Among the many discussions of the WNBA this year is the often-opinionated idea of the best players. But it’s not just the fans or pundits; even fellow players have their say, and when a two-time champion like Kelsey Plum has her say on her best players, it’s a talented selection. The Las Vegas Aces star knows a thing or two about top-tier talent in women’s basketball.
Underrated star
The league has seen a rapid rise in top players in the past decade. The list grew recently with the addition of Caitlin Clark in this year’s draft. She has been a revelation this season, leading all rookies in points per game at 19.0, and might be everyone’s best player right now. However, Plum, a former No. 1 overall pick, has a unique view on the conversation.
“I mean, Stewie [Breanna Stewart] is tough, man,” she said of her best players in the WNBA. “I like Stewie; I think Jewell [Loyd] is tough. I’m gonna go [with a] sleeper… I like Rhyne Howard’s game. I think that she is smooth, and I’m glad that she got the replacement for All-Star. She deserved that in the first place.”
Howard was also drafted first overall by the Atlanta Dream in 2022. She followed the path of other top picks by winning the 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year award; six of the last ten Rookies of the Year have come first in the draft.
This season, the 24-year-old was hit with an injury that sidelined her for some time, costing her All-Star votes. Returning 28 days later, she struggled to find her rhythm, shooting below 30% in most games, and only started to pick up recently.
In a recent game, Howard dropped a season-high 33 points, becoming the first Atlanta player since 2013 to record back-to-back 30-point games after scoring 31 points three days prior.
Against the Dallas Wings, the Dream superstar nailed a clutch free throw with 19 seconds left in regulation, giving Atlanta a 92-90 lead. She matched Atlanta legend Angel McCoughtry’s record by netting another 30-point game, shooting 12-of-26 from the field with six 3-pointers.
By the end of the game, the Dream had erased a 16-point deficit and walked away with a 107-96 win.
Two of the best in the league
The other two names Plum mentioned, Stewart and Loyd, are worthy of anyone’s list of the best players in the league. The New York Liberty star has two WNBA championships under her belt and was the Finals MVP both times. The No. 1 overall pick in 2016 spent six years bouncing between teams across different continents, but in her return to the WNBA with the Liberty, she won the MVP award, averaging 23.0 points per game on 46.5% shooting.
Loyd, meanwhile, may not be the biggest name on the WNBA marquee, but she’s been quietly putting up big numbers. Like Stewart, she has two championships to her name, both coming during her time with the Seattle Storm. Loyd went No. 1l in 2015 and wasted no time making her mark, winning Rookie of the Year.
The Storm star has been with the team all nine years, establishing herself as an elite scorer. In 2023, she led the entire league in points, averaging 24.7 points per game.
Related: Kelsey Plum on A'ja Wilson not getting enough credit: “I don’t know what else she could have done”
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