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The New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces have combined to collect the past three WNBA championships. As the 2025 season lifts off Friday with more eyes on the league than ever before, those franchises are in something of an arms race while the Indiana Fever prepare to make a leap in Caitlin Clark’s second season.

Twenty-two regular-season games eclipsed 1 million viewers in 2024. One game between Indiana and the Chicago Sky, pitting Clark against her college rival Angel Reese, was the WNBA’s most-watched game in 23 years at 2.25 million; their rematch the next week attracted 2.3 million.

Clark and Reese only accelerated the popularity of a league that has been steadily growing since the turn of the decade.

Now, the WNBA has expanded for the first time since 2008 by introducing the Golden State Valkyries, who make their debut Friday night in San Francisco. The season has been lengthened again, this time to 44 games, to go with a new WNBA Finals format. And off the court, everything is building toward a momentous new collective bargaining agreement, the negotiation of which will hang over the season.

The Liberty and Aces certainly want to remain center-stage. New York knocked off two-time champion Las Vegas in the semifinals last fall before winning a five-game Finals against the Minnesota Lynx.

The Aces reacted by trading for 2023 scoring champion Jewell Loyd from Seattle, adding to a core that stars three-time MVP A’ja Wilson. Loyd — a two-time WNBA champ and Olympic gold medalist — is a winner in her own right.

“I think A’ja referenced Dawn (Staley), you know, championship teams have a vibe and a feel,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “I couldn’t agree more. I’m feeling that mindset already, and that’s a good sign.”

The Liberty’s big move was to acquire two-way guard Natasha Cloud to play alongside Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and company.

“It’s not about repeating … we gotta evolve,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “So that’s what we’re focused on. How do we do that? Individually, collectively, all of us.”

The Fever were intent on bettering their 20-20 record and first-round playoff exit in Clark’s rookie season. Coach Christie Sides was let go and Stephanie White left the Connecticut Sun for the same position in Indiana, in her second stint with the team.

Indiana added veteran forwards DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard, and shooting guard Sophie Cunningham, to help the core of Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.

“(The front office) did a really great job of constructing this team,” Clark said. “I think the main thing we were lacking last year was experience. Adding really great vets … and putting that experience around us of not just being in this league, but also winning. They have the championship pedigree about them, and I think having their voices in our locker room, on the court every single day is what’s gonna really help us.”

Even more All-WNBA players changed zip codes this winter. Kelsey Plum went to the Los Angeles Sparks in Las Vegas’ Loyd deal, and Brittney Griner tested free agency for the first time, signing with the Atlanta Dream.

The Phoenix Mercury watched Griner depart and Diana Taurasi hang up her Nikes, but they did trade for perennial MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas from Connecticut. The Sun also sent Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington to the Dallas Wings, as a usually competitive Connecticut franchise chose to tear down and rebuild.

For all the star player movement, it went double for head coaches. Indiana was one of seven teams to hire new coaches, not counting Golden State.

Dallas, as one example, brought in former college and WNBA assistant Chris Koclanes. He gets to coach No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers, now beginning her pro career after wrapping her time at UConn with a national title.

“Success, it looks like being a great teammate, being a great leader, trying to get better every single day,” Bueckers said. “… We’re setting the foundation for what we want to look like in the future, so success is being our best selves every single day.”

The season’s wild card is the Valkyries, who assembled most of their team through an expansion draft in December. They’re led by former Aces assistant and first-time head coach Natalie Nakase.

“We are trying to build a very, very competitive culture,” Nakase told ESPN. “I have three non-negotiables: No. 1, they have to be ultra-competitive. They have to really love winning, and they have to hate to lose. No. 2, they have to be high character, so that means that they have to sacrifice for the greater good of the team always. Then the last one is they have to have a ‘never satisfied’ mindset. I like players that like to play with a little chip on their shoulder.”

The WNBA Finals will be a best-of-seven series for the first time, following the same 2-2-1-1-1 format the NBA uses for home court. The league is also going to a 1-1-1 format in the best-of-three first round to ensure every playoff team hosts a game.

Away from the court, the league and players union will hammer out CBA talks, with salaries, benefits and roster sizes all expected to be affected. The WNBPA has not ruled out the idea of a walkout if players feel it’s necessary.

Because the CBA and new TV rights deals are expected to boost the salary cap in 2026, more than 100 players timed their contracts to expire after 2025 — so this figures to be the last season many recognizable faces play with their current teams before yet another whirlwind offseason of change.

–By Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media

–Field Level Media