Sports
Top WNBA Players To Look Out For This 2024 Season – Forbes
WNBA Basketball: Indiana Fever Caitlin Clark (22) in action, handles the ball vs Las Vegas Aces … [+]
The WNBA is a league of 12 all-star teams, each with a consistent lineup of superstar talent. The WNBA remains the most difficult North American professional sports league, men’s or women’s, to earn a roster spot within. There are roughly 16,500 NCAA women’s basketball players, with over 3,500 collegiate players becoming draft eligible each year. With only 36 draft picks in 2024, only 0.8% of collegiate women’s basketball players will go pro.
To make earning a WNBA contract even more daunting, with only 144 total roster sports across the entire league, not every draft pick will make a team’s roster as most spots are filled by returning players. In 2023, only 15 of the 36 draft picks made opening-day rosters. In 2024, only 13 of the 36 draft picks made opening-day rosters. In a league full of so many potential MVP’s, here is a breakdown of some of the top veteran and rookie WNBA players you should be following this season.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 14: A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces drives to the basket ahead of … [+]
Team: Las Vegas Aces
Position: Center
Experience: 6 years
2024 season stats: 27.8 PPG, 52.4 FG%, 85.7 FT%, 11.6 REB
Season highlights: leads the top ten scorers with both the highest field goal percentage and average rebounds per game.
Why A’ja Wilson is a player to look out for this year: The raining 2023 WNBA Finals MVP is averaging 4.9 ppg. more than her 2023 campaign. Through 12 games, Wilson has already scored more total points than any player in WNBA history at this point in the season. She’s an exciting player we can score at ease, having scored a WNBA record-tying 53 points on 16 of 23 from the field and 20 for 21 from the free throw line in a 2023 game. These 53 points tied Liz Cambage for the most points in a WNBA game.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – MAY 15: Arike Ogunbowale #24 of the Dallas Wings shoots the ball against the … [+]
Team: Dallas Wings
Position: Guard
Experience: 5 years
2024 season stats: 23.9 PPG, 91.6 FT%, 4.7 REB, 4.8 AST
Season highlights: second in the league in scoring, and leads the top 25 scorers with the highest free throw percentage per game.
Why Arike Ogunbowale is a player to look out for this year: though currently dealing with a sore achilles, Ogunbowale is consistently a clutch shooter, hitting multiple game-winning buzzer beating shots as a college player, and securing the Dallas win over Clark and the Indiana Fever last month with a late game 3-pointer. Ogunbowale is one of the most exciting shooters in the league.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 21: Kahleah Copper #2 of the Phoenix Mercury shoots a layup ahead of Alysha … [+]
Team: Phoenix Mercury
Position: Guard-Forward
Experience: 8 years
2024 season stats: 22.6 PPG, 43.3 FG%, 80.2 FT%, 4.4 REB
Season highlights: the third leading scorer in the league while averaging the fewest average minutes per game compared across the top ten scorers.
Why Kahleah Copper is a player to look out for this year: Copper is a fast-paced, exciting scorer. She had one of the most dynamic fourth quarter’s of the 2024 season thus far this season against the Minnesota Lynx. With the Mercury trailing by six points with 1:10 left in the game, Copper scored 10 points in the final 70 seconds of action.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 11: Nneka Ogwumike #3 of the Seattle Storm shoots against the Los Angeles … [+]
Team: Seattle Storm
Position: Forward
Experience: 12 years
2024 season stats: 17.7 PPG, 55.7 FG%, 80.6 FT%, 7.3 REB
Season highlights: scored a season-high 26 points in a win against her former team, the LA Sparks.
Why Nneka Ogwumike is a player to look out for this year: Ogwumike, the 2012 number 1 draft pick, is growing the women’s game both on and off the court. The WNBPA president is currently enjoying one of her best seasons yet at the age of 33. Currently, she boasts the second highest field goal percentage of the top 25 scorers.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JUNE 18: Jonquel Jones #35 of the New York Liberty lays up a shot ahead of … [+]
Team: New York Liberty
Position: Center
Experience: 7 years
2024 season stats: 16.8 PPG, 59 FG%, 81.3 FT%, 8.8 REB
Season highlights: Jones is shooting 44% from three this season.
Why Jonquel Jones is a player to look out for this year: Jones is a highly efficient scorer, from everywhere on the court. She leads the top-50 scorers with the highest field goal percentage, and is shooting the 3 at a better clip as a center, than most guards in the league.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JUNE 16: Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky fouls Caitlin Clark #22 of the … [+]
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – MAY 15: Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky drives to the basket against the Dallas … [+]
Team: Chicago Sky
Position: Forward
Experience: Rookie
2024 season stats: 13.2 PPG, 40.6 FG%, 11.1 REB, 76.2 FT%
Season highlights: Reese is averaging a double-double (points and rebounds) per game during her rookie season.
Why Angel Reese is a player to look out for this year: following a career-high 18 rebounds in a win against the Dallas Wings on June 21, Reese became the first rookie in the history of the WNBA to record seven consecutive double-doubles. She added another during the Sky’s June 23 win over the Indiana Fever as Reese recored a career-high 25 points and added 16 rebounds.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 24: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever shoots the ball during the … [+]
Team: Indiana Fever
Position: Guard
Experience: Rookie
2024 season stats: 16.3 PPG, 39.9 FG%, 88.9 FT%, 6.6 AST
Season highlights: recorded a franchise-record 13 assists in a loss to the Chicago Sky on June 23.
Why Caitlin Clark is a player to look out for this year: the all-time leading NCAA scorer, Clark may be one of the most exciting 3-point shot takers the NCAA has ever seen (although Arike Ogunbowale may feel differently). Clark tied the WNBA rookie record for 3-pointers in a game back on June 7.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 07: Rickea Jackson #2 of the Los Angeles Sparks takes a shot against … [+]
Team: Los Angeles Sparks
Position: Forward
Experience: Rookie
2024 season stats: 9.8 PPG, 46.3 FG%, 79.1 FT%, 3.3 REB
Season highlights: recorded her first career double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) in a loss to Minneapolis on June 14.
Why Rickea Jackson is a player to look out for this year: Jackson is averaging the most points per minutes played of the top 5 rookie scorers this season. With Sparks rookie Cameron Brink out for the season with an ACL tear, Jackson will see her role increase as the season progresses.
COLLEGE PARK, GA MAY 21: Dallas guard Jacy Sheldon (4) drives to the basket during the WNBA game … [+]
Team: Dallas Wings
Position: Guard
Experience: Rookie
2024 season stats: 4.4 PPG, 40.0 FG%, 100 FT%
Season highlights: recorded a career-high 16 points, including a career-high four 3-pointers, and grabbed a career-high five rebounds in a loss to the Mystics on June 22.
Why Jacy Sheldon is a player to look out for this year: despite a slow start to the season, the number 5 pick in the 2024 draft is starting to see her playing time increase as the season progresses. Dallas has been struggling as of late, giving Sheldon a chance in the starting lineup and a season high 36 minutes of playing time against the Mystics. Expect many more exciting games from this rookie.
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