ION). The contest serves as the official-but-unofficial on-court reunion for Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, a duo that just so happened to win […]
WNBA gameday discussion: All eyes will be on Angel Reese when she makes her Atlanta Dream debut against the Chicago Sky
It’s only preseason, but… The women’s basketball gods blessed us with quite the matchup, as Angel Reese will make her (preseason) debut for the Atlanta Dream against the Chicago Sky, the team that traded her away after two All-Star seasons in the Windy City (7 p.m. ET, WNBA App). Hopefully, fans and stans on all […]
WNBA season preview: How an improved Caitlin Clark can elevate the Indiana Fever to a 2026 championship
The Indiana Fever are in a great position entering the 2026 season. Last year, they were an above .500 team that won a playoff series and played a competitive second round against the eventual-champion Las Vegas Aces. This season, they are running it back with the best parts of that 2025 roster. They’ve signed Aliyah […]
WNBA season preview: How head coach Alex Sarama’s basketball philosophies will shape the Portland Fire’s expansion season
The Portland Fire’s Alex Sarama does not have the traditional resume of a head coach in the WNBA. Only 30 years old, the majority of his coaching journey has taken place overseas. (He is British, of course). He coached at Pallacanestro College Basket Borgomanero in Italy, worked for Paris Basket and the London Lions, coached […]
WNBA season preview: Why Nneka Ogwumike is the key to the Los Angeles Sparks’ success in 2026
The Los Angeles Sparks have gone all-in on winning now. The two biggest moves they’ve made this offseason—trading away Rickea Jackson for Ariel Atkins and bringing back Nneka Ogwumike—signal their winning intentions. These actions have done two things. First, they’ve made the Sparks significantly older, adding nine-year vet Atkins and 15-year player Ogwumike, and secondly, […]
Will Tina Charles get the opportunity to add to her illustrious WNBA resume in 2026?
With 8,396 points and 4,262 rebounds to her name, the second-most and most in WNBA history, respectively, will Tina Charles have an opportunity to add to these all-time totals in a 15th WNBA season? Charles, inarguably, is the most accomplished unsigned WNBA free agent, even if Natasha Cloud’s situation has attracted more attention. Charles also […]
WNBA season preview: Are the Phoenix Mercury poised to disappoint or again defy the doubters in 2026?
Before the 2025 WNBA season, even after they had imported Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally to form a new Big 3 with Kahleah Copper, there was plenty of skepticism about the Phoenix Mercury, as they had surrounded their stars with supporting cast of mostly unheralded or inexperienced WNBA players. In Swish Appeal’s 2025 preseason power […]
WNBA season preview: With back-to-back No. 1 picks Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, can the Dallas Wings show significant improvement in 2026?
The 2024 Indiana Fever went 20-20. The 2018 Las Vegas Aces went 14-20. The 2016 Seattle Storm went 16-18. The 2002 Storm went 17-15. None of them made it past the first round of the playoffs. So should expectations really be that high for the 2026 Dallas Wings, as they, like those teams did, pursue […]
Natasha Cloud is unsigned, but the WNBA free agent still has the opportunity to make a positive impact this season
Natasha Cloud’s name headlines lists of the most-prominent unsigned WNBA free agents. Her lack of contract, however, is not the product anything sinister, with sources around the league telling The Athletic’s Annie Costabile that social media speculation that Cloud’s activism had deterred teams’ from signing her is not factual, but due to the normal dynamics […]
Toronto Tempo star Marina Mabrey and Canada are both overflowing with basketball passion
A mid-second-round pick in the 2019 draft, Marina Mabrey was never guaranteed anything in the WNBA. But she put in the work between her rookie and sophomore years, and had her best friend and college roommate Arike Ogunbowale in her corner. Mabrey and Ogunbowale, of course, won the national championship together as members of the […]
How WNBA superstars, rising stars and relocated stars fared in their first preseason games
From the Los Angeles Sparks playing the Nigerian National Team to Caitlin Clark making her return to the WNBA court with the Indiana Fever, there were storylines galore on the first day of WNBA preseason action. Here are some of the most notable highlights from Saturday night’s five-game slate of preseason openers. In the comments, […]
One key question for three rookies making their WNBA preseason debuts, headline by Flau’jae Johnson’s statement-making opportunity
The 2026 WNBA season officially-but-unofficially is here, with five preseason games scheduled for Saturday, April 25. The action tips off with the Indiana Fever taking on the New York Liberty in Barclays Center at 3 p.m. ET on ION. The other four games will be available to stream for free through the WNBA App. Also […]
Why the Indiana Fever are the most interesting team to watch when WNBA preseason games begin
Currently, there are more questions than answers regarding the 2026 WNBA season. One thing is certain, though: The Indiana Fever will be one of the most fascinating teams to watch. (And you’ll be able to do so, as all 44 of their games are on national TV.) They are at the epicenter of women’s basketball […]
From undrafted to opening day? These three undrafted players could make a 2026 WNBA final roster
Even as the now 15-team WNBA has expanded to 180 rosters spots, plus up to two development players per team, making a team is hard. That’s especially true for rookies who did not hear their names called in the 2026 WNBA Draft and instead are trying to claim their place in the league through a […]
With the commitment of top-ranked recruit Oliviyah Edwards, South Carolina becomes the 2026-27 championship favorites
The fate of Oliviyah has been decided. And the decision is a delightful one for Dawn Staley and South Carolina Gamecocks. A consensus top-three ranked recruit in the class of 2026, Oliviyah Edwards, a 6-foot-3 forward from Washington state, had committed to Tennessee before decommitting earlier this month. That re-opened the recruitment of the McDonald’s […]
What are WNBA teams’ title chances? Let’s rank all 15 teams, from contenders to pretenders
WNBA training camps are underway and everything seems rosy. Players are all smiles, every new acquisition seems to be a perfect fit and everyone is ready for the best year ever. However, that’s not going to happen. Some teams will overperform, others will underwhelm and only one will be crowned champion. Before preseason action even […]
Why the Washington Mystics’ 2026 WNBA Draft decisions reeked of indecision
Just two weeks ago, I wrote about the Washington Mystics breakup with former General Manager Jamila Wideman right before the WNBA Draft, and what the cited “strategic differences” could have been that birthed a rift between Wideman and a front office that was once in her corner. I had hoped that the draft would shed […]
Ruthie Bolton ‘humbly accepts’ 1996 US Women’s Olympic Basketball Team Hall of Fame honor
The WNBA is ready to begin its 30th season—a feat arguably made possible by a band of collegiate and international elites turned Hall of Famers on the world stage: the 1996 United States Women’s Olympic Basketball Team. Their 60-0 record, combined with a grueling exhibition tour and eight dominating wins at the Atlanta Olympics, led […]
The Seattle Storm got the top talent in the 2026 WNBA Draft, plus two more perfect fits for their rebuilding team
The Seattle Storm may have seen their two best options go first and second in the 2026 WNBA Draft before they picked at No. 3. No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd would have given them a shooter, a commodity any team would want, but especially a Seattle team losing its three best 3-point shooters from last […]
Here are the biggest developments from WNBA training camps so far. What are your takeaways?
Three days of WNBA training camps are in the books. Here’s a look at some of the biggest developments from around the league. Jump in the comments and share what’s caught your eyes, or raised your eyebrows, so far. WNBA stars sidelined for training camps Injuries, unfortunately, have grabbed headlines in too many places. These […]
Four things to watch during the 2026 WNBA preseason, starting with the Dallas Wings
The 2026 WNBA season arrives with so many fascinating topics at the forefront of everything. But before the regular season tips off on Friday, May 8, we’ve got preseason basketball to dissect. Here are four compelling storylines that deserve your full attention. 1. What is José Fernández building with the Dallas Wings? New Dallas Wings […]
EXCLUSIVE: The sights, smiles and more from Atlanta Dream training camp
The second season of the Karl Smesko era is underway in Atlanta, and expectations are higher than ever. The Dream not only retained the core players—Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Naz Hillmon, Brionna Jones and Jordin Canada—that led the team to a franchise-record 30 wins, but also acquired Angel Reese. The excitement about what can be […]
The transfer portal closes tonight. These are the three most consequential commitments—so far
After officially opening the day after the national championship game, Monday, April 6, the transfer portal doors shut two weeks later, closing Monday, April 20 at midnight. While players will no longer be permitted to enter the portal, those who already are in can still take time to make their decision. Per On3’s Talia Goodman […]
From Atlanta to Chicago to Toronto, what we’ve learned from the opening of WNBA training camps
The blistering pace of the WNBA offseason has come to a close. The dust has settled and training camps have opened. Even as the season doesn’t officially tip off until Friday, May 8, we already have interesting things developing on Day One. Here are three interesting takeaways from the start of W training camps. New […]
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