Preseason Women’s College Basketball Players Rankings – Class by Class!

Chennedy Carter of Texas A&M is the top junior to watch for
~ Aneela Khan ~ Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again! The start of a brand new women’s college basketball season is upon us with many exciting story lines to watch for. This also means that the women’s college basketball players rankings are back! This is the fourth year of compiling these rankings and they take a lot of time, energy and effort. It’s a pleasure to do them every year, but keep in mind that these rankings can change from now until March. I have received tons of feedback over the years on these rankings and it is great to see how they they have been received from the women’s basketball community. Thank you all for the constant support on these rankings. I sincerely appreciate it.

The preseason rankings are combined of a combination of what happened last year and what is most likely predicted this season from the players. Remember, this list can change and are updated weekly. These rankings are designed to help gauge who really are the top players in women’s college basketball and if you have any questions or comments, feel free to read the FAQ regarding these rankings. Any additional questions or queries, leave them in the comments and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Listed below are the preseason rankings for the top 36 seniors, the top 27 juniors, the top 18 sophomores and the top 9 freshmen for 2019-2020. Curious to see who made last year’s preseason list? Click here for that list.

*Note: Only active players are listed below. Transfer and or red shirt players are included if they are playing this season. *

SENIORS

  1. Sabrina Ionescu – Oregon
  2. Lauren Cox – Baylor
  3. Ruthy Hebard – Oregon
  4. Crystal Dangerfield – Connecticut
  5. Kaila Charles – Maryland
  6. Beatrice Mompremier – Miami
  7. Mikayla Pivec – Oregon State
  8. Te’a Cooper – Baylor
  9. Joyner Holmes – Texas
  10. Bella Alarie – Princeton
  11. Haley Gorecki – Duke
  12. Kiah Gillespie – Florida State
  13. Stephanie Jones – Maryland
  14. DiJonai Carrington – Stanford
  15. Peyton Williams – Kansas State
  16. Sara Rhine – Drake
  17. Minyon Moore – Oregon
  18. Japreece Dean – UCLA
  19. Amber Smith – Missouri
  20. Dominique Oden – Purdue
  21. Ayana Mitchell – LSU
  22. Becca Hittner – Drake
  23. Nadia Fingall – Stanford
  24. Aislinn Konig – NC State
  25. Taiye Bello – Minnesota
  26. Grace Hunter – NC State
  27. Kamiah Smalls – James Madison
  28. Brenna Wise – Indiana
  29. Korneila Wright – UCF
  30. Kelly Jekot – Villanova
  31. Ciara Duffy – South Dakota
  32. Kobi Thornton – Clemson
  33. Mikiah Herbert Harrigan – South Carolina
  34. Alecia (Sug) Sutton – Texas
  35. Emma Guy – Boston College
  36. Chante Stonewall – DePaul

JUNIORS

  1. Chennedy Carter – Texas A&M
  2. Satou Sabally – Oregon
  3. Aari McDonald – Arizona
  4. Destiny Slocum – Oregon State
  5. Megan Walker – Connecticut
  6. Michaela Onyenwere – UCLA
  7. Rennia Davis – Tennessee
  8. Vivian Gray – Oklahoma State
  9. Karissa McLauglin – Purdue
  10. Janelle Bailey – North Carolina
  11. Kristin Scott – Iowa State
  12. Erin Boley – Oregon
  13. Dana Evans – Louisville
  14. Elah Parker – Pennsylvania
  15. Destiny Pitts – Minnesota
  16. Sidney Cooks – Michigan State
  17. Kayla Wells – Texas A&M
  18. Kiana Williams – Stanford
  19. Jaelynn Penn – Indiana
  20. Chelsea Dungee – Arkansas
  21. Maya Dodson – Stanford
  22. Ciera Johnson – Texas A&M
  23. Ana Llanusa – Oklahoma
  24. Digna Strautmane – Syracuse
  25. N’dea Johnson – Texas A&M
  26. Ali Patberg – Indiana
  27. Terra Reed – VCU

SOPHOMORES

  1. Rhyne Howard – Kentucky
  2. Shakira Austin – Maryland
  3. Taylor Mikesell – Maryland
  4. Christyn Williams – Connecticut
  5. Naz Hillmon – Michigan
  6. Destanni Henderson – South Carolina
  7. NaLyssa Smith – Baylor
  8.  Elissa Cunane – NC State
  9. Olivia Nelson – Ododa – Connecticut
  10. Elizabeth Balogun – Louisville
  11. Cate Reese – Arizona
  12. Hailey Brown – Michigan
  13. Beatriz Jordao – South Florida
  14. Queen Egbo – Baylor
  15. Charli Collier – Texas
  16. Zarielle Green – Tennessee
  17. Robyn Benton – Auburn
  18. Lexie Hull – Stanford

FRESHMEN

  1.  Haley Jones – Stanford
  2. Samantha Brunelle – Notre Dame
  3. Aliyah Boston – South Carolina
  4. Zia Cooke – South Carolina
  5. Jordan Horston – Tennessee
  6. Ashley Owusu – Maryland
  7. Rickea Johnson – Mississippi State
  8. Kierstan Bell – Ohio State
  9. Aijha Blackwell – Missouri

 

Canada finishes with a silver medal at the FIBA AmeriCup Tournament

Canada finishes in second place at FIBA Americas. Photo courtesy of FIBA
~ Aneela Khan ~ Leave a comment

*I know this blog post is one week late, and the medals already have been awarded and the results sorted but I got extremely busy last weekend and then got really lazy, so now I finally have written this blog post. Apologies to my blog readers who keep an eye on the Team Canada women’s basketball team*

Puerto Rico – The United States is golden once again, this time in the FIBA AmeriCup Tournament. Canada fought as it could, but the US proved too much for Team Canada to handle and they won the gold medal back from Canada. Canada was the two time defending champion in this tournament.

Both the US and Canada were playing in their fifth game in six days and exhaustion showed in the game. Canada was also down two key starters, centre Kayla Alexander and point guard Miah Marie Langlois. Kayla Alexander was brilliant for Team Canada in the first couple of games before going down with a leg injury in the semi final. Canada missed her production against the United States forwards. Kayla Alexander was also named one of the FIBA All Star Five for her performance at the tournament.

Nonetheless, Canada still fought as much as they could but the depth of the United States wore them off. Canada finished with a silver medal and qualified for the next round of FIBA Olympic qualifying which will take place in Edmonton, Alberta from Nov. 16th to Nov. 19th.  Canada needs to finish in the top six in that tournament to qualify for the last Olympic qualifier which will take place before the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games.

Canada proved their worth as a rising basketball nation as they have had worthy prospects playing both in the WNBA and NBA in the past few years and it speaks to Canada’s talent level that the US took part in this tournament since they rarely participate in them. Canada now has to put it’s roster together for November and it may include Kia Nurse and Natalie Achonwa, who did not participate in this FIBA Americas Tournament. Both of them are Team Canada standouts and if they are not on the roster in November, they definitely will be on the Olympic roster.

After slow start, Canada rolls against Cuba in the second game of FIBA Women’s AmeriCup Tournament

~ Aneela Khan ~ Leave a comment

It took a while for Team Canada to get going, but they were able to shake off Cuba to improve to 2-0 in group play. They started off slowly and only led by 1 point going into the second quarter. They only led by 8 at halftime. Canada only shot 37% in the first half and Cuba was efficient from the three point arc which led to a close game in the first half. Canada’s defense was poor in the first half.

The second half was a different story. In the third quarter, Canada was able to correct some of their mistakes and were able to pull away midway through the third quarter and never looked back as the final score was 87-51. Four players were in double figures in this game. Kayla Alexander continued her strong play and finished with her second double double with 23 points and 15 rebounds. Sami Hill also was a key component to help Canada when they were struggling through the first 3 1/2 quarters of the game. She was able to draw fouls and get to the FT line to help Canada’s offense when it was struggling. Four players finished in double figures. It was not pretty at the start but Canada finished strong.

They now face Puerto Rico tomorrow night at 8 pm EST. Canada looks to go 3-0 in Group A against the host country. It will not be an easy feat for Canada since this will be their third game in three days and the host country will not go down easily. The game will be available to watch on DAZN in Canada and on ESPN+ for America.

Canada rolls in their opening game of the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup Tournament

kayla alexander
~ Aneela Khan ~ Leave a comment

The defending champion in this tournament, the Canadians wasted no time this afternoon as they got underway in Puerto Rico for the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup. They got off to a hot start and led 18-0 early in the first quarter and were up by 31 at half time. The final score was 109-53 and Canada was in full control

The hot start continued in the second half and Kayla Alexander led the way. The Mexicans had no answer for the Canadian front court and Alexander took advantage of it. She finished with a double double and was a couple of assists away from a triple double. Kayla Alexander made sure to leave a lasting impression as she often got left off of Team Canada due to injuries and or other reasons.

Alongside Kayla Alexander, six other players were in double figures. Canada looked very good in this game and now have to do the same tomorrow evening versus Cuba. That game tips off at 5:30 pm EST. Canada needs to finish in the top 8 in order to qualify for the next Olympic qualifying tournament held in November.

 

Canadian Senior Women’s National Team preview for FIBA AmeriCup Tournament

~ Aneela Khan ~ Leave a comment

The Canadian Senior Women’s National Team’s quest to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics starts tomorrow at the FIBA AmeriCup Tournament which is being held in Puerto Rico. This tournament is one of two qualifying tournaments that take place to qualify countries for the Olympics.

This tournament lasts for one week and a top 8 finish qualifies Canada for the next Olympic qualifying tournament which will take place in November. Canada is the defending champion in this tournament and will look to defend their title against fellow powerhouse United States. The US rarely plays in these qualifying tournaments but they are sending a team to compete. This tournament focuses on countries located in the Americas.

Canada is sending 12 players who have a variety of international experience, WNBA experience and several new players who are playing for Canada for the first time. They will need to integrate quickly in order for Canada to succeed. Canada’s first game is tomorrow against Mexico at 12:30 pm EST/9:30 pm PST. They then play Cuba on Monday, Puerto Rico on Tuesday and the Dominican Republic on Thursday. The semi finals and final take place on Sept 28th and Sept 29th.

Alot of the players that are currently playing in this tournament for Team Canada will have an opportunity to prove themselves and to make an impression so that they can be in consideration for other international tournaments as well as the FIBA World Cup/Olympics.

Canada is currently ranked 5th in the world and should do well in this tournament. Winning the title will be more difficult this time around but they should still finish among the top. The games will be available to watch on DAZN in Canada and ESPN+ in the US.

 

2019 WNBA Regular Season Wrap Up + my WNBA Award Picks!

~ Aneela Khan ~ Leave a comment

It’s been a crazy WNBA season and as we are nearing the end of the regular season, I thought I would look back and do a quick reflection post on how this season went. This season was unlike any other. There were so many injuries, stars who sat out the season for rest, the uncertainty of the WNBA CBA,  a new WNBA commissioner and so much more. There was ALOT to talk about, so instead of writing a very long blog post about it all, I’m going to keep it short and sweet. I will go off on various headlines surrounding each team and then give my picks for all of the major end of season awards, so stay tuned for the end of this blog post.

ATLANTA DREAM — The Dream lost Angel McCoughtry for the season and so Tiffany Hayes had to become the sole star. The Dream was a major disappointment this year. The best local TV crew was gone, the arena was not great, some of the players performed below their level. Instead of rising upwards from a great year last year, instead they will finish as the worst team in the WNBA this year.

CHICAGO SKY —  The Chicago Sky have looked decent this year. They’ve had some great wins, some not so great losses and their new head coach James Wade has been able to turn things around for the Sky. We already knew Courtney Vandersloot was a special point guard and Allie Quigley as a sharpshooter but the biggest improvement was from second year player Diamond Deshields. She improved and is now one of the key players for the Sky who are returning to the playoffs after some time away from them.

CONNECTICUT SUN — There were a ton of teams that were affected by injuries to their key players and Connecticut was not one of them. All of their stars were healthy and they took full advantage of it and now are locked into a top 3 seed for the upcoming WNBA playoffs. This team performed to it’s expectations and now we will await to see if they can make a title run in the playoffs.

DALLAS WINGS — Coming into this season, the Wings lost Skylar Diggins-Smith due to pregnancy and Liz Cambage was traded in the offseason. With those two stars out, new Dallas Wings head coach Brian Agler had to adjust his team and the Wings found a new star in their rookie Arike Ogunbowale. Ogunbowale has been key in a couple of great victories for the Wings and she is one of the players that is up for the Rookie of the Year award. Despite all of this, the Wings dealt with a lot of injuries and will end up as the third worst team in the WNBA this season.

INDIANA FEVER — The Indiana Fever did not have any big expectations coming into this year. They were looking for improvements from their second year player Kelsey Mitchell and fourth year player Tiffany Mitchell. The Fever got some solid contributions from veteran Candice Dupree and new Fever rookie Teaira McCowan has impressed as the Fever’s center. If she had played more early on, the Rookie of the Year race would have come down to McCowan, Ogunbowale and Collier. Pokey Chatman was able to get a lot out of Erica Wheeler, who is still in the running for Most Improved Player. The Fever have looked better recently and things should look different for them next season.

LOS ANGELES SPARKS — The Los Angeles Sparks are an interesting case. They did deal with some injuries early but it did not affect them as much. The Sparks had a new head coach in Derek Fisher who has had a pretty solid season. The Sparks are in the running for a top 4 seed and Nneka Oguwmike is in the running for MVP. Chelsea Gray has also been spectacular for the Sparks although Candace Parker has dipped a bit this season. New acquisition Chiney Ogwumike has struggled to get playing time when Parker returned from injury and now plays limited minutes which is a far cry from what she is capable of doing. The Sparks have been with some controversy however. Riquna Williams, one of the Sparks guards has been charged with domestic violence, yet she still played for a large majority of the season before the WNBA suspended her for 10 games. She is now playing again, however. When Derek Fisher was hired, there was controversy as how he was able to get the job despite never coaching in the WNBA/women’s college basketball world. It did not go over easy with a ton of people, yet Fisher has managed to keep the Sparks towards the top this season.

LAS VEGAS ACES — The Las Vegas Aces had so much to look forward to this season. They had a new star duo of Wilson and Cambage, both of whom have not disappointed. They hosted the WNBA All Star Game. They had the #1 overall pick which turned out to be Jackie Young. Basically, it all went well for Las Vegas. The Aces have done well this year and are in the running for a top 4 seed. Liz Cambage is an MVP candidate. Wilson’s numbers went down a bit, but that was to be expected as she was injured for a bit and the addition of Liz Cambage.  Dearica Hamby really stepped up in Wilson’s absence and is in the running for Sixth Woman of the Year. Not only all of that, but the Aces accomplished one of their goals which was to make the playoffs. It all remains to be seen if the Aces can manage a title run now.

MINNESOTA LYNX — If there was a team undergoing dramatic change, the Lynx were that team. Maya Moore sat out this season for rest, Rebekkah Brunson also sat out, Lindsay Whalen retired, Seimone Augustus dealt with injuries. Only Sylvia Fowles remained. So, making the playoffs did not seem to be in their future. However, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve thought differently. She brought over Odyssey Sims, drafted Napheesa Collier and the Lynx took it away from there. Odyssey Sims was great for the Lynx this season and became the Lynx’s best players. Napheesa Collier was pro ready from game one of the season and really delivered for the Lynx both offensively and defensively. She is in the running for Rookie of the Year along with Ogunbowale. The Lynx have already accomplished their goals and more. It remains to be seen of what more this Lynx team can do.

NEW YORK LIBERTY — The New York Liberty were a mess this season. There’s no other way to put it. Tina Charles was great and put some solid numbers, but that’s about it. Kia Nurse improved from last season. Bria Hartley was better than in previous seasons. Amanda Zahui B also played much better than in previous seasons and had some great games. But other than the individual improvements, the Liberty did not look good and had trouble closing out games. The arena was also not a great place for the team and it was just not meant to be for the Liberty. The Liberty will end up as the second worst team in the WNBA and need drastic changes next season.

PHOENIX MERCURY — The Phoenix Mercury were without their star Diana Taurasi for a large majority of the season and she has now returned. While Taurasi was out, Dewanna Bonner stepped up and filled her shoes and is a prime candidate for Most Improved Player. She is in competition for this award alongside Leilani Mitchell, another fellow guard. Leilani Mitchell stepped up in the latter part of the season and helped fellow stars Brittney Griner and Dewanna Bonner stay afloat without Taurasi and make the playoffs. Speaking of stars, Brittney Griner is the running for MVP after she also had some stellar games for the Mercury.

SEATTLE STORM — The Seattle Storm were one of the teams affected by injuries. After they won the title last season, they lost MVP Brianna Stewart, star point guard Sue Bird and coach Dan Hughes dealt with cancer treatment. It was not easy for the Storm this season. However, Natasha Howard stepped up and filled Stewart’s shoes, Jordin Canada improved from last season and they got contributions from Alysha Clark, Jewel Lloyd, etc. Mercedes Russell greatly improved from last season and contributed as did Kaleena Mosqueeda Lewis. The Storm were able to recover without those two major stars and now have made the playoffs. Although they have not been as great down the stretch, it is still a major accomplishment and Coach Dan Hughes should be in the running for Coach of the Year.

WASHINGTON MYSTICS — The Washington Mystics were another team that were not affected by injuries. All of their stars were healthy and the Mystics have been the best WNBA team all season long. They have blown out the top teams, they have the best offense, and their star Elena Delle Donne is the favourite to win MVP this year. Coach Mike Thibault is also in the running for Coach of the Year. Even when Kristi Toliver went down with an injury, Mike Thibault was able to get Aerial Powers to step up in her absence. He has a deep team and they are the favourite to win the title this year. They have exceeded their expectations for this season so far.

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WHOOPSBLOGGER 2019 WNBA Regular Season Award Picks

MVP: Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics

DPOY: Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx

MIP: Leilani Mitchell, Phoenix Mercury

6th WOY: Dearica Hamby, Las Vegas Aces

ROY: Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

COY: Mike Thibault, Washington Mystics

Kim Perrot Sportmanship Award: Alysha Clark, Seattle Storm

Executive Of the Year: Dan Padover, Las Vegas Aces

ALL WNBA First Team

Elena Delle Donne, Nneka Oguwmike, Brittney Griner, Chelsea Gray, Courtney Vandersloot

ALL WNBA Second Team

Jonquel Jones, Alyssa Thomas, Dewanna Bonner, Napheesa Collier, Natasha Howard

All WNBA Rookie Team

Napheesa Collier, Arike Ogunbowale, Teaira McCowan, Jackie Young, Asia Durr

 

 

 

WNBA Player Milestones to watch for in 2019

~ Aneela Khan ~ Leave a comment

The WNBA season is just 10(!) days away now and with the season approaching, it’s time to look at certain milestones that active WNBA players will reach this season. For example, Sue Bird will hit 3000 assists this season which has never been done by a  WNBA player. When Diana Taurasi returns from her back injury, she is the league all time leading scorer and will try to reach the 9000 point threshold, which is another milestone that no player has ever reached. I will include that milestone once she returns.  Listed below are the three main categories (scoring, rebounds and assists) and which players are close to hitting them this season. Enjoy!

SCORING

6000 points

Seimone Augustus needs 164 points to reach 6000 points.

Angel McCoughtry needs 532 points to reach 6000 points.

5000 points

Sylvia Fowles needs 79 points to reach 5000 points.

4000 points

Kristi Toliver needs 107 points to reach 4000 points.

Nneka Oguwmike needs 435 points to reach 4000 points.

3000 points

Shavonte Zellous needs 142 points to reach 3000 points.

2000 points

Odyssey Sims needs 8 points to reach 2000 points.

Karima Christmas-Kelly needs 106 points to reach 2000 points.

Leilani Mitchell needs 198 points to reach 2000 points.

Shekinna Stricklen needs 256 points to reach 2000 points.

Emma Meeseman needs 271 points to reach 2000 points.

Alyssa Thomas needs 369 points to reach 2000 points.

1000 points

Courtney Williams needs 47 points to reach 1000 points.

Dearica Hamby needs 79 points to reach 1000 points.

Natalie Achonwa needs 100 points to reach 1000 points.

Tiffany Mitchell needs 124 points to reach 1000 points.

Tianna Hawkins needs 203 points to reach 1000 points.

Damiris Dantas needs 233 points to reach 1000 points.

Allisha Gray needs 247 points to reach 1000 points.

Brittney Sykes needs 248 points to reach 1000 points.

Moriah Jefferson needs 251 points to reach 1000 points.

A’ja Wilson needs 318 points to reach 1000 points.

REBOUNDS

3000 rebounds

Tina Charles needs 116 rebounds to reach 3000 rebounds.

Candice Dupree needs 225 rebounds to reach 3000 rebounds.

2000 rebounds

DeWanna Bonner needs 188 rebounds to reach 2000 rebounds.

1000 rebounds

Alyssa Thomas needs 93 rebounds to reach 1000 rebounds.

Karima Christmas Kelly needs 103 rebounds to reach 1000 rebounds.

Emma Meeseman needs 140 rebounds to reach 1000 rebounds.

Stefanie Dolson needs 183 rebounds to reach 1000 rebounds.

Elizabeth Williams needs 220 rebounds to reach 1000 rebounds.

ASSISTS

3000 assists

Sue Bird needs 169 assists to reach 3000 assists.

1000 assists

Danielle Robinson needs 29 assists to reach 1000 assists.