The WNBA's 26th season begins this weekend with hearts and minds on one player who won't be in uniform: Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February. The Mercury and the league will keep her situation in the public eye, but Phoenix also has to figure out how to adjust without one of the franchise's mainstays since 2013. And the Mercury will need to do that under a new coach in Vanessa Nygaard.
Some players, such as Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles and Seattle Storm guard Briann January, have announced this will be their final WNBA season, while that also might be the case for Storm guard Sue Bird.