The WNBA season is off to a hot start. The league has continued to grow in its 25th season, reaching new audiences every single day. While the Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm continue to sit atop the league, other teams have emerged as contenders. That is mostly due to certain players having standout seasons. It’s still early, but MVP favorites include Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, and last year’s MVP A’ja Wilson.
With the All-Star game just a few weeks away, let’s take a deeper look at these players that are shining this season.
Jonquel Jones
The only strike on her resume is that she left to play for Bosnia-Herzegovina in the FIBA Women’s Eurobasket Tournament. This speaks to an entire issue within the WNBA that players have to play on multiple teams to support themselves, but let’s focus on Jones’s dominant season. When she stepped away from the team she was the only player averaging a double-double. She was also leading the Sun in rebounds and scoring.
When talking about being in the MVP conversation, Jones told the media,
“It’s early in the season, MVP is a consistency thing, it’s a team thing, even though people don’t really think of it that way. Your team has to win basketball games and you have to be a player that’s going to keep your team in contention to be the best in the league.”
Before stepping away from the WNBA, Jones had the highest win shares at 3.0. Storm center Breanna Stewart was right behind her at 2.3 win shares. The Sun will really miss Jones being out there. Currently, the team is 8-5 with Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner replacing Jones. Connecticut is also without Alyssa Thomas who is out for the entire season with an Achilles injury. Jones is expected to re-join the team after the tournament and will need to produce at the same level to remain in the conversation.
Breanna Stewart
Stewart is the best player in the league so when she’s healthy, she’s in the MVP conversation. Currently, she is averaging 21.1 points and 10.1 rebounds which are some of the best numbers of her career. She was just named last week’s Western Conference Player of the Week after averaging 20.5 points and 13.5 rebounds with Seattle going 2-0.
Stewart has already won an MVP trophy this year. She was named Final Four MVP after her team won the EuroLeague championship. That’s after capturing the Finals MVP award last season when the Seattle Storm won the WNBA Championship. Basically, when she’s on the court she is the best player.
It’s hard to believe two years ago she tore her Achilles because she has only gotten better at basketball. The Storm has the league’s best record and sits atop the league rankings ahead of last year’s Finals opponent Las Vegas.
Courtney Vandersloot
The Sky has flourished with the return of Candace Parker, Allie Quigley, and Stefanie Dolson. After a terrible seven-game losing streak, Chicago has now won five in a row. Vandersloot has been a consistent factor with three straight double-double performances. She was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week during the winning streak. Chicago looks to return to .500 this week.
It’s been tough for point guards to win the MVP award. The only guards to win the title are Diana Taurasi and Cynthia Cooper. The ten-year veteran has the numbers to back up winning the award. Last season she averaged a double-double in points and assists and it looks likely she will do the same this season. She is currently the league leader in assists after breaking the assist record last season with eighteen in one game.
A’ja Wilson
Last season’s MVP A’ja Wilson continues to be a dominant presence in the league. Las Vegas welcomed back Liz Cambage who sat out last season with a medical exemption. Her presence should only make Wilson and the Aces an even bigger threat. In the limited time that we’ve seen these two together on the court, it’s clear they are a problem. In this week’s power ranking, experts have Las Vegas edging out the Storm for the top spot.
While Wilson’s personal stats have ticked down slightly, her team has found their way. As they look to avenge an ugly Finals loss, it will be on Wilson to lead the way once again.
