A three-game WNBA Saturday slate where no game has direct playoff implications serves as a great opportunity for players in contention for end-of-season awards to author a closing argument.
So, here’s a look at the primary awards contenders in action on Saturday. In the comments, spill any of your thoughts on the award races.
Phoenix Mercury vs. Dallas Wings (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
A leading candidate for Most Improved Player, Jessica Shepard added to her resume on Thursday, posting her fifth triple-double of the season with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12
assists in the Dallas Wings’ win over the Los Angeles Sparks.
Paige Bueckers, who scored a game-high 19 points, remains in contention for a higher honor: All-WNBA First Team.
As is the case for almost every recognition in this season overflowing record-breaking performances, the All-WNBA field is flooded. Elected to the Second Team as a rookie, Paige has bettered her numbers across the board, scoring 20.4 points per game on 50.8 percent shooting, while dishing 5.8 assists and grabbing 4.1 rebounds.
In various all-in-one advanced metrics, Bueckers ranks in the top 10. She’s ninth in Basketball Reference’s PER and seventh in both ESPN Analytics’ net points and databallr’s value plus-minus.
An All-WNBA fixture in recent seasons, it would be a bit surprising if Alyssa Thomas, an All-Star snub, snuck onto a team this year.
AT is still producing at a comparable level, with 14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game, along with 1.4 steals. But the Phoenix Mercury’s disappointing record, likely will leave AT without a fifth-straight All-WNBA nod.
Chicago Sky vs. Atlanta Dream (7 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
In contention for Defense Player of the Year, Angel Reese once again showed the breadth of her game on Thursday, when she dropped a 30-point and 10-rebound double-double to lead the Atlanta Dream’s rout of the Connecticut Sun—a performance that outpaced those of her teammates who, like Angel, also should attract All-WNBA attention.
In an otherwise off shooting night, Rhyne Howard made her 129th 3-pointer of the season, establishing a new single-season WNBA record. She finished with 10 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four four steals, a stat line that testifies to how her all-round impact more than compensates for occasional shooting slumps, and explains why Howard has risen to second in ESPN Analytics’ MVP ladder.
Allisha Gray also is a top 10 MVP candidate, according ESPN Analytics. On Thursday, she broke one of her own records, scoring the most points in a single season in Dream franchise history with 774 points—and counting.
And after a somewhat slow start to the season, Gray’s numbers now mirror those she put up as an All-WNBA First Teamer last season. In fact, she’s scoring more (18.4 to 18.9 points per game), shooting more efficiently from the field (45.1 percent to 45.8 percent) and getting to the line more often (5.5 to 5.8 attempts per game). The only knock is her 30 percent 3-point shooting, a significant drop from last season’s 38.4 percent.
Jordin Canada also belongs in an end-of-season honor conversation, as she should join Reese and Howard on an All-Defensive team. Canada’s 1.9 steals per game rank second in the league, slotting her right between Howard (2.4) and Reese (1.8). That’s the most she’s averaged since 2023, one of her two All-Defensive seasons with the Seattle Storm.
On the other side, Sydney Taylor already has cemented her All-Rookie nod for the Sky. Otherwise, after getting blown out on Thursday by a Washington Mystics team that (again) owns their first-round draft pick, it will be another “what coulda been” night for Chicago.
Seattle Storm vs. Golden State Valkyries (9 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
The Golden State Valkyries are on a back-to-back in Ballhalla after holding the Portland Fire to 66 points in their Friday night win. It was not only their fifth win in a row, but also the fifth-straight game in which they’ve held their opponent to under 70 points.
Another lockdown defensive display will add to, and possibly complicate, the award bids for various Valkyries.
For instance, while our Josh Felton boosted Veronica Burton as the Valkyrie who is challenging Reese for Defensive Player of the Year, the organization has promoted Gabby Williams as their preferred DPOY candidate, with Burton joining Williams and Kiah Stokes as All-Defensive nominees.
For Burton, swiping six steals in just 26 minutes on Friday night serves as a nice bit of eye-popping evidence of her defensive impact, raising her average to 1.6 per game for the season. That matches the per-game average of Williams, who was out of action on Friday night.
Janelle Salaün, who likewise did not play after a long FIBA run with France, still can feel secure that the Sixth Player of the Year award will be hers, despite five 3-pointers and 17 points from Kaitlyn Chen. And back-to-back Coach of the Year honors might belong to Natalie Nakase, especially since the No. 1 seed still is a possibility for Golden State.
Since a sixth-straight Valkyrie win is the expectation, might the stage be set for the Storm’s award contenders to engineer an upset? Flau’jae Johnson’s All-Rookie case is likely signed, sealed and delivered, but Awa Fam’s candidacy could use some oomph.
Fam’s season high in scoring is 21 points, one of two times she crossed the 20-point barrier. On the rebounding front, she has three games with double-digit boards, topping out at 11 boards.
It would be just one game, but a 22-point and 12-rebound double-double in an upset of Golden State could earn her some extra All-Rookie votes.
