Paige-Arike chemistry tops WNBA preseason takeaways

WNBA teams are wrapping up preseason play, anticipating when the games begin to count on Friday, May 16.

With a weekend full of games, it’s easy to lose track of everything going, so here are some of the biggest takeaways:

Caitlin Clark battles through an injury

Caitlin Clark has been dealing with a leg injury throughout training camp.

She missed the Indiana Fever’s first preseason game against the Washington Mystics, and head coach Stephanie White said she’s been limited in practice. Ahead of their matchup against the Atlanta Dream on Saturday afternoon, she discussed the leg injury, saying it was “nothing major.”

Clark seemed pretty good during her shifts in Indiana’s 81-76 win over Atlanta. Her movement seemed fine. She ended the game with 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds. It appears things are okay right now, but it’s something to monitor when the regular season begins.

Paige Bueckers is not your average rookie

This might be Paige Bueckers’ first time in the WNBA, but she’s adjusting quickly.

In Saturday’s preseason game against the Toyota Antelopes, she was magnificent. Bueckers ended the game scoring 15 points, missing just two shots and having a team-high plus-minus of +40. What was also encouraging was how well she looked alongside Arike Ogunbowale. This tandem has the opportunity to be one of the most explosive backcourts in the WNBA, and Saturday night was a preview of that as Dallas dominated the visiting squad from the WJBL, 119-52.

The Wings look like a team that can go from the lottery to the postseason in one season, thanks to a rookie phenom joining the roster—just like the Fever last year.

What else?

In Friday’s lone preseason game, the Connecticut Sun won 94-86 over the New York Liberty, with four starters scoring in double figures. The Liberty treated this very much like a preseason game, with only Kennedy Burke and Marine Johannès playing more than 20 minutes in the contest.

On Saturday, the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Chicago Sky 92-87 to end their preseason at 1-1, giving Chicago their only exhibition loss of the year. Napheesa Collier was in midseason form, scoring 26 points in 26 minutes.

Dos más

There are just two games left in the WNBA preseason. The Phoenix Mercury will host the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday, and the Toyota Antelopes will play the New York Liberty on Monday at Oregon in a college homecoming game for former Ducks Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabally. Both games will be available for free via WNBA League Pass.