If there is one thing the WNBA community loves, it’s a hot take. In that spirit, and because we are about a month into the 2025 WNBA season, we asked our team what their hottest WNBA take currently is.
Dallas may need to field Arike Ogunbowale trade offers ahead of the deadline
The Dallas Wings are 1-6 on the season, and while the expectation was not that they would be title contenders in 2025, they have still underperformed. Drafting Paige Bueckers was their move to secure their future, but with Arike Ogunbowale heading into free agency after this season, maybe it’s time to start thinking about a trade.
Ogunbowale is shooting below 35% from the field, which is still up from a number that was in the 20s last week. The Wings’ offense feels a little stagnant and uncohesive, and if they are prioritizing building around Bueckers beyond this season, they should focus the offense around her. Arike could get you back some young assets heading into a pretty wild free agency period, something Dallas could use going into next year and beyond.
While I’m not saying they need to give up on Arike completely, I just think they need to explore their options. If she is unhappy after this season, she will just walk away, and the Wings will get nothing back for a player they’ve invested over half a decade in. — Chelsea Leite
The Dream will keep pace with the Liberty all season and give New York a run for its money come playoff time
I’m buying Atlanta’s early-season success in the midst of their 4-game winning streak. Atlanta’s first loss of the season came on the road when they were tied at 90 with 34 seconds to play. Their other loss came at home when they held a 4-point lead over the Fever with just over two minutes to play.
Rhyne Howard, who admittedly can be inefficient, can get her shot off at any time against anybody you put in front of her. Her talent is undeniable. Allisha Gray seems to be benefiting from the spacing on the floor as she’s shooting more than ever in her career, but the volume is paying off for the former top 5 pick. Gray and Howard give the Dream a lethal 1-2 combo on the perimeter, and Gray takes full advantage of the space she has to operate, thanks to the threat of Nia Coffey and Maya Caldwell shooting the three.
You can’t ignore their depth, either. Naz Hillmon, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, and rookie Te-Hina Paopao (who is just starting to find her groove) each give the Dream quality minutes. Atlanta is a nightmare defensively with Britney Griner down low, but they are arguably more potent offensively when Griner is off the floor.
Head coach Karl Smesko would be wise to keep tinkering with lineups and take advantage of his depth throughout the regular season.
The Dream can attack you on both sides of the ball with multiple lineups. However, it’s their identity and shot quality that makes me think they can sustain success. Dominate the boards and be a high-volume three-point shooting team while still managing to get to the free-throw line without turning the ball over. That’s a recipe for success. — Kyle Posey
Yes, Napheesa Collier is the frontrunner for MVP
In her seventh season as a professional and at the age of 28, Napheesa Collier seems to be in the midst of her prime playing days, enjoying what has so far been her best WNBA season yet. Collier, the bus driver for an undefeated Minnesota Lynx squad, leads the league in scoring with 26.3 points per game, about 3.5 points ahead of the players in second and third place: Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson.
But it’s not just her scoring that has the online sportsbooks adjusting their odds for MVP. Collier is doing everything for the Lynx, and all at a very high level. She’s second in steals per game (2.3), fifth in blocks (1.3), ninth in rebounding (8.3) and 26th in assists (3.2). Collier is also putting up 50-40-90 slashes at the moment, shooting 51.4 percent from the floor, 45 percent from 3-point land, and 92.5 percent from the charity stripe. This is where it’s worth mentioning that Elena Delle Donne owns the only 50-40-90 season in WNBA history. Collier is also second in PER this season, third in win shares and 11th in offensive rating.
One month of play is a small sample size, but so far Collier is outplaying the likes of A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and the injured Caitlin Clark. And Minnesota’s undefeated start is proof that its run to the Finals last season wasn’t just a flash in the pan. Collier won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season and could be coming for more hardware this year. — Mitchell Northam
The Mercury are the third-best in the WNBA once they get healthy
The Mercury acquired a pair of star veterans this offseason on opposite ends of their prime by swinging trades for Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas. Phoenix saw an opportunity in the Western Conference with the Aces potentially taking a step back after losing Kelsey Plum, and they made an aggressive move to give star wing Kahleah Copper more help in an attempt to win right away.
The Mercury are off to a 5-3 start, which is even more encouraging than it sounds given the injury issues to Copper and Thomas. Copper is out several more weeks after knee surgery, while Thomas is nursing a calf strain. Those injuries have limited a Phoenix offense that ranks No. 10 in efficiency so far, but the team is still getting it done on defense. The Mercury are only allowing 94.9 points per 100 possessions, the third-best mark in the WNBA. Thomas is a defensive ace who helps the offense flow, too, with her playmaking and play-finishing. When they get Copper’s rim pressure and isolation scoring back, there’s a pathway for the Mercury to emerge as the biggest contender to the Lynx out West. Sabally is off to a wonderful start, the team’s bargain free agent signings are providing some shooting. The Mercury take a ton of threes but don’t make many of them. That spacing should help Copper’s drives to the rim, and if the shots start falling, Phoenix is going to be a pain to deal with. — Ricky O’Donnell
The Washington Mystics have one of the best young cores in the WNBA
In January, the Mystics had yet to introduce their new head coach, Sydney Johnson, and general manager, Jamila Wideman. The future of the franchise appeared to be in flux, with no clear plan or direction.
Five months later, the Mystics’ appear to have one of the best young cores in the league, headlined by rookie standouts Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriaifen. Citron, who was drafted third overall, is averaging 14.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, shooting 48.8% from the field and 39.4% from three. And Iriaifen is averaging 14.6 and 10 rebounds per game, both first among rookies. On top of that, Georgia Amoore will be back next season after recovering from an ACL tear she suffered during training camp — and in her absence, it’s been evident just how much the Mystics need a point guard.
In addition to this year’s draft class, the Mystics have Aaliyah Edwards and Shakira Austin, both promising young bigs coming off the bench. In hindsight, the Mystics’ decision to trade Ariel Atkins for the No. 3 pick seems incredibly well-executed. — Noa Dalzell
