WNBA Stars: Mid-Season Analysis
The WNBA season always brings new talent, and this year is no exception. In addition, a new franchise has made its debut. For the first time, a player from the Golden State Valkyries, the expansion team, is ranked among the top 25 players in the league according to Alofoke Deportes.
As the WNBA All-Star break approaches, Alofoke Deportes’ mid-season ranking is based on the players’ current performance, not their career achievements. This means that some notable figures who are usually in these rankings do not appear on this list.
The new players arriving in the WNBA are making a name for themselves, while others are taking advantage of new opportunities to expand their game. Injuries also influence our rankings; players who have not competed in at least half of their teams’ games are not eligible, including Jonquel Jones of the New York Liberty and Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury.
Although they were not considered rookies for the preseason list, they are now also in the mix. Below is the analysis of the best WNBA players so far in 2025.
- Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Position: Small Forward | Height: 1.85 m
Preseason Ranking: 2
Statistics 2025: 23.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 3.4 APG
For the first time, Collier tops our ranking after a first stretch of the season that places her as an MVP candidate. She leads the WNBA in scoring by more than three points per game and is one of the main candidates to repeat as Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 3.2 steals and blocks per game. After finishing as MVP runner-up to A’ja Wilson and losing a WNBA Finals series that went the distance, Collier has established herself as the best player in the league and the Lynx as the best team.
- A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Position: Pivot | Height: 1.93 m
Preseason ranking: 1
Statistics 2025: 21.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.4 BPG
No game could better sum up the three-time MVP’s superstar status than Saturday’s victory over Golden State. She had withdrawn from Tuesday’s game against New York due to a wrist injury and then missed Thursday’s game against Washington, both losses. She returned with 34 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks to help the Aces beat the Valkyries 104-102. It was the big performance that the up-and-down Aces needed. That she does it so often doesn’t mean we should take it for granted.
- Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
Position: Small Forward | Height: 1.88 m
Preseason Ranking: 5
Statistics 2025: 15.3 PPG, 9.5 APG, 7.5 RPG
Thomas is flourishing more than ever in the system of Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts, where she is given plenty of space to operate and is surrounded by shooters. The result? A dazzling year for the Terps legend, who leads the league in assists while shooting 53.8% from the field, the best of her career. The Mercury average more three-pointers per game than any other team, boast the third-best defensive rating, and have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the WNBA, and this is largely due to Thomas’s brilliance.
- Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Position: Small Forward | Height: 1.93 m
Preseason Ranking: 3
Statistics 2025: 19.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.8 APG
Especially with Jonquel Jones out for 11 games, Stewart’s consistency is the foundation upon which New York leans. She has scored in double figures in all but one game this season. Her three-point shooting percentage (21.0%) could be better. But she is shooting 53.6% from 2-point range and is in the top 5 in the league in shared wins. If the Liberty repeat their title this season, Stewart will be a big reason why.
- Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Position: Base | Height: 1.80 m
Preseason Ranking: 7
Statistics 2025: 19.4 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.6 RPG
With an average of 19.4 points per game, the highest of her career, Ionescu is showing how her offense can take over a game when needed. Last month she recorded back-to-back 34-point games, hit 7 of 7 from the free throw line in the final three minutes to secure the Liberty’s victory over Golden State and, after a tough road trip, scored three 20-point games last week. As the Liberty have navigated a season plagued by injuries, Ionescu’s intensity and efficiency have been important in keeping New York on track.
- Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
Position: Base | Height: 1.83 m
Preseason Ranking: 23
Statistics 2025: 19.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 42% 3FG
Playing for new head coach Karl Smesko has brought out the best in Gray, deservedly starting for the first time in the All-Star after being a substitute the past two seasons. She is averaging career highs in scoring, rebounding, and assists (4.0 per game). With Smesko surely encouraging her to shoot, Gray is attempting 46% of her shots from long distance, the most of her career, while averaging as many free throws per game (5.4) as ever. If Gray continues like this, she should make an All-WNBA team for the first time.
- Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury
Position: Small Forward | Height: 1.93 m
Preseason Ranking: 12
Statistics 2025: 19.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.4 SPG
After a 2024 season in which she only played 15 games following offseason shoulder surgery, Sabally is putting up some of the best numbers of her career. In her first season with the Mercury, Sabally is a top 10 scorer who has recorded 10 games of 20 points. Pairing her alongside Alyssa Thomas has been a winning combination for Phoenix and has helped Sabally return to the level of play that people expect from her.
- Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
Position: Forward/Center | Height: 1.98 m
Preseason Ranking: 21
Statistics 2025: 16.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.1 BPG
Boston’s role with the Fever has never been as important as when Indiana navigated without Clark for nine games. Boston delivered. She entered the season as an elite defender, but her game has become more complete. She is averaging a career-high 16.2 points on 58.1% shooting, along with a career-high 3.7 assists. Last month, she scored a career-high 31 points in a win in Seattle.
- Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Position: Base | Height: 1.83 m
Preseason Ranking: 4
Statistics 2025: 16.7 PPG, 9.0 APG, 4.8 RPG
Clark is a difficult player to evaluate given her lack of availability due to injury: she has appeared in 12 games, missing two five-game periods. Although she is currently in a shooting slump (13 of 41 from the field and 5 of 19 from three-pointers since returning from her last injury), she has shined with her playmaking. She has 19 assists in her last two games, including the 17th 10-assist game of her career, the first with no more than two turnovers.
- Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
Position: Small Forward | Height: 1.88 m
Preseason Ranking: 8
2025 Stats: 17.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 52% FG
Quietly, Ogwumike continues to steadily climb the WNBA’s all-time lists. She is now seventh in points and eighth in rebounds, and this year’s All-Star appearance will be Ogwumike’s tenth, the third-most in league history. At 35, Ogwumike shows no signs of slowing down. She is surpassing her career averages in both points and rebounds. Ogwumike remains one of the league’s most efficient scorers. Her 52% shooting is the best of any player who has attempted at least 100 shots and at least 50 three-pointers.
- Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm
Position: Base | Height: 1.75 m
Preseason Ranking: 18
Statistics 2025: 18.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, 40.5% 3FG
The driving force behind a Storm offense that ranks sixth in scoring per possession after trading away leading scorer Jewell Loyd, Diggins has been a dangerous 3-point threat to complement her game. Diggins is shooting 39% from three, up 29% from 2024, and making 1.6 per game. According to GeniusIQ, only two ball-handlers who have used at least 250 screens have surpassed Diggins’ 1.01 points per direct opportunity: Caitlin Clark and Courtney Williams. And only Williams has run more pick-and-rolls.
- Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks
Position: Base | Height: 1.73 m
Preseason Ranking: 10
Statistics 2025: 19.9 PPG, 5.9 APG, 1.4 SPG
When Plum arrived in Los Angeles, the Sparks hoped he would help remedy their offensive problems from the previous year. While the team has struggled, Plum has fulfilled that role, leading the Sparks in scoring, assists, and minutes. His 19.9 points per game are the most he has averaged since 2022 (20.2), when he finished third in the MVP voting, and ranks third in the league this season.
- Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Position: Base | Height: 1.83 m
Preseason Ranking: Unranked
Statistics 2025: 18.3 PPG, 45.6% FG, 5.4 APG
Winning has been difficult to come by in Dallas, but Bueckers has been stellar in her debut All-Star season and the clear favorite for the Rookie of the Year award. She ranks in the top 10 in scoring and is one of three players averaging at least 18 points and five assists per game. In just 17 games, she has had eight games with more than 15 points and more than five assists, already tied for third all-time by any rookie.
- Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
Position: Base | Height: 1.83 m
Preseason Ranking: 9
Statistics 2025: 17.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.9 APG
It’s been a frustratingly inconsistent season for the Aces, but that’s not the case with Young’s stoic and businesslike play. She always remains calm, which Las Vegas depends on. While her three-point percentage (30.3%) is down, she’s shooting 52% from 2-point range and 90.5% from the free-throw line. She scored 30 points on Saturday in the Aces’ victory over Golden State.
- Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
Position: Base | Height: 1.73 m
Preseason Ranking: 13
Statistics 2025: 19.2 PPG, 45.9% FG, 37.3% 3FG
Mitchell, an All-Star in each of the last three years, has found his shooting form as the season has progressed. He has seven 20-point performances in his last nine games after recording three such performances in his first 12. His offensive production, 19.2 points per game, matches his career-high scoring average from last year, has been even more crucial for Indiana with Clark in and out of the lineup and still recovering from an injury.
- Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
Position: Base | Height: 1.88 m
Preseason Ranking: 20
Statistics 2025: 16.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.5 APG
The offensive scheme of Dream’s new coach, Karl Smesko, suits the multidimensional scorer Howard well. She has improved her passing the most this season, averaging a career-high in assists. Howard missed Sunday’s game in New York after injuring her knee in Friday’s game in Indiana. We’ll see if she can play on Wednesday in Chicago and then in Saturday’s All-Star Game, for which she was chosen as a substitute.
- Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx
Position: Base | Height: 1.80 m
Preseason Ranking: 15
Statistics 2025: 13.9 PPG, 37.9% 3FG, 3.1 APG
McBride was not named an All-Star, many considered it a snub, despite her current shooting slump, but the Lynx know how fundamental she is to their success. The elite two-way guard knocks down 38% of her three-pointers. There is no doubt that for Minnesota to take home their fifth championship later this fall, they cannot rely solely on Napheesa Collier. They will also need veteran leader McBride to be at her best.
Position: Small Forward | Height: 1.90 m
Preseason Ranking: 25
Statistics 2025: 13.6 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 1.6 BPG
Reese has made a big jump on this list since our preseason rankings. She’s on a roll, recording eight consecutive double-doubles, including a 22-point, 15-rebound game against the Washington Mystics earlier this month. Once again, she leads the league in rebounds (12.8 per game), but has also shown improvements in her facilitation, averaging 3.8 assists (she averaged 1.8 last year). If Reese maintains this level of play, she could continue to climb in these rankings.
- Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks
Position: Small Forward | Height: 1.90 m
Preseason Ranking: 22
Statistics 2025: 16.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.7 APG
The Sparks haven’t achieved consecutive wins this season yet. If they had a bit more consistency, Hamby could have been an All-Star for the fourth time. As it stands, she’s playing at a high level again. And if the Sparks can improve in the second half, Hamby will be one of the reasons.
- Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm
Position: Small Forward | Height: 1.80 m
Preseason Ranking: Unranked
Statistics 2025: 14.0 PPG, 4.5 APG, 2.6 SPG
Having Williams at training camp from the start has paid off for both her and the Storm. For a long time she was a force in the Euroleague and with the French national team, Williams has translated that to the WNBA, earning her first All-Star appearance. Williams is the only player averaging more than 2 steals per game, making her a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. The versatile Williams has recorded double-doubles of points and rebounds and points and assists, and her scoring average is easily the highest of her career.
- Brionna Jones, Atlanta Dream
Position: Small Forward | Height: 1.90 m
Preseason Ranking: Unranked
Statistics 2025: 13.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.4 APG
Another player who easily could have been an All-Star, Jones has brought her understated excellence inside to Atlanta. While there might have been initial questions about how she would fit into coach Karl Smesko’s system, she has thrived, and is even starting to shoot more three-pointers. She is one of four players with at least eight double-doubles, along with Reese, Boston, and Thomas, while her 51.7% shooting makes her one of the most efficient players in the WNBA.
- Brittney Sykes, Washington Mystics
Position: Base | Height: 1.75 m
Preseason Ranking: Unranked
Statistics 2025: 17.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.5 APG
Sykes leads the Mystics in scoring and assists, but she is not an All-Star, although her two rookie teammates Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen are. She has been a good teammate and has supported them, but expect that snub to fuel a strong season. She has been a driving force in leading the Mystics to an 11-10 record, which is much better than most projected.
- Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics
Position: Base | Height: 1.85 m
Preseason Ranking: Unranked
Statistics 2025: 14.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 88% FT
Citron and teammate Kiki Iriafen are the first pair of All-Star rookies directly from college in WNBA history. Although Iriafen was the standout at first, Citron’s production has remained more consistent over time. The No. 3 pick has immediately become one of the league’s most efficient scorers, with an effective field goal percentage of 53% after accounting for three-pointers, while also shooting nearly 90% at the charity stripe.
- Kayla Thornton, Golden State Valkyries
Position: Small Forward | Height: 1.85 m
Preseason Ranking: Unranked
Statistics 2025: 14.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.5 SPG
Thornton and the Valkyries have been one of the best surprises in the sport. The Valkyries are in the playoff fight, and Thornton is having the best year of her career, earning her first All-Star selection. If Thornton needed more opportunities to have a breakout year, being selected by Golden State in the expansion draft was the best thing that could have happened to her. Thornton has established herself as the team’s preferred offensive option, while also defending the opponents’ top scorers. If the Valkyries continue to be successful, Thornton will remain on this list for the rest of the season.
- Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx
Position: Base | Height: 1.73 m
Preseason Ranking: Unranked
Statistics 2025: 14.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.0 APG
Williams is one of the engines of the Lynx, who are in first place, and they need her at both ends of the court. She is the team’s second-leading scorer and leads in assists, in addition to her defense being crucial. Williams also does a good job rebounding from the point guard position, and that can help boost Minnesota’s offense.
