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WNBA Award Predictions: Who's Dominating the League Right Now?

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The WNBA's current standings and award races reveal fascinating storylines as we approach the final stretch of the season. The Minnesota Lynx have established themselves as clear frontrunners with a commanding lead over the second-place Liberty, while the playoff race remains tight with my Sparks just 0.5 games out of the final spot.

• Napheesa Collier emerges as MVP frontrunner while leading the WNBA in scoring and ranking first in both offensive and defensive metrics
• Cheryl Reeve looks like Coach of the Year with Minnesota's dominant season, with Karl Smesko and Nate Tibbets as strong contenders
• Kayla Thornton stands out as Most Improved Player after transforming from role player to All-Star
• Naz Hillmon leads Sixth Woman race, providing crucial production for an injury-plagued Dream team
• Paige Bueckers is the clear Rookie of the Year favorite with no real competition
• The WNBA's "Big Three" currently ranks Collier first, Stewart second, and Wilson third
• Playoff pressure mounts for top teams: Lynx must validate regular season dominance, Liberty have no excuses with their depth
• Key questions for contenders: Mercury's scoring depth, Dream's health, Aces' championship DNA, Fever's Caitlin Clark integration

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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, trey, and as usual, I hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day Now. Today we're going to talk about some WNBA updates, but before we do that, please make sure to hit that like and subscribe button, comment, tell anyone about the show, try to get the ratings up a little bit, you know, just a little bit. Like I said, we're going to talk about here some W NBA updates.

Speaker 1:

All right, now I think it's fair to say that we got to look at the standings because, well, I mean, that's going to be how we're looking currently, right? So we got here the Lynx number one, roof Roof. The Liberty defending champs number two. They say first is the worst, second is the best. So if you believe that, liberty, y'all on record, y'all on track. Atlanta Dream number three, mercury number four, fever, commissioner Cup champs number five, aces number six, storm number seven and the Valkyries at number eight. Now, right here, if you look, you see a team highlighted, that's my Sparks. We're number nine, but we right around the corner from reaching that playoffs race. You know I'm saying, uh, then we, we outlast in the mystics. They number 10. And then the sky, wings and sun, round out the final three teams now.

Speaker 1:

Um, remember this listing, ladies and gentlemen, because it does. It is going to be important. It's going to be important. It is going to be important to note. Now I will say this I had some predictions going on at the beginning of the year.

Speaker 1:

Right, I did, I did. Matter of fact. Let's start it off with the Coach of the Year predictions. Now. Let's pull up my stats Now. Coach of the Year, you see all my predictions, right? You see all my predictions so far. I had some reasons why, and I stated those. So, if y'all want to listen to that episode, by all means go ahead. But Coach of the Year, currently, I got Cheryl Reeves.

Speaker 1:

Ladies and gentlemen, I mean, I read off to y'all the standings. Okay, the Lynx they're number one in the WNBA and it's by a wide margin. Okay, it's by a wide margin. The next team I stated was the Liberty. I think it's like a five-game difference or something like that. It's kind of crazy. It's kind of crazy. Now I got some runner-ups.

Speaker 1:

Okay, carl Smesko, off the dream. You've been doing your thing, champ. Your team is number three right now and y'all have been dealing with injuries. Plus, this is your first season together, so because of that, the Lynx weren't together last year. So they have the cohesion. It's just the disparity in which they're currently number one. That's the reason why I got them higher than the dream. But Carl has been doing his thing coaching wise. I can't I cannot slight him. Also, nate tibbets, off the mercury.

Speaker 1:

Your big three was not complete this entire year and you were at the top of the league at one point in time. Y'all have slipped a little bit. I do understand that the bench depth does does concern me a little bit, but overall I think you're number three for me in terms of coaching, Because what y'all have had to deal with injuries, cohesion issues, and the big three was hurt. I factored that in. You also got to look at Sandy Brandello, stephanie White. They was up there Commissioner Cup win without your quote-unquote star by the casual fans, right, I like her. So again, you see, stephanie. You saw Sandy Carl's up there. I didn't talk about Becky, because the Aces ain't really doing their thing, but again though, ladies and gentlemen, that's coach of the year, now most improved.

Speaker 1:

I had some people listed up here. It was some young guns. I'm not going to lie to y'all. I was really hoping that they would vault out right in terms of things that I needed to see. Some of them did do well, like Aaliyah Bolson has done a wonderful job, angel Reese has improved, kaylin Clark's been injured, aaliyah Edwards was injured and she also recently got traded, like this listing Melissa Smith got traded, her damn self and Ezzie Magbogor she's been doing pretty well. Actually she's leading the WNBA in blocks, but I don't know if that's enough to get MIP, because I think she might have been doing that last year. So currently constructed right now.

Speaker 1:

I don't think there's a player that is most improved, deserves it more than Kayla Thornton from the Golden State Valkyries. Like, let me know who else deserves it more? Champion last year, role player giving about what? Six points, 5.5 points per game, and then we divvy out an all-star season, like she was selected for the all-star team, ladies and gentlemen, not as a reserve. Most improved? Without question Kayla Thornton. If you have somebody else, I would really love to hear it. But if she don't win, somebody's cheating in the WNBA and an investigation really needs to take place. I don't care. When she was injured she played enough games to get most improved because she was an all-star. So argue with your mama.

Speaker 1:

Now, sixth woman of the year we can argue a little bit about. I had some question marks about this. So, as y'all see, I had Natasha Cloud on mine right, breonna Jones on mine, cheyenne Parker-Tayes on mine and Dana Evans. Dana has been hooping a little bit. Breonna has not been the sixth woman. She's been starting my bad. I ain been starting my bad, I ain't know. Like same with Natasha Clow, and Cheyenne Parkatias actually was on maternity leave, so she's coming back. So she's not going to play enough games. But the top two, though for me they're starters, but they could have been bench players, no lie. And when their teams actually get healthy, well, at least the Liberty Natasha could come off the bench. We'll see what happens.

Speaker 1:

But in the meantime, my current six women of the years this one's interesting. I might have to have Naz Hillman leading the helm, ladies and gentlemen, because the Atlanta Dream, like I said, have had injuries. She's played all the games and she's performing quite well 9.6 rebounds, 2 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.5 blocks on, 48% from the field, 32 from the three, 82 from the free throw line. That's not bad, that's not bad. So, again, the Dream Dreamer third, and they dealt with a lot of injuries. Nas Hillman has helped them out tremendously as a sixth woman. Yeah, helped them out.

Speaker 1:

So, again, nas Hillman, that's my sixth woman of the year right now, but Sammy Whitcomb from the Mercury does have something to say, because I do hear you. You know what I'm saying. Like 10 points, three rebounds, three assists, .8 steals, .2 blocks on 39, 34, 84 splits. Now here's the thing, though she has started 18 games out of the 29 she's played. So she's going to have to come off the bench at some point in time a little bit more. But if that happens, she's played. So she's gonna have to come off the bench at some point in time a little bit more, but if that happens, she's gonna have something

Speaker 1:

to say. Same with dana evans, who, as y'all see, I do have on screen, still right, she's just not given the production that I would have wanted. I would have long. I would have wanted to see a little bit more production from her. But again, though, if we can get a little more uptick from her and if the Aces can get up there a little bit in ranking, she may have a shot. Jessica Shepard, she has an advantage over Naz Hillman right now because her team is currently number one and again it's by a

Speaker 1:

wide margin. So when we're looking at this, jessica Shepard giving me 7.7 rebounds, 2 assists, .4 steals and .1 blocks Efficiency is not that good, I mean field goal percentage and .1 blocks Efficiency is not that good, I mean field goal percentage. She's shooting 60. She's shooting better from the field than she is from the free throw line. She's not shooting that and she's not shooting threes. So again, I do like her as a player and

Speaker 1:

the team help her out. But I would like to see Naz Hillman win for sixth woman of the year. If the season were to end today and if the Dreamer made a top three seed, I would like to see Nas Hillman get it over Jessica Shepard. And then, if Emma Miesman can come off the bench someone like Emma I think Natasha started way too many games Emma's going to have to come off the bench for the liberty someone on liberty to win it. Maybe they have a shot. But those four yeah, those four are my favorites right now to win six women of the year. So you know I'm biasly pulling for Dana

Speaker 1:

just because she hit my. She was on my list initially for predictions, but let's see what happens. Rookie of the year this one's going to be easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Ladies and gentlemen, paige Beckers, I told y'all before. I'm going to say it again. It's a cut and dry answer. She's the best rookie, she's one of the best players in the league right now. I said one of the best players. She was an all-star this year, I'm not saying top 10. We're not getting. Is it really up for discussion? Her competition with Sonia Citrone and Kiki Arieffin, who they both were all-stars this year, is just that. It's levels to this, I'm sorry. So again,

Speaker 1:

paige, tip of the cap. And I'm pissed at the fact that my Sparks could not win number one draft pick last year. That's all I'm saying, because we would have had Paige Beckham, fakia Jackson, cameron Brink, audrey Stevens and oh my gosh, de'erica Hamby Bro. We would have been killing. That's all I'm saying. But speaking of killers, let's go ahead and move on up to the D-poys, which y'all

Speaker 1:

can see on the screen. I had Brittany Griner, alyssa Thomas and Nafisa Collier as my expectations for deep poise. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I can confidently say only one of them messed up. My expectations daggone it. And the reason why I say that my deep poise right now is Nafisa Collier. She's top in defensive rating and win shares, if you want to base it off stats, right. But the team again number one. They look like juggernauts when she's on the court. They still look good when she's off the court, but they really look solid when she's on the court and she can guard one through five without question. So in terms of depoyoy, the

Speaker 1:

reigning depoy, she got it. Now her, her, her competition is alissa thomas and asia wilson. Alissa thomas, you know you can make the argument that nevisa collier has four other player or three other players that are in the top 10 defensive rating, right. So if you say, if you look at it from that perspective and coming at it from an analytical standpoint, okay, cool, alyssa Thomas might be more of a defensive anchor than Nafisa Collier. I hear that Satu's the only other player on the Mercury in the top 10

Speaker 1:

for defensive rating. So cool. You got three for Fee, one for Alyssa Thomas. I've made that case for Fee for MVP. So I hear for Alyssa Thomas. When I look at Fee, though, there is a little bit of a distinction. Alyssa Thomas can guard the ones and twos, but I think Fee guards the perimeter a little bit better. Personally, alyssa Thomas can guard one through five as well, but in terms of fluidity, I think I I give the nod to fee

Speaker 1:

just a little bit more. But again, though, you want to base it off of, off of teammates, I do hear you for a list of times. And then, well, asia wilson she has no other teammate in the top 20 defensive win shares and her team ranking hurts, plus your team's past success. So, while your, your teammates currently might not be defensively what they might have been in the past, the past kind of hurts you a little bit, asia. But again, ladies and gentlemen, if you feel like she's deep boy, I hear that argument too, because of the others supporting cast, just remember, though, the others are pretty damn good, they sell. So, again, those are my three for deep boy. But I mean, I'm I'm definitely curious

Speaker 1:

what y'all thinking about it. But we got to talk about here mvp, right, um, mvp, you know. I mean like who we, who we got, who we got, ladies and gentlemen. Well, I had Nafisa Khalia, breanna Stewart, asia Wilson, ryan Howard and I had Kaitlyn Clark. Kaitlyn obviously was going to be because fans were going to be voting her, but also, too, she was going to be viewed as the engine to a team that I thought could have gone pretty far if they were injury-free, right,

Speaker 1:

and if she was playing. But in the meantime, my MVP, ladies and gentlemen, nafisa Collier. Now she is currently out, so we do have the opportunity for people to maybe try to gain some traction, but keep in mind she's leading the WNBA in scoring. Her team's number one. She's the best player on the best team. She's top in defensive rating and win shares. She's top in offensive rating and win shares, meaning she's tops in win shares all total. Like that's kind of crazy. We don't see that happen too

Speaker 1:

too often, ladies and gentlemen. So when we talk about value, really tough to argue. Who more valuable than Nafisa Collier for the 2025 WNBA season? Now, to be fair, alyssa Thomas does make quite an argument to triple-double queen for the WNBA. You know what I'm saying. You talk about where they're positioned and you got to factor in that her team has been injured. Fee's team has not been injured, by the way. Kayla McBride, I think, was injured for a little bit but has still played enough games to be selected for the all-star team. So they have not really been injured like that. So maybe you want

Speaker 1:

to argue that case right. How about Alicia Gray? Because again, her stars have been out. Hell, ryan Howard's played like half the season, so I mean she didn't even get to the all-star game. Like, come on now and they still top three. Alicia gray might be more valuable to her team than than than the visa collier is because, again, the injuries. I so I'll hear alicia gray for mvp, because

Speaker 1:

again her team been injured. But when we talk about fee across the board god, I mean don't get me wrong Alicia Gray been hooping. Now Alicia Gray can get a bucket. She's been carrying the team helping out. Breonna Jones been hooping too, but I think Alicia Gray is I think it's safe to say easily the number one. But Fee is a different breed. She's definitely a different breed. But I am curious though I'm wilding on this whole MVP thing. Y'all let me know. But, ladies and gentlemen, we also got to talk about because we've talked about all the WNBA awards thus far. So we're going to see what happens

Speaker 1:

when the awards come out. I want to focus on, though, the big three. The WNBA's big three, ladies and gentlemen, consists of Asia Wilson, nafisa Collier and Breanna Stewart, but there's got to be a ranking with it. There's got to be a ranking with this now, ladies and gentlemen, and I think there might be, at least for the 2025 season. We'll see what happens next season We'll see, but in the meantime, yeah, fee got number one. Yeah, nafisa Collier is number one in the WNBA. There's some pressure, there's some expectations with that. She was in the finals, right. If she gets back to the finals and wins it too, that definitely solidifies it without question. There's no argument If she doesn't win, especially if she gets out early. I can hear why other people might say the other two, but again, nafisa Collier number one, without

Speaker 1:

question. Now two and three. It does get a little tricky for me right now. I have Breanna Stewart number two, but keep in mind, asia Wilson is arguably the reason why the Aces are in playoff contention. Jackie Young has been playing well too, but like it's looking a little tough over there in the aces world, like like to the point where kelsey plum is looking a lot better right now, I promise y'all, because they're not doing this hot and and the aces were what a four seed last year, champions the seasons before, and kelsey plum is the main subtraction, oh. So again, I I'm looking at Breanna Stewart right now at number two. But I might take Asia Wilson as number two as well. But Breanna Stewart for me is number two because when I look at Breanna Stewart, she still is one of the better players from a scoring perspective, from a rebounding perspective, from a playmaking perspective, from a defense perspective. She's not a slouch. And then when we talk about efficiency, she's still one of the more efficient players in the game. She's had a little bit of a slippage I guess I will give people that, but overall you got to look at the amount of focus she does draw. So I do expect somewhat of a dip, even though I do expect her to still remain efficient. I have called her the Kevin Durant of the WNBA, right. So again, breanna Stewart, for what she brings, overall I

Speaker 1:

do have her number two. I'm not going to lie to you, but because of her supporting cast being healthier than the Aces, I will hear folks saying Asia's number two, but for me I cannot give her but so much grace Because, remember, the main subtraction was in fact Kelsey Plum and she brought back Jewel Lloyd, who the expectations were. Jewel Lloyd's in the bucket. That's an all-star caliber player, spoke to make it work. We got to see. If it's Jewel Lloyd or if there's a team cohesion issue, we'll figure it out. But Asia, giving you 30 points, 20 rebounds, it don't seem like it's her, but it is kind of tough for me to put her at number three right now on the big three list. But again, ladies and gentlemen, we're talking about the big three out of all the WNBA. That's what we're talking about, right? But these women do have some press rolling because we do have playoffs coming up. So again, ladies and gentlemen, this big three, they're going to have to show up and show out because, well, if they can't, it's going

Speaker 1:

to be a little tricky. Now I mentioned playoffs. As y'all can see, valkyries are currently at that eighth spot, my Sparks we're 0.5 games away. We're 0.5 games away from getting to the playoffs. We should be able to make it to the playoffs, ladies and gentlemen, and, as y'all can see, the Lynx are far ahead of everybody else. So we might have to play the Lynx game like round one and that could get ugly, because they got all the pieces to beat our ass. So that would be a little tough. But there is a little pressure on the Lynx because, again, if they lose early. Y'all see where they are record-wise. I mean, bro, there's a mean gap between them and everybody else. So you can't lose early. And you already got to the finals. So with me saying you have the best player, y'all have so many defensive players on the team in the top

Speaker 1:

ten, y'all have to get. I honestly want to say back to the finals, like, if y'all can't, what are we doing? I'm sorry we might have to make a couple trades, because now it just seems like y'all gonna be in limbo, even though you look dominant during the regular season. Then the Liberty can y'all actually dominate? I talked about the links, right, can y'all dominate because y'all have the depth and talent to do so. So you're supposed to win this year. Can you actually get the job done? There's really no excuses. Barring significant injuries which have happened over the year, y'all have enough talent and WNBA experience per player to gel when the time comes. So again, can y'all in fact dominate and you go 10 women deep? No excuses, none whatsoever. So the defending champs should be

Speaker 1:

able to run it back. The Mercury Do you have enough consistent scoring? Big three Y'all cool. The supporting cast still want to figure it out and we're not going to be able to until we get to playoffs. That's where the bread and're not going to be able to. Until we get to playoffs. That's where the bread of the butter, that's when the bread and buzz is going to be. So I'm looking forward to seeing if the mercury are going to have enough scoring option. They have enough defense, we know that. Do they have enough offense? Well, they have enough people to get a bucket when the time comes, because three people usually is not going to be enough to

Speaker 1:

carry you over the hump. Just saying the dream Are y'all going to be healthy? I said Ryan Howard already out, and she's been out for a little. Second. Brittany Griner, you know what I'm saying. Can you come back healthy? Like, is there too much usage on Alicia Gray? That's what I'm trying to figure out. And will y'all have enough cohesion? Because, again, this is y'all first season. That's what we need to figure out, but that's what I'm figuring out. That's really my biggest thing for the Dream. Outside of that, they can be contenders, ladies and gentlemen. There's a

Speaker 1:

world where they win it. I'm not going to lie to you, but there are some question marks and it's surrounding health. So we got to put a pin in that the Storm is there enough balance? You made the trade for Brittany Sykes Excellent, excellent acquisition. Is there enough balance overall on the squad? And I'm wondering when the time comes for next season, when the time comes for next season, how much will Dominique Malanga factor in to the Storm's play, because her and Ezzie might need to coexist. And you got Nneka, you got Gabby Williams, you got a lot of players. So you got to figure out the balancing overall, because the timing could actually gel out for the Storm for the next couple years if they play their cards right. So again, I want to see

Speaker 1:

if that balance is enough. Then, for the Aces, do y'all have a Trump card? Because, damn, it's really not looking that good. It's really not looking that good, bro. And again, y'all have sufficient talent. Becky, we got to see what you can do as a coach. Jewel, there's some pressure on you. Asia, I think you get a pass. But next season there might be some pressure on you again, because if it's back-to-back years, hey, have y'all lost your swag. Do y'all need to make some changes overall? Does Asia need to leave? Let's figure that out. But

Speaker 1:

again, there's some pressure there. The fever when will caitlyn clark be available and after a certain point in time is it ideal for her to come back? They won the commissioner cup champ, remember. Natasha howard won finals. Mvp alia boston has been their best player. Kelsey mitchell is considered the toughest player to guard by a lot of players. Should we mess up the cohesion of the fever? Because when you insert a player like caitlyn clark she does have to kind of orchestrate the offense. She can't play off ball like that. So again, although I think she could, in theory, her play style, what everybody wanted to see, yes, she kind of has to have the ball in her hands. Does that mess up the flow that the Fever have actually established to win the Commissioner Cup

Speaker 1:

championship? We'll figure it out. And, like I said, the valkyries, can they actually make it? But, more importantly, can my sparks outlast the valkyrie and mystics? That's really up for debate because, like I did see us do well against the mystics, live All right, we were down by 10, came back, like we go down early and then fight back. Can we get rid of that, sparks, please? Like can we just stay up the whole time, wire to wire? I'd appreciate it Because, damn, I get tired of seeing like us down and having to claw all the way back. I appreciate us fighting back, don't get me wrong, but that's the playoff race right now. That's what it's looking like, ladies and gentlemen, and keep in mind it's crazy, because I really wrote this list about two, three weeks ago. So not much has

Speaker 1:

changed from the playoff race. So again, I mean, that's what it is and ideally, if we could do this playoff wish list, I would like to see Lynx versus Sparks. I would like for us to get some competition for the future. We need to see where we rank so that way we can start training in the offseason. I would love to see. I said Liberty versus Fever, but I kind of want to see Mercury versus Fever. I do, but that's only if Kaitlyn Clark is playing. If not, then I'll go Liberty versus Fever, dream versus Mercury, Because I want to see Brittany Griner return back home. Maybe she amps up her play and then you got the Storm versus the Aces. Or you can switch the Lynx and Aces, storm and sparks, because again, neca was on my sparks, so was britney sykes. Nice little back and forth, I would appreciate it. Plus, we do have history with the trades. I've talked about that on the show before. I

Speaker 1:

would like to see that. But again, ladies and gentlemen, those are my wish lists that y'all heard. So, again, I think I think we about cover all the updates that we got. So I think that about does it for the show, ladies and gentlemen, but I want to hear from y'all. Are there any updates that I missed? Is there anything that y'all want to talk about? How do y'all feel about the season awards? What about the big three? Is my ranking off? I'd love to hear that. And then my playoff race. Did I mess up anything? Anybody, anybody at all. Y'all let me know. But, ladies and gentlemen, I hope y'all continue to watch the WNBA and support it, as well as continue to support my show. So again, my name is Trey. I am the host of Get a Bucket. Please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about my show. Hope you all are having a good one. Take care.