Wrapping Up 2023 – Top 5 WNBA Players

2023 is on the verge of ending. The WNBA 2024 schedule and dates are already out and fans couldn’t have been more excited. But as we are on the edge of slipping into the new year, the blood, guts, and sweat of the WNBA players during the 2023 deserve the spotlight once more.

Whether it was Breanna Stewart’s MVP award or A’ja Wilson falling out in the MVP race but making it up in the Championship Finals, a look into the fleeting moments of the past will evoke nostalgia and also help fans set expectations for the next season. A blast from the past will show the on-court brilliance of the players.

Breanna Stewart

Though the New York Liberty ended up as runners-up in this year’s WNBA, their forward Breanna Stewart won all hearts along with the MVP award for the second time. Stewart basketed four 40-point games in the 2023 WNBA season, making her a favorite of all the fans. She accomplished the feat against teams such as the Dallas Wings, Indiana Fever, and Phoenix Mercury. 

Furthermore, as per Basketball Reference, Stewart now stands in the second place for the most WNBA points in a single season with 919 points. Overall, Stewart averaged a whopping 23 points per game during the regular season with 9.3 rebounds per contest. With an exceptional 85.1% free throw percentage, Stewart also rocked the numbers with her shooting. She will surely make an impact in the upcoming WNBA season too.

Alyssa Thomas

The Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas just missed the MVP race by a few points and occupied the second position. Winning Player of the Month award for June, Thomas proved her mettle especially in her rebounding as she topped the list with 9.9 rebounds per match. Notably, Thomas also received more first-place votes than Stewart but lacked in points and hence had to be satisfied with the second place in the MVP list.

Furthermore, she dropped 26 and 28 points during the game 2 and 3 of the First Round respectively. Other than that, she also put up a resilient show during the semi finals against the New York Liberty, sousing 23 points in game 3. The 31-year-old had a respectable 15.5 points per game in the regular season. She satisfied the expectations of her fans and brought happiness to her team.

A’ja Wilson

No mention of the top 2023 WNBA players could be complete without taking the name of the Las Vegas Aces’ winning leader A’ja Wilson. Wilson won three Player of the Month awards and was also awarded the Finals MVP. Apart from that she also bagged the Defensive Player of the Year award. It doesn’t come off as a surprise since she finished with the highest average of 2.2 blocks per game.

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Though, Wilson wasn’t particularly happy with the MVP race, she made her mark by potting 26 and 24 points during Game 2 and game 4 of the Championship Finals.

She was a force to reckon with even during the regular season as she had a brilliant average of 22.8 points per game with 9.5 rebounds per match. She did surpass a lot of expectations in the 2023 season.

Napheesa Collier

The Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier found her way into two teams – the All WNBA first team and the All Defensive Second team. She also took home the Player of the week award twice. With her hardwood brilliance, she helped her team enter the First Round where they were defeated by the Connecticut Sun in Game 1 and 3.  Nonetheless she shone brilliantly in the knockouts smashing 31 and 26 points in Game 3 and 2 respectively. 

Overall, she smoked an average of 21.5 points per match during the regular season with 8.65 rebounds per contest. She will be remembered by fans for her season best performance of 35 points against the Atlanta Dream and a 33 point rampage against the Seattle Storm. Though she finished on the fourth spot in the MVP race, nonetheless, her season had its own share of exemplary performances.

Satou Sabally

The Dallas Wings star Satou Sabally deserves a special mention since she got the award for the Most Improved Player. She was also a contender for the MVP race and finished at the fifth spot. She also took home the Player of the Week award and was listed in the All WNBA First Team. 

Like the other players in this list, she was also close to having a double-double average but missed the mark by a few rebounds. Overall, she thrashed 18.6 points per game with 8.1 rebounds per match. She demonstrated her balling prowess during the Game 1 of the First Round against the Atlanta Dream when she sloshed 32 points in the 37 minutes she played. While Sabally might not be the conventional star, her on-court magnificence deserves a round of applause.

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