In an offseason that was defined by teams losing key players left and right, perhaps no two franchises were affected as much as the Seattle Storm and Minnesota Lynx. 

The defending champion Storm lost the reigning regular season and Finals MVP, Breanna Stewart, to a torn Achilles tendon just a few weeks before the season was set to begin. Then, a few days before the season, the team announced veteran point guard Sue Bird will miss most of the campaign as well due to knee surgery. 

As for the Lynx, they lost their longtime veteran point guard, Lindsay Whalen, to retirement, but they were at least prepared for that loss. What they weren't ready for was their own former MVP missing the entire season, but Maya Moore announced in the offseason that she was sitting out for personal reasons. 

Now, two of the league's premier franchises will have to adjust. They each got off to a great start, though, with the Storm taking down the Phoenix Mercury, and the Lynx cruising past the Chicago Sky in their respective opening games. On Wednesday night, they'll meet in Minnesota to try and continue their undefeated ways. 

How to watch Seattle Storm at Minnesota Lynx

Storylines

Storm: The Storm swept the Washington Mystics in the Finals last season, and with every key player set to return, many expected them to win it all once again. That all changed when Breanna Stewart was lost for the season due to a torn Achilles suffered while playing overseas, and their outlook was further hampered with the news of Sue Bird's upcoming knee surgery. But on opening weekend they made a statement with their win over the Mercury -- a popular pick to win it all this season -- that they aren't going to be a pushover this season. Jewell Loyd and Natasha Howard are still healthy and looking like a strong 1-2 punch, while second-year point guard Jordin Canada looked more than ready to take on a bigger role in Bird's absence. 

Lynx: The Lynx are without one of the WNBA's all-time great players in Maya Moore this season, but another former UConn Huskies star looks ready to take her place. Minnesota's first-round pick, Napheesa Collier, was fantastic in their season opener, pouring in 27 points on 8-of-10 shooting, while also grabbing six rebounds and blocking three shots in 33 minutes. She's a rookie, and will have her struggles throughout the season, but it looks like the Lynx may have gotten the steal of the draft. Aside from Collier, the Lynx showed that they, too, might not struggle as much as some expected with the loss of Whalen and Moore. The Storm will be a much tougher test for them than the Sky were, however. 

Game prediction, pick

Both teams looked much better than expected in their first games, and showed signs that they will remain competitive even without their stars. This seems like a pretty even matchup on paper between two potential playoff teams who aren't quite contenders. The Storm have more top-end talent, though, so I'll take them to win a close one on the road. 

Pick: Storm 75, Lynx 70