WNBA’s offseason revolution reshuffled the league, and several players are savoring their fresh starts
The uncertain offseason that both reset and reshuffled the WNBA gave a large group of players fresh starts and new opportunities.
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Jessica Sheppard was one of them.
A second-round draft pick in 2019, Sheppard spent the first six years of her career with the Lynx, one of the league’s premier franchises — but also a difficult place for a young player to carve out a larger role.
She appeared in just six games before an ACL injury ended her rookie season and sidelined her for all of her second year.
When she returned, she settled into a reserve role on a perennial contender. Even after finishing third in Sixth Player of the Year voting last season, that role appeared to be her ceiling.
“Obviously, my time in Minnesota was full of a lot of ups and downs, and obviously a lot of different roles,” Sheppard said. “There were stints last season where Napheesa [Collier] was out that I was able to showcase what I was able to do, but part of it is just playing more.”
Sheppard signed a two-year deal with the Wings in the offseason, and it represented more than a change of scenery. It was a chance to fully showcase her game.
With a larger role, she’s been a major reason Dallas has improved from a 10-win team a year ago to 16-8 and fifth place in the West.
Sheppard is averaging career-highs of 15.0 points, trailing only Paige Bueckers on the Wings, and a team-leading 11.6 rebounds.
She hinted at that potential last season with a 22-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against Indiana. This season, she’s turned it into a regular occurrence.
Her 22-12-11 performance against New York on July 7 was her third triple-double of the season. Before this year, only five WNBA players had recorded more than three triple-doubles in their careers.
“When I came here in the offseason, just talking with the players that I knew were coming back, talking with ownership from top to bottom, talking with [general manager] Curt [Miller] and the coaches, I knew this was the vision,” Sheppard said. “We knew this doesn’t happen overnight. We’re still working every single day just to be a better team.”
Across the league, other players have enjoyed similar fresh starts.
Brittney Sykes is on her third team in the past calendar year. She started 2025 in Washington before being traded to Seattle, where she averaged 20.1 points over the final 14 games and helped the Storm reach the playoffs.
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The expansion Tempo signed her to a two-year deal in the offseason, pairing her with Marina Mabrey to create the league’s first multimillion-dollar backcourt.
“It’s just interesting because you see all these mock-ups on the internet, on social. They had all the players, ‘This person’s going to get the milli … This person’s going to get the milli.’ Then, pew, pew — we pop up,” Sykes said. “And everybody’s like, ‘Wait, they’re getting the milli?’ And it’s like, yeah, why not? If you look at our track record, I believe that we were deserving. Toronto took a chance on us and they saw us for what we were.”
She’s continued to deliver, averaging 20.1 points while helping keep the Tempo in the playoff race.
Natisha Hiedeman didn’t average more than 9.1 points over her first seven WNBA seasons. She’s become the Storm’s primary scorer, averaging 16.2 per game.
French point guard Carla Leite played 37 games for Golden State last season, starting six while backing up Veronica Burton. Portland selected her in the expansion draft, and she’s quickly become the Fire’s offensive engine, averaging 15.1 points and 5.8 assists.
For Sheppard, the biggest difference has been the confidence her new team has shown in her.
“I really just think the team’s belief in me as well as the coaching staff and their belief in me,” she said. “When you’re playing alongside great players, they help you be great.”
Who’s hooping
Janelle Salaun, Valkyries: The league’s leading bench scorer at 13 points per game, the second-year forward poured in a career-high 26 off the bench in Golden State’s 83-75 win over Toronto. It was the second-highest scoring game by a reserve in regulation this season.
Aliyah Boston, Fever: Boston posted double-doubles in back-to-back blowout wins over the Aces. She finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds in an 84-68 win on July 5, then followed with 19 and 11 five days later.
Appointment viewing
Liberty at Fever, Saturday: After starting the season 12-6, the Liberty are trying to halt a midseason slide. They’ve lost seven of their last nine and fallen from second in the standings to seventh. The Fever, meanwhile, are on a five-game win streak.
Mystics at Valkyries, Saturday: The Valkyries have won seven straight and are 5-0 all-time against Washington. Burton has averaged 16.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in those five meetings.
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