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I shared some thoughts yesterday on the future of the WNBA season, and we had three games last night that were announced. 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 hooper take center stage today as they host another beloved player, Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.
The Dallas Wings underwent a slight makeover this offseason. Sure, they’re still led by Bueckers, and they have a strong playmaker in Arike Ogunbowale, but now they 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 top pick in the draft. This should give you an idea of how successful or good this franchise is.
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 managed to recruit two of the best players coming out of college, both from UConn, in two years, and added players to hopefully turn the team around. There are some questions about the quality of the team outside of the four women I mentioned, but the Wings will definitely be better than last year’s 10-win team. What should interest me is how Fudd operates in this offense. Bueckers creates his own schemes, but I don’t see Fudd doing much. If defenses have to focus on Bueckers and Ogunbowale, maybe she’s left open to do her damage.
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On the other side is Indiana fever. I’d be shocked if most casual WNBA fans could name anyone besides the “Tres Leches” who play on the Fever, but they actually have two other great players besides Clark. Aliyah Boston, former No. 1 overall selection, signed a huge contract in the offseason to stay in Indiana and had arguably her best season last year. This was a good sign because now that Clark is back, the offense has another person for teams to worry about. Kelsey Mitchell is another player fans should become familiar with.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham works 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 carried the Fever all the way to the WNBA semifinals last season before losing to the Aces. She averaged a career-high 20.2 points last year and established herself as a real threat. Once again, the floor could open for her with Clark leading the way. This is not to rule out Lexi Hull or Sophie Cunningham, both very capable players for the team. Cunningham will give the team toughness, outside shooting and solid defense even in his return from injury. Hull were almost out of the league until they became a serious threat.
In today’s game, we should expect to see a few things: Clark will likely get less than 30 minutes as they try to bring her back after just 13 games last season. I’ve also heard rumors that she’ll be playing off the ball this year, which should be a nice change from the full-court press she’s dealt with for two years. I also expect Fever to try to figure some things out 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/Imagn Images)
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The Wings will be in a similar situation. It’s the first meaningful game they’ll play with a new coach, new teammates and a highly touted recruit. None of these things add up to a high-scoring game. I know why the total is so high: the Wings were horrible on defense last year, and the Fever can score in bunches. However, this game is too high at 175.5. You ask teams to score 85 and 90 points. This won’t happen in the first game of the season. Give me the bottom. For the record, while the Wings’ defense was worse last year, the teams together scored 175, 185, 166 and 161 points in their four games. This will be a multi-unit piece for me.
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