The WNBA revealed the ten players selected to the All-WNBA Team, and there were very few surprises. Still, given the depth of talent in the league this season, there were some notable omissions.
The 3 biggest snubs from the All-WNBA Team
Breanna Stewart, Veronica Burton, and Kelsey Plum were three of the biggest omissions from the All-WNBA team.
NBAE via Getty Images
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
First, let’s take a look at who the league’s 72 media voters selected:
First Team:
Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
Second Team:
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Which deserving WNBA players were left off the All-WNBA list?
For me, the biggest omission was Liberty forward Breanna Stewart. Though Stewart missed 14 games this season, I thought she had a more impactful season than Sabrina Ionescu, and she was on my All-WNBA Second Team. Stewart averaged 18.3 points and 6.5 rebounds, finishing with a 57 TS%. The Liberty were also 10.4 points better with her on the floor than without her. In fact, Stewart was the only player I voted for who did not make the All-WNBA team. Other than her, my ballot was identical to the final ballot.
After that, there were several other deserving players who didn’t make the final cut.
Veronica Burton was also a notable omission. The Golden State Valkyries were the only player team without an All-WNBA player, and Burton made a strong case given her prowess on both ends of the floor. Burton averaged 11.9 points and 6 assists, finishing with a 56.1% true shooting. The Valkyries were 4.9 points better with her on the floor than they were without her. But, while she was ultimately left of the All-WNBA team, Burton’s strong season was recognized in other areas of the ballot; she was named the league’s Most Improved Player, and was a member of the All-Defense Second Team.
Kelsey Plum was also difficult to leave off. Plum was the Los Angeles Sparks’ leading scorer and was a top-five scorer in the WNBA. But, ultimately, the only non-playoff team player who made the All-WNBA Team was Paige Bueckers. Plum averaged 19.2 points and 5.4 assists, and finished the year with a true shooting percentage of 56.7%.
Ultimately, this was an incredible year of WNBA basketball, and regardless of who voters selected, some players were going to be snubbed. In this case, it was Breanna Stewart, Veronica Burton, and Kelsey Plum who got the short end of the stick.
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