The 2023 WNBA campaign was one of the most exciting, competitive, and enticing seasons we’ve witnessed in the history of the game. From jaw-dropping free agency moves to the clash between titans in the Finals, the WNBA had everyone clamoring for more.
Some of our favorite memories involve off-the-court happenings too. Candace Parker stars in her latest documentary titled “Unapologetic,” in which we get a glimpse into her personal life and intimate thoughts about her basketball career. Aliyah Boston signed a multi-year footwear and apparel deal with adidas only one month after being drafted first overall. We’ve also seen several of our WNBA faves return to the scene, like former legendary player Teresa Weatherspoon being named the newest Chicago Sky head coach, Briann January joining the Connecticut Sun staff, and Skylar Diggins-Smith letting us know she’s ready to hit the court again!
All of this intrigue led to plenty of people tuning into the W during the 2023 season. Viewership on ESPN, ABC, and ESPN2 posted its highest numbers in 17 years, up 18 percent from last season, averaging 440,000 viewers per game. Per the WNBA, the 2023 season reached over 36 million total viewers across all national networks, which is the highest since 2008 and up 27.0 percent from 2022. The league also had its most-watched All-Star Game in 16 years, averaging 850,000 viewers and peaking at 955,000 viewers in 2023. New streaming partnerships—including Amazon Prime, ION television, CBS and CBS Sports, and Disney+—also increased viewership not dependent on cable.
With more ways to access games, the WNBA received lots of love on social media from all over. From their NBA brothers to hip hop’s icons, the WNBA players were a hot topic this season.
Aye, don’t call my phone lookin for tickets this summer, they gone. Let’s get it @nyliberty https://t.co/dPx7emIeMP
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) February 1, 2023
Bang Bang!!!!! Aliyah Boston trey ball to send it to OT!!! Hell of a comeback #WNBA
— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 12, 2023
We loveeee a special guest 😎@FatJoe joins @LaChinaRobinson, @CAROLYNPECK, & @chiney to breakdown all things first half of Game 4! pic.twitter.com/g76WxBvj1O
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 19, 2023
CONGRATULATIONS @LVAces 👏🏾 @_ajawilson22 I wish I could’ve been there, but pull up to my show…I got U. https://t.co/FQuvt1gOPl pic.twitter.com/4aZKYfeyuz
— Usher Raymond IV (@Usher) October 25, 2023
With so many fond memories and incredible basketball moments, Winsidr would be remiss to not take a step back to remember it all. And who better to fill you in on all the details than our beat writers? Articles part one and two are formatted to follow the end-of-season standings, highlighting six teams in each piece. Part one follows teams ranked 12th through seventh. You can read part two HERE.
12. Phoenix Mercury, Candace Pedraza, (@candace_pedraza)
The return of All-Star center Brittney Griner to the Phoenix Mercury after her wrongful imprisonment in Russia had many on the edge of their seats, and there were high hopes for a team that looked like they had lost their identity without Griner on the floor. Unfortunately, despite some amazing play from Griner in addition to a record-breaking season for guard Diana Taurasi, who scored her 10,000th point this past season with Phoenix, the team just never found its footing. Injuries, coaching changes, and the inability to get consistent scoring from the team (the Mercury averaged a league-low 76.6 points per game) led to an abysmal 6-31 record.
But fresh additions to the team—including a new head coach in Nate Tibbetts and an assistant coach in three-time WNBA All-Star and former NBA assistant coach Kristi Toliver—could mean a new, successful direction for the Mercury. Griner is an unrestricted free agent heading into 2024, but with Skylar Diggins-Smith presumably soon to be off Phoenix’s books, the team should be able to find flexibility financially and throw a bag at the generational Griner. The other moves necessary for the Mercury to find success again remain a mystery, though. Will they explore the free agency market for more scoring in someone like Natasha Cloud? Will they take advantage of a potentially stacked 2024 draft class? It all depends on whether the Mercury still see value in their stars like Griner and Taurasi as well as potential for offensive development in players like Moriah Jefferson and Michaela Onyenwere.
11. Seattle Storm, Chelsea Leite (@chelsealeite)
This was an extremely different year for the Seattle Storm, a team that has won four WNBA championships (two of which in the last five years). At the end of the 2022 WNBA season, Sue Bird retired after two decades with the franchise, and then in free agency, Breanna Stewart decided to leave Seattle for New York. That left Jewell Loyd in charge of the ship, and the Storm were forced into essentially a full rebuild. With that in mind, their results this season are not extremely disappointing but rather almost expected, and the team showed a lot of promise in some of their young players.
Honestly, it’s a little nice to see WNBA teams fully focus on rebuilding and developing young players. In a league with only 144 roster spots (with 12 of those spots usually not even used), young players tend to get glossed over. For example, the Storm snagged Jordan Horston ninth overall in the 2023 draft and she received extended playing time during the season, which may not have happened in years past. The other thing about this Storm team that is a little different from other teams in full rebuild is that they still have Jewell Loyd, a WNBA All-Star, Olympic gold medalist, and World Cup winner. That experience and leadership is extremely valuable to a developing team. Loyd also signed an extension at the end of the 2023 season, so she is committed to the Storm for years to come.
In a league as small as the WNBA, things can turn around quickly. The Storm know that better than anyone; they drafted Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd number one overall in back-to-back years, which essentially kick-started Seattle’s championship runs. With the talent coming up in the draft in the next few years, the Storm are setting themselves up to be back on top sooner than people may think.
10. Indiana Fever, Ashlee Woods (@ashleemwoods)
11 years after the franchise’s first and only WNBA title, there was a spirit of optimism and hope running through the streets of Indianapolis, Indiana in 2023. That feeling of hope came in large part from the acquisition of WNBA Rookie of the Year, Aliyah Boston—the team’s first No. 1 overall pick since former Fever great Tamika Catchings in 2001. Paired with fellow rookie Grace Berger, second-year veteran NaLyssa Smith and first-year head coach Christie Sides, a new era of Fever basketball was ushered in.
However, the new era could not fully commence without that elusive mark in the win column. For 20 straight games, the Indiana Fever experienced a loss. Some were heartbreaking, others were complete dominations. Regardless, no one would take this new-look Fever seriously if they didn’t show that they could win. On May 28, 2023, Indiana snapped that 20-game losing streak and began anew.
From that point forward, the Fever quickly became a team no one could look past. At one point in June, the Fever had one of the most prolific offenses in the WNBA. That coupled with a 13-win season—more than double what they tallied during the 2022 campaign—showed that general manager Lin Dunn’s plan was working.
“This is year two of my plan, and we are on track,” Dunn said. “We achieved every goal we had for ourselves.”
Of course, missing out on the playoffs when the team was so close is going to leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth, especially for a team that hasn’t seen the postseason in seven years. However, after securing the first overall pick for two consecutive seasons, this could be a turning point for the franchise. Back-to-back first overall picks is something the franchise has never achieved, and though the team is still in need of a few pieces, they’re already one step ahead
9. Los Angeles Sparks, Imanni Wright (@imanniwright)
There were lots of new beginnings for the Los Angeles Sparks this season with the hiring of head coach Curt Miller, and the acquisition of players including Azurá Stevens, Dearica Hamby, Jasmine Thomas, and Layshia Clarendon. The Sparks returned team staples like Nneka Ogwumike and Lexie Brown, but they also lost players like Brittney Sykes, Liz Cambage, Chennedy Carter, Kristi Toliver and Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Additionally, Katie Lou Samuelson and Stephanie Talbot were both out for the 2023 season. Samuelson was out due to pregnancy and Talbot recovering from a torn ACL.
Despite all of this, the Los Angeles Sparks went out this season and put up a fight, narrowly missing the playoffs. The season was filled with adversity due to injury, yet the team persevered. Gameplay and the roster itself was constantly fluctuating, and everyone had to roll with the punches. In order to add in a new system, Miller had to rebuild the foundation of this team as they continued to push past adversity. They may have finished with a 17-23 record, but that doesn’t reflect the grit and passion that the squad displayed. Players like Jordin Canada, who came into the season on a training camp contract, stepped up to the plate.
Moving forward, this past season can be viewed as a foundational year, especially with a new head coach. Improvements will come naturally with time and efficiency is something that the team can build on. Overall, as coach Miller and the Los Angeles Sparks move into their second year together, it’ll be interesting to see how all the pieces combine
8. Chicago Sky, Blake Silverman (@blakesilverman)
Chicago’s past season was about figuring out how to move forward and compete amid a myriad of changes. The 2021 champs lost much of their core this past offseason with the departures of Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, and Allie Quigley. Azurá Stevens left for Los Angeles, and Emma Meesseman remained overseas, leaving the keys of the franchise to Kahleah Copper.
Head coach/General Manager James Wade mortgaged draft capital to pair Copper with a high-powered scorer in Marina Mabrey, who then signed a three-year extension with Chicago. He also added Courtney Williams on a one-year deal who had a great season for the team.
If all the personnel changes weren’t enough, Wade left the team midseason to accept a job with the Toronto Raptors, leaving Emre Vatansever as interim head coach and GM. Isabelle Harrison missed the entire season and Rebekah Gardner missed all but three games, leaving rotations thinner than initially expected. The Sky overcame the incredible amount of adversity to make a late season playoff push, winning six of their last eight games during the regular season. Chicago grabbed the final playoff spot and a tough first-round draw against the eventual 2023 champions, the Las Vegas Aces.
Looking ahead, Vatansever won’t be back next year after the Sky hired former WNBA player Teresa Weatherspoon as head coach and Jeff Pagliocca as GM, who already spent four seasons with the team in player development. Even without a first-round pick in the upcoming draft, Chicago’s new regime looks to push forward and continue to compete after signing Copper to a long-term extension
7. Washington Mystics, Matt Cohen (@_matt_cohen_)
After signing Brittney Sykes in the offseason, the Washington Mystics believed they were set as a dark horse contender, competing with the likes of the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty for a WNBA title. While things started out well enough, standing 8-4 through their first 12 games, injuries and inconsistent offense brought their hopes crashing down.
Loads of injuries left the Mystics in a haze of personnel uncertainty game-in and game-out. Shakira Austin went out with a hip injury on June 25, followed by Elena Delle Donne’s ankle in early July. Ariel Atkins, and Natasha Cloud also sustained ankle injuries during the season. A fluctuating roster coupled with consistently inconsistent offensive play left the team disjointed and out of answers for much of the season. Sykes was their most important and steady player all season, but many questions are left heading into the offseason. Atkins is back on a contract extension, but the futures of Delle Donne and Cloud with the team remain up in the air.
So many great things have come out of this season, and the next few seasons onward will only exceed all of our expectations. The WNBA is excelling at a rapid pace and pushing the needle on the investment in women’s sports. There’s no better time to be a lover of the game!
Continue reading in part two.
