WNBA teams look to spark chemistry
Camps a chance to set right tone
The New York Liberty know how tough it is to put together a talented roster, have players jell in their first year together and win a title.
They fell just short last year, losing to the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Finals.
As training camp opens, New York's starting five from last season is healthy and practising. That wasn't the case a year ago.
“We know what happened last year and the fact we didn't achieve our goal will motivate us, but it's not what we're thinking about the entire season,” Breanna Stewart said. “I'm really excited to get things going with a new and old group and build the chemistry. Now most of us have a year under our belt, what are we going to do bigger on and off the court?”
Sabrina Ionescu already sees a change in the team after the first day of practice.
“I know at this time last year I was meeting Courtney (Vandersloot) as a teammate for the first time,” she said. “Having one year under our belt, training camp feels different. We've been able to grow so much as a group and having a returning starting five helps so much that we're building from last year.”
Chemistry is key when it comes to winning a title.
The Aces have won two straight titles with their core of A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray.
The team enjoys spending time together on and off the court and have a real camaraderie.
“I know a lot of people may get annoyed by us or maybe say we're fake or we're doing this for cameras,” Wilson said last year during the finals. “But, no, that's really us. The biggest thing is our joy, how we play and how much fun we have.”
Las Vegas did lose a piece of their championship group when Candace Parker announced her retirement on Sunday.
Seattle has welcomed a couple of major additions to the Storm during camp.
Nneka Ogwumike is getting a fresh start in Seattle after signing as a free agent. Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, who also signed as a free agent, will pair with Jewell Loyd in hopes of leading the team back to the playoffs and potentially be championship contenders.