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Top 5 Most Pressured WNBA Players in 2025

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Basketball greatness comes with championship expectations, and some WNBA stars face more pressure than others to deliver titles this season.

• Breaking down honorable mentions including past champions Jonquel Jones, Kaleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, and Nneka Ogumike
• Examining why non-champions like Alyssa Thomas and Skylar Diggins-Smith have championship pressure
• Explaining why Caitlin Clark ranks high on the pressure list due to fan expectations
• Analyzing why Kelsey Plum (No. 5) faces pressure after requesting a trade from championship Aces
• Discussing Brittney Griner's need to prove she can lead as first option on the Dream
• Exploring Jewel Lloyd's pressure to perform consistently and elevate from third option
• Detailing why Napheesa Collier needs championship success to match her MVP-caliber play
• Revealing why Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson face the most pressure in their GOAT rivalry

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Speaker 1:

What's up everybody? It's your favorite show's favorite show. Get a Bucket. I'm your host, trent. As usual, I hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day.

Speaker 1:

Today we're going to talk about the most pressured WNBA players. But before we do that, please make sure to hit that like and subscribe button, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. I'm trying to get the ratings up a little bit, just a little bit. But like I said, ladies and gentlemen, today we're going to talk about the most pressured WNBA players, and when I say most pressure, we're talking about winning the championship. That's what we're talking about in the day. Okay, so now that y'all got that, let's bring up some honorable mentions. I think that's fair, right. So there it is. So, as y'all can see, ladies and gentlemen, I have 12 ladies here on the screen. They all are solid hoopers. I'm going to let y'all hem and haw about these ladies.

Speaker 1:

I'm curious if anybody up here is surprising for you, but let's list them off real quick for the listeners Gray at number 10,. Nneka Ogumike at number nine. Alicia Gray at number 11, satu Sabli at number seven. Sabrina Ionescu at number six. Skylar Diggins-Smith at number five. Kaitlyn Clark at number four. Ryan Howard at number three Arike Agumbawale at number two and Alyssa Thomas at number one.

Speaker 1:

Now, some of you guys might be saying why are some of these players up here? Let's talk about them real quick, right? For example, jonquil Jones, kalia Copper, chelsea Gray, nneka Ogumke all of them are at least a one-time champion, a finals MVP, and some of them actually boast an MVP Nneka and Jonquil they have an MVP Nneka in 2016, jonquil in 2021. Here's the reason why I say there's a little bit of pressure on them, because, well, when you win a championship, there should be levels of expectation to get back there. It's not like you just win one and that's it right. Everybody talks about how you win a championship and how you yearn to get back there. So there should be some pressure on these ladies. And Jonquil just won finals MVP, so that's why she had the bottom of the list. Kalia Copper won finals MVP not too too long ago too, so she don't have to. You know what I'm saying do too much.

Speaker 1:

Chelsea Gray the only reason why she's higher than a Kalia Copper and a John Quill Jones is because, well, last year's perception she was injured. People were trying to talk about how she's lost a step. She's getting older, so that's the reason why I put her up here. Nneka, I think your top five NBA caliber player, worst case, top 10. So I want to put you higher. But again, based on your history, I understand it. But when I look at other players, like an Alicia Gray, like an Aaliyah Boston, like a Satu Sabali, sabrina Ionescu even though Sabrina just won last year, she won as the second option, so I'm curious if she can win as a first option right, can she get that finals? Mvp Chelsea Gray did it as perceived to be the second out to right, so can Sabrina Inescu do something similar?

Speaker 1:

Skylar Diggins-Smith all of these players that I'm listing outside of Nneka, chelsea Kalia and John Quayle and Sabrina have not won a championship right. So I want to see can they actually win a championship? And I believe they have the skill set to do so. Look at someone like Skylar Diggins-Smith. When she came out of college, high expectations but again, currently, point in time, no ring. Not necessarily a knock on her, it's not like she's not a good player, it's just there's a little bit of pressure because, well, younger players are starting to win championships and it would be nice if you could win one, but not everyone can win a championship. Ladies and gentlemen, look at Ryan Howard. Ryan Howard. I think we should now have expectations for Ryan Howard to be on a contending team when she's paired with a Brittany Griner and Alicia Gray. I think that boasts for expectations of championship, especially given how she plays. Looking at Enrique Agunba-Wale one of the stars of this league, but yet does not have a title. We need to see her get to that championship realm and I thought she could have done so on this Dallas Wings team a couple of years ago. They fell a little short, so we got to see can she get there? That's a little bit of pressure. How about someone like an Alyssa Thomas? Ladies and gentlemen, this is a star status player. She's a future hall of famer. No titles, that hurts. She's done a lot for the game. There's a little bit of pressure on her to win that championship. Again. She's done a lot. Does she have to? Not everybody in the history of sports has won a championship, so does she need to? That's debatable, but I would love for her to win one Now.

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I think y'all see Kaitlyn Clark on the list, right? I have her as high as number four. Y'all heard why I put everybody else up there. Kaitlyn Clark is up here, long story short, because of the stands. If not, I probably would have put her closer to Aaliyah Boston's level, because the Fever did get a lot of acquisitions this year and it's supposed to vault them into contention status. So again, ladies and gentlemen, I have to put pressure on Kaitlyn Clark when her stands are saying oh, she's the best player in the league, she's the face of the league, she should have won MVP, all of this stuff. Okay, well, cool, let's put her up here then. And keep in mind, I really don't want to, but because of the stands. It's very similar to LeBron James stands and it's very disgusting work. That's why I'm trying to make sure I enjoy Caitlyn Clark, but I'm being fair when I use this list, because, again, everybody else wants to put a lot of hype around Caitlyn. Then we've got to add pressure around Caitlyn as well too. And again, we're talking about championships this season, because both of them, like the FIBA, are a star-studded squad.

Speaker 1:

I'm not going to lie to y All of my honorable mentions so far. So I'm definitely curious. Did I leave anybody off for you guys? I know somebody's probably wondering why didn't I put Angel Reese For the Sky to win a championship this season. I don't expect that. I could see the Fever maybe winning a championship. There's a world. So, again, I'm basing this off of expectations. And you could say, well, how about Arike Agumawale? Because I don't expect the Wings to win the championship this year either, but again, it's her star status that provides that pressure. So again, those are the honorable mentions, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you all enjoyed those.

Speaker 1:

But now we get to go on to the top five, and the top five, ladies and gentlemen, looks a little bit like this Sorry, there it goes. So, top five, ladies and gentlemen, number five is going to be Kelsey Plum. Ladies and gentlemen, y'all see my jersey, right? Y'all see my jersey, so y'all know I'm a little biased, right? I talked about NECA and this is actually her jersey. Earlier I talked about NECA earlier and this was her jersey. This was her jersey.

Speaker 1:

Kelsey Plum is supposed to be replacing Nneka as the star to lead us, or the next star to lead us To the promised land. And keep in mind too, we've had, we have De'Arica Hamby on the squad, but there's a little bit of more pressure. There's a little bit more pressure with Kelsey Plum because she requested a trade from the Las Vegas Aces. When you request that trading, you wanted to go to the Sparks and we have a good team, we have good talent. That means you have to win at some point in time. We got to win championship. It's not like the Sparks have never won a championship before, so we do have expectations. Keep in mind too, as Sparks fans, some of us are going to be comparing you to a Paige Beckers, because I know for a fact I was hoping for Paige for the longest time. I was talking about a game plan. We can get Paige Beckers and possibly even Juju, while keeping Rekia Jackson and Cameron Brink on the squad like that would have been amazing. So again, as as as fans of not just the WNBA, but Sparks fans, there's definitely some pressure on Kelsey Plum to get this Sparks team to the championship.

Speaker 1:

Kelsey Plum has been viewed as a second option. I thought she was the third option, maybe sometimes even fourth, on the aces. So if you were really a second option, all right, now's your time to showcase that, and then you can even showcase your first option. Remember, she was the number one pick for her injuries. So again, a little bit of pressure on Kelsey Plum, ladies and gentlemen, but it's not hard for her too much because there's other players to talk about for pressure-wise. So number four, brittany Griner, bg.

Speaker 1:

Long story short, ladies and gentlemen, bg is one of the most dominant players the game has seen physically ever. At 6'9", can shoot a mid-range, can shoot a three, can be on the block Like we talk about. Asia Wilson is dominant. Bg should be looked at in a similar manner and her star status and her dominance is the reason why she's a top five player for me in terms of pressure. As she was on the Mercury, she ended up leaving. But because she ended up leaving and going to the Dream based on who the Dream currently have, that makes me add the pressure for her, because she is again a dominant force, a star player in the WNBA and on this team.

Speaker 1:

You could end up being, at worst, the second option on a championship squad. A little bit of pressure and this team could in fact beat teams like the Liberty, like the Aces, like the Fever. They could legitimately win it all if Brittany Griner dominates. So again, curious what she does, and she's actually won a championship before too. Now, let's not forget that. But will she be remembered as a second option forever, or can she be remembered as a first option? Remember, kobe Bryant possibly would have be remembered as a first option. Remember, kobe bryant possibly would have been remembered as a second option for the rest of time if he did not win those championships or at least another championship post the three pete with shack. We won one with dt. Can you win one without one, without her? That's what people are gonna be questioning.

Speaker 1:

So again, ladies and gentlemen, britney grinder, it's a little bit of pressure on BG to win the championship, not going to lie to y'all, but let's move on down to the number three player with the most pressure, which is Jewel Lloyd. Ladies and gentlemen, we've seen Jewel Lloyd win some championships. Right, we understand who Jewel Lloyd is, the gold mamba called Like. She's been titled the gold mamba. That's quite a title to be coined. Can she win one as a second option? Because remember she played with Sue Bird and Brianna Stewart and those were the one and two options for the Storm.

Speaker 1:

Now she's going to be on this Aces team, so she could still be a third option on the championship team. Chelsea Grant and Jackie Young are still on squad. Asia is going to be the perceived first option. Can Jewel Lloyd be perceived as the second. And again, chelsea Gray, jackie Young those are no slouches. So you got to usurp those two. That's pretty stout.

Speaker 1:

And again, your star status might have been in question, because last year, during the playoffs, you didn't do that well, let's be honest. So the star status redemption tour, that's going to be a focal point for me this year, because if you, if you play, if you, if you get it back, then I am cool, I'm not. I'm not even talking about championship, I'm talking about just play well, consistently too, because streakiness was a thing for you, for me at least. So if we can, if we can remedy that, we can take off the pressure. But if not, we got to talk about Jewel Lloyd a little bit differently. But again, ladies and gentlemen, jewel Lloyd is number three. So I know you're curious. Who's number two? It's Nafisa Collier.

Speaker 1:

For me, all right Now, nafisa Collier is one of the best players in the game to be, to be more specific, one of the faces of the league, at least for me, and she should be for you all, especially now, especially how she played in the unrivaled league, especially how she played in the finals, like all last year could have won MVP and deep boy. That should boast some pressure. Again. I just listed off what she did just last year and that could be repeatable again. So again, ladies and gentlemen, when I'm talking about pressure to win a title, yes, in comparison to other teams, she might not have the names that everybody else has. She does have a sufficient talent, or she does have sufficient talent on her team.

Speaker 1:

So I can't say, oh well, she can't win, I can't have no expectations of a championship, have to put them there. But I do give her a little bit of grace, just a little bit. Just a little bit. And I give her a little bit of grace in comparison to the number one picks, or the number one players with the most pressure, which is Brianna Stewart and Asia Wilson, in order, actually in order. And the reason I said that, ladies and gentlemen, if y'all heard my NBA tapes, I think Braun, steph and KD have the most pressure to win a title, and I think these girls are the closest thing to the GOATs that we have currently, and that's why I have them as the highest on my top pressure list.

Speaker 1:

Now, keep in mind, you can put Nafisa Khali on that list if you want to too. I'm not mad at it, because they're my favorite matchups to watch too, but in terms of pressure, both of those two are still one of the faces of the league, one of the better players of the league. If you ask people, on average they might say those two before last year, so there might be a little bit more pressure keeping my brand. Steward just won a championship, get it. I still need to see her win another one, though, because she's in competition with Asia Wilson for the goat conversation. Asia Wilson just sped up and got a lot of titles and a lot of notoriety in a small amount of time. At one point in time we're talking about Stewie as the next goat. That conversation has kind of waned off a little bit. So there's a little bit more pressure for Stewie than, I say, asia Wilson to win a title. Asia just had back-to-back championships, stewie ain't. So again, ladies and gentlemen, there's a little bit more pressure for Stewie, even though she just won the championship.

Speaker 1:

But, ladies and gentlemen, that is my top five listing for most pressure players in the WNBA. So I'm definitely curious if y'all have a different order. Did I mess this up in any way, shape or form? I'm definitely curious and I was torn. I did want to put some other players on this list. I did consider an Alyssa Thomas, a Kaitlyn Clark, again because of the stands. I did think about that, but this overall is my top five. So I'm definitely curious what you all have to think about it. So make sure to comment your thoughts. But, ladies and gentlemen, that is the end of the show, so I definitely thank you all for listening. Please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. My name is Trey. I'm the host of Get a Bucket.