With the playoffs fast approaching, its time to reflect on the WNBA regular season and give flowers to the players I’ve enjoyed watching, based on a set of made-up award categories that I invented for this purpose.

This is fan art, not hard analysis. It’s hoops content to hoops fans! All good-natured banter on my entirely subjective selections is warmly encouraged.

So, without further ado, let’s hand out some trophies…

When you open the Textbook of Basketball to see what the perfect shooting motion should look like, you’ll see photos of these players.

Marine Johannes (New York Liberty): Johannes has the smoothest quick-release shooting action going, not to mention a ridiculous ability to square her shoulders and get shots off on the fade-away or jumping off one leg from deep!

Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream): Howard has an effortless shooting stroke whether wide open or with a hand in her face, as evidenced by her devastating early-season barrage of 9 three-pointers made against the Chicago Sky.

Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty): Who can forget Ionescu’s from logo bomb to win Game Three of last year’s WNBA Finals! Whether dribbling into a three of an on-ball screen, pulling up from deep on the break, or spotting up in the weakside corner, Ionescu’s high-usage shooting prowess is a huge weapon for the Liberty.

Rachel Banham (Chicago Sky): Banham is having a huge season from deep for the Sky, providing perimeter scoring from all angles outside the arc with her textbook jumpshot.

Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings): 2024 All-Star Game MVP and one of the most explosive offensive forces in the W, Ogunbowale’s bouncy quick-release shooting stroke is impossible to defend.

Honourable mention: Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics): Number 3 pick in this year’s WNBA draft, Citron has hit the ground running in her rookie campaign, gaining All-Star selection, and has shown a penchant for hitting huge shots from beyond the arc.

The best offensive players, especially come playoff time, know how to get great shots in the mid-range. Cut off their driving lane? They’ll pull up for a jumpshot. Run them off the three-point line? They’ll dribble around you for a mid-range J. You can’t guard these women, and they know it.

A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces): Wilson is not just a force on the block, proving why she’s the best player in the world. She has a formidable face-up game, with a patented step-back mid-range J off a jab step, and an ability to get good shots elbow-to-elbow across the foul line extended.

Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm): The 2016 WNBA MVP and perennial All-Star is having another stellar campaign in 2025. Facing up or with back to the basket, she has an offensive arsenal that combines impeccable footwork with an array of pull-up jumpshots, spin moves and floaters.

Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx): There is no-one better in the W at turning off a screen and pulling up for the mid-range J than Courtney Williams.

Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx): Whether facing up or with back to the basket, Phee can engineer a high-percentage shot in the mid-range. She’s mastered the ten-foot fade-away, using great bodywork to make space for her shot.

Paige Beuckers (Dallas Wings): AKA Paige Buckets AKA Middy-P, mid-range scoring is her bread and butter. She is a master at curling off on-ball screens to get off high-percentage looks at the foul line area.

Honourable mention: Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty). A two-time MVP, Stewie is one of the best players in the WNBA who has unfortunately missed some time this season due to injury. At her best, she is lethal in the mid-range with her high-release pull-up jumper and ability to get all the way to the basket.

They see the whole floor. They’ve calculated all the passing angles. I’ve you’re in a position to score, these players are the master facilitators who will find you the ball.

Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces): OMG, the passing ability of the Point Gawd is outrageous! Her ability to find passing angles through traffic is incredible, as are the entry bounce passes into teammates in the paint that she gets to spin at right-angles off the floor. And the otherworldly peripheral vision to find teammates on the break with no-look dimes is pure Hollywood.

Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury): She may look like she’s shot-putting a sourdough loaf when taking a jumpshot, but Alyssa Thomas is an incredible passer who is leading the W in assists (and it’s not even close). The whole Mercury offense is run through AT at the four position, a point of difference that makes Phoenix difficult to defend.

Jordin Canada (Atlanta Dream): Canada is an absolute jet, using her quickness and ball-handling to set up the Dream’s inside scoring weapons in Brittney Griner and Bri Jones, and their perimeter snipers in Rhyne Howard and Allysha Gray.

Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx): Willaims’ talent as a scorer opens up opportunities for her to set up teammates with wide open looks. And when you’ve got teammates who can score the ball like Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride, why wouldn’t you give them the rock!

Kelsey Plum (Las Angeles Sparks): Plum’s evolution this season as primary playmaker for the Sparks has seen her become a fantastic facilitator. She’s learned when to pick her spots as a scorer and when to get teammates involved.

Honourable mention: Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever): I have to give Clarke and honourable mention, despite the fact that she’s only played 15 games this season, because her passing is so damn good! While her three-point shooting and all-round scoring power get the headlines, I believe it’s her passing ability that make her such a weapon in the WNBA. Her ability to find teammates on cuts and off pick-n-rolls is sublime, as is her ability to make on-the-money full-court passes to teammates leaking out on the fast break.

These players are the excitement machines who can get to the basket at will, either to score or set up teammates for easy shots.

Gabby Williams (Seattle Storm): Williams has a lightning-quick first step and can knife through driving lanes with speed and athleticism.

Satou Sabally (Phoenix Mercury): Good luck stopping Satou attacking off the dribble to her left hand, she’s a flat-out scorer who combines ball-handling prowess with physical strength and a soft touch at the basket.

Rickea Jackson (Las Angeles Sparks): Jackson has become much more comfortable this season at generating her own shot off the dribble. Don’t let her drive baseline, she can rise up with power on the strong side or go up-n-under for the reverse layup.

Kelsey Plum (Las Angeles Sparks): KP has the best change of pace when driving to the basket in the W. She’s got the Euro-step, she can stop and pivot for the fade-away, and she can rise up quickly for the layup. She’s flourished as the primary offensive option in LA.

Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings): Paige Buckets has become an offensive dynamo down the stretch of the season. She has incredible handles and has no trouble getting to her favourite spots on the floor. Because she’s such a great outside shooter and devastating mid-range scorer, she can get to the basket at will when defenders over-commit.

Honourable mention: Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings): An extraordinary one-on-one scorer in her own right, Ogunbowale is the epitome of speed, balance and finishing going off the dribble.

This isn’t the squad for the ultra-high usage scorers who get shots all game, but rather for those players who can catch fire from nowhere and go on a scoring spree that can change a game.

Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx): K-Mac has had moments this season where she has been unconscious from deep. Her ability to get her shot off quickly makes her impossible to guard when she’s feeling it.

Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever): Mitchell is a devastating offensive player as the ball handler in the pick-n-roll and also playing off the ball with her constant movement to get open looks. Her prowess getting to the basket and shooting from beyond the arc, combined with her speed in transition, allow her to rack up points in a hurry.

Rickea Jackson (Los Angeles Sparks): It’s easy to overlook Jackson as the third wheel from the 2024 draft class featuring Caitlin Clark and Angel Reece. But do pay attention, Jackson has become a scary-good scorer for the Sparks this season. She’s a great finisher off the dribble, with athleticism and length at the three and four spots, and has developed a streaky step-back three-point shot. Her acrobatic game winning layup against the Liberty was a season highlight.

Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream): Howard is a super-streaky shooter. When she gets hot, do not give her an inch of space!

Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics): The Mystics rookie can get rolling at a moment’s notice with great outside shooting, an ability to get to the rim off the dribble, and a strong mid-range game.

Honourable mention: Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings): I love Arike’s game, she is a devastating one-on-one scorer. She hasn’t quite had the same impact this season with the emergence of Paige Bueckers as the primary offensive option for the Wings.

These players combine skill and strength to make their living scoring points in the paint where the forest is thickest and the trees are tallest.

A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces): The incomparable Wilson has an array of low post weapons, combining athleticism and quickness with strength and touch, making her near impossible to guard on the interior.

Brionna Jones (Atlanta Dream): If Bri Jones gets deep position on a defender in the paint, it’s over. Her ability seal off defenders with great footwork and finish with either hand inside is a lethal inside threat for the Dream.

Brittney Griner (Atlanta Dream): The Dream are blessed with twin All-Star level low post threats. Griner combines unmatched height and length with textbook back-to-the-basket footwork and soft shooting touch. The way she uses her shoulders on post moves to fake defenders or establish position is a thing of beauty.

Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever): Boston may be overlooked as the sidekick to Caitlin Clark, but she’s the rock of this Fever squad. She’s exceptional at dipping her shoulder to clear space on post moves, combining physical power with an array of shot fakes to get off shots against tall defenders.

Emma Meeseman (New York Liberty): MVP of the 2019 WNBA Finals, Meeseman brings proven low post scoring and passing ability to the Liberty as a huge mid-season signing. Her presence on the floor as a five also allows Jonquel Jones to minutes as a stretch-four to utilise her three-point shooting prowess.

Honourable mention: Angel Reece (Chicago Sky): In her second year in the league, Reece has developed a more sophisticated offensive game in the low post, adding more refined footwork to her bully-ball post moves, along with reliable finishing with her non-preferred right hand. 

These players embrace the grind and do the dirty work of rebounding.

Angel Reece (Chicago Sky): Angel Reece is a rebounding savant, combining strength with great box-out technique to eat up the glass. It is beyond me, from a basketball standpoint, why people would criticise her for getting too many offensive rebounds.

A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces): A clear second in the rebound stats this season in the W, Wilson’s strength, athleticism and size make her extremely tough on the glass. She doesn’t just score, she does the dirty work too.

Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury): AT is having a banner season for the Mercury, and her rebounding prowess is a big part of her success. Being able to secure defensive rebounds and lead the break herself is a sneaky secret to why she’s leading the league in assists as well.

Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever): As Indiana’s frontcourt commander, Boston is a monster on the defensive and offensive boards, proving why she’s one of the best all-round bigs in the W in just her third season.

Kamila Cardoso (Chicago Sky): Frontcourt twin-tower with Angel Reece for the Sky, Cardoso is a vacuum on the defensive boards with her size and reach.

Honourable mention: Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics): The Mystics rook has had a breakout season, making the All-Star game. At fourth in the league in rebounding she’s showing why her ceiling is so high.

A category for players with elite defensive footwork and lateral quickness. They are on-ball stoppers and off-ball denial defenders who can put the clamps on the best offensive weapons opposing teams have to offer.

Gabby Williams (Seattle Storm): Williams is the best in the W at generating steals from help situations and passing lane intercepts, but it’s her skills as an on-ball defender that is hugely impressive. Even when initially beaten, she has the quickness and athleticism to recover and challenge shots by opposing players.

DiJonai Carrington (Minnesota Lynx / Dallas Wings): An All-WNBA First Team selection in 2024, Carrington’s strength and quickness make her a formidable on-ball stopper.

Leila Lecan (Connecticut Sun): The Sun rookie is equal-first in the league for swipes per game with Gabby Williams. On a bad team, Lecan has proven her versatility as a defensive weapon.

Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx): With Napheesa Collier and Alanna Smith backing her up, Williams has license to be an absolute pest guarding the ball for the Lynx. Defence is a key reason why this team is top of the standings heading into the playoffs.

Leonie Fiebich (New York Liberty): Fiebich will often draw the assignment of guarding the opposition team’s best perimeter scorer, but she can also hold her own against bigger players on the interior.

Honourable mention: Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream): Gray is a quick backcourt defender with active hands.

These are the players you can design your entire team defensive scheme around. They are the anchors who provide help defence off the ball, hedging to cut off driving and passing lanes, and rim protection with shot blocking. More of a category for bigs with elite team defensive chops.

A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces): Proving there’s nothing she can’t do, Wilson is an athletic shot blocker and is great weak-side disruptor, covering ground on help coverages and shooting the passing lanes to create loose balls.

Alanna Smith (Minnesota Lynx): Smith is the best tall defender for the Lynx and regularly gets the assignment on the opposing team’s best offensive big. She’s an excellent shot blocker who allows her teammates to defend the ball aggressively on the perimeter.

Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx): The raining defensive player of the year, Phee has the athleticism to guard opponents inside and out and provides strong help coverage. Her and Smith are a formidable defensive frontcourt tandem.

Ezi Magbegor (Seattle Storm): Second in the W in block shots, Magbegor is the athletic help defender and rim protector that makes the Strom tough to score against inside.

Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty): Another tall defender who a defence can be anchored around, Jones brings strength and length patrolling the paint as a help defender for the Liberty.

Honourable mention: Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty): Stewie’s lateral quickness at the four position makes her an awesome defender both on and off the ball.

These players are integral to their teams’ success despite not being household names or All-Star calibre stars. They embody intangible qualities like hustle, selflessness, role acceptance, defensive grit, and clutch contributions, often serving as “glue” players who enhance team chemistry and performance in subtle but critical ways.

Leonie Fiebich (New York Liberty): The quite achiever as the starting three on the Liberty’s 2024 championship team, Fiebich is a fantastic outside shooter and has an under-rated mid-range game. She’s a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions with great size and length.

Alanna Smith (Minnesota Lynx): Perhaps a little overshadowed in a stacked Lynx squad featuring the likes of Napheesa Collier, Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride, Smith is a great screener and does the dirty work on the glass and at the defensive end. She’s a scoring threat that opposition teams have to respect, as a cutter and from deep, which creates space for Minnesota’s other offensive weapons.

Dana Evans (La Vega Aces): Great teams need great role players and Evans provides that grit for the Aces. She brings much-needed scoring and toughness to the Aces’ second unit.

Sami Whitcombe (Phoenix Mercury): Whitcomb was a sneaky-good signing for the Mercury. She provides veteran leadership, solid ball-handling, and provides perimeter scoring playing off the ball.

Marina Mabrey (Connecticut Sun): Mabrey’s talents feel wasted on the struggling Sun team, but you know she’s going to bring leadership, she’s going to dive on the floor for loose balls, and she’s going to hit big-time shots from the permitter.

Honourable mention: Natasha Mack (Phoenix Mercury): Mack has emerged as a key piece for the Mercury since the All-Star break, providing great interior defence and rebounding.

These are the impact players who come off the bench to have a big say in the success of their teams.

Natisha Hiedeman (Minnesota Lynx): A dynamic spark plug off the bench at the point guard position for the Lynx, Hiedeman brings speed, ball-handling and shooting to the Lynx’s dynamic second unit.

DiJonai Carrington (Minnesota Lynx / Dallas Wings): Carrington is a tough defender at the two and three spots. She can score in transition and in the mid-range game, and can hit the three when given space. A huge mid-season acquisition for the Lynx.

Carla Leite (Golden State Valkyries): The Valks rookie is solid at getting to the rim off the dribble, both in the half-court and in transition. Her slashing style is a solid compliment to the talented young bigs and permitter scorers on the roster.

Veronica Burton (Golden State Valkyries): Burton brings strong three-point shooting to the Valkyries’ second unit and fits perfectly into their perimeter-oriented offence.

Jewell Loyd (Las Vegas Aces). Loyd was a starter for the Aces prior to the All-Star break. With team struggling and fresh off a 50-point belting by the Lynx, Loyd volunteered to come off the bench for the good of the team. With greater balance on the floor, the Aces went on a huge win streak, with Loyd flourishing in her bench role.

I couldn’t finish this post without a shout-out to the Australian players plying their trade in the W.

Alanna Smith (Minnesota Lynx): Smith has the most high-profile role of any Australian in the WNBA this season, as the starting power forward for the top-ranked Minnesota Lynx. She’s the perfect glue player on this squad, providing rebounding and strong front court defence, along with an inside-outside offensive game that compliments the Lynx’s high-usage offensive weapons. And yes, I think she was absolutely robbed by the refs on that foul call in the final seconds of Game 5 in last year’s finals series.

Sami Whitcomb (Phoenix Mercury): Whitcomb has flourished this season in a larger role as a starter for the Mercury, after her offseason switch from the Storm. She has provided veteran leadership and reliable perimeter shooting to compliment slashing playmakers like Kahleah Copper and Satou Sabally. Her career-high 36-point eruption against the Wings was a highlight, topped off when she hopped several steps back from the free-throw line to beyond the arc to splash a three, when the heater she was on turned incandescent.

Ezi Magbegor (Seattle Storm): Magbegor is the second-leading shot eraser in the W and a defensive stalwart for the Storm, though her offensive prowess is somewhat underutilised on this squad with high-usage scorers like Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike seeing more of the ball. Her role has also changed over the season with the emergence of #2 draft pick Dominique Melanga in the frontcourt. Nonetheless, she remains a fantastic talent who could flourish in a bigger role on another squad.

Bec Allen (Chicago Sky): Allen has been a featured offensive option coming off the bench for the Sky this season, including her 27-point avalanche against the Wings where she got on heater from deep.

Steph Talbot (New York Liberty / Golden State Valkyries): Talbot has found an important bench role for the Liberty after being release earlier in the season by the Valkyries. She is a veteran presence and a solid 3-and-D player who also brings exceptional passing skills. With the Liberty’s array of offensive weapons, her skill set is a great fit.

Honourable mentions:

Jade Melbourne (Washington Mystics): A regular bench contributor and occasional starter this season for the Mystics, Melbourne brings offensive spark with quickness off the dribble and sound playmaking.

Chloe Bibby (Indiana Fever / Golden State Valkyries): Bibby is a reliable perimeter shooter as a stretch-four. She played some great minutes off the bench for the Fever after being cut by the Valkyries earlier in the season.

Georgia Amoore (Washington Mystics): A strong prospect after being selected at #6 in this year’s WNBA draft. Looking forward to seeing Amoore get her chance next season after her cruel ACL injury in training camp.