The WNBA is playing two seasons at once — Jan Jensen talks Iowa

Basketball Wednesday

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But equally fascinating is the current split-screen dynamic taking place in the league right now. There are absolutely a group of teams who are going for it — a close eye on winning a title in 2025. The results in Minnesota and New York, even with the recent losses, support their conception of themselves as title contenders, while both Atlanta and Phoenix look capable of making extended playoff runs as well (we will assume for purposes of this column that the Dream’s shooting Tuesday night was a one-off).

Even as this is happening, though, teams are auditioning in real time for the offseason to come. As a reminder: with the collective bargaining agreement negotiations ongoing, the current CBA expiring at the end of the 2025 season, and virtually the entire league heading to free agency this year, every single road trip is serving as a set of visits for the will-be free agents and the close circles around them.

All of which serves to make this week’s public divorce between DeWanna Bonner and the Indiana Fever matter in ways that extend beyond the on-court ramifications. The Fever, after all, are simultaneously a now and later team. Having Caitlin Clark on the court, alongside Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, guaranteed them a seat at the win-now table, as did the hiring of Stephanie White as head coach.

Bonner, though, was part of the group brought in by Amber Cox to ensure sufficient veteran leadership around that core, along with Natasha Howard and Sydney Colson. That clearly didn’t work out as planned, with Bonner asking out of Indiana and being granted her release on Wednesday.

Part of the reason is a positive development for the Fever — Lexie Hull has leveled up once again (those of you who have listened to my podcast for years know I can claim an ‘” told you so” on this), and the reduced role that led to for Bonner meant some friction was only natural.

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But even with Hull’s excellence and the brilliance of Clark, Boston and Mitchell, the Fever are just 7-7 to start. To expect that new group to seamlessly meld with the returners and reach a championship level in Year 1 is unrealistic — as I have pointed out here, it took the Liberty, Aces and Mystics several seasons to get it right, and the Fever are trying to do it even as the Lynx and Liberty have both the talent and the time logged to create that chemistry right now.

The problem for Indiana is, of course, that they don’t have years. It was a big deal that Mitchell returned this offseason, but on a one-year deal — had her agent done anything else, it would have been malpractice. Clark, Boston and Mikayla Timpson are the only Fever players under contract for 2026. The entire rest of the team is evaluating the Fever as surely as the Fever are evaluating them. And so is the rest of the league.

Bonner also has a lot of friends around the league. And everybody talks. I spoke to two dozen players and agents about who is impressing so far in the 2026 free agency sweepstakes taking place amid the 2025 campaign. Golden State, New York and Phoenix came up repeatedly for off-court amenities. Minnesota, Washington and Atlanta were cited as teams that seemed to be having fun.

This will all matter in ways that could well change the parity we’re seeing right now, with a potential CBA robust enough to allow for players to make long-term commitments. And if you wonder whether other teams are eager to make sure it appears as if they’re ready for this offseason, it is no coincidence that both Chicago and Dallas have made loud public pronouncements that their new practice facilities will be ready in time for the 2026 season. In Chicago’s case, that’s already a delay from the original December 2025 timeline. In Dallas’ case, the announcement itself came less than a year ahead of the proposed opening, and roughly the same time the team needed to acknowledge its move to a new arena wouldn’t happen until 2027.

There is general skepticism around the league, particularly among agents, that either facility will open on these timelines, while neither team has impressed on the court so far, though Dallas is looking better of late. Each team has a signature star — Paige Bueckers in Dallas, Angel Reese in Chicago — and can build a pitch around playing with them, a sprinkling of other young players, and a draft pick in 2026 (in Chicago’s case, Connecticut’s pick, as they dealt their own to Minnesota). Will that be nearly enough to grab a significant share of the freely-available talent this coming offseason? Will that be enough to keep Bueckers and Reese themselves happy?

Let’s put it this way: both teams should probably hire the folks who rebuilt I-95 for Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania in just 12 days, stat.

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This week in women’s basketball

Nancy Armour writes about Elizabeth Williams’ comments concerning CBA negotiations.

Sabrina Ionescu wants to stay in New York.

Delighted to read Louisa Thomas on Caitlin Clark.

Terrific Jenn Hatfield piece about Shakira Austin.

Fantastic Kareem Copeland piece on Natasha Cloud.

Jackie Powell explains how the Liberty can weather the Jonquel Jones injury storm.

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Five at The IX: Jan Jensen, Iowa

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