2025 WNBA Season Preview: Napheesa Collier, Paige Bueckers among top contenders for individual awards
When Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier was speaking to the reporters on media day, she was asked how she balances her ascending career, and all of the accolades that come with it alongside prioritizing the success of her team.
The four-time WNBA All-Star and reigning Defensive Player of the Year explained that for her, individual awards are secondary to making sure her team is doing all it can to win. Her philosophy is clear: if she focuses on winning, individual recognition should follow.
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“If the team is not doing well, you’re not going to get those individual accolades anyway,” she said. “So what you’re so selfish about, you’re never going to even get it if you’re not working for your team and helping them win. So the individual accolades aren’t even my goal, the team stuff is my goal.”
But for the purpose of this exercise, and contrary to Collier’s focus, the individual accolades are our focus. Heading into the 2025 WNBA season which tips off officially on Friday at 7:30 p.m ET, who are the players favored to earn Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Player of the Year and Most Improved Player by the season’s end?
With seven teams hiring with new head coaches during the offseason, which one is best poised to win coach of the year? Which front office leaders are positioned to be recognized as executive of the year for their work constructing and drafting rosters during the winter and spring?
Contenders and under-the-radar candidates will both be discussed in each award category. Let’s get started.
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2025 WNBA Most Valuable Player
Top Contenders: Napheesa Collier, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark
While Collier doesn’t want to talk about winning accolades, she’s the frontrunner for MVP. After finishing second in MVP voting last year to Wilson and losing a heartbreaking WNBA Finals Game 5 to the New York Liberty, Collier has a chip on her shoulder and showed that in the offseason 3×3 league Unrivaled, which she co-founded, where she averaged a 26-10 double-double.
Wilson, who was the first player in league history to score 1,000 points in a season, faces the uphill battle of doing the unprecedented. Never in league history has a player won MVP four times. But if Wilson builds upon her 2024 season and the Aces struggle once again to lessen her load, potential for Wilson to win a fourth MVP rather than a third championship still remains.
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The expectations of Clark in her sophomore season are sky high. But if the Fever aim to become full-fledged contenders, Clark is going to have to step up while so many new players including Natasha Howard, DeWanna Bonner and Sophie Cunningham continue to get settled.
Dark Horses: Satou Sabally, Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu
Sabally is in a situation in Phoenix where the Mercury aim to play to her strengths. Head coach Nate Tibbets has been moving the Mercury toward a more modern style of offense that is reliant upon pace, space, and positional versatility. Sabally, nicknamed “The Unicorn,” has the potential to play at an MVP level if she stays healthy. She announced last week that she won’t be playing in EuroBasket for the German National team, and that alone will give her an opportunity to play closer to her potential.
When it comes to both Jones and Ionescu, two of the Liberty’s three franchise players, when a team is as deep, balanced, and talented as the Liberty, a clear MVP front runner often doesn’t emerge. What I will be watching out for is who does the Liberty’s more modern five-out offense that will prioritize space even more this season maximize more? We’ll have to see.
2025 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year
Top Contenders: Napheesa Collier, Ezi Magbegor, A’ja Wilson
While Collier was mum about her MVP candidacy, she did state how she aims to be in the conversation for defensive player of the year (DPOY) once again. “[Lynx head coach] Cheryl [Reeve] said last year if you’re in the conversation of defensive player of the year we have a chance of winning,” Collier said. “I definitely want to keep that up for sure. The defense is something that I know needs to stay and I want to be in the conversation for that again this year.”
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Magbegor, who finished third in DPOY voting last season, is still just 25 years old. Playing alongside a starting lineup of potentially Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Alysha Clark and Gabby Williams could give the Seattle Storm one of the league’s best defenses. Magbegor will be quarterbacking that defense with her rim protection and excellent footwork that thwarts players scoring on a post up.
Unless the Las Vegas Aces have a defense that ranks below the top-five, there is little reason to believe that Wilson, a two-time DPOY, won’t also be in the conversation. Las Vegas had the fifth-best defense in the league in 2024 after having the W’s best the year prior. Wilson’s cat-like athleticism and superb help-side instincts make it so difficult for opponents to put pressure on the rim.
Dark Horses: Alyssa Thomas, Natasha Cloud
It seems wild that Thomas has never won Defensive Player of the Year Award. She was the league’s best defender in the 2020 bubble season, but due to tactical campaigning from the Sparks at the time, that went to league-great Candace Parker. Could being in Phoenix rather than Connecticut make Thomas even more hungry for recognition she’s struggled to receive? She noted last week that she felt stuck in Connecticut, the league’s smallest market, and being in Phoenix has restored her joy for the game.
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Cloud will be in a position to be guarding opponents’ best perimeter threats on one of the league’s best teams this season while on the Liberty. She’s going to be expected to make winning plays for New York on the defensive end. But, she’s a dark horse simply because the last time a guard took home the award was when Alana Beard won it in 2018.
2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year
Top Contenders: Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Monique Akoa Makani
The Rookie of the Year Award is Bueckers’ to lose, as she will probably be relied upon like a veteran rather than a rookie. But if there’s anyone who will get the most opportunity to make an impact it will be Citron, who Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson explained has become “a pretty important player” for the Mystics quite quickly.
While Storm rookie Dominique Malonga could be the most talented first-year in the 2025 draft class, she most likely won’t see a lot of run in the starting lineup barring injury. She has often practiced alongside the bench unit while sharing the floor with back-up center Li Yueru. Monique Akoa Makani, however, is a probable starter in Phoenix. Akoa Makani is an undrafted guard from France who shot 41.8% from three this season for her French club Charnay. The Mercury needed shooting desperately, and Akoa Makani will play a huge role in giving their new big three in Sabally, Thomas and Kahleah Copper space to work.
Dark Horses: KiKi Iriafen, Carla Leite
Like Citron, Iriafen will have ample opportunities to show out especially with Aaliyah Edwards and Shakira Austin still working their way back from injuries that limited them during training camp. She was impactful in preseason averaging just under 10 points and over 5 rebounds in 18.3 minutes over two games.
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While French guard Leite is a longshot for ROY honors, she might not be for the league’s All-Rookie team. In the Valkyries’ final preseason game against the Mercury, Leite broke through scoring 11 points in 14 minutes on 4-of-7 shooting including two three-pointers. Expect the 21-year-old to provide quality bench minutes and primarily backup Tiffany Hayes when she needs a breather.
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2025 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year
Top Contenders: Marine Johannès, Sophie Cunningham/ DeWanna Bonner
After participating in her first WNBA training camp ever after years of arriving in the United States late due to overseas commitments from club teams or the French national team, Johannès has looked really comfortable and settled on the 2025 Liberty.
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“I think I’m more comfortable with the team and the way we are playing,” she said following the Liberty’s first preseason game. “I think I know a little bit more of Sandy [Brondello] too, like what she’s asking us to do on court. Right now I’m feeling good. I’m playing with confidence and I will try to keep the same confidence on court.”
Who could challenge Johannès for this award could be either Cunningham or Bonner. That depends on how long Cunningham is out after tweaking her ankle during the preseason. But once Cunningham returns, who will be starting? While Bonner might be more productive defensively, Cunningham spaces the floor better. With much more proven talent this year in Indiana, it would be hard to believe that the Fever don’t boast a candidate.
Dark Horses: Maddy Siegrist, Jessica Shephard
The Dallas Wings’ front court situation is incredibly confusing. They want to run a spaced out offense meanwhile they have a center in Teaira McCowan who isn’t a shooter. They also roster NaLyssa Smith and Myisha Hines-Allen who are both limited power forwards and then there’s Maddy Siegrist, the swingwoman who could have a breakout season. Siegrist has been deployed in the preseason as the Wings’ microwave scorer off the bench who can take some of the pressure off Dallas’ backcourt in Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale and wing Dijonai Carrington.
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Shepard makes her return to the WNBA after opting to play overseas last season. In order to keep DPOY and MVP favorite Napheesa Collier as fresh as possible prior to a deep playoff run, the Lynx are going to need to trust who they deploy in her place. Shepard averaged 26.9 minutes and 8.1 points per game in 2023. Expect her to take a jump in 2025.
2025 WNBA Most Improved Player
Top Contenders: Aaliyah Edwards, Kamilla Cardoso, Jacy Sheldon
With the Mystics being in a rebuilding year, Edwards will have all the opportunities to shine once she’s ready to play. The sophomore has been sidelined for two weeks of training camp with a lower-back contusion. But after showing out during Unrivaled, including almost winning the league’s 1v1 competition in February, Edwards proved she’s more than a back-to-the-basket power forward. There’s a step-back three in her bag as well.
Another sophomore in Cardoso will have so many greater opportunities to shine with a new offense and a new point guard in Courtney Vandersloot to help her get into better situations to score and rebound the basketball. While it’s Angel Reese who has more star power out of the two young Chicago bigs, Cardoso has the opportunity to put herself on the map in 2025.
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Sheldon was one of the many players traded over to the Connecticut Sun in the massive four-team blockbuster trade that sent Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas over to the Phoenix Mercury. Like with Edwards, Sheldon has an opportunity to establish herself as a reliable two-guard in the league. In two pre-season games, Sheldon averaged 10.5 points while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three.
Dark Horses: Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Kennedy Burke
Yet another Connecticut Sun in Olivia Nelson-Ododa is primed to take a huge step this season. Nelson-Ododa is the probable front court starter alongside league legend Tina Charles and as a result she’ll have more opportunities to stuff the stat sheet and make a two-way impact on the game. Nelson-Ododa’s decision making and execution in the pick-and-roll has often been impressive in addition to the rim protection she provides with her long outstretched arms. This could be a career year for the former UConn Husky.
Burke is another dark horse simply because of her increased role on the 2025 New York Liberty and how she will most likely be the first frontcourt player off the bench. New York’s new offense is going to be predicated on bigs being able to handle the ball and make reads in the halfcourt offense. In two preseason games, Burke has done that comfortably especially while Breanna Stewart continues to ramp up from getting a minor surgery this past March. Will Burke’s statistical impact be obvious enough for her to be a real contender for this award? That’s hard to tell, but Burke is poised to make a substantial impact regardless of if she wins this honor.
2025 WNBA Coach of the Year
Top Contenders: Stephanie White, Tyler Marsh
White has a tall task, turning the No. 7 seed Indiana Fever into a top-four seed and potentially a WNBA finals team. How does she manage the new set of personalities that have arrived in Indianapolis along with the players that are already there in Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston? How quickly does this team buy into White’s vision, and can she make lineup decisions that reflect the desire to win rather than to please players? If White can accomplish buy-in and find lineups that prioritize proper spacing, then she’s a shoe-in for her second Coach of the Year Award.
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New Sky wing Rebecca Allen called the team’s offense from 2024 directionless and “ad hoc.” If first year head coach Tyler Marsh can transform a Chicago offense that was aimless into well-functioning and top-five in the league, he might be a formidable challenger of White.
Dark Horses: Karl Smesko, Sandy Brondello
Smesko, the former 22-year college coach from FGCU, has the potential to prove how pro-ready he’s always been. At FGCU Smesko was playing a more modern style before it really infiltrated into the WNBA. If Smesko can find a way to integrate more old-school centers Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones into his system and develop both their perimeter games simultaneously, he will become my frontrunner for coach of the year.
“They both have been working on extending their range,” Smesko said about both bigs following the Dream’s first preseason game. “They both have been really consistent shooters in practice. I think that can be part of what they do for us. Obviously we don’t want to take away from the way they can dominate near the basket, but I really expect that both of them will shoot a really good percentage from three. It may not be total high volume but I think it will be an added plus.”
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The case for Brondello is can she have the defending champions the New York Liberty playing at an even higher level than they were in 2024? Does New York’s more NBA inspired offense allow them to thrive as the hunted in 2025? If so, Brondello ought to be considered.
2025 WNBA Executive of the Year
Top Contenders: Amber Cox, Jonathan Kolb
On paper this award should go to Fever GM Cox who helped recruit multi-time All-Stars and champions in Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner to sign with the Fever. Cox made sure to fill in a lot of roster’s gaps from last year which included more shooting and more veteran leadership to help steward the Fever’s young core in Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. Also, Cox and team President Kelly Krauskopf helped lure former Connecticut head coach Stephanie White who specializes in modern basketball scheming.
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But just because a team looks good theoretically doesn’t mean they live up to expectations. If the Fever become a top-four playoff seed in 2025, then yes this is a no-brainer. But if Indiana finishes only a bit better than last year, Cox winning this award looks more questionable.
Kolb is in this discussion simply because of the job he did to replace the talent the Liberty lost in free agency, the expansion draft and to injury. Kayla Thornton is now in Golden State, and his solution to fill her void on the floor is a combination of Kennedy Burke and Rebekah Gardner. Courtney Vandersloot play making is replaced by Natasha Cloud who the team traded two late first round draft picks to acquire. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s playmaking, defense and shot creation are replaced by the duo of Cloud and Marine Johannès who looks as comfortable as ever in the Liberty’s offense.
Dark Horses: Jeff Pagliocca, Nick U’ren
Pagliocca was given orders to surround his two young stars in Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso with more shooting and more veteran leadership. He successfully did both even if it meant giving up valuable draft capital in the future. Ariel Atkins, Rebecca Allen and Kia Nurse are all wings that provide some spacing.
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Vandersloot’s return to Chicago will provide the sophomore bigs in Reese and Cardoso with one of the most successful pick and roll guards of all time. And just like Cox, Pagliocca hired one of the more sought out assistants in Tyler Marsh who multiple WNBA executives wanted to hire.
If the Mercury’s new big three in Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper somehow works very quickly and their lack of reliable depth isn’t a problem, then sure U’ren could be in the running for this. Getting projected starter and All-Rookie team candidate Monique Akoa-Makani to come over is also worth recognition.
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