WNBA playoffs 2024: A'ja Wilson and the top 25 players

When it comes to naming the top player in the WNBA, there's no surprise: The Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson went wire-to-wire at No. 1 in ESPN's top 25 rankings of WNBA players in 2024. Our playoff edition, which features four players who weren't on our midseason list, includes only players from the eight teams in the postseason. But it's still difficult to narrow the list down to 25.

Wilson became the first player to score 1,000 points in a WNBA season -- she finished with 1,021 in the regular season -- and also set the record for rebounds in a season with 451. Multiple records fell in 2024: The Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark had the most assists in a season, and the Atlanta Dream's Tina Charles set the marks for career rebounds and double-doubles.

Rookies weren't eligible for our preseason top 25 player rankings in May, allowing them a little time in the league to prove themselves. But Clark has steadily climbed up the rankings. She was No. 15 on August's list and has made another big leap ahead of the playoffs, as did Kelsey Mitchell, Clark's Indiana backcourt mate.

As we get set for the first round of the WNBA playoffs to open Sunday (1 p.m. ET, ESPN), here's a look at the top players -- as voted on by ESPN's Kevin Pelton, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel -- who will be competing for the 2024 WNBA championship trophy.

(Editor's note: Wilson was named a unanimous MVP on Sunday morning, receiving all 67 first-place votes. Napheesa Collier got all but one second-place vote. Breanna Stewart, who received the other second-place vote, finished third in MVP voting.)

1. A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Center | 6-foot-4

2024 stats: 26.9 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 2.6 BPG

Midseason ranking: 1

Wilson led the WNBA this season in scoring, blocks, player efficiency rating and win shares. Her scoring average is the highest ever for a season, besting Diana Taurasi's 25.3 PPG in 2006. Wilson's averages in rebounding, blocks and steals (1.8) also are career highs. She had two games this season with 40-plus points and nine others with 30 or more. Wilson was an easy choice for MVP after having perhaps the best individual season ever in the league. -- Michael Voepel

2. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

Forward | 6-foot-1

2024 stats: 20.4 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.9 SPG

Midseason ranking: 3

The best season of her standout career lifted Collier to second in our rankings, the same spot she finished on our MVP ballots. With more help around her, Collier saw her scoring drop slightly after averaging 21.5 PPG en route to an All-WNBA first team appearance last season. In every other major per-game statistic, she posted a new career high. Collier was our consensus pick for Defensive Player of the Year and still finished fifth in scoring on above-average efficiency. Having played just nine playoff games, Collier is hoping for an extended run with the second-seeded Lynx. -- Kevin Pelton

3. Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty

Forward | 6-foot-4

2024 stats: 20.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.7 SPG

Midseason ranking: 2

With a strong second half to the season, averaging a team-best 22.1 points per game on 46.5% shooting, Stewart has shown once more why she's the consistent pulse of New York, its "MVP" who will step up and do whatever the team needs to win games. This postseason, can she finally get the top-ranked Liberty over the hump to win the franchise's first title? -- Alexa Philippou

4. Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun

Forward | 6-foot-2

2024 stats: 10.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 7.9 APG

Midseason ranking: 4

Thomas' scoring numbers aren't as high this year as they were in 2023 -- the Sun offense is much less reliant on her putting up shots -- but her value to third-seeded Connecticut lies in how she's the conductor, anchor and heartbeat to what the Sun do on both ends. She and Clark were the only players with over 300 assists this season, while Thomas also finished top-10 in both total rebounds and steals. -- Philippou

5. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Guard | 6-foot

2024 stats: 19.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 8.4 APG

Midseason ranking: 15

Clark went from a record-breaking senior year at Iowa to a record-breaking rookie season with the Fever, who are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. She led the WNBA in assists, setting a single-season record with 337. She also set the WNBA rookie points record (769) and became the first rookie to get a triple-double (she had two). It has been one of league's best-ever seasons by a rookie, and no player has had more impact on attendance in a season than Clark. -- Voepel

6. Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm

Forward | 6-foot-2

2024 stats: 16.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 41% 3s

Midseason ranking: 8

The president of the WNBPA also doubles as the league's most consistent star. No player who averaged at least 14 PPG saw less variation in their game-to-game scoring than Ogwumike, who had at least nine points in every game. Ogwumike's steady production at both ends proved particularly crucial for the Storm down the stretch, as Seattle won five of its past six games despite injuries to Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor. Because Ogwumike missed the Los Angeles Sparks' one-and-done 2020 run with a migraine, remarkably this will be her first playoff appearance since 2019. -- Pelton

7. Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty

Guard | 5-foot-11

2024 stats: 18.2 PPG, 6.2 APG, 4.4 RPG

Midseason ranking: 7

Ionescu shined last year with her 3-point shooting; this season, her game inside the arc was where she improved the most, particularly her drives and her ability to hit floaters. But her efficiency is down in the second half, so the Liberty are hoping she'll be closer to top form once the playoffs are underway. -- Philippou

8. Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty

Forward | 6-foot-6

2024 stats: 14.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG

Midseason ranking: 5

Jones was the Liberty's best player in the postseason last year, and particularly in the first half of this season, she showed shades of her 2021 MVP campaign. If Jones can channel that level of efficiency, assertiveness and dominance, it would go a long way toward helping New York secure its first championship. -- Philippou

9. Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces

Guard | 6-foot

2024 stats: 15.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.3 APG

Midseason ranking: 6

Young wasn't quite as efficient in 2024 as she was in 2023, and her scoring average was a little lower than it was last year (17.6). That's likely because this season has been more taxing. Young and Kelsey Plum had to fill in the gaps before injured Aces point guard Chelsea Gray returned in mid-June. Young also seemed a little worn down from the Olympics. But the Aces' play has elevated of late, and Young looks ready to help Las Vegas make another long playoff run. -- Voepel

10. Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces

Guard | 5-foot-8

2024 stats: 17.8 PPG, 4.2 APG, 2.9 3s per game

Midseason ranking: 11

Consider Plum a key part of the Aces' strong finish to the regular season. Plum averaged 18.5 points and 3.5 3-pointers on 43% accuracy over the past eight games she played, with Las Vegas going 7-1 in that span to secure home-court advantage in the first round. That's hotter even than Plum's shooting in the 2023 playoffs, when she averaged three triples at a 40% rate en route to the Aces' second consecutive title. -- Pelton

11. Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury

Guard/forward | 6-foot-1

2024 stats: 21.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.3 APG

Midseason ranking: 10

Copper finished with a career-high scoring average -- she was third in the WNBA in points per game -- and had nine games with 30 or more. The Mercury hovered around the .500 mark all season, finishing 19-21. Copper, who was traded to Phoenix in February from Chicago, has been one of the biggest bright spots for the Mercury this season. -- Voepel

12. Brionna Jones, Connecticut Sun

Forward | 6-foot-3

2024 stats: 13.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.2 SPG

Midseason ranking: 21

Last season, the Sun entered the playoffs hoping the absence of Jones (Achilles tear) and her two-way paint presence wouldn't prove fatal. Now their center is back in the lineup, and as the summer progressed, she returned to her pre-injury form, with a streak of seven straight games with at least 17 points to start September. -- Philippou

13. Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever

Guard | 5-foot-8

2024 stats: 19.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.8 APG

Midseason ranking: 25

Mitchell finished the regular season with the best scoring average of her seven-year WNBA career. She is now getting her first experience with the playoffs, and Mitchell is a huge part of the Fever's strong post-Olympic surge. Not counting the regular-season finale, when she played for less than 5 minutes, Mitchell averaged 24.8 PPG in the second part of the season. -- Voepel

14. Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx

Guard | 5-foot-11

2024 stats: 15.0 PPG, 3.2 APG, 41% 3s

Midseason ranking: 20

Predictably, McBride couldn't stay quite as sizzling all season as she started. After hitting 43% of her 3s prior to the Olympic break and leading the WNBA in makes, McBride dropped to a more mortal 36% the rest of the way and finished sixth in 3s. Yet McBride still finished with the second-best true shooting percentage among players who scored at least 15 PPG. McBride has averaged 18.3 PPG in four playoff games since joining the Lynx in 2021, helping Minnesota take Connecticut the distance in last year's first round. -- Pelton

15. Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury

Center | 6-foot-9

2024 stats: 17.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.3 APG

Midseason ranking: 16

Griner missed 10 games at the start of the season with a toe injury. She returned June 7 and for the most part has played like her old self. Her final regular-season stats were almost identical to last year's. She has had the highest field goal percentage (57.9) of her career in 2024, and the Mercury are back in the playoffs after a one-year absence. -- Voepel

16. Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm

Guard | 5-foot-11

2024 stats: 19.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.6 APG

Midseason ranking: 14

If the Storm are going to upset the Aces, they'll need more efficient scoring from Loyd, who shot a career-worst 36% from the field. Loyd actually shot better inside the arc (40.5%) than she has since 2021, but slumped to 27% from 3-point range -- lowest since her rookie campaign. Still, Loyd made a number of key shots for Seattle, including the go-ahead 3-pointer against Atlanta last month. Loyd's last playoff game saw her score a career-high 29 points against Las Vegas in a semifinal loss. -- Pelton

17. Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm

Center | 6-foot-4

2024 stats: 11.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.2 BPG

Midseason ranking: 12

Magbegor's role leading Australia to a bronze medal with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks against Belgium seemed to take something out of her after the Olympics. Magbegor averaged just 9.3 points and 6.8 rebounds -- down from 13.0 and 8.7 before the break -- in 11 games prior to suffering a concussion that sidelined her the last three games of the regular season. Magbegor nonetheless finished second in blocks per game, anchoring one of the WNBA's four elite defenses. -- Pelton

18. Skylar Diggins-Smith, Seattle Storm

Guard | 5-foot-9

2024 stats: 15.1 PPG, 6.4 APG, 1.7 SPG

Midseason ranking: NR

A year after giving birth to her second child, Diggins-Smith played all 40 games and averaged a career high in assists per game during her return to the WNBA with the Storm. Diggins-Smith seemed refreshed after the Olympic break, averaging 18.5 PPG on 52% effective field goal percentage (eFG%) as compared to 13.1 PPG on 43% eFG% beforehand. Diggins-Smith also excelled defensively, using her quick hands to finish 12th in the WNBA in blocks -- the most by any player shorter than 6-foot-1. -- Pelton

19. Marina Mabrey, Connecticut Sun

Guard | 5-foot-11

2024 stats (with the Sun): 14.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.4 APG

Midseason ranking: NR

Mabrey enters our rankings after affirming her value following her mid-July trade from Chicago to Connecticut. She has been their top scorer in the second half of the season and their second-best facilitator behind Thomas, and she brings much-needed firepower from the 3-point arc, where she has converted on 42.4% of her attempts. -- Philippou

20. Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever

Forward/center| 6-foot-5

2024 stats: 14.0 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 3.2 APG

Midseason ranking: 17

Boston followed up her Rookie of the Year performance with similar stats in her second season, and she has already showed leadership at a young age, too. She quickly adjusted to pick-and-roll success with Fever point guard Clark, and she ranks in the top 10 in the WNBA in rebounding and blocks. -- Voepel

21. Alanna Smith, Minnesota Lynx

Forward | 6-foot-4

2024 stats: 10.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.2 APG, 40% 3s

Midseason ranking: NR

The steady Smith was effective at both ends during her first season in Minnesota as a key factor in the Lynx's turnaround. Offensively, Smith gave the Lynx five-out spacing by shooting a career-high 40% from 3-point range while making 1.2 per game. She also nearly doubled her previous career high with 3.2 APG. At the other end, Smith's 1.5 BPG were also a career high as she continued to make progress after finishing third in Most Improved Player voting a year ago. -- Pelton

22. Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream

Guard | 6-foot-2

2024 stats: 17.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.2 APG

Midseason ranking: 22

Howard was limited to 14 games in the first part of the season because of an ankle injury. Then she won bronze with the U.S. 3x3 team at the Paris Games in August. And on the last day of the regular season, she helped the Dream grab the final playoff spot. Howard scored in double figures in every game she played after the Olympic break, including four with 30 or more points. -- Voepel

23. DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Sun

Forward | 6-foot-4

2024 stats: 15.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.2 SPG

Midseason ranking: 18

The acquisition of Mabrey has taken some of the load off of her, but that doesn't mean Bonner -- the only player on the Sun with meaningful championship experience -- can't or won't be on the floor in critical moments. Historically, Connecticut goes as she goes: All but three of its losses this season came when she shot below 40% from the field. -- Philippou

24. Tina Charles, Atlanta Dream

Center | 6-foot-4

2024 stats: 14.9 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.3 APG

Midseason ranking: NR

Charles didn't play last season and was concerned that her WNBA career might be over. But the Dream sought her out for the consistent production she has always been known for, and for her leadership for a young group. It has been a history-making season for Charles, who is now the WNBA leader in career rebounds (4,014) and double-doubles (194). -- Voepel

25. Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream

Guard | 6-foot

2024 stats: 15.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.7 APG

Midseason ranking: 23

For the 15-25 Dream to win their first playoff game since 2018, or even pull off a stunning upset over the Liberty, they need to get guards Howard and Gray going and jump-start the offense. Can Gray, their best shooter from the arc (34.2%), find her stroke from 3 like she has demonstrated at times earlier this season? -- Philippou