When the WNBA semifinals series tip off on Sunday afternoon, fans will be witnessing some of the most star-studded rounds the W has to offer.
The Las Vegas-Seattle matchup features seven former No. 1 overall draft picks (Jackie Young, A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd, Tina Charles and Sue Bird). Chicago-Connecticut has the defending champs, the reigning league MVP (Jonquel Jones) and the reigning Finals MVP (Kahleah Copper).
And when you put the two together, you get eight former No. 1 picks, five league MVPs and four Finals MVPs.
So, of course, we’re going to rank them all ahead of the semifinals.
Here’s a countdown from 10 to 1.
10
Courtney Vandersloot - Chicago Sky
Ladies and gentlemen, Courtney Vandersloot is the best point guard in the league. She’s competitive as heck, makes all the timely plays and is as consistent as they come.
9
Jewell Loyd - Seattle Storm
Just last week, you saw Jewell Loyd take over the final quarter or Game 1 between the Storm and Mystics to help Seattle to a win. A few days before that, she had 38 points against the Aces to close the season. That’s what you get with Loys, which is a crazy embarrassment of riches for a Storm team that already had Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird and Tina Charles.
8
Alyssa Thomas - Connecticut Sun
Alyssa Thomas has been better than ever (?) in her first full season back from the Achilles rupture. If she had a little more flash and made jump shots, she’d be the talk of the league on a nightly basis. Regardless, she puts on her hard hat and out-hustles and bullies basically everyone on the court. It’s fun to watch and super helpful to Connecticut’s squad.
7
Kelsey Plum - Las Vegas Aces
A bucket. Do I need to say more? Kelsey Plum is basically a lock for 20 points on any given night and most of the time, the points come in bunches. That kind of offensive explosion can completely change games.
6
Kahleah Copper - Chicago Sky
Kahleah Freakin’ Copper! I never get tired of saying that. But I bet opponents get tired of her when she’s on the court. For my money, Copper is the most athletic player in the league and she uses it to annoy the opposing team’s offense while being a nightmare for their defenses to stay in front of. When she puts it all together, there’s not many capable of playing like her.
5
Chelsea Gray - Las Vegas Aces
Somehow, Chelsea Gray was not named a WNBA All-Star, which is a crime. You won’t be wowed by her averages, but if you watch the games, you know what Gray brings to the table. Anytime the Aces need a bucket, we know where the ball is going. When the offense is broken, she’s the fix. And at the end of the day, she’s the only player on Vegas who knows what a WNBA title feels like.
4
Jonquel Jones- Connecticut Sun
Jonquel’s greatness is almost lost in the mix for whatever reason. But it honestly shouldn’t. A 6-foot-6 big who can stretch the floor, protect the rim and control the glass at high levels? Those kind of players don’t exactly grow on trees.
3
Candace Parker - Chicago Sky
Candace being this good, this late into her career, shouldn’t be possible. But her IQ is off the charts and you can see she’s oftentimes playing a different game than everyone else on the court. So smart, so crafty, and just knows how to make plays on both ends of the court when the situation calls for it.
2
A'ja Wilson - Las Vegas Aces
I really wanted to give A’ja the top spot but I couldn’t. Her playoff numbers throughout her career have dipped from her regular season enough to give me at least a little hesitancy from time to time. But A’ja at the peak of her powers is other-worldly. She didn’t need to have MVP type of number vs. Phoenix in Round 1 but she certainly will need to bring her “A” game against the Storm.
1
Breanna Stewart - Seattle Storm
Is Breanna Stewart the MVP this season? In my opinion, no — It’s A’ja’s award. But I do think Stewart is the player I’d rather have on my team given her ability to do quite literally everything on the court across multiple positions. Her whole bag will be on display the rest of the way.
