How Liberty, Valkyries, and Wings Stunned on Opening Weekend

Zena, Annie, and Sabreena break down their biggest surprises from opening weekend action in the WNBA. They spotlight surprising early-season results, including strong performances from rookies and impactful new additions to teams like the Washington Mystics and Golden State Valkyries. The trio then discusses which teams already appear ahead of schedule in their development, along with early concerns around Caitlin Clark’s back issue and defensive inconsistencies from the Los Angeles Sparks. No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/ Sign up for the No Offseason Newsletter: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/newsletters/no-offseason/ 00:00 Intro 01:17 Wings edges Fever, 107–104 07:54 Aces presented with their championship rings 08:55 Mercury rolls past Aces, 99–66 10:33 First ring night loss in nearly 10 years 13:13 Liberty dominates Sun, 106–75 13:31 Mystics holds off Tempo, 68–65 13:57 Sabreena Scale 15:37 Concerns mounting for Los Angeles 17:47 Liberty survive OT battle with Mystics, 98–93 18:44 Early statement made by the Valkyries 21:27 Impressive start for the Mystics young core 22:58 Sonia Citron off to an impressive start 24:49 Valkyries light up offense in opening weekend 29:30 Biggest surprise from new faces in new places 30:10 Lynx rookies adjusting very well early 32:19 Why a 14-player roster feels right the WNBA 34:03 Rookies that made the mark in opening weekend 38:03 Teams that seem to be ahead of schedule 40:33 Will the Wings surprise us this season? 41:08 Liberty remain ahead of schedule despite injuries 42:05 Teams we still need to make sense of 44:39 What to make of the Sparks defensive efforts? 46:19 What’s the thinking behind the Tempo’s offense? Related links and articles: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7265025/2026/05/08/toronto-tempo-wnba-expansion-first-game/ by Sarah Jean Maher https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7266665/2026/05/09/mercury-aces-alyssa-thomas-aja-wilson/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7266388/2026/05/09/dallas-wings-indiana-fever-wnba-season-opener/ by Annie Costabile and Brian Hamilton https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7266723/2026/05/09/paige-bueckers-dallas-wings-indiana-fever-season-opener-wnba/ by Annie Costabile https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7266767/2026/05/09/fever-wings-wnba-opener-caitlin-clark-paige-bueckers/ by Brian Hamilton https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7266929/2026/05/09/las-vegas-aces-wnba-loss-phoenix-mercury-opener/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7269600/2026/05/11/wnba-power-rankings-las-vegas-aces-loss/ by Sabreena Merchant Follow and listen to the audio podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/no-offseason-the-athletic-womens-basketball-show/id1699815468 Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com Show Links: -YouTube: @No-Offseason -Instagram: @tanooffseason [https://www.instagram.com/tanooffseason] -TikTok: @no_offseason [https://www.tiktok.com/@no_offseason] Credits: -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings -Layshia on IG: @layshiac -Annie on X: @anniecostabile -Produced by Taneka Burrell -Executive Produced by Andrea B. Scott Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports Hub: https://sports.yahoo.com/womens-sports/?guccounter=1 Full Episodes Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UWQzuMYdm7txmok7cpMB3YlgkwrT2E0 Shorts Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UWQzuMYdm72uhBjsd24rsh5teZtgUpS Thumbnail: © Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / USA TODAY Sport via Imagn Images Noah Graham / Contributor / National Basketball Association via Getty Images