The best WNBA teams have a handful of reserves who are just as good as their starters and are equally necessary for success.
Quite simply, if a WNBA team wants to win it all, they need bench production. This ability to step on the court and immediately contribute as a reserve has always been valued, and it’s why the league has an award for that specific role.
With the WNBA year halfway done, here is a look at the top three players in running for the Sixth Player of the Year award. In the comments,
let us know if you think the award will go to one of these players, or if there’s someone else who you have your eyes on.
Janelle Salaün (Golden State Valkyries)
This is Janelle Salaün’s award to lose.
Last year, she was a starter for the Valkyries, but this year she is coming off the bench—and has been incredible.
Salaün is averaging 13 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. No reserve is scoring more than Salaün. Also, her outside shooting has been tremendous. She is knocking down 39.7 percent of her 3-point attempts and taking 6.5 of them, which is a WNBA high for reserves.
With her scoring and efficiency, Salaün is a clear-cut favorite for the award at the midway point.
Sophie Cunningham (Indiana Fever)
Everything about Sophie Cunningham’s game is loud. On the court, it’s typically for the right reasons. She is a fierce competitor, providing the fire that keeps the Fever together.
Cunningham is averaging 9.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game when coming off the bench. Few guards can generate as much impactful offensive production as Cunningham can. Even on a team that features threatening scorers like Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark, Cunningham gets a ton of defensive attention and has to play through it. As a reserve, only Salaün has scored more than Cunningham off the bench.
She also has a season-long plus-minus of +29, placing her in the top 20 among bench players in this category. Given how much she plays, her positive metrics indicate her value to Indiana.
Rae Burrell (Los Angeles Sparks)
Every year, Rae Burrell gets better, and this season is no exception.
On the year, she is averaging 12.3 points, 2.0 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game. She’s had some incredible performances, like her 24-point game in a win against the Phoenix Mercury. She’s also turned in two 22-point performances against the Las Vegas Aces and Fever. Overall, she’s shooting 43.6 percent from the field, which is a career-high. Plus, Rae is making 36. percent of her 3s, which is also a career best.
At this point, the biggest issue for Burrell might become too many starts, as she has been inserted into the Sparks’ first five due to key players missing action. So, she might not even qualify for the award if that continues.
However, if she remains a reserve, she’ll certainly be on a short list of nominees and one to consider for the Sixth Player of the Year Award.
A couple of 6POY dark horses
Kaitlyn Chen also is having a great year for the Valkyries. She’s averaging 7.2 points per game and hasn’t started once in 24 games. If Chen continues to be a spark plug off the bench, she could very well steal the award from Salaün. Kennedy Burke is another intriguing option. She is averaging 7.9 points per game for the Connecticut Sun.
There is still plenty of time for things to change, but so far these are some of the best bench players in the WNBA.
