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The WNBA offseason is an eternity when compared to most professional sports leagues. That was true yet again this winter, even with an expansion draft, a wild free agency period and Unrivaled entering the mix. 

But finally, for the first time since Oct. 20, 2024, there were meaningful WNBA games to watch this weekend. And what a start to the season it was. Here's a quick rundown of some of the highlights:

If the first few days were any indication, we're in for another thrilling summer. Ahead of the first full week of games, here's CBS Sports' latest WNBA Power Rankings:

WNBA Power Rankings
1
Liberty
The reigning champions picked up where they left off with a fairly comfortable win over the Aces. New arrival Natasha Cloud made an immediate impact in her first game in New York, and showed why the Liberty gave up two first-round picks to acquire her. Though more known for her defense, she had 22 points and nine assists in her debut, including two clutch and-ones in the fourth quarter.
2
Lynx
Two road games, two comfortable wins for the Lynx, who look like they might be able to surpass the franchise-record 30 wins they set last season. Napheesa Collier has been as advertised and they have an astounding 78.3% assist rate thus far. Jessica Shepard's return, which flew under the radar in the offseason, has also been a big boost. She's averaging 13 points, nine rebounds and three assists on 76.9% shooting.
3
Fever
Caitlin Clark recorded a triple-double, DeWanna Bonner moved into third place on the league's all-time scoring list and the Fever cruised to a 35-point win over the Sky in front of a sold-out crowd at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday. Bonner called it a "perfect" opening day, and it's hard to argue with that assessment. The Fever's major offseason moves look like they're going to pay off.
4
Aces
Reigning MVP A'ja Wilson picked up right where she left off, but Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd combined for 33 points on 11 of 42 from the field in the Aces' season-opening loss to the Liberty. It goes without saying that they will need more from that trio moving forward, especially considering that their depth is arguably even worse than it was last season.
5
Mercury
Hours before tip off of their season opener, the Mercury announced four-time All-Star Kahleah Copper would be out for four-to-six weeks after undergoing knee surgery. That's a major blow for such a top-heavy team, but if Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally keep playing as well as they did in their big win over the Storm -- a combined 47 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists -- the Mercury will be able to withstand it.
6
Mystics
The Mystics didn't get their second win until mid-June last season. It took them two games to reach that mark this season after pulling off double-digit comebacks against the Dream and Sun on opening weekend. Lottery picks Sonia Citron (17 points on 64.7% shooting) and Kiki Iriafen (15.5 points and nine rebounds on 55% shooting) have had no trouble adjusting to the professional level.
7
Storm
The Storm had the most disappointing opening weekend, especially relative to expectations, with a 22-point loss to a Kahleah Copper-less Mercury team. After shooting a league-worst 28.8% from 3-point range last season, the Storm made a few offseason moves to try and boost their shooting and spacing. The initial return was not promising, as they shot 3 of 17 from downtown in their opener.
8
Dream
Karl Smesko didn't take long to put his stamp on the Dream. In his first game, they set a new franchise record for 3-point attempts with 36. But while the offense certainly looks more dynamic, they got shredded on the other end by a Mystics team no one expected to be very good this season. Most notably, they gave up 31 free throw attempts as they blew a double-digit lead.
9
Sparks
Opening weekend was a mixed bag for the Sparks. Kelsey Plum put up 37 points in a historic debut in their win over the Valkyries, but they also lost Rae Burrell to a knee injury in that game. Then, in their loss to the Lynx, Rickea Jackson left early with an apparent face injury. With Burrell set to miss six-to-eight weeks, depth will be a real concern for the Sparks, who only went seven deep on Sunday.
10
Wings
No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers had a somewhat underwhelming start to her career: 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists on 3 of 10 shooting in a 15-point loss to the Lynx. While things will eventually get better for Bueckers, the same may not be true for Teaira McCowan. The veteran center played less than five minutes and walked off the court by herself instead of participating in the team's postgame huddle.
11
Sky
The Sky's first game of this new era could not have gone any worse. They shot under 30% from the floor, turned the ball over 17 times and Angel Reese was on the receiving end of a flagrant foul from Caitlin Clark in their 35-point loss. You can't overreact to one game in such difficult circumstances, but even after a busy offseason, real questions remain about the Sky's offense.
12
Sun
Marina Mabrey, Tina Charles, Lindsay Allen, Haley Peters and Bria Hartley combined for 51 of the Sun's 66 field goal attempts in their loss to the Mystics. That was in part due to the absence of first-round picks Aneesah Morrow (knee) and Saniya Rivers (personal reasons), but it will be interesting to see if Connecticut's surprisingly big group of veterans continues to dominate the ball as the season goes along.
13
Valkyries
The Valkyries' inaugural game was a huge moment for the franchise and the league, and there was an incredible atmosphere inside the sold-out Chase Center. All that was missing was a win. As expected, offense is going to be an issue for the Valkyries this season. In their opener they managed just 67 points, shot 36.5% from the field and turned the ball over 20 times.