This news article highlights four of the six season openers in the WNBA on Saturday, May 9, including a rematch of last year's Finals featuring Phoenix and Las Vegas. The story also discusses the first game for the expansion team Portland Fire and a battle between two star guards in Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.
Four more season openers are set for Saturday, May 9 in the WNBA , as stars like A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Kahleah Copper, Angel Reese, Allisha Gray and more will be in action.
There are a ton of storylines on Saturday, including a rematch of last year’s Finals , the first game for the expansion team Portland Fire and a battle between two star guards in Clark and Bueckers. On Saturday, I’m eyeing two plays for the four-game slate in the W, including a player prop for Bueckers, as she looks to lead the Wings to a 1-0 start.
As a rookie, Bueckers averaged 19.2 points per game and shot 47.7 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from beyond the arc. This is clearly her team, and I expect her to take a step forward as a scorer in the 2026 season. Bueckers attempted 15.1 shots per game last season, and she had 17 games with at least 20 points.
Indiana loves to play at a fast pace when Clark is on the floor, which should lead to extra possessions on both sides on Saturday. Bueckers had a strong showing in Unrivaled during the offseason, and I think she’ll make the leap as one of the league's best scorers in 2026. The Aces swept the Mercury in the WNBA Finals last season, and Las Vegas returns most of its core from that championship team.
Meanwhile, Satou Sabally left the Mercury in the offseason, leaving a pretty big hole for the team on offense. The Mercury are facing an uphill battle to repeat last season’s success, and it’s worth noting that they were just 5-7-1 against the spread as road underdogs last season.
I’m buying A’ja Wilson and company to start the season with a bang, as Las Vegas showed it could flip a switch and be the best team in the league in the second half of the 2025 campaign. Now that Jewell Loyd is fully integrated into this team, I think the Aces hit the ground running in 2026. Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting.
He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.
WNBA Season Openers Key Storylines Rematch Of Last Year's Finals Portland Fire Battle Between Star Guards Projections For Bueckers And Clark To Have Str Key Matchups
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