There’s a lot to be said for players who have long, successful careers in their leagues. However, fans love it when a rookie bursts onto the scene and sets the sport on fire with a youthful passion. Here are the thirty best WNBA rookie seasons to ever wow fans across the world.
30. Glory Johnson
Glory Johnson was first-picked in the 2012 draft by the Tulsa Shock after her impressive college career with Tennessee and her performance at the 2011 Summer Universiade, where her team won all six games and a gold medal. She was hugely influential in her first WNBA season, averaging just over 2 steals per game in 2011.
29. Cynthia Cooper
Cynthia Cooper signed to play with the WNBA during its inaugural season in 1998 at age 34. She scored the most points on the league’s very first day, earning her a special place in the history of the WNBA. She led the league in scoring throughout the first three years of its existence and won the first two MVP awards the league ever gave out.
28. Brittney Griner
Dunking is much rarer in the WNBA than in the NBA, but Brittney Griner made it look easy in her debut match with the Phoenix Mercury. She slammed two dunks against Chicago in a thrilling season-opening match in 2013, becoming the first WNBA player to drunk twice in the same game.
27. Armintie Price
Chicago drafted Price third overall in the 2007 draft due to her strong collegiate performance at the University of Mississippi. Her career-high stats for assists, rebounds, and three-pointers were all set during her Rookie of the Year season in 2007, too!
26. Nneka Ogwumike
Chiney’s older sister, Nneka, was chosen first overall in the 2012 draft by the Sparks. While she had glimmers of greatness in that first season, her true strength as a player didn’t develop until the 2016 season, when she helped carry Los Angeles to the Finals while winning the league MVP award.
25. Seimone Augustus
The Lynx’ first pick in the 2006 draft was Seimone Augustus, who proceeded to hit the court like a force of nature and earned herself a Rookie of the Year award. She’d go on to become an eight-time All-Star, but her rookie season saw her score 21.9 points per game. Were it not for Diana Tuarasi scoring more, she’d have had the most points of any player in 2006.
24. Betty Lennox
Betty Lennox was drafted sixth overall in the 2000 draft by Minnesota and the five teams that passed on her instantly regretted it once she hit the court. She averaged over 5 rebounds per game, 1.6 steals per game, and a nearly 40% three-pointer percentage in her Rookie of the Year-winning debut season.
23. Jackie Stiles
After setting numerous collegiate records with Missouri, Stiles was drafted fourth overall in 2001 by the Portland Fire. While the Fire would shut down in 2002 after failing to make the playoffs throughout its entire existence, Stiles put up commanding numbers for the team in her Rookie of the Year season.
22. Angel McCoughtry
The Atlanta Dream bet big when they first-picked Angel McCoughtry in the 2009 draft. The forward quickly proved her worth to the team, though, putting up consistent performance and setting the foundation for what would become a truly legendary career.
21. Rhyne Howard
Atlanta has had a good track record with first picks. Rhyne Howard, the team’s first choice in the 2022 draft, exploded into the league with a Rookie of the Year season and put up her career-best free-throw percentage and blocks per game on her way to a fourteen-win season as part of the Dream’s rebuild.
20. Napheesa Collier
After being picked sixth by the Lynx in 2019, Collier went on a rampage on the court. She had a league high 33.3 minutes per game and scored 27 points in her debut game against Chicago. She also became the second rookie to ever get 400 points, 200 rebounds, and 60 steals in her first season.
19. Chamique Holdsclaw
Hall of Famer Chamique Holdsclaw had a legendary career in the WNBA, and it all started with her Rookie of the Year win in 1999. She put up solid numbers throughout that debut season with Washington, showing signs of the dominance she’d later project throughout the league in her later seasons.
18. Temeka Johnson
The Mystics drafted Johnson sixth overall in the 2005 draft, and she quickly proved that even such a high-priority pick didn’t account for her strength on the court. She posted her career-best assists in 2005, averaging 5.2 per game, and had over three rebounds per game during her Rookie of the Year season.
17. Cheryl Ford
After her college career with Louisiana Tech, Cheryl Ford was taken third overall in the first round of the 2003 draft by Detroit. In her debut season with the Shock, her impressive abilities on both sides of the court led her to a Rookie of the Year award.
16. Tracy Reid
The league’s first Rookie of the Year winner, Tracy Reid, started with the Charlotte Sting and was picked seventh overall in the inaugural 1998 draft. Many of her career bests came in her debut season, including her best points per game, rebounds per game, and assists.
15. Jewell Loyd
Loyd was selected first overall in the 2015 draft by the Seattle Storm after an impressive college career with Notre Dame. She proceeded to put up genuinely great well-rounded numbers for the team on the way to a Rookie of the Year award and gave fans a glimpse of the greatness she’d later achieve in her career.
14. Crystal Dangerfield
If you want to talk about surprises, look no further than Dangerfield’s out-of-nowhere Rookie of the Year season. She was drafted 16th overall in the second round of the 2020 draft by Minnesota and went on to take over the point guard position after numerous injuries sidelined her teammates. She then just casually led the Lynx in scoring for the year.
13. Chiney Ogwumike
The Connecticut Sun picked up Ogwumike first overall in the 2014 draft and quickly found she was deserving of the expectations levied upon her. That season, she earned her career-best rebounds per game with 7.5, and posted an impressive 15.5 points per game—a stat she still hasn’t been able to beat.
12. Allisha Gray
Allisha Gray stormed onto the scene in the WNBA after being picked fourth overall by the Dallas Wings during the 2017 draft. Interestingly, her career-best steals per game stat comes from her rookie year, when she averaged 1.5 steals while wowing fans in Dallas.
11. Aliyah Boston
First-picked by the Fever in 2023, Aliyah Boston is the most recent unanimous Rookie of the Year winner. Her performance in the league is underscored by her impressive 15.8 points per game and 6 rebounds per game, making her one of the most impressive Fever players in recent memory (barring, of course, Catilyn Clark, who we’ll talk about more in a bit).
10. Tina Charles
Charles had high hopes placed on her when the Sun first-picked her in 2010. She showed up with a rookie rebound average that wouldn’t be exceeded until Angel Reese’s first outing in 2024 (more on that later). She grew more into her playing style as her career went on, but Charles is still a top-ten rookie.
9. Angel Reese
What a season for Reese, who was taken seventh overall by the Chicago Sky after an impressive college career with LSU. Her power off the rebound is unmistakable, with her single-season record for rebounds and most consecutive double-doubles setting her up for greatness. If her rookie season hadn’t been shortened by injury, she’d likely rank even higher.
8. Elena Delle Donne
If you’re a bit perplexed by Delle Donne’s placement on this list, let’s look at a few records. She won the Rookie of the Year award during her debut season in 2013 and maintains the best 3-point accuracy and free throw rate of any player ever given that award.
7. Breanna Stewart
When the Storm drafted Stewart, she was the talk of the league due to her four back-to-back NCAA championships while playing at UConn. She also, notably, won Olympic Gold during her rookie season in 2016, putting her in the same rare category as Candace Parker and Diana Taurasi.
6. Diana Taurasi
It’s easy to see why Taurasi is considered by many to be the best WNBA player to ever take to the court. Her Rookie of the Year award in her first season was the first of many accolades she’d rake up across her career, and she made an astonishing first impression with and explosive playing style that reconfigured how the Mercury approached the game.
5. Maya Moore
Moore’s story is a wild one, with her prison reform advocacy taking her off the court sooner than many other superstars of her generation. Still, her rookie year is unimpeachable due to the stability and power she brough to the Minnesota Lynx.
4. A’ja Wilson
When the Aces took Wilson as the first pick of the 2018 draft, she instantly made herself the face of the team with her astonishing 20.7 points per game and created the foundation of a team that would go on to secure two WNBA titles in recent years. That’s elite-caliber stuff.
3. Tamika Catchings
While Catchings was drafted in 2001, her actual rookie season didn’t come until 2002 due to a knee injury that would have impacted her playing time. She scored nearly 19 points per game in her first season and had a record-setting 9.2 win shares, the best ever for a newcomer to the league.
Read More: The Most Memorable Moments in WNBA History
2. Caitlin Clark
What a start for Caitlin Clark. Her offensive output in her rookie season, averaging over 19 points per game, makes her one of the most explosive offensive players in the history of the league. While the Fever didn’t quite go the distance in the playoffs like some commentators expected, that’s got as much to do with the team around Clark as anything.
Read More: The 20 Highest-Paid Players in the WNBA
1. Candace Parker
What else is there to say about Candace Parker? She’s the only WNBA player to earn both the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. She was a number one draft pick for a reason and lived up to every ounce of the hype with her 18.5 points per game and 2008 Olympic Gold medal.
Read More: The 20 Greatest Moments in WNBA History
