After a long but fascinating winter, spring has arrived, and with it a new WNBA season. The 2025 campaign, which features a record 44 regular season games per team, will begin Friday. From there, it will be a five-month sprint to crown a new champion.

The WNBA season tips off Friday, and the Indiana forward is a favorite to win league MVP in her second season.

WNBA season tips off on Friday May 16, with 13 teams ready to compete for a championship. After one of the busiest offseasons in recent history, we now get a chance to see how the league will shape up with a new expansion team and 44 games on the schedule.

The 2025 WNBA season is set to get underway this weekend. One of the most highly anticipated games will be between the Dallas Wings and Minnesota Lynx. The Wings drafted UConn star Paige Bueckers with the No.1 overall pick last month, with many expected to tune in to her debut.

The four-time WNBA All-Star and reigning Defensive Player of the Year explained that for her, individual awards are secondary to making sure her team is doing all it can to win. Her philosophy is clear: if she focuses on winning, individual recognition should follow.

The WNBA released its poll of general managers on Thursday, and there is a strong consensus that she will do just that. When asked to pick this year's Rookie of the Year, a whopping 73% went with Bueckers. No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga of the Storm was second in the poll.

Ahead of the 2025 WNBA season, it's clear that Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark has gained the full respect of the league.

Clark is widely considered a generational talent. Her meteoric rise through college and into her sophomore year in the WNBA has been hard to ignore. The former Iowa product broke numerous records upon entering the league, earned multiple honors and changed the current fabric of the Fever.

There are no shortages of challengers to the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty or star power across the league.

OLBG analyzed the WNBA’s popularity in five key areas: attendance trends, franchise values, in-stadium experience, viewership, and market positioning, which underscore the league's sustainable growth and highlight its status as a leading women's sports league.