As soon as Breanna Stewart announced her intention to sign with the New York Liberty, a new era began in the WNBA: The era of superteams.

Stewart joins Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney in New York. And so will fellow free agent Courtney Vandersloot, who followed Stewart’s lead.

But the Liberty aren’t the only stacked roster that emerged during free agency. Earlier in the week, Candace Parker decided to sign with the Las Vegas Aces, joining A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. It’s hard to believe the Aces, who are fresh off their first title, could be even better than they were last season, yet here we are.

Barring any blockbuster trades or unexpected signings, expect 2023 to be the season of New York and Las Vegas.

The Liberty boast two former MVPs in Stewart and Jones, a former most improved player and All-Star in Laney, and of course Ionescu, who is coming off her first All-WNBA team appearance and her first All-Star appearance.

As for the Aces, they’ve got two former MVPs as well in Wilson and Parker, two All-Stars in Plum and Young, and last season’s Finals MVP in Gray.

On paper, these teams seem unstoppable. In real life, we will have to wait and see. But while we do, let’s break down each roster.

New York Liberty

Biggest Strength

The one-two punch of Stewart and Jones makes the Liberty an extremely tough matchup. Both players are versatile to the point of being essentially positionless, which makes them extremely tough to defend.

Both can score in the paint, from the outside and in the midrange on offense, and both are capable of creating for themselves and others. They also will be surrounded by excellent passers in Ionescu and Marine Johannès, which should lead to a creative, multi-dimensional offense.

Potential Weakness

Weaknesses for both these teams are hard to find because both are essentially All-Star teams. (Six of the 10 All-WNBA team selections from 2022 are evenly split between these rosters.)

Still, prior to the signing of Vandersloot, the Liberty needed a true point guard. Now they have one, rounding out a lethal starting five, and an excellent sixth player in Johannès. But this brings us to a potential issue for New York: depth. The team will need at least one scorer off the bench in order to compliment the first unit. If the Liberty can find that, then they become even more terrifying.

X-Factor

Laney missed a big chunk of last season after meniscus surgery, but when she was fully healthy in 2021, the forward had the best season of her career, averaging 16.8 points, 5.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds and earning her first All-Star appearance.

In 2023, opponents will plan their defenses around Stewart, Jones and Ionescu, leaving Laney the opportunity to make a massive impact.

These potential starting lineups are STACKED 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/V9sXPthsou

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) February 2, 2023

Las Vegas Aces

Biggest Strength

With a starting lineup of Parker, Wilson, Gray, Plum and Young, the Aces have a variety of different scoring options, all with their own strengths. They have a true post in Wilson, a versatile scorer in Parker, big-time shot makers in Plum and Young, and a guard with the ability to create and score on contested looks in Gray.

Everyone brings something different to the table. If one facet of the offense isn’t working, Las Vegas simply will shift to a new strategy. And if that doesn’t work, the Aces will have yet more options.

Potential Weakness

For the Aces, their biggest strength has the potential to become their biggest weakness as well. With so many talented players, continuity comes into question. How will these players feed off each other — and most importantly, when the Aces need a basket, who is their go-to option?

The answer could be Wilson, Parker, Gray, or Plum, and if Las Vegas isn’t on the same page about that, then fractures could surface in late-game situations. That being said, having too much talent to choose from is a problem any team would want.

X-Factor

Last season, the Aces had the strongest starting five in the WNBA, but there were questions about their bench. In the end, when they needed someone to step up, Riquna Williams provided an unexpected spark.

Next season, the bench could be just as important, and coach Becky Hammon already has taken steps to make it stronger. The Aces signed an elite defender in Alysha Clark, who brings a veteran presence to a bench unit that is likely to be relatively young. Kierstan Bell, Aisha Sheppard and Iliana Rupert are all players early in their careers who could make an impact off the bench for Las Vegas.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.