All 13 WNBA groups have begun their coaching camps. Listed below are the standout gamers and highlights from numerous 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 group began camp by practising protection.
She stated protection was additionally addressed on the group 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 group, as guard Diana Taurasi introduced her retirement and heart Brittney Griner left for the Atlanta Dream within the offseason.
Nate Tibbetts is coming 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 initially of coaching camp. Final season, the Mercury ranked No. 9 in defensive score, permitting 84.8 factors per recreation.
“We began off with protection,” Copper stated Sunday. “We did not contact the ball. We obtained proper on the court docket, 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 group dinner, and we straight up adjusted. We’re gonna guard this yr. 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 group shell, we’re gonna lock in defensively.”
-Aya Abdeen, Ballislife
Throughout a scrimmage at coaching camp, Thomas was seen advising Copper on the court docket. A triple-double machine, Thomas brings a profitable mentality, athleticism, and an innate potential 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 yr, 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 stated. “She’s obtained some [Diana Taurasi] stuff to her, like on the subject of seeing and feeling and making performs. I have been tremendous pleased with how she’s been keen to talk up and use her voice in conditions. You could possibly say a number of issues about [Alyssa Thomas] however the primary factor is she’s a winner. Her groups win, they usually win at a excessive stage. That is what we wish 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 group began camp by practising protection.
She stated protection was additionally addressed on the group 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 group is optimistic that the Mercury’s ‘position-less basketball’ experiment will succeed.
“I’m excited for a number of ball handlers,” Copper stated. “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 court docket? That’s robust.”
Copper continued to specific her enthusiasm for positionless basketball this yr.
“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 group has marked 166 days on their TVs, reflecting their objective 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 power.
Coach Nate Tibbetts didn’t have a solution however 166 days from now’s Oct. 11.
The final doable 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 apply facility.
Simply final week, the Mercury revealed the identify of its facility: the Mountain America Efficiency Heart. Through 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 point out folks what we’ve got, you recognize, ‘in any respect free brokers,’ that was my factor,” Copper stated. “Simply making an attempt to get folks to know what we’ve got, 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 those who have come from organizations who aren’t actually invested in into their their franchise, it is 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 court docket.
Extra importantly, all WNBA groups must spend money on their services. Groups such because the Aces and Mercury have set the usual.
Mercury Envisions Poindexter because the Fashionable Sabally in At present’s WNBA
Tibbetts and Copper extremely praised ahead Temira Poindexter, who signed a coaching camp contract with the group after the 2025 WNBA Draft came about.
“It is good for younger gamers to have function fashions or folks they suppose evaluate themselves to their recreation,” Tibbetts stated. “[Temira Poindexter] is lengthy and athletic. She blocks a number of pictures, shoots a number 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 yr 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 stated of the Mercury teaching employees. “They appear like an amazing group of coaches. Truly, one in all 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 useful taking pictures gravity to an offense, as this Dallas Wings apply clip exhibits.
The play flows right into a Ghost display by Bueckers, resulting in an in depth out she beats and a bounce go to the dunker spot for a end. pic.twitter.com/9tGaawcgEd
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) April 27, 2025
First total decide 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 assist of Huskies followers as she embarks on her skilled journey with the Wings.
“It means every thing,” Bueckers stated. “Simply to see that love and assist. Individuals tune in to look at girls’s basketball. I really feel like a number of instances they begin with a participant, after which they fall in love with the sport the entire whole group— after which the entire whole league. Simply to get the sport shifting like that in the best course 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. Normal Supervisor Curt Miller was thrilled about buying Bueckers by the draft because the group appears 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 decide and the eye she has acquired.
“It is simply extraordinarily spectacular,” Koclanes stated. “The grace that she’s capable of deal with every thing that is thrown her means. You then get her on the ground and simply makes the sport look straightforward. Credit score to her for all of the exhausting work and effort and time she places in.”
—Grant Afseth (Ballislife)
“It is enjoyable to teach as a result of you’ll be able to simply form of hold it easy, give her a little bit bit after which enable for her to go do what she does—It has been enjoyable to look at 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 group up with Bueckers as teammates within the backcourt, forming the ‘Parike’ duo.
“We may be actually harmful,” Ogunbowale stated. “Clearly it appears good on paper. We obtained to place it collectively, however I do know we’ll so I am excited for it.”
—Grant Afseth (Ballislife)
Reese is Excited for Yr 2 with the Chicago Sky Alongside Vandersloot’s Return
Angel Reese drilling nook threes after at this time’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 group is hopeful to return to playoff rivalry.
Having gained the Unmatched Championship and the Defensive Participant of the Yr award with Rose BC throughout Unmatched’s inaugural season, ahead Angel Reese is assured in regards to the Sky’s expectations for the upcoming season.
“Simply profitable, being constant and simply simply being there for my group day by day,” Reese stated. “I had an amazing first yr, clearly, issues that I wish to proceed to work on, however you’ll be able to see on Unmatched, simply with the ability to stretch the ground extra.
“Coach Tyler [Marsh] has achieved an amazing job placing that confidence in me, with the ability to take lengthy pictures [and] to take lengthy threes, with the ability to dribble and get the rebound, push and do a number of these issues. So I will be doing a number of that this yr.”
—Alissa Hirsh of The Subsequent
Chicago has acquired a major 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 total picks, respectively. Moreover, they introduced in Hailey Van Lith with the eleventh total decide on this yr’s draft.
Guard Courtney Vandersloot now has the possibility to mentor the younger stars on the Sky group after returning to Chicago within the offseason, having already gained two WNBA championships with Chicago and New York.
“I at all times go away the door open; you simply by no means know,” Vandersloot stated. “Clearly, Chicago is a really particular place to me. I used to be drafted right here. I’d by no means shut the door on them. To be again in it, I’m not that stunned, and it feels proper.”
—Brian Sandalow (Chicago Solar Occasions)
Vandersloot talked about that she has developed chemistry primarily with Cardoso through the first day of coaching camp. She appears ahead to persevering with to construct that chemistry with Cardoso and Reese of their second yr within the league.
“That was one thing I like what they had been constructing round them,” Vandersloot stated. “To have two huge submit 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
