Evaluating the Front-Runners for the WNBA’s 2024 Awards » Winsidr

The race for the league’s prestigious end-of-year awards is heating up. In this article, I’ll delve into the standout candidates across various categories. I’ll identify the top choice for each award, spotlight the strong runner-ups and uncover the dark horse contenders who could surprise us all. By examining key performances, statistical achievements and team dynamics, we’ll gain a clearer picture of who might take home the hardware this year and why.

Rookie of the Year

Front-runner: Caitlin Clark

If the WNBA followed its parent league and ended around Father’s Day, this would be a much tougher call. Since then, this award is firmly Clark’s. Amongst rookies with at least 20 minutes per game (MPG), Clark leads in points per game (PPG), field goals made (FGM) and attempted (FGA), three-pointers made and attempted per game (3PM, 3PA), assists per game (APG), steals per game (SPG) and is second in defensive rebounds per game (DREB) and offensive rating (ORTG). You get the picture. It took some time, and she faced an absurd amount of pressure along the way, but Clark is truly shining and this award should be the first of many to come.

Runner-Up: Angel Reese

When you set a WNBA record for most rebounds in a season as a rookie, you’re going to have to get some award love. As mentioned, the ROY award was much closer back in June, but since then, despite double-double streaks and at times really dominant play, Angel Reese has lost ground to Clark. In another season, Reese likely runs away with it.

Dark Horse: Rickea Jackson

I’ve all but called this one for Clark, but it’s important to give credit and recognition to a rookie playing some truly inspiring basketball this season. Some of Jackson’s numbers aren’t going to look great, but some of that is playing on a pretty poor Los Angeles Sparks team. However, Jackson is third in PPG among rookies with at least 20 MPG at 12.6. She also shoots a shade over 37 percent from distance. Since the Olympic Break, she’s upped those numbers to 16.6 PPG and 48.4 percent. 

Sixth Woman of the Year

Front-runner: DiJonai Carrington

Like many 6WOY winners, Carrington’s numbers aren’t going to wow you. After all, that’s why she’s up for this award and not MVP. Nevertheless, Carrington’s impact is felt across the court and in every facet of the game. To start, she’s upped her PPG significantly this season, taking it from 8.3 last season to 13.0 in 2024, a career-high for her. She’s a defensive menace, setting a career-high this season with 1.6 SPG, good for 10th league-wide. Carrington isn’t going to blow anybody away offensively, but she’ll have her nights shooting. Her calling card is that defensive tenacity, demonstrated by her 2.1 defensive win shares (DWS), according to Basketball Reference. For as good as the stars are for the Connecticut Sun, this team would not be where it is without the steady presence of Carrington.

Runner-Up: Tiffany Hayes

Quite a season for a woman who had just retired. When Hayes signed with the Las Vegas Aces in June, it was expected she’d fill the “quality veteran presence bench spot”. And while that has largely played out (Hayes has only started three of 25 games she’s appeared in), she’s been incredibly effective with 9.1 PPG, shooting over 52 percent from the field and an effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of nearly 60 percent. Hayes has been everything the Aces could have hoped for and more.

Dark Horse: Leonie Fiebich

Fiebich has been a revelation since joining the New York Liberty in that infamous four-team deal back in February 2023. Another player whose numbers don’t tell the true story of their impact, Fiebich’s outside shooting has offered important spacing for this Liberty team. She’s technically a rookie, but like several others over the past few years with international experience, she does not play like it. 

Most Improved Player

Front-runner: Chennedy Carter

Based on first-half numbers, one would think the Sparks’ Dearica Hamby would win this award. But since she’s cooled slightly since returning from the Olympics, Carter has put up some truly impressive numbers all season. After having not appeared in a single game last season, Carter has averaged 17.2 PPG, 2.8 APG, and 3.3 rebounds per game (RPG) on 50 percent shooting overall. We haven’t seen numbers like that from her since her 2020 rookie season when she finished second in ROY voting. Yes, Carter is on a rebuilding Chicago Sky team with one of the brightest green lights in the league, but she has proven this season that she belongs.

Runner-Up: Carrington

For all the reasons mentioned earlier, Carrington belongs on this list too. She may very well win one or both, as Carrington has taken her game to new levels this season and solidified herself as a vital contributor on a Sun team looking for its first championship.

Dark Horse: Odyssey Sims

Sims may not win this simply because she hasn’t played in enough games. It’s truly shocking to me how Sims has struggled to land a consistent contract for much of her career. This season, she’s split time between the Sparks and Dallas Wings, averaging 14.4 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 1.3 SPG on just a shade under 50 percent from the field. Per Across the Timeline, Sims has the largest PPG differential from last season to this one. Sure, it might be a small sample size, but I want to give Sims the long-overdue recognition she deserves. 

Defensive Player of the Year

Front-runner: A’ja Wilson

This one feels and doesn’t feel controversial at the same time, and that speaks a ton to what the runner-up and dark horse have done. The best player in the world is the best player in the world for a reason, and Wilson has demonstrated and solidified her place all season. Her defensive presence is menacing, leading the league in BPG, second in RPG and first in defensive rebounds per game (DREB). She does all of this while averaging fewer than two fouls per game. The analytics are more bullish on her defense this year, but there’s no more imposing figure to see in the paint than Wilson.

Runner-Up: Ezi Magbegor

Magbegor’s rise has been a revelation for the upstart Seattle Storm this season. Magbegor is 10th in RPG and DREB, third in BPG, and 13th in DRTG among players with at least 20 MPG. The knock on her has been the foul trouble she can occasionally find herself in, but there’s no question that if Magbegor isn’t winning this award this year, she will surely win in the years to come.

Dark Horse: Napheesa Collier

It feels wrong to have Collier this low considering the season she has had. Collier is first in defensive win shares per game and fifth in DREB, and the Minnesota Lynx are nearly 10 points per 100 possessions worse when Phee isn’t on the floor, per PBP stats. Collier, among 20+ MPG players, is also fifth in DRTG. She’s the defensive anchor to the surprising Lynx squad and, much like would-be scorers on a nightly basis, might just find herself locking up this award.

Coach of the Year

Front-runner: Cheryl Reeve

I’m going to say this upfront—I don’t give points to coaches whose teams do what they’re supposed to do. Yes, the coaching impact on team success is paramount, managing injuries and absences all season long. However, if you’re Sandy Brondello or Stephanie White, two fantastic coaches, I’m sorry, but I don’t give you any credit in my book for your teams doing what they were expected to do.

That’s why this award must go to Reeve. The Lynx were not the favorite in most predictive models. Here’s just one example. That speaks to Reeve’s ability to not only find a way to have her new pieces gel and gel quickly but also find ways to maximize career years from her mainstays as well. This Lynx team is for real, and it’s the incessant and meticulous work by Reeve and her staff that should win her this award.

Runner-Up: Noelle Quinn

I’ll be honest—if you’ve followed me at all the past couple of years, you know I’ve been a huge fan of Quinn’s for some time, whether rightfully or not. This season, she imported Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith. In other words, a 33-year-old former MVP and a player coming off a pregnancy that was much more of a question mark. At the start of the 2024 season, Quinn hadn’t proven she could grow a team yet. With so many personalities and expectations ranging from mid to high-end low, Quinn has helped bring the Storm to a 19-13 record, a current five seed, and a playoff spot secured.

Dark Horse: Christie Sides

Yeah, I went there. Sure, Clark’s expected improvement is a driving factor for why this team is above .500 for the first time since 2019. And sure, why this team, after it started 0-5 and 1-8, has gone 16-8 since June 1st and has the fourth most wins in the WNBA. But this team could have collapsed after that brutal start. They could have chalked it up to another losing season, taking their lumps and letting Clark find some rhythm in year one and look to 2025. Instead, Sides has pushed this team to get better, and although I don’t always agree with her rotations, she’s proven that she has the ear of this team and is marching them along to a playoff spot.

Most Valuable Player

Front-runner: A’ja Wilson

Best player in the world looking to three-peat. It is A’ja’s world and we’re all just living in it.

Runner-Up: Napheesa Collier

Collier is the catalyst for whatever this Lynx team becomes this year. They are a middling squad without her. There is a decent case to be made for her winning MVP, and should she, I would not bat an eye.

Dark Horse: TBD

Ah, the beloved TBD. Could it be Alyssa Thomas? Breanna Stewart or Sabrina Ionescu? All three have a case to be made, but neither has stepped up higher than the pact to earn this selection. Until one does, I don’t see a clear-cut dark horse choice.

All stats through Sept 1. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of WNBA.com.