WNBA overreaction: Sparks to miss play, Liberty don’t need Sabrina Ionescu

The 2026 WNBA season kicked off on Friday, and all 15 teams have taken the court at least once. The New York Liberty and Golden State Valkyries are tied for first place after their 2-0 starts, while the newly formed Connecticut Sun are in last place as the only team with two losses.

Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell leads the league in scoring with 30 points per game, No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd is not starting and a number of big names, including Napheesa Collier, Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally and Brionna Jones, are out with injuries.

A lot will change over the next four months as the regular season plays out, but why wait so long to (over)react? Before the first full week of the new season begins, here are some of the reactions from the opening weekend.

The Sparks will miss the playoffs

The Los Angeles Sparks were the last team to make their 2026 season opener, and the league wasn’t saving anything good for last. On Sunday afternoon, the new Sparks were knocked out of the gym by the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces at Crypto.com Arena, down 27 in the worst season-opening loss in franchise history.

It’s one thing to lose to a champion; it’s another disappointment after entering the entire offseason. The Sparks haven’t made the playoffs since the 2020 bubble season, which is not only the longest playoff drought in franchise history, but the longest in the league. After Sunday’s showdown, it doesn’t look like Nneka Ogwumike, Ariel Atkins and Erica Wheeler will be enough to bring basketball back to Los Angeles.

There were no positives for the Sparks after their opener, just a concern that their short streak could backfire. They gave away Rickea Jackson and Dominique Malonga in recent years to Atkins and Kelsey Plum, and their one lottery pick — Cameron Brink — can’t split the starters or stay on the field. In eight scoreless minutes against the Aces, Brink had three fouls and three goals, and coach Lynne Roberts said afterward that “we need Cam to produce.”

Brink wasn’t the only bench player who was struggling on Sunday. Amidst all their big moves in the offseason, the Sparks forgot to address their depth. They got seven points, six rebounds, two assists and six turnovers from their bench on 3-of-16 shooting, and five of those points came on empty baskets in the final minute.

The Sparks have ruined the future of an aging team — the 29-year-old Atkins is the only member not in their 30s — that won’t end last season’s drought, let alone fight. – Jack Maloney

Liberty does not miss Ionescu

In the New York Liberty’s final preseason game against the Connecticut Sun, All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu rolled her left ankle. An MRI showed no major damage to his left foot or ankle, but the team said he will be out at least two weeks — a timeline that would sideline him for at least the team’s first four games, including their one trip to Portland for two games this week. (Ionescu played his college football at Oregon.)

While Ionescu’s ankle issue was not serious, it was a setback for a team that was plagued by injuries last season and was without free agent signing Satou Sabally (tumor) and starter Leonie Fiebich (international commitments) to start the season. As it turns out, Liberty doesn’t even miss Ionescu.

They started 2-0 for the third season in a row, thanks in large part to their European team featuring Marine Johannes, Pauline Astier and Julie Vanloo. Let’s take a look at their numbers after the Liberty wins over the Suns and Washington Mystics.

• Johannès: 21 points, three rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals on a 50/50/60 split
• Astier: 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals on a 57.1/0/70 split
• Vanloo: 7.5 points, four rebounds, 6.5 assists and 0.5 steals on 57.1/50/100 splits

Johannès, who also signed in free agency, had a career-high 25 points in the win over the Mystics and leads the league in assists and 3-pointers. Astier, who had a breakout campaign overseas and chose the Liberty in free agency over many players, has had no trouble adjusting to the WNBA and has just two points in 55 minutes. The veteran, Vanloo, is in New York with a tough contract and has made a case for sticking around for a long time.

Ionescu shot 40.1% from the field overall last season, including 29.9% from 3-point range, and was one of the league leaders in turnovers. The Liberty backcourt looks good without his errant scoring, and his absence has allowed Johannès and Astier, in particular, to spread their wings. – Jack Maloney

Jovana Nogić will win Rookie of the Year

Last week, I wrote that i The race for Rookie of the Year is openand noted that the winner may not come out of the 2026 draft class. I have to admit that I didn’t have Phoenix Mercury guard Jovana Nogic on my short list of candidates, but his performance in the first two games has me very cautious.

At the beginning of the season, Nogić was the main reason why the Mercury were able to beat the Las Vegas Aces 99-66 and spoil the night ring for the defending champions. He was 5 of 8 from the field and 4 of 5 from outside for 19 points, four assists and two steals. He had 13 points in the second quarter to help the Mercury put the game away.

In the second game, a 95-79 loss to Golden State in the Valkyries’ home opener, he was the bright spot on a rough night for the Mercury, going 5 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 from beyond the arc for 16 points. He was the only player on the list with a positive plus-minus.

Now, Nogić is not your average rookie. The 28-year-old Serbian native played four seasons at Providence College from 2015-2019 and has spent the past six years playing for the Serbian national team and working in Spain, Turkey and Russia. But she deserves this award because this is her first WNBA season. Mercury’s head coach, Nate Tibbetts, said the team’s scouts have been looking at him for a few years, but that salary increase, due to the new CBA, made it easier for him to come to the league this summer.

The Mercury have struggled with injuries early this season, so Nogić should get enough minutes to be in contention for honors. Meanwhile, both Azzi Fudd and Lauren Betts came off the bench and Awa Fam will not join the Seattle Storm for several weeks due to overseas commitments. Olivia Miles had an impressive debut with the Minnesota Lynx, with 21 points, eight assists and three boards, so she’s still the leading scorer. But after this weekend, I think Nogić will give him a run for his money. — Lindsay Gibbs

The Golden State Valkyries will win the playoff series

Before the season, I picked the Golden State Valkyries finish at 12 and not only miss the playoffs, but miss them easily. But I have seen the errors of my ways. Not only do I think they will make the playoffs, but the Valkyries will win at least one playoff series and reach the WNBA semifinals.

In their first two games, the Valkyries beat the Seattle Storm 91-80 on the road and downed the Phoenix Mercury in the Ballhalla opener, 95-79. The only 2-0 team is the New York Liberty, and the Valkyries have played strong opponents – the Valkyries have the fourth-toughest power in the program in the first quarter of the season, while the Liberty have the easiest, according to ESPN.

But it’s not just the losing record that’s impressive; that’s how they do it. They continued their formula from last season, with tough defense and three-point shooting, but with more skill and experience on the roster. The Valkyries attempted a league-leading 35 three-pointers per game and made 40% of them, a league-leading 14 three-pointers per game. They are third in the league in assists, with 23.5 points per game, and have the third fewest turnovers per game, with just nine. Their defense is holding their opponents to 79.5 points per game, second in the league behind the Toronto Tempo, who have played just one game.

Janelle Salaun started for the Valkyries for most of last year, but came off the bench early in the season and thrived, averaging 20.5 points per game. Salaun is hot from beyond the arc, averaging 4.5 three-pointers per game on 56.3% shooting. Kayla Thornton picks up right where she left off before her injury last season, Veronica Burton continues to shine and Gabby Williams has been the perfect addition to this core in free agency. Front office moves and messaging have been confusing over the past few weeks, but on the court, the Valkyries look poised to build on their successful first season. — Lindsay Gibbs