The WNBA regular season came to a close and the WNBA playoffs began on Sunday. The WNBA officially handed out the Rookie of the Year award to Olivia Miles and it was unanimous. It is now time to release my picks on who I think should make the WNBA All-Rookie Team. I listed 5 names as well as an honourable mention below. For 4 months, I tracked the 2026 rookies through the WNBA Rookies Watch and was able to track their performances on a bi-weekly basis. For some players, they were coming off a strong college season and it was hard for them to adjust as there is no break and the WNBA has more experienced, physical and stronger competition than in college. For others, this was their first time playing in the WNBA as they were playing overseas for many years. As the WNBA grows in terms of roster spots and expands with more teams, there will be plenty of more oppurtunities for more rookies to play. It should make it more interesting and give them more experience rather being waived or shut out completely like they were for several years before.
This is the final edition of the 2026 version of the WNBA Rookies Watch.
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WNBA Rookies Watch – Who should be on the 2026 All-Rookie Team?
All-Rookie Team
- Olivia Miles – PG, Minnesota Lynx
- Flau’jae Johnson – SG, Seattle Storm
- Sydney Taylor – SG, Chicago Sky
- Kiki Rice – PG, Toronto Tempo
- Azzi Fudd, SG – Dallas Wings
Honourable mention: Laura Juskaite, SF – Toronto Tempo
Now, let’s get started on why each of these 5 rookies deserves a spot on this year’s WNBA All-Rookie Team. First up, is Olivia Miles. Olivia Miles had a tremendous rookie season in which she averaged 19.8 points per game, 6 assists per game and 4.7 rebounds per game this season. She shot 49.2% from the field and 87% from the free throw line. She was named the WNBA Rookie of the Month all 4 times. She was a named an All-Star starter and set many Minnesota Lynx franchise rookie records. From the moment she stepped on the floor, she played like she belong. In fact, she was the first rookie featured this season in my first edition of WNBA Rookies Watch. You can read it here.
Next up is Flau’jae Johnson. The Seattle Storm guard averaged 14.9 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game and 1.4 steals per game. She shot 40.2% from the floor and 80% from the free throw line. Although the Seattle Storm are rebuilding and did not make the playoffs, Flau’jae Johnson did her best to try to keep her team competitive and would often score in double-figures, lead her team in assists and help her team out in rebounding. She would also have games in which she played great defense and led her team in steals per game as her career-high this season was 4.
The third rookie mentioned on my list is Sydney Taylor. Coming into this season, she was undrafted and signed a training camp contract with the Chicago Sky. She then was able to make the official roster and had to earn her game minutes. She averaged 13.6 points per game and 2 assists per game. She shot 41.9% from the field and shot 78.6% from the free throw line. She then exploded with a career night against the Toronto Tempo on May 27th in which she scored 27 points. In the month of June, she had her very first 30 point game against the Indiana Fever. After that, she never looked back. She was consistent, scored in double-figures various times, hit a buzzer-beater against the Las Vegas Aces and tried her best to be an additional scoring threat for the Sky. She also would help out in terms of being a playmaker and had some games of 4 or more assists.
The fourth rookie is Kiki Rice. The Toronto Tempo guard started off cold, then excelled before coming down with an ankle sprain injury a month into the WNBA season. She averaged 13.4 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game and 3.5 assists per game. She shot 47.2% from the field and 86.9% from the free throw line. After injury, she continued to excel and score in double-digits multiple times, be a good rebounder (her career-high was 8) and also have multiple games of 5 or more assists. The Tempo did not have a good season in their first year as an expansion franchise but Kiki Rice was a bright spot.
The fifth spot was difficult to decide. Both Azzi Fudd and Laura Juskaite deserve the final spot, but the argument for Azzi Fudd was stronger. Before going down with arthoscopic injury, Azzi Fudd was having a strong season and looked very promising. She was averaging 13.1 points per game. She was shooting 45.6% from the field and 82.6% from the free throw line. Her defense was excellent and although she did not play after the month of July, the Dallas Wings did make the playoffs.
Finally, to round it off, the honourable mention belongs to Laura Juskaite. The Toronto Tempo forward has improved greatly from the start of the season and continues to get better. She’s had multiple double-digit scoring performances and has improved as a solid rebounder from the start of the season. She came to the WNBA this season after playing overseas for many years and after winning a EuroCup championship with Mersin, a team based in Turkey.
