What WNBA team will surprise us?
USAT’s Sam Cardona-Norberg asks WNBA legends Candace Parker & Cynthia Cooper which team in the league will surprise some people this season.
Sports Seriously
As the WNBA returns, so do the injury reports.
The league opens play for the 2026 season Friday, and the dreaded “day-to-day” status updates have already started rolling in.
While there’s no overstating just how impactful injuries can be on the outcome of a season, it’s also important to note that some teams exceed expectations even when they’re shorthanded.
Last season, the New York Liberty entered the year as the defending league champions but came out first-round losers as they fielded a laundry list of injuries. The Indiana Fever, on the other hand, came just a win shy of the WNBA Finals despite losing five players to season-ending injuries.
Here are the key injuries to watch as this WNBA season begins:
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Ankle
In late April, the Lynx announced Collier had surgery on her left ankle on March 24. Minnesota said Collier’s rehab process is “progressing as expected” following the surgery. The current timeline for the Minnesota forward to return to the court is early June. The team says it will provide further updates when they are available.
In January, it was reported that Collier would need surgery on both ankles after suffering multiple injuries during the 2025 WNBA season. The surgeries were expected to sideline the Lynx forward for four to six months. This aligns with Minnesota’s latest update provided on Tuesday.
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Ankle
New York is picking up right where it left off, leaving fans wondering how the team’s health will progress. Guard Sabrina Ionescu will miss the team’s season opener against the Connecticut Sun.
She rolled her left ankle during the team’s preseason win over the Sun on May 3. Although the Liberty said Ionescu avoided a severe injury, she is expected to miss the first two weeks of the season before being reevaluated.
Ionescu’s injury is the same ankle that kept her sidelined for a large chunk of her rookie WNBA season in 2020. She’s one of the five players the Liberty will be without on Friday night, joining Satou Sabally (cyst) and Rebecca Allen (left leg) on the bench.
Raquel Carrera and Leonie Fiebich will miss the game due to international commitments.
Cotie McMahon, Washington Mystics
Elbow
Mystics forward Cotie McMahon won’t start the 2026 WNBA season this weekend.
On Thursday, the Mystics announced McMahon suffered a partial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear in her left elbow on May 3 during a preseason matchup against the Atlanta Dream. It’s unclear when McMahon may have been injured. She finished with 27 minutes of playing time, scoring nine points on 50% shooting and two steals.
McMahon will receive treatment on her elbow and is expected to be reevaluated within a week. The Mystics will provide updates on the forward’s status at that time.
Alanna Smith, Dallas Wings
Nose
Alanna Smith was a key free agency pickup for the Wings, but she might not be available for the team’s season opener against the Indiana Fever on Saturday.
Aces star A’ja Wilson, who shared the Defensive Player of the Year award with Smith last season, caught Smith with an elbow in a preseason game. The Wings forward’s face was bloodied on Sunday at Moody Center.
Smith did not practice with the Wings on Thursday, but guard Aziaha James (ankle) did. Wings coach Jose Fernandez said Smith is “on schedule” with progressing back from her facial injury but did not commit to her being able to play Saturday.
Azura Stevens, DiJonai Carrington, Courtney Vandersloot, Chicago Sky
Knee, foot, knee
The Sky had a full contingent of injured players watching from the bench they finished the preseason. Chicago is likely to be down a few players as it faces the Portland Fire on the road to start their season on Saturday.
Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca told reporters this week Azura Stevens, DiJonai Carrington and Courtney Vandersloot will not play in the opener.
Stevens is back to basketball activities and “hopefully a few weeks away” from playing in a game, Pagliocca said. There are no set return timelines for the three. Carrington is recovering and in a boot after having hardware removed from her foot, which was used to treat in injury she sustained with the Lynx last season. Vandersloot is working back from a right ACL injury she sustained in June. Multiple reports say she can sprint but has not participated in contact basketball activities.
Dana Evans, Las Vegas Aces
Knee
The Aces’ guard rotation could be impacted by the absence of Dana Evans, who proved to be a key addition for the team in its 2025 postseason run.
Evans didn’t play in playoffs for the Unrivaled offseason basketball league or any of the Aces’ preseason games due to a knee injury she dealt with throughout last season. Aces coach Becky Hammon has not offered a timeline for her return.
During the Aces’ media day, Evans said she was focused on rehab for a knee surgery she underwent in October.
Other player injuries to watch
Although Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark appears to be opening her third WNBA season in full health, that may not be the case for at least one of her teammates.
Monique Billings, a 6-foot-4 frontcourt addition for the Fever in free agency, injured her ankle in the Fever’s preseason matchup with the Nigerian women’s basketball team on May 2. She was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice.
Kate Martin, a former Iowa teammate of Clark’s, was also dealing with an injury that may have contributed to her being waived by Golden State Valkyries.
ESPN reported Martin had been diagnosed with a grade two hamstring strain after the Valkyries’ preseason schedule ended, adding Martin could at risk of missing time in the regular season.
It’s unclear if that development will hamper her odds of being signed back to the Valkyries on a developmental contract or joining another team once she clears waivers. USA TODAY WNBA reporter Meghan L. Hall contributed to this report.
