5 WNBA gamers who’ve leveled as much as begin the 2024 season

This WNBA season has began with a ton of pleasure, nice competitors, and quite a lot of new faces within the league. And whereas this 12 months’s much-hyped class of rookies are displaying out of their first skilled season, the league’s veterans are popping out robust as properly.

With solely 144 obtainable roster spots presently within the WNBA, it’s one of many hardest leagues to discover a place in. That simply means each participant is extraordinarily elite, and the competitors to stay round is fierce.

With that context in thoughts, a number of gamers have come out of the gates in 2024 prepared to indicate the league and the followers who they’re, and additional safe their place within the W hierarchy. They’ve led their groups, supplied some show-stopping performances, and are available again this 12 months higher than ever.

Let’s check out 5 of probably the most spectacular, and the particular enhancements they’ve made.

Napheesa Collier — Minnesota Lynx

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Napheesa Collier has been probably the greatest gamers within the league for years, however she’s actually beginning to come into her personal as a SUPERstar. She was drafted sixth total by the Minnesota Lynx in 2019, and has thrived in her time as a professional.

The Lynx have been in an period of transition over the previous few years — in 2022, legendary chief Sylvia Fowles introduced her retirement, altering the dynamic of the workforce. They didn’t make the playoffs that 12 months, and struggled to piece collectively their roster as they entered a brand new period.

Collier herself missed many of the 2022 season after giving delivery to her daughter. When she got here again in 2023, it appeared like she had taken a HUGE leap in talent regardless of not likely taking part in within the WNBA for a 12 months and a half. Whereas the workforce was nonetheless experiencing rising pains, the long run was clear — construct round Collier.

She averaged 21.5 factors per sport (PPG), 8.5 rebounds per sport (RPG), and a couple of.5 assists per sport (APG) within the 2023 season whereas taking pictures 48.5% from the sphere.

This season, she’s come out of the gates as an early frontrunner for the league’s MVP award. The Lynx have impressed early on, profitable 4 of their first 5 common season video games, and Napheesa has confirmed out in all of them. She scored 31 factors within the workforce’s solely loss — a one-point additional time defeat to the Connecticut Solar.

Whereas Collier has all the time been gifted, it’s her management that has blossomed in latest seasons. Possibly that’s as a result of she’s a mother now, or possibly she’s simply transitioning seamlessly from gifted younger star to the centerpiece of a franchise. Regardless of the precise trigger, Collier is taking part in a few of her finest basketball up to now, and doesn’t seem like slowing down any time quickly.

Greatest Enchancment: Turning into the workforce’s x-factor, reworking right into a seasoned vet.

Kahleah Copper — Phoenix Mercury

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Kahleah Copper shocked the ladies’s basketball world by requesting a commerce from the Chicago Sky after the 2023 season. The 2021 Champions and Finals MVP left the franchise after a season of chaos for the Sky, and headed to the Phoenix Mercury — the workforce the Sky beat for the Championship in 2021.

However typically the grass IS greener on the opposite aspect, as a result of Copper is completely hooping to kick off the season. The Mercury gained three of their first 5 video games to start out the 2024 season, and Copper scored 30+ factors in three of these 5.

The workforce’s greatest success of the season up to now? Profitable a sport towards the reigning back-to-back champion Las Vegas Aces. Copper scored 37 factors to go along with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in that win.

Copper is clearly climbing the MVP ladder extra with every passing sport, and is the largest cause why the Phoenix Mercury have appeared nice to start out the season regardless of lacking star middle Brittney Griner as a consequence of damage.

Greatest Enchancment: Having the ability to calm down and hoop effortlessly now that she has the assistance surrounding her that she wanted to achieve success.

Arike Ogunbowale — Dallas Wings

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Arike Ogunbowale is understood for a number of issues as a basketball participant, and certainly one of them is having ice in her veins. She will be able to get a shot off from anyplace on the court docket, and sometimes does.

Her Dallas Wings have struggled to seek out the key sauce over the previous few seasons. They’ve gifted gamers, however this league is hard. You possibly can’t simply have one or two all-stars and name it an entire roster. They’ve tried to draft and construct however haven’t fairly moved up within the ranks from mid-level workforce to championship contender.

Ogunbowale appears to be attempting to take issues into her personal fingers this season. The Wings gained three of their first 5 video games, and Arike scored 20+ factors in each single certainly one of them. She even scored 40 factors in a single sport to assist her Wings safe a win over the Phoenix Mercury.

If Arike can enhance on something, it’s her consistency, as she typically goes by way of taking pictures slumps. But, once you get well from that with a 40-piece sport, it’s onerous to disclaim the ability there.

Greatest Enchancment: Having the ability to shut out video games and are available again from taking pictures slumps with ease.

Jackie Younger — Las Vegas Aces

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Jackie Younger is a good participant on a workforce of superstars. As a quieter individual by nature, typically Younger will get a little bit misplaced behind the larger personalities of gamers like A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, or Chelsea Grey. Don’t get it twisted although — Younger is a fully important element within the Las Vegas Aces’ three-peat hopes.

With Chelsea Grey out with an damage to start out the season, Younger has needed to step up. She is second total in assists league-wide with 7.8 per sport whereas filling in for Grey because the Aces’ major level guard, and is placing up factors as properly.

Her finest efficiency was a 22-point, 11-assist sport she had towards the Los Angeles Sparks — serving to the Aces win.

All of it simply goes to indicate how Younger has developed as a participant over the previous few seasons. She should be a little bit quieter, however she is a power. Every time the Aces want her, she’s there, and people form of regular, constant gamers are important to a championship workforce.

Younger is the form of participant who might not produce a jaw-dropping stat line each evening, however she is all the time constant. She is all the time making an affect.

There isn’t any direct timeline on when Grey will likely be again, however for now, the Aces are in good fingers with Jackie Younger.

Greatest Enchancment: Seamlessly taking on level guard duties whereas Chelsea Grey is out, and changing into a vocal chief.

Dearica Hamby — Los Angeles Sparks

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Even though the Sparks have misplaced 4 of their first 5 video games within the 2024 season, Dearica Hamby has been taking part in extremely properly. Actually, she appears to be in peak kind in her second season in Los Angeles.

Hamby returned to taking part in kind extraordinarily shortly in 2023. After giving delivery to her second baby in March, she was already taking part in for the Sparks when final season kicked off in Could. This season, she seems to be higher than ever — as a power within the frontcourt, defensively, on the glass, and total as a pacesetter to her teammates.

Regardless of their less-than-ideal file, the entire Sparks’ losses have been fairly shut video games. They aren’t getting blown out — they’re competing.

Hamby is joined within the Sparks’ entrance court docket by rookie Cameron Brink — who has been displaying OUT in her first few weeks as a professional. Hamby’s talent, expertise, footwork, and skill to be productive from anyplace on the ground mixes properly with Brink’s prolonged wingspan and defensive prowess. As the 2 proceed to construct chemistry, they’ll solely turn into extra deadly within the put up.

Above all else, Hamby has cemented herself because the workforce’s chief. She is just not solely main the Sparks, but in addition serving as one of many leaders of the WNBA usually — she tops the complete league in rebounds presently with 13.2 per sport. Because the workforce will get used to 1 one other, Hamby’s management will solely assist them attain new, increased heights.

Greatest Enchancment: Being the workforce’s sole chief in each aspect — vocally, on the court docket, within the locker room, and within the media.

The season has solely simply begun, so be careful for these gamers and extra as they proceed to affect their groups.