Two weeks in. One major injury. And a league that keeps delivering.
The 2026 WNBA season is off to a compelling start: quality play, packed arenas, and storylines already developing across the league. Then Sunday happened, and the week ended on a difficult note for one of the sport's brightest young stars.
The Biggest Story: Rickea Jackson Is Done for the Season
Chicago Sky forward Rickea Jackson tore her ACL in Sunday's win at Minnesota and will miss the rest of the 2026 season. She was averaging 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks through the Sky's opening road trip, playing at what the team itself described as an All-Star and All-Defensive level. She was primed for a career year. That is over now.
The timing makes it worse. The Sky had come into the season with a revamped roster and quickly established themselves as one of the league's most impressive teams, posting the best defensive rating in the league through their first four games. They were 3-1, they were playing with an edge, and Jackson was one of the biggest reasons why.
Losing her does not end Chicago's season. But it changes it significantly. The Sky now have to find out if they can sustain what they built without one of their best two-way players. That is a hard question, and the answers will come quickly.
Player Spotlight: Angel Reese Is Already a Dream
The Angel Reese trade was one of the most talked-about moves of the WNBA offseason. The Sky sent her to Atlanta in April in exchange for two first-round picks, 2027 and 2028, and the early returns suggest the Dream got a steal.
Reese is averaging 14.0 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. Double-double numbers, right out of the gate, in a new city with a new system. She led the WNBA in rebounding in both of her first two seasons, and she has picked up exactly where she left off.
What makes Reese interesting in Atlanta is the fit. The Dream have been building toward something, and a dominant rebounder who makes her presence felt on both ends of the floor is exactly the kind of foundational piece a growing contender needs. She did not need a long adjustment period. She just started playing.
The trade was voted among the most surprising offseason moves by WNBA general managers in their annual survey. A few weeks in, it is looking less surprising by the day.
Clark Watch: 25.7 Points, 9.7 Assists
Caitlin Clark is picking up where 2024 left off, averaging 25.7 points and 9.7 assists through her first three games of the season. Those are not just good numbers for a guard. Those are headline numbers. The Indiana Fever came into 2026 with legitimate playoff expectations, and Clark is doing nothing to temper those.
The one concern worth noting is center Aliyah Boston, who missed a game this week with a lower leg injury. Boston is important to how the Fever operate around Clark. Her screening, positioning, and interior presence create the space that makes Clark's offense work. Her availability going forward is worth monitoring.
Expansion Watch: Toronto and Portland Are Competing
Two weeks in, both expansion teams are making this interesting. The Toronto Tempo went 2-1 last week, beating Seattle and splitting a two-game series in Los Angeles. For a first-year franchise in a new market, competing at that level against established teams is a meaningful early indicator.
The Portland Fire pulled off an upset win over the New York Liberty early in the season and are already proving they will not be an automatic out. The Liberty are one of the league's elite teams, and knocking them off in the opening weeks is not something you can dismiss. Portland's Moda Center sellout on opening night gave the franchise immediate energy, and it is already clear there is something there worth building on.
Around the League
A few other things worth noting from the week:
- Kelsey Plum is leading the WNBA in scoring at 26.8 points per game. She is playing at a level that deserves more national attention than it is currently getting.
- Phoenix rookie Jovana Nogic is averaging 16 points and shooting 65 percent from three. That kind of efficiency from a rookie is genuinely surprising and worth watching.
- The Washington Mystics showed two completely different teams in the same week: a 104-102 overtime win over Indiana on Friday, then a 92-69 blowout loss at Dallas on Monday. Figure out which one is real and you might have something.
- The Dallas Wings are off to a strong start and showing up in power rankings as one of the league's early risers.
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