The day has arrived. The 2021 WNBA season opens Friday night with a four-game slate, beginning with the Indiana Fever at the New York Liberty in Barclays Center.

We’ve brought you our preseason power rankings, the storylines we’ll be following and the five players with the most breakout potential this season.

Now, let’s get to the big reveal. What follows are our predictions for the WNBA season, from all of the top award recipients to playoff teams and the champion.

MVP: Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm)

It’s as simple as this: When Stewart is healthy, she wins. That’s come in the form of four NCAA championships at UConn, four NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player awards, two WNBA championships, two WNBA Finals MVPs and one WNBA MVP — all before she turns 27. So, as the Storm look to capitalize on this championship window, I’m not betting against her.

Runner-up: Jonquel Jones (Connecticut Sun)

Rookie of the Year: Charli Collier (Dallas Wings)

I had my doubts about Collier’s ability to transition quickly to the WNBA level after an inconsistent run through the NCAA Tournament with Texas. Take what you will from WNBA preseason, but Collier then posted a double-double in Dallas’ only exhibition game, and I think she’ll get enough opportunities with a young Wings team to make her mark early and often.

Runner-up: Aari McDonald (Atlanta Dream)

Defensive Player of the Year: Natasha Howard (New York Liberty)

Since Tina Charles’ departure, the Liberty have lacked an enforcer in the paint. I expect Howard, the winner of the DPOY award in 2019, to assume that role right away while playing more minutes for New York than she did for Seattle.

Runner-up: Candace Parker (Chicago Sky)

Sixth Woman of the Year: Dearica Hamby (Las Vegas Aces)

As long as Hamby is coming off the bench for the Aces, there is no one who can compete with her for this award, which she’s won the past two years. There’s a chance she enters the starting lineup with Angel McCoughtry sidelined for the season, but I think coach Bill Laimbeer likes the energy she brings as a reserve too much to mess with the system now.

Runner-up: Jordin Canada (Seattle Storm)

Most Improved Player: Ezi Magbegor (Seattle Storm)

I will admit, I originally had Diamond DeShields winning this one. But on second thought, I don’t think a former All-Star is really eligible for this award, even if she’s coming off a disappointing, injury-plagued 2020 season. That brings me to Magbegor, whose talent we’ve been talking about for years now. The 6-foot-4 center has drawn comparisons to fellow Australian Lauren Jackson and shown glimpses of star potential. I think this is the year she starts to put it all together.

Runner-up: Bridget Carleton (Minnesota Lynx)

Coach of the Year: Mike Thibault (Washington Mystics)

Thibault pulled the Mystics out of seeming oblivion last season to earn the final spot in the WNBA playoffs. Now, he’s entering this one without Alysha Clark and Emma Meesseman and with Elena Delle Donne not yet at full strength. I think Thibault works his magic again to get this team back into the playoffs and in a position to contend despite the adversity.

Runner-up: James Wade (Chicago Sky)

Playoff teams (seeded 1-8):

Las Vegas Aces
Seattle Storm
Minnesota Lynx
Connecticut Sun
Chicago Sky
Phoenix Mercury
Washington Mystics
Los Angeles Sparks

Championship: Las Vegas Aces over Seattle Storm

You wanted to see a new team in the Finals? Tough luck. While I think the Lynx, Sun or Sky have a chance at upsetting one of these teams in the semifinals, they don’t have the same level of depth and foundational chemistry as the Aces and Storm. So, bring on a 2020 Finals rematch. And this time, with Liz Cambage and Kelsey Plum back to support reigning MVP A’ja Wilson, the Aces come out on top.

No. 3-seed Texas A&M made history on Sunday, taking down the No. 1-seed Kentucky Wildcats 3-0 in the 2025 NCAA volleyball championship final to lift the Aggies' first-ever national volleyball trophy.

Down by as many as six points in the first frame, the Aggies had to save a Kentucky set point early before surging to a 26-24 opening win — with Texas A&M then finding their groove, never relinquishing the lead as they took the second set by a dominant 25-15 scoreline before easily closing out the sweep 25-20 in the third.

"I just said, 'It's going to take one or two points, start to get firing, they're going to be there,'" said third-year Texas A&M sideline leader and 2025 AVCA Coach of the Year Jamie Morrison.

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Senior opposite Logan Lednicky and sophomore outside hitter Kyndal Stowers again led the Aggies' attack with 11 and 10 kills, respectively, while senior middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla shut down the Wildcats at the net with four blocks — before her eighth kill of the night clinched the championship for A&M.

Following a whirlwind tournament that saw Texas A&M end the seasons of one No. 2 seed (Louisville) before ousting three straight No. 1 seeds (Nebraska, Pitt, and Kentucky), Sunday's unlikely victory saw the Aggies' claim just the second-ever NCAA volleyball title for the SEC — and shed their underdog status for good.

"It's a testament to the work we put in in the practice gym and just generally in all of our careers," Lednicky said afterwards. "It's been a long time coming for us, a lot of work put into this moment."

NWSL expansion team Boston Legacy FC has found a home, with the franchise announcing Friday that it plans to play the majority of the club's 2026 inaugural season at Foxborough's Gillette Stadium while moving some matches to Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Home to the NFL's New England Patriots, Gillette will also serve as a host site for the men's 2026 World Cup, pushing the Boston Legacy to relocate some conflicting summer clashes to Centreville Bank Stadium.

Located approximately 22 miles by car from Foxborough, Pawtucket's soccer-specific venue is home to second-flight USL Championship side Rhode Island FC.

"As we expand across two exceptional venues, we see this as an opportunity to connect with even more soccer fans across the region," said Boston Legacy president Jennifer van Dijk in Friday's club statement.

Meanwhile, the Legacy is still moving forward on a public-private partnership with Boston's White Stadium for the 2027 season and beyond, with the Franklin Park venue still undergoing renovations through the 2026 season.

How to attend the first-ever Boston Legacy FC match

With the club aiming to move into its state-of-the-art performance center prior to making its NWSL debut, Boston Legacy FC is also gearing up for its first-ever home opener, which will kick off inside Gillette Stadium at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, March 14th.

Though the expansion side's opening opponent — as well as the rest of the league's 2026 schedule — is still unknown, fans can be a part of NWSL history by snagging tickets to the club's first-ever match at BostonLegacyFC.com.

As Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball gears up for Season 2, broadcast partner TNT unveiled additional 2026 coverage plans last week while the offseason league crowned its team captains across the expanded field.

Unrivaled co-founders Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart will captain the Lunar Owls and Mist BC, respectively, while Season 1 veterans Jackie Young (Laces BC), Kahleah Copper (Rose BC), and Dearica Hamby (Vinyl BC) will also resume their boss roles next month.

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Earning first-time captain status for the 2026 campaign are three league newcomers, with Kelsey Plum helming Phantom BC while 2025 WNBA rookies Sonia Citron and Paige Bueckers lead incoming Unrivaled expansion teams Hive BC and Breeze BC, respectively.

Stocked with eight clubs and an extra night of weekly programming, TNT is doubling down on Unrivaled this winter, tapping three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker to lead the network's coverage in the hot seat.

Joining Parker will be fellow WNBA retiree and All-Star Renee Montgomery as well as host Lauren Jbara, with special appearances throughout the season by basketball legend Lisa Leslie.

Each week will now feature four nights of Unrivaled basketball, with TNT airing Friday and Monday games while truTV broadcasts the 3x3 league's action on Saturdays and Sundays.

How to watch Unrivaled Season 2

The second season of Unrivaled Basketball will tip off with all eight teams in action across a pair of doubleheaders — one in the afternoon and one in the evening — beginning at 1 PM ET on Monday, January 5th, with live coverage airing on truTV and TNT.

The Houston Rockets are reportedly shooting for the Sun, with sources telling ESPN last week that the NBA team's ownership group has entered "substantive" talks with the Mohegan Tribe to buy and relocate the WNBA franchise from Connecticut.

Calling the discussions "positive," a source told ESPN that Houston apparently improved upon the $250 million bid put forth by the WNBA to purchase the Connecticut Sun back in August.

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However, as neither party has signed a formal agreement, the Sun's longterm future remains uncertain.

The Mohegan Tribe began exploring the sale in 2024, with Houston emerging as a possible landing place after the WNBA reportedly blocked the Sun's $325 million sale to former Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca — with the league preferring to find a buyer with past expansion team experience.

The Sun also fielded a bid from the State of Connecticut to keep the team in the area, though ESPN reported last week that those talks have slowed.

Notably, Houston boasts deep WNBA roots as one of the league's founding markets, with the Texas city serving as home to the four-time champion Comets from 1997 to 2008.

Of course, the league's current CBA negotiations are further complicating any transaction — especially after the WNBPA voted last Thursday to approve a potential strike.