Griner's return, Las Vegas and New York super teams among key WNBA storylines

Expectations and intrigue surround the WNBA as the league tips off its 27th season this weekend.

There are super teams in Las Vegas and New York loaded with star power and championship aspirations. Brittney Griner is set to make her long-awaited return to the league after missing last season while detained in a Russian jail on drug-related charges before the saga ended with a prisoner swap in December.

On Friday night, Griner makes her 2023 WNBA season debut when the Los Angeles Sparks host the Phoenix Mercury at 11 p.m. ET. On Sunday, Griner plays her first regular-season home game since her release when the Mercury face the Chicago Sky at 4 p.m. ET.

But those teams were built mostly through the draft. Las Vegas and New York are using free agency to step into the spotlight.

The defending champion Las Vegas Aces signed former MVP Candace Parker. She joins a Las Vegas team led by MVP A'ja Wilson and all-stars Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray.

Wilson is the preseason AP player of the year, selected by a national voting panel. Aliyah Boston, the top pick in the WNBA draft by Indiana, is the choice for rookie of the year.

Las Vegas is a slight favourite over New York to repeat as champions, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Aces and New York are also in the preseason AP WNBA power poll. Washington, Connecticut and Phoenix round out the top five teams. Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago and Minnesota follow, while Los Angeles, Seattle and Indiana finish off the poll.

The last time a team repeated as WNBA champions was in 2001-02, when the Sparks won consecutive titles to end the Comets' four-year run.

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Standing in Las Vegas' way could be the Liberty, who are looking for their first