4 Takeaways From WNBA Opening Weekend

Liberty spoils Wilson’s crazy double-double

Never underestimate the heart of a champion, and never bet against them in a ring game. Powered by reigning MVP A’ja Wilson’s 31-point, 16-rebound double-double, the Las Vegas Aces erased the New York Liberty’s 14-point lead.

As always, champions will champion. They will find ways to respond and ways to win, and that’s exactly what the Liberty did Saturday afternoon in a 92-78 win. They did it with transition buckets and defense. When I look at this Liberty squad, I see a complete team with continuity and chemistry on their side. Also, spending training camp learning a new offense that aides in spacing the floor didn’t hurt either.

While Wilson never ceases to reach new heights, my concern for the Aces is whether or not they will get enough of consistent scoring to complement her. While Jewell Loyd was acquired to help, she might not be enough. I believe that Vegas would benefit from having a legitimate and reliable big to pair with Wilson and have another offensive threat in the post and who isn’t a cone on defense.

This Is Ballhalla

A sellout crowd flooded San Francisco’s Chase Center to watch the Valkyries take their inaugural flight against the Sparks on Friday night. From the opening tip, the crowd was lit. They were raucous and passionate. They were vibrant, and for three quarters, the home team gave the crowd something to cheer for.

Like I said in my previous article , I’m not going to measure the team’s success solely by their record. My emphasis is on what kind of habits and foundation are being built. Judging from the Valkyries’ first game, they are a scrappy, defensive-minded team. They also have a habit of being 3 happy. In a 84-67 loss to the Sparks, Golden State attempted 35 3-pointers. In their final preseason game against the Phoenix Mercury, they attempted 43 in a win. While it worked against the Mercury, it didn’t against the Sparks. In fact, spamming those 3s instead of diversifying their shot diet might have cost the Valks their first win. Moving forward, I’d like to see fewer attempts from deep and a balanced attack.

Big trouble in Big D already?

There are teams. Strong, solid and cohesive. They mesh their individual strength and become formidable together. Then, there are ensembles of talented individuals. The strengths are present, but so are a lack of attributes and intangibles that makes a team complete and whole. Right now, the Dallas Wings seem like the later.

On paper, Dallas has a squad. Arike Ogunbowale, Teaira McCowan and rookie Paige Bueckers are enough to give the opposition fits on any given night. However, in their 99-84 loss to the Lynx on Friday, the weaknesses of the roster were on full display. For me, one of the Wings’ biggest flaws is that the bench does not complement the starters well.

Ogunbowale is a certified bucket-getter and a pure scorer. But when she’s off the floor, there is no one who can consistently contribute and win the non-Arike minutes. McCowan is a solid defender who can consistently defend the bigs around the league. But aside from her, no one on that roster can consistently and effectively defend.

The good news here is there’s still plenty of basketball left and time to define roles and offensive options on the team and to build chemistry.

Common foul; flagrant reactions and double standards

Honestly, the only elephant in the room that I would like to talk about is Ellie. But because the incident between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese during the Indiana Fever’s 93-58 win over the Chicago Sky on Saturday is too big to ignore, here I am in the mix. My take isn’t about purposely fanning the flames. Nor is it about pandering to anyone. It’s about analyzing this thing from two different perspectives.

Growing up, I was a basketball player and a hooper. (Yes, there is a difference.) The basketball player in me looks at this as a take foul and a weak flagrant that really isn’t worth talking about. I get it. Clark wanted to prevent a bucket and make Reese earn it at the line, and she wanted to send a message. I also understand Reese’s reaction. Reese took exception to Clark’s move and wanted to send a receipt. As a competitor, the way I see it is earn it at the line, move on and play. In the heat of battle, there should be no judgments.

The reporter in me realizes that given the names and the fact that the WNBA is a league of intersectionality, it’s obvious that this incident will be magnified, and these two names will forever be linked. What I find interesting is how the perception switches for some people. Last season, when Clark was hip-checked and roughed up, a certain sect of fans were outraged. Now, because it’s Clark on Reese, it’s different. It’s just basketball.

Here’s the thing. When it comes to the current WNBA, it isn’t just about basketball. If it was just about basketball, Clark wouldn’t be weaponized and used as a conduit for the biases of others. If it was just about basketball, the league and the Indiana Fever wouldn’t have to issue statements condemning racism. If it was just about basketball, the WNBA wouldn’t have a “No Space for Hate” campaign.

My hope for the rest of Reese’s and Clark’s careers is that their competitive nature can simply exist without the extracurriculars. Will it happen? There’s always a chance.