Passing the Torch: Which Young WNBA Stars Are Up Next?

Washington has a duo to watch for the next few years.

Caitlin Clark

She has been the talk of the league since she went No.1 to the Indiana Fever. Stellar in college, Clark lived up to the hype last season, winning Rookie of the Year and being named to the All-WNBA First Team. She averaged 19.2 points and 5.7 rebounds in her first season.

The point guard would also shoot 90.6% from the free-throw line and 41.7% from the field. Her 8.4 assists per game led the league last season, becoming the only rookie to ever do so. She broke the record for most assists in a single season and most assists by a rookie in WNBA history.

She was also the first rookie to record a triple-double in a game, and she did it twice.

Clark’s brilliance continued this season when she dropped a 20-point triple-double to open the season against her “rival,” Angel Reese, and the Sky. After four games, Clark would go down with an injury. Fans were treated to a much-needed return, as the Fever finally found some offensive firepower when she came back.

Indiana would go on to defeat the unbeaten New York Liberty behind Clark’s magnificent performance. She dropped 32 points, dished 9 assists, and grabbed 8 rebounds. She would also go 7-14 on threes in the inspirational win. It would move the Fever to .500 on the season at 5-5.

As the adrenaline rush of the first game subsided, Clark’s nagging groin injury was apparent. She would go on to miss five more games due to the same injury.

That appears to be the only thing that could hold Clark back is injuries. She was still named one of the captains of the All-Star game this year, which shows her impact on the league and fans as a whole, even when injured; This league is in her hands.

Rhyne Howard

“I like Rhyne Howard’s game.” WNBA star Kelsey Plum said this on Basketball Network back in September. The versatile guard Howard was drafted No. 1 by the Atlanta Dream in 2022. She put on a show that season, dazzling with Rookie of the Year honors, averaging 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. On the defensive end, she added 1.6 steals per game as well.

After falling short the last two years in the first round of the playoffs, Rhyne Howard came into this season hungry to compete for titles in the ATL.

Against the Chicago Sky in mid-June, she dropped 36 points and tied a WNBA record for threes in a game with nine made three-pointers.

Howard has averaged 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game to help her team win 12 games so far this year. She is an important piece to the Dream, who currently sit 2nd in the Eastern Conference, only one game back of the New York Liberty.

Recently, Howard was named an All-Star reserve and will be making her third appearance on Team Collier. She’s one of the best players in the game today, as she can do it all. Howard defends at a high level (1.7 steals per game this year), and she can play-make and rebound well for a guard.

Her all-around game will be key to the Atlanta Dream’s success going forward. Able to facilitate, guard any position, and score at will, she will be a problem in the coming years.

Paige Bueckers

Paige Buckets is here. Her rookie year has accelerated her into one of the best pure scorers and playmakers already. For a team longing for success, the former No.1 pick has been the only bright spot during the disappointing season.

Bueckers was named Rookie of the Month for June, following an impressive performance during seven games played where she averaged 21.6 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.1 rebounds.

She has shown three-level scoring prowess all season, shooting with confidence at any location on the court. In fact, most of her production comes from jump shots. She has shot 87-204 (42.6%) on jump shots and only 18-31 on layups (58.1%).

Bueckers is especially good at the mid-range game and making tough jumpers. She’s leading the WNBA in shots made between 8-16 feet (55.6%) on the second-most shots taken per game, often utilizing her deceleration and pull-up game.

Bueckers is a hooper. Not only does she put the ball in the basket, but she also makes an impact in a lot of other ways. Bueckers leads all rookies in assists, steals, efficiency, and minutes played.

She’s well on her way to Rookie of the Year honors after becoming the only Rookie to be named an All-Star starter this season. It will be a treat to watch Bueckers and Clark go at it during the All-Star game.

Get ready, folks, there will be many more awards and recognitions to come for Paige. There will be more wins, and she might just become one of the WNBA’s stars quicker than expected.

Angel Reese

Selected 7th overall in the 2024 WNBA draft, Angel Reese has taken criticism and used it to fuel her career. She doesn’t let the pressure of the media-created rivalry with Caitlin Clark, and being drafted behind the Indiana Fever star, get the best of her.

She’s about her business and shuts out all the noise. Most notably on the Club 520 podcast, co-host Brandon Hendricks said something that would create a monster. He would call Angel Reese “Mebounds,” referring to her relentless ability to grab rebounds off her own miss.

Hendricks was taking a shot at the second-year forward, there’s no doubt about it. Reese didn’t care. She kept her head up and would simply merchandise the nickname off the attention it garnered, and she has played increasingly better since the criticism was made.

Since she filed a trademark for the coined term “Mebounds” on June 14, she has increased her counting stats in almost every major category. Since the season started up until June 13, compared to June 14-now, her per-game averages show a dramatic difference. Each duration of time consists of nine games played, so the production is an equal sample size, which makes it more impressive.

Since June 14 she has increased her averages by 5.7 points, 0.7 blocks, 2.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and is shooting nearly 10% better from the field. Reese even recorded her first career triple-double in a win against the Connecticut Sun.

NBA 2K recently gave Reese the privilege to brace the cover of their latest video game. She has become more than “Mebounds,” she has become an all-around player with a strong feel for the game. Above all the critics, Reese will make a new name for herself in this league.