WNBA 2019: 5 Biggest Storylines Entering Training Camp

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 07: Breanna Stewart #30 of the Seattle Storm reacts against the Washington Mystics in the first quarter during game one of the WNBA Finals at KeyArena on September 7, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The 2019 Women’s National Basketball Association preseason has tipped off with the commencement of team training camps around the league on Sunday, May 5. Cinco De Mayo this year brings with it five intriguing plot points for fans to watch over the next three weeks until the regular season begins.

5. Who Will Begin to Fill Big Shoes?

The WNBA’s 23rd regular season will open without many big names fans are used to seeing on the court. Maya Moore, former Minnesota Lynx guard who has done nothing but win championships at the collegiate and professional levels, has chosen not to play this season to pursue other interests. Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart, who was both the regular-season and Finals MVP in 2018, ruptured her Achilles tendon during a EuroLeague game in April. The resulting recovery time will keep her out for the entire 2019 season. The Dallas Wings figure to be without the services of center Liz Cambage, who was second to Stewart in the regular-season MVP voting in 2018, for the foreseeable future. Cambage has demanded a trade and Dallas general manager Greg Bibb says he will move her before the regular season begins.

Two more notable players that will miss the beginning of the season but should be back on the court at some point are Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, who had offseason surgery to alleviate back pain and Wings guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, who will be on maternity leave. The various affected teams will begin to find answers to the questions of who will step in to fill those roles in training camp. Entering training camp without these WNBA stars won’t be a new experience for just the players, however.

4. How Will New Coaches Perform?

Facing the challenge of replacing Cambage and managing things in Diggins-Smith’s absence will be Dallas’ new head coach Brian Agler. While Agler is new to the Wings, he is far from new to being a head coach in the WNBA. Agler has two championship titles (2010, 2016) with two different teams (Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks) on his résumé. It seems if anyone can handle the situation, Alger is certainly qualified.

NBA veteran Derek Fisher is the new head man for Los Angeles, and the pressure will be on him immediately to perform. The Sparks have been to two of the past three WNBA Finals and have a team again this year that is expected to contend for what would be the franchise’s fourth championship. Failure to at least reach the Finals this year would probably be considered a disappointment.

The Chicago Sky is the third team with a new head coach this season in James Wade. Wade will be expected to take a team that was on the verge of a playoff spot in 2018 past that hump. This is Wade’s first job as a head coach, and he will serve as the Sky general manager as well.

3. New Faces in New Places

The WNBA offseason was full of more than injury news. There were several free-agent signings and trades that are a reason for intrigue.

Los Angeles was among the most active on the trade market, bringing in Nneka Ogwumike’s younger sister Chiney and guard Alexis Jones. Fisher’s immediate task will be to build chemistry between the new faces.

Probably the biggest free-agent move was guard Odyssey Sims “defecting” from the Sparks to the Minnesota Lynx. She will be the favorite to try to fill Maya’s shoes. Essence Carson, a versatile player in her 12th season, adds to the deep talent pool for the Phoenix Mercury and will help out in Taurasi’s absence as well.

2. Rookies to Watch

Kristine Anigwe was the first-round pick of the Connecticut Sun and now that she’s paired with Sun center Jonquel Jones, it’s unlikely there will be any rebounds left for anyone else. Anigwe was the first D1 NCAA player in 16 years to post a 30-30 game and had a streak of 30 consecutive double-doubles at Cal.

Dallas might have used its first two picks in the draft to the greatest effect. In addition to taking former Notre Dame guard Arike Ogunbowale with the fifth-overall selection, the Wings also nabbed Iowa forward Megan Gustafson at no. 17. Ogunbowale was the 2018 tournament Most Outstanding Player and Gustafson won multiple player of the year awards in 2019.

Naturally as far as rookies go, all eyes will be on top overall selection Jackie Young, who will be tasked with helping the Las Vegas Aces rise from their previous undesirable returns on the scoreboard.

1. Will the Washington Mystics Have the Magic?

With a healthy Elena Delle Donne at forward, guard Kristi Tolliver back from her stint working with the Mystics’ NBA counterpart, the return of forward Emma Meesseman from playing with her native Belgian National Team and guard Ariel Atkins in her second season, it looks like all the pieces are finally together for Washington. All they need to do now is execute on their potential and a championship could follow. A big part of that will be figuring out how all those parts work together and training camp is tailor-made for that purpose.

That last item will be decided over the course of the regular season and playoffs but the road to those destinations begins in training camp. With the commencement of training camps around the league, all 12 WNBA teams have begun writing their stories of the 2019 season.