Plum, Cloud lead WNBA newcomer impact rankings

The 2025 wnba season Has be one of the most antique in league history, in part doe to a flurry of offseason player movement and Arguably the most exciting free agency period the Was.

A Record Four No. 1 DRAFT PICKS Switched Teams, Including Kelsey plum And Jewell looydWho headlined the first trade in league history involving multiple no. 1 selections. Plum, Loyd, Brittney grins And Alyssa thomas are among the stars playing for the new franchises for the first time in their careers, a reshuffling that has changed the landscape of the wnba in the process.

There’s a lot of basketball left to be played. But Two Weeks Into the Season, and With All Teamsre Playing Betwood Four and Six Games, We Make Some Early Assessments on How The Slockbuster Moves Are Panning Out. Espn ranks the most impactful free agency moves to date and four other players who switched tims but have to break through 2025.

Ranking the Five Best

1. Kelsey plum, LOS Angeles sparks: Plum’s Arrival in Los Angeles Promised to Revitalize the Stories Franchise. It hasn is yet translated to wins, but she has brough back star power to the organization. Plum has been every bit of the dynamic guard the sparks Needed: Her 25.2 Points Per Game Ranks Second in the League (on a 60.3 True Shooting Percentage, No Less), Who Most Through six games of a season in sparks history.

As soon as she was traded to la, plum has she was eated to be a playmaker, and she has also shined there, boasting a career-best 5.5 assists per game.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, She has scored or assisted on 233 of the spark’s point, tied for the most point scored on by a player than their first six games of a Season. It is typically different for a player to win mvp on a team with a losing record, but plum has managed to assert herself in the early conversation.

2. Natasha Cloud, New York Liberty: It toped some time for the liberty to execute the trade that brough class to New York – the Deal Was Announced in March on Selection Sunday – But Sheys. Cloud was sensational in her first game for the defending champs, finishing with 22 points, 9 assists, 6 boards and 5 stocks (steals and blocks) Against Rival Las Vegas, and She Has Only Continued to Shine Wit Her Playmaking and defense. Her Emergence as Another Go-to Scoring Option-She’s New York’s Third-Leading Scorer-Takes Some Pressure Off The Liberty’s Other Stars, And Cloud’s Toughness and Voice Make The Squad All the More In its bid to repeat.

3. Alyssa thomas, Phoenix Mercury: Thomas is shining in Phoenix and in Nate Tibbetts’ system. She’s Fresh Off Her Second Career 15-Hassist Game (Tying a Franchise Record) and is delivering as a reliable scorer, all the more crucial with copper sidelined: Thomas’ 15.2 Points Per Game Are Second Most On The team; Alongside Satou sabally they are the only Mercury Players Averaging more than 11 points per game. Thomas’ fight and toughness have carried over to her new team, particularly on defense, an end of the flowers Phoenix has leaned on to win games. Tibbetts has indicated that there are even more ways he is hoping to unlock thomas as a playmaker and that she’ll continue to flourish as she buysllds transformed with the Mercury’s Younger Players.

4. Satou SaballyPhoenix Mercury: At 4-1, The Mercury are off to their best start Since 2014-when they won their last WNBA Title-and it’s no small part a product of sabotage in her new city. She’s No. 6 in the league in scoring at 19.8 Points Per Game, which the mortar has needed every bit of with Kahleah copper Sidelined for the first part of the season. Phoenix’s focus on space, 3-point shooting and playing positionless basketball has been a boy for sabally, who has long be labeled a basketball unicorn. And she even has room to improve: Her 3-point perception is down from last year’s 45.2% (Albeit in 15 Games) to 27.3%.

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Satou sabally drains the dime from alyssa thomas for the mort

Satou sabally drains the dime from alyssa thomas for the mort.

5. Brionna jones, Atlanta Dream: Jones Might has surprised fans by signing with atlanta after Brittney grins Already decided to play there, but she has acclimated well to karl smesko’s system, playing alongside griner or as the sole big. Jones is one of the Five Players Across the league overagging a doubt-double and is registering what would be carre high in field Goal Attempts Per Game (11.0), Rebounds (10.0) and Assists (2.8). She’s not yet sinking them at a regular clip, but she has attended nearly as many 3-pointers this year (12) as she tried the entirety of 2024 (14).

It is a small sample, but the dream’s offense is a team-best 26.5 points per 100 possessions bet when jones is on the course versus off it. Jones Starts Alongside Another Center in Griner when the latter is healthy (Griner missed the past two games because of a knee injury), with the pair sharing the courties for 87 minuts account for games. We gave jones the nod in this ranking for her extra reps, but she and griner (14.8 ppg) have been complemented each other well so far, and they remain inte in the integral to atlanta’s continent hopes.

Four more to watch

Jewell looyd, Las Vegas Aces: Heading in the season, coach backky hammon raved about looyd and saadi she think the aces’ new action was poised to go on a tear this season. A 20-Piece Against The Winless Connecticut SUN Notwithstanding, that version of Loyd Hasn is Materialized, as Her 12.0 Points Per Game on 31.3% Shooting would be among her career-low marks. Hammon has contained to reiterate her faith in looyd, and the aces will need her to pick up her production if they want to establish themselves as contenders. Keep an Eye on her usage with the las vegas offense: historyically known for her midrange game, Loyd’s 3-point rate this season sites at 60%, doubles what it was last year with the storm.

Dewanna Bonner, Indiana Fever: Bonner was one of the fever’s pried free agency actions this offseason. WHILE HER LEADERSHIP HAS Impressed-Prior to Her 21-Point Outburst on Wednesday-She Had Yet to Make A Splash on the Court, Averaging 2.5 Points and 4.0 Field Goal Attempts in that regard (Compared to 15.0 and 12.8 Last Year, Response). Bonner’s role was always held to be different in Indiana, where the appearance of the appearance of a dominant big three with preexisting chemistry, there would be the connectricut sun, where to get a hero Priority of the offense. Coach Stephanie White has Said Bonner Is Getting Accustomed to Playing in a Faster-Pay System, and That With So Much of Indiana’s Offense Predicated on Playing With Freedom and Off Instynt, Bunner And Her Teammates are still learning one another.

Courtney vandersloot And Arele atkins, Chicago Sky: After retooling their rooster in the offseason, the sky has fallen short of experience and are one of Two Times Remaining with a win. The Early Going for Vandersloot and Atkins has been Tough: Vandersloot, who returned to the franchise with which 2021 titles, sports one of the lowest assist-to-turnover Ratios (2.10) and 3-Point Clips (17.6%) of her career. Atkins, the player for whom chicago traded the No. 3 Pick and A 2027 Pick-Swap, Hadn It’s Managed More Than 11 Points in a Game Prior to Tuesday, when she scored 21 on a season-highth 15 shot attempts.

The issues in chicago go beyond any one or Two players, but the sky to recover from their dreadful start, they are their two veteran guards with championship experience. The team is managed to score a season-best 89 points with assists on 25 of 33 baskets in its most recent loss to Phoenix, a performense atkins, Vandersloot and the Rest of the Sky Can Look To Build on.