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Yesterday I shared some thoughts on the future of the WNBA season, and last night we had three games kick it off. However, the reality is that for most people, today will mark the official start of women’s basketball because Catilin Clark will be playing. That’s right, the Indiana Fever and everyone’s favorite player take center stage today as they host another beloved player: Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.
The Dallas Wings went through a bit of a makeover during the offseason. Sure, they’re still led by Bueckers and have a strong playmaker in Arike Ogunbowale, but they now also have last year’s co-Defensive Player of the Year, Alanna Smith, and they have the No. 1 overall pick, Azzi Fudd. If you don’t know, this is the second straight season the Wings have had the No. 1 pick in the draft. That should give you an idea of how successful or good this franchise has been.
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers defends Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during an inbounds play in a WNBA game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
I’m not trying to hit them. They were able to get two of the best players to come out of college, both from UConn, in two years, and add players to hopefully turn the team around. There are some questions about how good the team can be outside of the four women I’ve mentioned, but the Wings will certainly be better than last year’s 10-win team. What should be interesting to me is how Fudd operates in this offense. Bueckers creates his own takes, but I don’t see Fudd doing much of that. If defenses have to focus on Bueckers and Ogunbowale, maybe she leaves herself open to do damage.
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On the other side is Indiana fever. I’d be surprised if most casual WNBA fans could name anyone outside of the “Tres Leches” who play for the Fever, but they actually have two other great players besides Clark. Former No. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston signed a big contract in the offseason to stay in Indiana and had arguably her best season last year. It was a great sign because now that Clark is back, the offense has another person that teams have to worry about. Another player fans should familiarize themselves with is Kelsey Mitchell.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham works on the court against Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers during the first half of a WNBA game in Dallas on June 27, 2025. (Julio Cortés/AP)
Mitchell led the Fever to the WNBA semifinals last season before they lost to the Aces. Last year he averaged a career-high 20.2 points and established himself as a true threat. Once again, the floor could open for her with Clark at the helm. That doesn’t mean ruling out Lexi Hull or Sophie Cunningham, both very skilled players for the team. Cunningham will give the team toughness, outside shooting and strong defense even when he returns from injury. Hull were almost out of the league until they became a major threat.
In today’s game, we should expect to see a few things: Clark will likely see less than 30 minutes as they try to help her return after just 13 games last season. I’ve also heard rumors that he’ll be playing off the ball this year, which should be a nice change from the full-court press he’s had to deal with for two years. I also expect the Fever to try to figure out some things on offense.
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers plays against the Golden State Valkyries during the second half at College Park Center in Dallas, Texas. (Kevin Jairaj/Image Images)
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The Wings will be in a similar situation. This is the first big game they will play with a new coach, new teammates and a highly touted rookie. None of these things add up to a high-scoring game. I know why the total is so high: the Wings were terrible on defense last year and the Fever can score a ton. However, this game is too high at 175.5. You’re asking teams to score 85 and 90 points. That won’t happen in Game 1 of the season. Give me the next one. For the record, when the Wings’ defense was worst last year, the teams combined to score 175, 185, 166 and 161 points in their four games. This will be a multi-unit piece for me.
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