BIG NAMES MISSING

WNBA begins season with some marquee players sidelined.

Months before WNBA players returned from overseas competition and training camps got underway, an announcement shook the league.

Maya Moore was going to sit out the WNBA season to pursue goals outside of basketball, including ministry. The realization quickly set in that the league would be without one of its legends, but it was only the beginning. In the next three months, WNBA stars would start to fall one after another.

After Moore came MVP Breanna Stewart, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, then Diana Taurasi had back surgery that will make her miss 10-12 weeks. Soon after, Candace Parker suffered a left hamstring injury that will sideline her two to four weeks. Just days ago it was announced Sue Bird is out indefinitely with a knee injury.

Five of the WNBA’s most notable stars are on the sidelines for part of, or the entire, season. They’re some of the most recognizable faces who often draw big crowds and are displayed in many of the league’s and their respective team’s ads. It would be easy to look at the amount of talent that won’t be playing in every single game this year and worry about what it means for the WNBA, but coaches and players are trying to keep a positive outlook.

“It’s going to be interesting early,” Connecticut Sun coach and general manager Curt Miller said. “Fortunately our league will get some of those elite players back, but you’re going to find out quickly that there are fantastic women in this league that are going to step up. It’s an opportunity for some other people to