With the WNBA season fast winding down, it's definitely award time, and it's also time for the naming of the All-WNBA team. It's always a fascinating exercise for fans and experts, and the players take more than a casual interest, especially when it comes to the more controversial decisions.
There are plenty of those this year, so we'll sum up the starters, then add the second team. Both units would be powerhouses if they ever took the floor for real, but for now we'll have to settle for reading about them as a fantasy dream team.
The All-WNBA starts with A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Any WNBA all-star unit has to start with wtih A'ja Wilson. She's a near-lock to be the league MVP, scoring just over 26 points a game while shooting over 50 percent from the field. She's already set a record for the number of games with at least 15 points and 15 boards with eight, and no one would be surprised to see her take extend that record to double digits. If the Aces are going to go anywhere in the postseason, it's going to be all about her.
Yes, Caitlin Clark makes the All-WNBA team, Indiana Fever
Some people are tired of reading and hearing about her, but the rest of us just continue to be amazed. Clark seemingly sets a new record every other day, and she has the Fever challenging Phoenix for the sixth slot in the playoffs. We know she turns the ball over at an alarming rate in some games, but given that she's already almost locked up the ROY award and eclipsed so many records, it's hard to keep her off this unit.
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx star has quietly been having a stellar season, and if A'ja Wilson doesn't become the unanimous MVP, she'll be the reason why. She's scoring over 26 points a game with an incredible shooting percentage of just over 66 percent, and she nearly willed the Lynx to an undefeated August. Collier's presence on the defensive end is just as formidable, and Minnesota remains a threat to claim a top-two seed for the playoffs, which would make the Lynx even more formidable going into against a weaker first-round opponent.
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
We've come to take her ongoing excellence for granted, but that doesn't mean the Liberty do the same. Ionescu has upped her scoring average from 17 to just over 19 points per game this year, and she continues to fill up the box score with almost 6 rebounds and 6 assists per contest as well. That's All-WBA production no matter how you look at it, and Ionescu's relentless hustle and floor game is a big reason why New York will go into the playoffs as a title favorite.
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Stewart is yet another reason why the Liberty are favorites to cop the title, and like Ionescu, we continue to take her excellence for granted. The numbers include a near-double double on a nightly basis, with just over 20 points a game and almost 9 rebounds per contest to go with the scoring. She, too, has a superb all-around floor game, adding assists, steals and blocks to fill up the box score. It almost seems unfair to put two members of the same team on this All-WNBA roster, but the numbers and the nightly results on the floor continue to justify it.
Second team and honorable mentions
There's never any shortage of tough competition for this kind of team, and difficult decisions abound. The hallmark of our second team is "veteran presence," and several of these player could easily have made the first team.
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty
Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx
Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
Honorable mention: Kahleah Copper, Ezi Magbegor