Two games in, it’s clear the Liberty are big winners. The rest of the league, not so much.

Chicago; Thursday, 7 p.m. CDT BOTTOM LINE: New York Liberty takes on the Chicago Sky after Breanna Stewart scored 25 points in the Liberty’s 92-78 victory against the Las Vegas Aces. Chicago finished 13-27 overall and 5-15 in Eastern Conference games last season.

Vandersloot made her Chicago homecoming this season after signing with the Sky as a free agent. Her return was a welcome move on both sides. The Sky needed Vandersloot as much as she craved comfort. Vandersloot was coming off a challenging season with the Liberty that came to a bittersweet end.

There will be plenty of stars on display on both sides. Caitlin Clark picked up where she left off from her Rookie of the Year campaign in 2024 — making WNBA history while averaging 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 9 assists through the Fever's first three contests.

The Chicago Sky are one of the most popular teams in the WNBA because of emerging stars like Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. They added to their star power by drafting TCU guard Hailey Van Lith in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

CHICAGO — The Liberty have looked the part of defending champions through the first week of action. New York beat the Aces by 14 points in its season opener Saturday before throttling the Sky by 25 points Thursday in Chicago. Saturday, though, may provide the Liberty (2-0) their toughest test yet.