WNBA: The 3 biggest takeaways from the first half of the 2025 season

After a couple of months of WNBA action, a few key takeaways that have become clear. While there is still plenty of time for things to change, these scenarios appear to be trends that won’t alter from here on out, and fans should take notice as we begin the second half of the year.

The Lynx are a cut above the rest

Last year, the Minnesota Lynx lost to the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals. This season, they’ve been on a revenge tour and are taking no prisoners. Minnesota is the WNBA’s best team at 20-4, with New York being the closest behind them, still 3.5 games back.

Napheesa Collier has been giving an MVP performance all year long. When you also factor in her teammate Alanna Smith giving a Defensive Player of the Year effort, defeating the Lynx in a playoff series will be a tall order.

So far, they are the team to beat and the new standard for excellence in the league.

The kids will be alright

With players like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark and Rickea Jackson, last year’s rookie class was as impressive as they come. The 2025 edition wasn’t as hyped, but they have certainly been just as impactful.

Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron have expedited the Washington Mystics’ rebuild and currently have them in a playoff position. With Iriafen averaging 11.9 points and 8.5 rebounds and Citron averaging 14.1 points along with five rebounds, both made the 2025 WNBA All-Star game.

While the Mystics have their dynamic duo, the most impressive rookie has been the phenom Paige Bueckers. For the Dallas Wings, she has been as good as advertised. Bueckers is averaging 18.4 points, and while it hasn’t resulted in many wins for the Wings, with her at the forefront, they have their star of the future.

As this season continues, watching how these rookies do the rest of the way will be entertaining and intriguing. Will Bueckers run away with the Rookie of the Year Award? Can the Mystics, led by two rookies, make the playoffs?

We’ll find out the answers to these questions in the fall.

The Valkyries have set the standard for expansion

The Mystics have been a pleasant surprise, but the Golden State Valkyries are a shock. As an expansion team entering a very competitive WNBA, no one expected them to be as good as they’ve been.

The credit goes to everyone in the Golden State franchise for all the work they’ve done to make the Valkyries a formidable team. After doing well in the expansion draft, they didn’t go big-name hunting in free agency, instead finding players that fit their system, and head coach Natalie Nakase now has them playing with a clear vision and identity.

Perhaps the upcoming expansion teams in Portland and Toronto will be equally as good as Golden State, or the Valkyries will be viewed as the exception to the rule. Regardless, the Valkyries are now the benchmark by which all other WNBA expansion teams will be compared. Let’s see if they can continue this momentum in the second half of the season and earn a playoff berth in their first year of existence.