20 WNBA games to watch during the 2024 season

It will be interesting to see just how many eyes will be on Caitlin Clark's anticipated WNBA debut. While she certainly can set the league on fire, the Fever need more than Clark to help them reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Or at least, post the franchise's first winning record since 2015. Things won't be easy in the opener against the Sun, who lost to New York in four games in last season's semifinals. Connecticut posts perhaps the league's best frontcourt, led by DeWanna Bonner (17.4 points per game)   and Alyssa Thomas (15.5 ppg, 9.9 rebounds per game), and are expected big things from a healthy Brionna Jones. The Sun have won eight straight in this series.

The Aces' quest for a three-peat begins at home against a revamped Mercury squad that's looking to regain its place among WNBA title contenders after acquiring All-Star Kahleah Copper and veteran guard Natasha Cloud to give support to fellow veterans Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. Phoenix lost its final 11 games of 2023, so learning to win again is an immediate priority. Meanwhile, Vegas is looking to become the second franchise to win three consecutive titles. Candace Parker has retired, but the Aces remain loaded with A'ja Wilson (22.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg), Jackie Young (17.6 ppg), Kelsey Plum (18.7 ppg), and Chelsea Gray (15.3 ppg, 7.3 apg).

Caitlin Clark has corned the market on WNBA hype. However, the Chicago Sky have themselves a pair of equaling promising rookies they expect to be faces of the franchise for years to come. With the third-overall pick last month, the Sky took 6-foot-7 South Carolina standout Kamilla Cardoso, then four spots later selected the charismatic and extremely talented Angel Reese from LSU. Though there's not much expected from the rebuilding Sky in 2024, Cardoso and Reese, prep and college rivals turned pro teammates, should be fun to watch. Though Cardoso will miss time due to a shoulder injury, Reese makes her pro career in a stiff test against the Wings, who reached the league semifinals last season but are not expected to have injured star Satou Sabally (18.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.4 apg) available until after this summer's Olympic break.

Clark and the Fever welcome the reigning WNBA runners-up. And barring any unforeseen circumstances, Indiana's newest star will match up for the first time in a regular-season pro game against another elite guard in New York's Sabrina Ionescu, who is a big fan of the Fever rookie. This could be a serious individual test for Clark if she finds a matchup with the physical Ionescu, who shot a career-best 44.8 percent from 3-point range last season. These teams will meet again two days later in Brooklyn.

Elena Delle Donne is not playing this season and Natasha Cloud is in Phoenix, but the Mystics might have enough veteran talent to be in the playoff mix. Brittney Sykes (15.9 ppg)  and Ariel Atkins  (11.5 ppg) lead the way, while Shakira Austin (10.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg) enters her third WNBA season with the potential to truly break out. Washington has lost five straight regular-season games versus Connecticut, which has seemingly has a favorable enough early schedule to start 9-0.

L.A.'s current stretch of three consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance is the longest in the storied franchise's history. And 2024 might not be much better with the team looking to the future and relying on prized rookies 6-foot-4 Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson to lead the way. Matching up with the two-time reigning champion Aces in the first few days of the season will seriously test the Sparks right off the bat. The good news for Los Angeles is that this is their only road contest amid the season's first five games.

Seattle won 11 games and missed the playoffs for the first time in 2015 last season. Making sure that doesn't happen in '24, the Storm extended the contract of reigning league scoring leader Jewell Loyd (24.7 ppg) and added veterans Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith.  Now, the latter two turn 34 this season, and Diggins-Smith last played in 2022. After opening with a home-and-home against uncertain Minnesota and visiting resetting Washington, Seattle faces a major test against New York, which won all four meetings in 2023.

It is a rematch of last season's first-round playoff set, where the Wings swept the best-of-3 series. Fast forward to 2024, and each squad is looking to build on that level of success from last season. Dallas, however, will have to deal with a seemingly improved Western Conference, where Las Vegas is still the team beat. Atlanta, meanwhile, has an exciting group led by Rhyne Howard (17.5 ppg) and Allisha Gray (17.1 ppg). The Dream also acquired veteran point guard Crystal Dangerfield from Dallas after offseason pickup Jordin Canada suffered a hand injury.

Again, assuming all parties are healthy and available, the top two picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft will meet on the floor for the first time. After the Fever took Clark, the Sparks grabbed Brink. Though it will only be 10 days into the season, it will be interesting to see what kind of start these high-profile rookies are off to. Perhaps more importantly, it will be interesting to see how well each team is playing as they look to end their respective playoff droughts. 

A day after Clark and Brink potentially go head-to-head, the former Iowa legend gets an up-close look at the champs. This also ends a particularly grueling opening stretch for Indiana, which plays five of its first seven games on the road. And, it doesn't get much tougher than winning in Vegas, where the Aces went 25-1, including the playoffs, last season. Indiana has lost 11 in a row against Las Vegas.

Back-to-back losing seasons have the Lynx at a potential crossroads. Sure, they made the playoffs in 2023, but the West appears to be stronger, collectively, than a year ago, notably with the upgrades made in Seattle and Phoenix, where the Mercury and Lynx could find themselves battling for a playoff spot. Paced by MVP candidate Napheesa Collier, who enjoyed her best statistical WNBA season in 2023, averaging a career-high 21.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, Minnesota might have little room for error.

For the first time as pros, Caitlin Clark and Chicago's Angel Reese will square off during a Saturday matinee in Indianapolis. The two stars enjoyed an intriguing postseason rivalry in college , and WNBA fans and league officials hope that carries over to the pro level. However, due to Kamilla Cardoso's shoulder injury, it seems unlikely that she'll be able to go head-to-head in the paint against Indiana's established star and former South Carolina teammate Aliyah Boston in this contest.

We touched on the Sun's potential to be 9-0 entering this contest. Meanwhile, it's also quite possible that Liberty could have sat 11-0 before facing Connecticut. Regardless, the two teams likely to be the best in the Eastern Conference will meet here for the first time since the Sun opened their semifinal series with a 78-63 win in New York. Then, they lost the next three games and had to watch the Liberty Place for a WNBA championship. Liberty star Breanna Stewart totaled 52 points and 20 rebounds in the final two games of that semifinal series.

One month into the season, WNBA fans might have a good idea of who the contenders and pretenders will be in terms of reaching the playoffs. It will be interesting to see where both of these teams stand at that point. Led by star Arike Ogunbowale  (21.2 ppg), Dallas won three of four against the Storm last season. This went a long way in the Wings winning 22 games, reaching the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, and Seattle sitting home.

WNBA fans must wait a month into the season for this rematch of the 2024 Finals. The 2023 preseason hype for both the Aces and Liberty came to fruition as they posted the top two records in the league. Las Vegas finished 34-6, and New York was two games back at 32-8. When it came time for these star-studded rosters to meet up in the Finals, Las Vegas won in four games. The Liberty didn't make it totally easy. The teams will also play again in Vegas in August, then meet in New York on Sept. 8

According to Caitlin Clark, she grew up as a Minnesota Lynx fan, mostly because the franchise was relatively close to her Des Moines, Iowa, area and WNBA royalty for many years. By mid-July, Clark should firmly have a grasp of the pro game and life in the WNBA, for that matter. We'll also see if both the Fever and Lynx are serious playoff contenders at this point.

The Mercury will host Washington on May 23, marking the first time Natasha Cloud will face her former Mystics team. However, it will be game two of the season series between the teams that we find most interesting. Assuming she's healthy and available, Cloud will be back to Washington, the only team she played for until now, since breaking into the league in 2015, for the first time as an opponent. A popular player and strong presence in the Washington D.C. community, Cloud could be filled with plenty of emotion on July 16.

Sticking with the "welcome back" theme. The aforementioned Nneka Ogwumike is a Los Angeles Sparks legend, having played all her previous 12 WNBA seasons there. However, as L.A. moves in a new direction, Ogwumike's career has taken her to Seattle, hoping to help restore the Storm's status as a perennial title contender. It will be interesting to see how Ogwumike, who averaged 16.6 points and 7.5 rebounds, made eight All-Star teams, won a title and was WNBA MVP (2016) as a Spark, reacts in this return to Los Angeles for the first time since leaving the only franchise she ever called home until now.

Kahleah Copper was a three-time All-Star with the Chicago Sky and the Finals MVP when they won the WNBA title in 2021. However, after averaging a career-high 18.7 points in her seventh season with Chicago last year, she was dealt to Phoenix as part of the Sky's rebuilding plans. Assuming she's healthy, Copper will make her first regular-season return to the Windy City for the first time since leaving town when the Mercury visited. She should receive a warm welcome.

These West rivals close out the regular season against each other, and a playoff spot could quite possibly be in the line for one or both. As we've noted, the Storm and Mercury have done much to improve their fortunes for 2024. But, of course, games aren't won on paper. It's a long time until this finale, but this matchup has the potential to pack plenty of intrigue, with both clubs looking to return to power within the ranks of the WNBA.