Liberty Roll as Stewart Sets Early Pace

Breanna Stewart opened the WNBA season by putting the rest of the league on notice.

New York’s dominant win gave opening night its clearest early message: the Liberty look ready to start fast, and Stewart already looks locked into the center of the title and MVP conversation. Reports from the weekend point to a sharp, forceful performance that set the tone on both ends of the floor, with New York controlling the game rather than simply surviving the first-night chaos that often marks a season opener.

Stewart did more than lead a win — she framed the season’s first big argument about who will define it.

Elsewhere, the opening weekend produced another standout signal in Washington, where Sonia Citron made a statement for the Mystics. Early-season performances can mislead, but they still matter, especially when a player uses the spotlight to force her way into the broader league conversation. Citron’s showing added another layer to a weekend that did not belong only to the usual contenders.

The weekend also underscored the league’s widening talent base, with Canada showing out as multiple storylines emerged beyond the marquee result. That matters because opening weekend does more than hand out wins and losses — it establishes which teams look organized, which stars already have rhythm, and which new names demand attention before the schedule settles into routine.

Now the question shifts from first impressions to staying power. New York will try to prove that its opening-night authority can hold over the long grind of the season, while players like Citron will look to turn a strong debut statement into something bigger. It is only the start, but the first weekend already clarified what matters: the Liberty carry weight, Stewart has momentum, and the chase has begun.