Get A Bucket Show

The WNBA 2025 Season Award Expectations

• Tré

Share episode

Send us a text

The WNBA's 2025 season awards race is heating up with compelling candidates across all categories, from Sixth Woman to MVP honors.

• Sixth Woman candidates include Natasha Cloud (Liberty), Breonna Jones (Dream), and Aces duo Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Dana Evans
• Coach of the Year contenders feature Stephanie White (Fever), Carl Smesko (Dream), Sandy Brondello (Liberty), and Becky Hammon (Aces)
• Most Improved Player watchlist includes Nalissa Smith, Ezzy Magbegor, Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Aaliyah Edwards, and Aaliyah Boston
• Rookie of the Year conversation starts with Paige Bueckers as favorite, with Haley Van Lith and Dominique Malonga as potential challengers
• Defensive Player of the Year candidates Brittney Griner, Alyssa Thomas, and Napheesa Collier could challenge reigning DPOY A'ja Wilson
• MVP race features elite talents Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, Rhyne Howard, and potentially Caitlin Clark
• The Atlanta Dream emerge as potential championship contenders with their revamped roster

Please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and tell anyone who's anyone about the show. I'm trying to get the ratings up a little bit!


Support the show

https://linktr.ee/GetABucketShow for more content!!!

Speaker 1:

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

Speaker 1:

Today we're going to talk about my 2025 WNBA expectations, at least for the season awards, right? But before we do that, please make sure to hit that like and subscribe button. Comment to anyone who's anyone about the show Trying to get the ratings up a little bit. You know, just a little bit. But, like I said, ladies and gentlemen, today we're going to talk about the 2025 WNBA expectations for the season awards. Now, real quick, I do want to talk about season awards because we do have as follows the sixth woman of the year, the coach of the year, the most improved rookie of the year, the defensive player of the year and the MVP. Now, those are a lot of awards to talk about, and I got corresponding names for each award. But let's go ahead and talk about them, because I don't want to hem and haw, but we will talk about each individual award and the corresponding players. So, with that being said, let's go ahead and talk about the sixth woman of the year, which, and you know what? Let's go ahead and bring up the screen, shall we? I think we should bring up the listing. Here we are as follows right, so I have Natasha Cloud, rihanna Jones, cheyenne Parker-Tias and Dana Evans. Now these women can hoop. Okay, natasha Cloud, she'll be on the Liberty. Rihanna Jones, she's on the Dream, cheyenne Parker-Tias is on the Aces and Dana Evans is on the Aces as well. Notice, the Aces have two, six women of the year candidates. For me, that's pretty noting, right, like Aces might be, it might be a tough task, and we all knew that too, but the Liberty as well boasts one to the defending champ Shout out to the Liberty. Right, they have Natasha Clow, who is very slept on, to me, very underrated, and I think her skill set will be amplified once she gets to the Liberty. She can play off guard, she can play the point guard. She'll be very key for the Liberty this season. And then we got Breonna Jones as well too.

Speaker 1:

Ladies and gentlemen, the Atlanta Dream. They actually are a pretty scary team and when I look at this squad, I think they have the potential to go the distance. That's right. This Atlanta Dream team can win a championship this season if they play to their potential. And Breonna Jones is one of those key players because, again, she's been an all-star before Now coming back off the bench. I think that would be wondrous, and she can still play with Brittany Griner, alicia Gray, ryan Howard. So, again, yes, she could come off the bench. I hope she does because, again, that's when the Sun were very successful, so I hope she does.

Speaker 1:

But, ladies and gentlemen, those are my six women of the year candidates right here Natasha Cloud, rihanna Jones, cheyenne Parker, tyus and Dana Evans. We got to talk about them two real quick Because, like I said the aces, they boast two potential players. Dana Evans could probably come off the bench, cheyenne Parker could possibly start, but I expect both to come off the bench to give the aces a fiery punch, and that's why I got them there, because they usually have a sixth woman of the year candidate. So, again, sixth woman of the year got her in my listing. But we'll now move on up to the coach of the year. Ladies and gentlemen, my expectation for the coach of the year goes as follows Stephanie white of the Indiana fever, carl Smesko of the Atlanta dream, sandy Brodello of the New York Liberty and then Becky Hammond for the Aces. Like, these are quality players. I'm sorry, these are quality coaches that we got to talk about Again, ladies and gentlemen, the Indiana Fever.

Speaker 1:

They did boast a lot of players, this free agency, so they have a lot of talent and a lot of expectations. So if they go far, hell. If they become a number one seed, which is very possible. They have the talent to do so. The cohesion we got to figure out. But if they do that, I can see her being a coach of the year. How about Carl Smesko? Hey, we got to figure you out, champ, because there's a little bit of question marks about you, there's some uncertainty, but again, you have a good team. They are new, but you have a good team. So the ball's in y'all court, but a lot of things can go well for the Dream.

Speaker 1:

This year they just got to play their cards right, and then Sandy Berdello listen, the Liberty, y'all just won championship right. So what happens if y'all the number one seed again, but y'all do it in dominant fashion? I think it's fair to say you got to give her the coach of the year because again, they just won defending champs and now they repeat everything and keep in mind teams have retooled now. So I do think it's fair to say if they win the first seed in dominant fashion. She needs to be coach of the year. And then Becky Hammond. Same thing for the Aces. They have the talent to be the number one seed. I'm not going to rinse wash and repeat what I just said for the Liberty. Just know it's the exact same thing that I said for the Liberty Number one seed, dominant fashion. They do that. Coach of the year, you have the talent to do so. But again, ladies and gentlemen, those are my coach of the year expectations. So, with coach of the year expectations, so, with that being said, let's go on and transition on to the next one, which is most improved.

Speaker 1:

Now, my most improved, ladies and gentlemen, it's a couple players. It's a couple players. We do have nalissa smith, ezzy magma, gore, angel reese, caitlin clark, alia edwards and alia boston. Now, that's a lot of names when you really think about it, but in actuality, give me a little grace because I do have expectations for all of these players. Nelissa Smith, you got to bounce back, especially given the fact that you just got traded from the Fever, so I'm expecting a little chip on your shoulder right. Remember when Brandon Ingram, for the Lakers, got traded to the Pelicans? I'm not saying all-star level play immediately, I'm saying most improved, which she's very capable of doing. She has a good amount of talent. That's a double-double machine right there. So, again, I do expect something decent from Melissa Smith, ezzie Magbergor, jewel Lloyd is now off the squad.

Speaker 1:

You could become the second option on the team. Yes, y'all have Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogumike. You could be the number two option, and if you showcase to be the number one option, that would be even really impressive, and I think that vaults you as the most improved player without question. But again, that's just me, though, and that's a tall task too, because you are playing with Nneka Ogumike, but it is possible. There's a world.

Speaker 1:

Then we also got to talk about Angel Reese and Kaitlyn Clark. Let's put them in the same breath, because, again, a lot of eyes are on these players, right. So if they both perform well and they both dominate, even more so than what they did last year, I think it's fair to say they get most improved considerations, most improved considerations, and especially to a level where, let's say, kaitlyn Clark almost edges out somebody for MVP like Asia Wilson or Brianne Storr or somebody like that all right, I can see her getting the most improved. Or if Angel Reese is shooting the ball real well, and now is a nightmare got to be considered for most improved. But that would be the reasons why I would consider them.

Speaker 1:

How about Aaliyah Edwards? Because A I don't know if y'all remember the arrival league she did do her thing. So again we got to factor stuff like that, because a lot of eyes should be on Aaliyah Edwards. Remember she got Stewie out of the way, she took Nafisa Collier in the distance. So we do it At Collier the distance. So we do it. At least I expect something extra out of Aaliyah Edwards. Maybe you do too. And then how about Aaliyah Boston? Because again, we talked about Angel Reese, we talked about Kaelin Clark. You don't think eyes are on Aaliyah Boston.

Speaker 1:

Aaliyah, this could be your time to be most improved, be dominant for your team. Hell, you could be the best player on your team when we think about it. But again, she could be most improved if she shows that she's the best player. But again, ladies and gentlemen, those are my listings for most improvement. It's a little list. I'm not going to lie to you, but that's what we got, so hope you all liked it. Let me know.

Speaker 1:

But we're going to move on to one of my favorites, the Rookie of the Year. The Rookie of the Year should be a good one. I'm going to keep it simple. I do expect Paige Beckers to win this one. I'm not going to lie to you all. Paige Beckers really should win this. However, I guess I got to go. I got a few names like Haley Van Lith could win it. Right she's.

Speaker 1:

She's in a good situation, learning from a Courtney Vander Sloot on Scott, maybe you know, say you say you'll say on a Golden State Valkyries, she, you will have ample PT in theory If she does her thing. Who knows, maybe the Valkyrie is surprising people and now she wins rookie of the year because they did better than what we expected. That could happen, who knows? And then Dominique Malonga. Now here's the thing History is really working against Dominique. She's the number two pick and no number two pick in the history of the WNBA has won the rookie of the year. Now she has the talent to do so. She also has not shown up to practice just yet. So again, if she is on the team, she has the talent to win rookie of the year. Will she get the opportunity? We will find out, but again, this one could be interesting. This number two pick could be interesting. I said it kind of before, but again, she gets the reps expected. So again, ladies and gentlemen, those are my rookie of the year expectations, but we ain't going to hem and haw too too much about those, cause, like I said, I do expect Paige Beckers to win that.

Speaker 1:

So let's move on up to the depoy listing. Now the depoy listing. Ladies and gentlemen, it gets a gentlemen. It gets a little shorter list right, because for me, I look at a couple of players and you might note that Aja Wilson is not on this listing. No disrespect, but I expect Brittany Griner and Alyssa Thomas and then Nafisa Collier to do their thing. Hear me out.

Speaker 1:

The Aces they do have a good defensive team. Mesa's they do have a good defensive team. The Dream if they look like defensive juggernauts, it will be perceived that Brittany Griner was the head of the snake defensively. And then Alyssa Thomas, who is now on the Mercury If they look like they haven't lost a step and they look like defensive juggernauts, she will be the perceived key cog. And then, of course, nafisa Collier with the Lynx I thought she should have won Depoy last year and she did so. We got to keep her on this listing.

Speaker 1:

But again, ladies and gentlemen, these three players I understand people think Asia Wilson for Depoy. These three players I'm also considering too. In fact they might be higher on the listing for me this season than Asia Wilson, but I'm not going to discredit Aja Wilson, I just expect these three to be a little higher this season. But again, ladies and gentlemen, those are my deep poise for this season. So let's see how they pan out. And then, finally, we got to talk about them.

Speaker 1:

Because we're here, the MVPs and, as you've noticed, I'm keeping these a little high level right now because I'm going to give a deep dive on the teams and I'll talk more about them. But right now we got to talk about my MVP expectations. Nafisa Collier, brianna Stewart, asia Wilson, ryan Howard and Kaitlyn Clark All of those players can get MVP consideration. Keep in mind the Kaitlyn Clark one is because of the stands, right, but I do think the Fever do well enough to where they try to vault her into the MVP considerations Again if they become a number one, number two seed. They were a sixth seed last year. I think people throw her into the MVP discussions Unless an elite of Boston outplays her. But again, expectations would be Kaitlyn Clark for MVP and then a Ryan Howard, because I said I expect a lot of the dream this season. I do expect a lot more out of Ryan Howard. Ryan Howard is one of them, players who could be a star in this league. So, again, the timer starts now for you and Alicia Gray, and I said that during last year's playoffs you got that two-year window, so I got that expectation on you right now. That's just me.

Speaker 1:

Then we got to talk about Aja Wilson, because MVP she's been before, right, so can she do it again? There are some players who are hungry, so, if she can, we got to talk about her as the gold a little bit, especially if that's tackled on with a championship. These are discussions we got to continue to have and monitor. That's what Aja Wilson. Then Breanna Stewart does the exact same thing with Asia Wilson. She does that. Hey, maybe we need to talk about Stewie more so than Asia Wilson. So what have you done for me, lee? Right, all right.

Speaker 1:

So again, mvp expectations. I am, I am expecting these women. And then, finally, nafisa Collier. I expected her. I thought she was going to win the last year, to be honest with you all. So the fact that we can't do it again if the Lynx end up being a top-seeded team I understand they went to the finals last year, again based on talent. If they're a top-seed team, you cannot keep her away from MVP, bro. You cannot do it back-to-back seasons. You can't, I'm sorry. So if the Lynx are at the top MVP and that's kind of a consistent thing Because, again, ladies and gentlemen, all these women can hoop, all these women have good teams surrounding them, so, and you know, they can get a buck. But again, ladies and gentlemen, those are my WNBA award expectations and there's a few lists. Like I said, there's a few names on the list. I'll give you that, but it's early. Give me some credit. So, again, those are my lists.

Speaker 1:

I hope you all enjoyed it. Actually, before we go, please let me know what y'all think. Did I leave anybody off? If I did, let me know, comment, we can talk about it. But, ladies and gentlemen, that does conclude the end of the show. So I hope you all enjoyed. Please let me know what you all think. Like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. My name is Trey. I'm the host of Get a Bucket. Hope you all are having a good one. Please make sure to watch the WNBA. Take care.