The Seattle Storm were the unanimous preseason choice of ESPN WNBA analysts for which team would win the 2020 title. A vaunted cast could not agree on any other topic, but all viewed Seattle as the team to beat in Florida.

The logic is clear. The 2018 WNBA champions are returning 2018 regular season and finals MVP Breanna Stewart and 11-time All-Star Sue Bird to a team that made it to the conference semifinals last year without either player.

Chicago jumped out to a successful run in the wubble. The Sky impressed many people with their play early on and the game against the Storm was billed as a potential late-round playoff matchup. More than Chicago regressing, the 89-71 loss to Seattle showed how far in front of the rest of the league the team from Seattle truly is.

Here’s what Seattle has proven during their blistering 7-1 start:

Breanna Stewart is the best player in the league

Early foul trouble for Jordin Canada allowed Breanna Stewart to run the show. With Sue Bird sidelined with a knee injury, Stewart could play a little of everything. She dished out five assists, scored 10 points, and added a pair of rebounds — in the first quarter. By the final whistle, her point total was up to 25 and the Storm had an 18 point victory.

Stewart’s game has evolved, slightly, since she last took the court. She is taking and making more 3-point shots per game than at any point in her WNBA career and assisting at a higher rate too. More than anything, she’s quickly returned to her previously dominant form, putting the league on notice as it’s clear there are no lingering issues from her Achilles recovery.

While plenty of other players have impressed so far, Stewart is exceeding across the board. She is top five in the league in field goals, 3-pointers, free throws, rebounds, steals, blocks and points. In advanced stats, she ranks second in player efficiency, fifth in usage rate, and first in both defensive rating and win shares.

Chicago could have done a better job of closing down some of the lanes through which Stewart raced to the basket, but the four-time collegiate national champion — who already has a legitimate Hall of Fame case — has an off-the-charts basketball IQ and will take advantage of any team’s missteps.

Seattle can win in multiple ways

The road to the championship most definitely runs through the Storm. The Storm offense dominated the first quarter to the tune of a 33-18 scoreline. In the second, Seattle’s defense held Chicago to just 10 points, so it didn’t matter that the Storm had their second lowest scoring quarter of the bubble. Although Chicago came into the game, and remains, the top shooting and 3-point shooting team in the league, Seattle bested both and shot 51.4% from the floor, including an absurd 52.9% from beyond the arc.

Jordin Canada filled in successfully at the point last year and has been able to do the same in 2020. Jewell Loyd, coming off of two straight All-Star seasons, is matching or improving upon her stat line from last year. Seattle just has so many options.

The Storm have the best defensive rating in the league and the third-best offensive rating. No other team ranks in the top three in both; Las Vegas is the closest at second and fourth. The Aces also have a +6.0 point differential, the nearest to Seattle’s +8.2 of anyone. The two teams don’t meet until a Saturday, August 22 matchup on ABC that may be an eventual finals preview — and a head-to-head between the top two MVP contenders.

Depth is really important

Even with a short rotation, Seattle still gets significant contributions from its bench. Sami Whitcomb went 3-for-3 from deep, scored 17 points total, and matched Jordin Canada’s six assists against the Sky. Ezi Magbegor was an efficient 6-of-8 from the field for 13 points. Combined, their 30 points were more than Chicago’s five bench options, who tallied 21.

That included a career-high 11 points for the rookie from Oregon, Ruthy Hebard. With that effort, Chicago once again saw five players reach double digit scoring. The Sky’s entire starting lineup boasts a double digit scoring average, but in this treacherous stretch of play in which there’s often only one day off between games, rest and a deep bench are more important than ever.

Seattle only has four players averaging at least ten points per game, and only three are active. But the Storm still get massive contributions off the bench. The ability for someone like Whitcomb to come off the bench and average the second most points on the team will prove instrumental throughout the team’s run in IMG Academy.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins discusses the importance of the current international window for the USWNT and digs into the players who did and did not make head coach Emma Hayes's latest 24-athlete roster.

Watkins begins with those not invited to this week's senior team camp, with Hayes using the concurrent U23 camp as a "minor league" for athletes who "need a little bit more development or need to be in a different training situation or have different leadership structures."

Watkins specifically digs into the placement of midfielder Korbin Albert and forwards Jaedyn Shaw and Mia Fishel with the U23 squad, as well as the overall omission of goalkeeper Jane Campbell.

Honing in on Albert, Watkins calls her U23 spot a demotion, saying "It's wild to me that someone who started the [2024] Olympic gold-medal match for the USWNT is now playing for the U23s when the senior team is in session."

"I think we're stuck in this question of, 'is she good enough or is she not?'" explains Watkins, noting that "Albert isn't giving [Hayes] those all-around performances that validate that roster spot when there are other players that could be given a look."

In contrast, Watkins backs Hayes's decisions to place the versatile Shaw and Fishel — who's still regaining form from a 2024 ACL tear — with the youth team.

Calling her "the player truly out in the cold here," Watkins worries that 30-year-old Campbell might be facing an "always the bridesmaid, never the bride of the US goalkeeper cycle," with Hayes opting for a largely untested trio of Mandy McGlynn, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and Claudia Dickey as she continues seeking retired star Alyssa Naeher's replacement.

Top NWSL play fuels USWNT roster call-ups

The uncapped Dickey, says Watkins, is one of the players reaping the benefits of Hayes's developmental roster movements.

"She is statistically one of the highest performing goalkeepers in the NWSL this season," notes Watkins about the Seattle Reign starter. "The numbers do not lie. She is one of the best pure shot-stoppers in the league this year, if not the best."

Also snagging a shot at the senior team thanks to stellar NWSL play are Orlando Pride standout and "Swiss Army knife defender" Kerry Abello, Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie, and Kansas City Current captain Lo'eau LaBonta.

LaBonta, who headlined this USWNT roster by earning her first-ever call-up at age 32, is a versatile midfielder with, according to Watkins, a "really, really strong" mentality as well as a "wonderful locker room presence."

Citing Hayes's previous comments about the age of certain players causing her to seek younger athletes, Watkins wonders if LaBonta's call-up isn't simply a long-overdue reward for years of top professional play, and instead, perhaps, a sign that Hayes is "learning that you need a little bit of both [youth and experience]."

"I think [LaBonta's] going to make herself hard to drop," states Watkins. "With 2027 only two years away, I'm not betting against LaBonta. She's going into this camp looking for more call-ups. This is not just a 'job well done' situation for her."

Finally, Watkins mentions that many younger players, like Kansas City's Michelle Cooper and Claire Hutton, and Utah's Ally Sentnor, are back in the mix "because they're playing too well for the U23s. They've been put into senior team camp and they've swam — they have not sunk."

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Summer friendlies serve as senior team try-outs

The stakes are high for the 24 athletes in this USWNT camp, with small windows to impress Hayes while facing two tough opponents in the upcoming days: May 31st's clash with China PR and a June 3rd date with Jamaica's Reggae Girlz.

"Who's going to be able to elevate their game even if they don't have a ton of experience?," asks Watkins. "It's up to the senior call-ups to make those players that are in the U23s harder to call back in. And those players in the U23s are going to probably have to show new sides of themselves to get back into the fold."

"This is the Emma Hayes system. And I cannot wait to say who says, 'Nope. This is not just a pat on the back. You're not dropping me.'"

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women's Sports newsletter for more.

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The world No. 1 USWNT is back in action on Saturday, taking on No. 17 China PR in the first of two early summer friendlies as head coach Emma Hayes continues evaluating talent across the 24-player roster.

"We have two different types of opponents ahead of us, so we'll have to be creative in breaking down those teams in different ways," Hayes told reporters earlier this month.

With an average of just 30.7 caps per player, this international window is an opportunity for NWSL favorites to prove their national team value — though the USWNT will be without one up-and-comer: Due to a minor hip injury, Angel City defender Gisele Thompson departed camp on Thursday, with Hayes opting not to replace the 19-year-old in the lineup.

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Fresh faces to take on a familiar foe

The US has faced China PR a total of 60 times — more than any country other than No. 7 Canada. China also boasts the second-most US defeats with nine, though they haven't upended the USWNT since 2015.

In total, the USWNT boasts a 38-9-13 all-time record against their longtime rival, including arguably the team's most famous victory: the history-making penalty-kick win in the 1999 World Cup final at the Rose Bowl.

That said, the teams haven't squared off since December 2023 — some six months before Hayes took the helm.

"We have new faces, we have experience, we have veterans, we have young players. I think we're a really amazing blend of all of the above," said midfielder Sam Coffey this week. "I think more than anything, the common denominator in everyone here is just a hunger to get better."

How to watch the USWNT vs. China PR friendly match

The USWNT kicks off against China PR at 5:30 PM ET on Saturday in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Live coverage of the match will air on TBS.

Friday's WNBA action promises to bring the heat, delivering a major homecoming for new LA star Kelsey Plum as well as strategic veteran moves and rookies looking to right the ship while newly revamped teams continue to gel.

In the wake of significant offseason movement, the 2025 WNBA season is all about striking a balance between developing young talent and leveraging seasoned stars as former franchise players take on very familiar opponents.

Veteran-heavy teams will shoot to manage workloads this weekend, as powerhouse squads juggle shifting lineups while those that trailed last year fight to rise up the WNBA standings.

Highlighting the Friday night slate are a trio of games, all airing on ION:

• No. 1 New York Liberty (5-0) vs. No. 7 Washington Mystics (3-3), 7:30 PM ET: The reigning champion Liberty managed to eke out an 82-77 win over 2025 expansion side Golden State without injured stars Jonquel Jones and Nyara Sabally on Thursday — but can they hold off a Mystics team punching above their weight behind standout rookie duo Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen?

• No. 10 Los Angeles Sparks (2-4) vs. No. 6 Las Vegas Aces (2-2), 10 PM ET: Sparks guard Kelsey Plum will face her former teammates for the first time on Friday, taking on a Las Vegas side searching for redemption after Seattle spoiled Aces guard Jewell Loyd's own homecoming in last weekend's WNBA action.

• No. 2 Minnesota Lynx (5-0) vs. No. 3 Phoenix Mercury (4-1), 10 PM ET: Two of the league's top performers will hit the court in Arizona, as perennial MVP candidates Napheesa Collier and Alyssa Thomas go head-to-head for the first time in 2025.

A few teams have already faced adversity this year, but even more have settled into the grind as the longest-ever WNBA season rolls into June.

WNBA legend Candace Parker is gearing up for a busy summer, as two of her former franchises — the Chicago Sky and LA Sparks — recently announced plans to retire her No. 3 jersey this year.

The Chicago Sky announced on Wednesday that they will raise Parker's jersey in the Wintrust Arena rafters in an August 25th ceremony, honoring the Chicagoland product who helped them win their first-ever WNBA championship in 2021.

"I never imagined one day my jersey would hang in the rafters of my hometown team," said Parker in a statement. "Coming home to Chicago and helping bring the city its first WNBA championship here — it was personal. I'm beyond grateful to the city, the fans, and everyone who's been part of my journey. Chicago raised me, and this will always be home."

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Also in on the action is Los Angeles, where Parker spent a 13-year stint that including earning her first league title in 2016. The Sparks previously stated in late March that they would retire Parker's jersey in a June 29th celebration — during LA's game against the Sky.

The Chicago ceremony also coincides with a game against another of Parker's squads: The Sky will face the Las Vegas Aces — the final team Parker led to a WNBA championship in 2023.

Parker is the first Chicago player to have her jersey number retired, as well as the Sparks' third behind Lisa Leslie and Penny Toler.

"Candace is the best all-around player that has ever played in the WNBA," said Sparks co-owner and NBA legend Magic Johnson.

With an impact that still radiates throughout the WNBA, fans and former teammates alike are jumping at the chance to pay their respects to Parker this summer.