All 13 WNBA groups have begun their coaching camps. Listed here are the standout gamers and highlights from varied groups throughout the league on Sunday.
The Phoenix Mercury Enter A New Period With out Taurasi and Griner
At Phoenix Mercury coaching camp, Kahleah Copper emphasised how the crew began camp by working towards protection.
She mentioned protection was additionally addressed on the crew dinner on Saturday night time.#WNBA #ValleyTogether pic.twitter.com/G2862zn4aJ
— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) April 27, 2025
The Phoenix Mercury head into the brand new period with a brand new look crew, as guard Diana Taurasi introduced her retirement and heart Brittney Griner left for the Atlanta Dream within the offseason.
Nate Tibbetts is getting into his second season as head coach within the league after spending most of his teaching profession as an assistant coach throughout the NBA. The Mercury additionally shaped a giant three by buying Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally within the offseason to pair with Kahleah Copper.
Tibbetts and the teaching employees have emphasised protection at first of coaching camp. Final season, the Mercury ranked No. 9 in defensive ranking, permitting 84.8 factors per recreation.
“We began off with protection,” Copper mentioned Sunday. “We did not contact the ball. We received proper on the courtroom, and we’re dedicated to that. Our coaches are actually invested. [Alyssa Thomas], she began. Her very first thing when she spoke with the coaches was, ‘are we gonna guard?’ Final night time, we had our crew dinner, and we straight up adjusted. We’re gonna guard this 12 months. Us setting the tone earlier in coaching camp with our defensive stuff, whether or not it is zig-zag or whether or not it is crew shell, we’re gonna lock in defensively.”
-Aya Abdeen, Ballislife
Throughout a scrimmage at coaching camp, Thomas was seen advising Copper on the courtroom. A triple-double machine, Thomas brings a profitable mentality, athleticism, and an innate capacity to rebound. All through her tenure in Connecticut, Thomas led the Solar to eight straight playoff runs, together with two two journeys to the WNBA Finals.
Final 12 months, Phoenix completed final within the league with a mean of 30.9 rebounds per recreation. With the additions of Thomas and Sabally, the new-look Mercury goals to enhance each offensively and defensively.
“She’s a basketball wizard,” Tibbetts mentioned. “She’s received some [Diana Taurasi] stuff to her, like on the subject of seeing and feeling and making performs. I have been tremendous proud of how she’s been prepared to talk up and use her voice in conditions. You can say a variety of issues about [Alyssa Thomas] however the primary factor is she’s a winner. Her groups win, and so they win at a excessive stage. That is what we need to win on the highest stage right here, too.”
-Aya Abdeen, Ballislife
May the ‘Positionless’ Basketball Experiment Work for Phoenix?
At Phoenix Mercury coaching camp, Kahleah Copper emphasised how the crew began camp by working towards protection.
She mentioned protection was additionally addressed on the crew dinner on Saturday night time.#WNBA #ValleyTogether pic.twitter.com/G2862zn4aJ
— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) April 27, 2025
There are questions on who will take over Natasha Cloud’s level guard place all through the season, however the crew is optimistic that the Mercury’s ‘position-less basketball’ experiment will succeed.
“I’m excited for a number of ball handlers,” Copper mentioned. “What I like about our offense is that it’s position-less. Anyone can begin the break. [Thomas] beginning the break, think about a 4 making an attempt to select up her full courtroom? That’s powerful.”
Copper continued to specific her enthusiasm for positionless basketball this 12 months.
“It’s not simply going to be Sami [Whitcomb as a guard], it’s not simply going to be myself [as a guard]. I’m excited for us to have the ability to play our position-less basketball and simply create mismatches.”
The Mercury chanted, “All gasoline, no brakes,” throughout their huddles all through coaching camp—instilling confidence about their excessive expectations for the upcoming season. Moreover, the crew has marked 166 days on their TVs, reflecting their aim of bringing the title again to Phoenix for the primary time since 2014.
At Phoenix Mercury coaching camp, there’s a mysterious “166” on the displays displayed throughout the ability.
Coach Nate Tibbetts didn’t have a solution however 166 days from now’s Oct. 11.
The final potential finals date is Oct. 17. #WNBA #ValleyTogether pic.twitter.com/cJb9mUdU7X
— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) April 27, 2025
Copper’s ‘All Free Brokers’ Marketing campaign
All through the offseason, Copper was energetic on her social media platforms, pursuing free brokers contained in the newly opened Phoenix Mercury follow facility.
Simply final week, the Mercury revealed the identify of its facility: the Mountain America Efficiency Middle. In the course of the occasion, Copper was seen reacting positively to the video and referred to as the place a “paradise” on Sunday.
“Simply actually making an attempt to indicate individuals what we have now, , ‘in any respect free brokers,’ that was my factor,” Copper mentioned. “Simply making an attempt to get individuals to grasp what we have now, what we are able to supply, and the way a lot better you may be and how one can actually really feel like a professional. For people who have come from organizations who aren’t really invested in into their their franchise, this can be a good thing for them.”
-Aya Abdeen, Ballislife
As well as, Copper emphasised that athletes get to expertise high of the road services, together with nutritionists. All of this can contribute positively to their efficiency on the courtroom.
Extra importantly, all WNBA groups have to spend money on their services. Groups such because the Aces and Mercury have set the usual.
Mercury Envisions Poindexter because the Fashionable Sabally in Immediately’s WNBA
Tibbetts and Copper extremely praised ahead Temira Poindexter, who signed a coaching camp contract with the crew after the 2025 WNBA Draft befell.
“It is good for younger gamers to have position fashions or individuals they assume examine themselves to their recreation,” Tibbetts mentioned. “[Temira Poindexter] is lengthy and athletic. She blocks a variety of photographs, shoots a variety of threes, and that is why we like that. We’re extra enthusiastic about [the addition].”
-Aya Abdeen, Ballislife
Poindexter spent her first three years of collegiate profession with the College of Tulsa Hurricanes and spent her senior 12 months with the Kansas State Wildcats. She now has the chance to take part in coaching camp and safe a spot on the roster by the primary day of the common season,
“I adore it,” Poindexter mentioned of the Mercury teaching employees. “They appear like a fantastic group of coaches. Really, one among them was my faculty coach a few years in the past. So it is all thrilling.”
-Aya Abdeen, Ballislife
Paige Bueckers’ First Coaching Camp with the Wings
Paige Bueckers brings a precious taking pictures gravity to an offense, as this Dallas Wings follow clip exhibits.
The play flows right into a Ghost display screen by Bueckers, resulting in a detailed out she beats and a bounce move to the dunker spot for a end. pic.twitter.com/9tGaawcgEd
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) April 27, 2025
First general choose within the 2025 WNBA Draft, guard Paige Bueckers, participated in coaching camp for the primary time with the Dallas Wings, simply three weeks after main the UConn Huskies to a Nationwide Championship.
Regardless of overcoming challenges and ending her collegiate profession positively, Bueckers appreciates the help of Huskies followers as she embarks on her skilled journey with the Wings.
“It means every thing,” Bueckers mentioned. “Simply to see that love and help. Individuals tune in to observe ladies’s basketball. I really feel like a variety of occasions they begin with a participant, after which they fall in love with the sport the entire complete crew— after which the entire complete league. Simply to get the sport shifting like that in the correct route and be a part of that momentum, it is superior.”
—Grant Afseth (Ballislife)
There’s optimism in Dallas after the Wings launched Bueckers and the members of the 2025 WNBA Draft class at Dallas Metropolis Corridor. Basic Supervisor Curt Miller was thrilled about buying Bueckers by the draft because the crew seems to be to return to playoff rivalry
First-year head coach Chris Koclanes is happy with how Bueckers is dealing with the stress of being a high draft choose and the eye she has obtained.
“It is simply extraordinarily spectacular,” Koclanes mentioned. “The grace that she’s capable of deal with every thing that is thrown her manner. Then you definately get her on the ground and simply makes the sport look simple. Credit score to her for all of the onerous work and effort and time she places in.”
—Grant Afseth (Ballislife)
“It is enjoyable to educate as a result of you may simply sort of hold it easy, give her slightly bit after which permit for her to go do what she does—It has been enjoyable to observe her construct these relationships with Arike [Ogunbowale] and all the brand new playes—and simply begin to construct that chemistry.”
Guard Arike Ogunbowale is ready to crew up with Bueckers as teammates within the backcourt, forming the ‘Parike’ duo.
“We may be actually harmful,” Ogunbowale mentioned. “Clearly it seems to be good on paper. We received to place it collectively, however I do know we’ll so I am excited for it.”
—Grant Afseth (Ballislife)
Reese is Excited for 12 months 2 with the Chicago Sky Alongside Vandersloot’s Return
Angel Reese drilling nook threes after at the moment’s coaching camp session pic.twitter.com/TOYeaYa5VX
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) April 27, 2025
The Chicago Sky has had a busy offseason, from hiring Tyler Marsh as their subsequent head coach to bringing in veterans to construct across the younger stars, the crew is hopeful to return to playoff rivalry.
Having gained the Unequalled Championship and the Defensive Participant of the 12 months award with Rose BC throughout Unequalled’s inaugural season, ahead Angel Reese is assured concerning the Sky’s expectations for the upcoming season.
“Simply profitable, being constant and simply simply being there for my crew day by day,” Reese mentioned. “I had a fantastic first 12 months, clearly, issues that I need to proceed to work on, however you may see on Unequalled, simply having the ability to stretch the ground extra.
“Coach Tyler [Marsh] has finished a fantastic job placing that confidence in me, having the ability to take lengthy photographs [and] to take lengthy threes, having the ability to dribble and get the rebound, push and do a variety of these issues. So I will be doing a variety of that this 12 months.”
—Alissa Hirsh of The Subsequent
Chicago has acquired a big quantity of expertise by the draft over the previous two years. Within the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Sky chosen heart Kamilla Cardoso and guard/ahead Reese with the No. 3 and No. 7 general picks, respectively. Moreover, they introduced in Hailey Van Lith with the eleventh general choose on this 12 months’s draft.
Guard Courtney Vandersloot now has the prospect to mentor the younger stars on the Sky crew after returning to Chicago within the offseason, having already gained two WNBA championships with Chicago and New York.
“I all the time depart the door open; you simply by no means know,” Vandersloot mentioned. “Clearly, Chicago is a really particular place to me. I used to be drafted right here. I might by no means shut the door on them. To be again in it, I’m not that shocked, and it feels proper.”
—Brian Sandalow (Chicago Solar Instances)
Vandersloot talked about that she has developed chemistry primarily with Cardoso in the course of the first day of coaching camp. She seems to be ahead to persevering with to construct that chemistry with Cardoso and Reese of their second 12 months within the league.
“That was one thing I like what they had been constructing round them,” Vandersloot mentioned. “To have two huge publish gamers with a giant presence, nice screeners, all of the issues are going to be a giant a part of our offense.”
—Alissa Hirsh of The Subsequent
