| Welcome to a special Friday edition of The Sports Moment! I thought it was worth a later-than-usual send this week so I could include a great story from my colleagues Kareem Copeland, Ben Golliver and Artur Galocha in celebration of the start of the WNBA season. They compiled a list of the top 25 talents in the league this year, excluding rookies, same as we do for the NBA. It’s no surprise who’s at the top (top, top), but I had fun scrolling through Nos. 2-25 and having arguments with my computer screen. I hope you do the same. Analysis Kareem Copeland, Ben Golliver and Artur Galocha | | | This has all the makings of a fascinating year. It’s a bumper between last season, which was defined by record viewership, and next, in which the league will probably look radically different after two seismic occurrences: a new collective bargaining agreement and a high volume of player movement next offseason. This year also marks the debut of the Golden State Valkyries, which brings the league to 13 franchises, with two more on the way next year. Seven (!) teams have new head coaches. And three former No. 1 picks, all of whom had spent their entire careers and won championships with the organizations that drafted them, are with new teams (Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum and Jewell Loyd). We shouldn’t have to wait long for fireworks. Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky face Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever at 3 p.m. Saturday on ABC. While we count down the minutes until tip-off, here are five WNBA storylines I’m tracking: How far can the Fever go? New York, Minnesota and Las Vegas might be title favorites to start the year, but Indiana is lurking just one tier below. It had the best offense in the league after the Olympic break last season and made offseason moves that communicated it isn’t waiting long to get Clark a league title. The Fever added veterans, including former champions DeWanna Bonner, Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham and Natasha Howard, and brought back Coach Stephanie White to bulk up their defense. What will Courtney Vandersloot unlock with the Sky? Chicago had one of the least productive offenses in the league last season, but bringing back one of the best veteran point guards in the league — and perhaps the best setup woman — should be fruitful for both Reese and Kamilla Cardoso in the frontcourt as well as newly added guard Ariel Atkins. Will this iteration of the Mercury stick? Welcome to a new era in Phoenix. Griner went off to Atlanta and Diana Taurasi went off to sweet, sweet retirement, so the Mercury executed the first four-team trade in league history to assemble one heckuva big three: Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper. They’re all experienced, extremely versatile and rank as three of the best players in the league. I’m fascinated to see how their chemistry develops. Can the Lynx run it back? The Lynx rode career seasons from several players, including Napheesa Collier, all the way to the WNBA Finals last year, where they lost to the New York Liberty in five. They were so cohesive it’s hard to envision them getting to an even higher level — but to their credit, they have a chip on their shoulder now. Are Paige Bueckers and Cooper Flagg going to be best friends? Ha ha, just kidding. My actual curiosity about Dallas, that blessed basketball oasis, is how guards Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington and Ty Harris are going to work together. That’s a lot of talent — and a lot of ball dominance — in one backcourt. | 
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