WNBA Rookies - Tracking the Class of 2026
A month into the season, early sample sizes are beginning to crystallize, offering a clearer picture of how the WNBA rookies are adjusting to the professional pace. While some first-year players have instantly cemented themselves as foundational pieces, others are navigating shifting roles, fluctuating minutes, and early injuries. We break down the developments, trends, and roster moves shaping their impacts across the league.
Atlanta Dream
🔗 Read the Atlanta Dream Draft Tracker here
Isobel Borlase and Madina Okot are both making the most of their time on the floor, providing solid production in about 9 minutes per game off the bench. Okot is shooting an efficient 54% from the field with 3.3 rebounds, while Borlase is converting at a steady 53% clip while taking care of the ball, averaging just 0.3 turnovers.
Meanwhile, Indya Nivar is seeing limited minutes early on as she adjusts to the pro pace.
Chicago Sky
🔗 Read the Chicago Sky Draft Tracker here
Gabriela Jaquez started the season as one of the most reliable rookies, averaging 11.5 points per game on stellar shooting splits. However, after she missed four games with a minor knee injury, a clearly less than 100% Jaquez is now averaging 9.6 points and seeing her turnovers rise to 2.0 per contest.
The silver lining during this recent stretch has been the explosive play of Sydney Taylor, who has established herself as a microwave scorer off the bench. Taylor is averaging 11.2 points in just 15.6 minutes, highlighted by massive scoring outbursts of 27 and 30 points. On the wing, Aicha Coulibaly is using her long, active frame to provide energy and tough defense. Saylor Poffenbarger, signed as a hardship exception to help cushion the roster’s injury hits, has seen limited court action so far.
Connecticut Sun
🔗 Read the Connecticut Sun Draft Tracker here
Charlisse Leger-Walker has been a solid presence in the backcourt, even stepping into the starting lineup for a stretch to lead the last-place Sun to a victory while Leila Lacan was away with overseas commitments. On the wing, Nell Angloma has made an impact by playing active defense and finding opportunistic scoring with her slashing game.
Meanwhile, Raegan Beers and Ashlon Jackson (signed to a developmental contract) have seen sparse, limited floor time. Most notably, first-round draft selection Gianna Kneepkens has seen very minimal action. While her defensive consistency and slower shot release are concerns, the more troubling trend is her uneven minutes; she has bounced between drawing occasional starts to playing five minutes or less, and even played 0 minutes during one game before being inserted solely for the final 10 seconds.
Dallas Wings
🔗 Read the Dallas Wings Draft Tracker here
No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd played her first six games as a reserve before being inserted into the starting lineup on May 28. As a starter, she is averaging 13.9 points on 46.8% FG and 35.6% 3PT as Dallas is playing some of its best basketball of the season. She is impacting the game with more than just elite shooting, displaying excellent defense while averaging 1.5 steals and 1.2 block per game.
Costanza Verona, signed to a developmental contract, is little used. When on the floor, the 5’6″ guard utilizes elite speed to push the pace in transition.
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Golden State Valkyries
🔗 Read the Golden State Valkyries Draft Tracker here
Drafted last year as the franchise’s first-ever draft pick, Juste Jocyte made her debut for the Valkyries on May 25 after arriving late due to overseas commitments. Golden State is bringing the rookie along slowly, but she has already displayed her shooting prowess by knocking down 38.5% of her three-pointers across seven games. Whether operating as a scorer or a facilitator, she plays with a deliberate pace, and while her defense could improve, that is to be expected of a first-year player.
On the fringes of the roster, Miela Sowah continues to see very limited action in her role as a developmental player. Major roster movements have also reshaped the team; Marta Suarez—who the Valkyries initially acquired in the draft after trading away the rights to Flau’jae Johnson—was waived. Later, Ashten Prechtel was signed to a developmental contract after being picked up from the Mercury, while Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, who had been signed to a hardship contract, has since been waived.
Indiana Fever
🔗 Read the Indiana Fever Draft Tracker here
Raven Johnson put together a strong string of performances during the preseason, but she has seen far less action since the regular season officially tipped off. Despite the drop in minutes, she continues to showcase a solid all-around game when given the opportunity, making her presence felt primarily with her pesky, disruptive perimeter defense.
Frontcourt depth looks slightly different following recent roster shuffling; the Fever signed Grace VanSlooten to a rest-of-season contract after she was waived by the Storm. She has seen sparse floor time early on, while Justine Pissott continues to occupy the team’s developmental slot. Meanwhile, third-round draft pick Jessica Timmons was waived ahead of the regular-season opener.
Las Vegas Aces
🔗 Read the Las Vegas Aces Draft Tracker here
The star-studded roster has made minutes hard to come by for the defending champs’ No. 29 overall selection Janiah Barker, whose transition to the pros had an early setback. The 6’4″ forward missed the start of the regular season after landing in concussion protocol following a blow to the head in a preseason exhibition against the Japan National Team. While she has since been cleared to suit up, she has yet to see game action as she waits for an opportunity behind a dominant, veteran-heavy post rotation. Meanwhile, the team’s other draft choice, Jordan Obi, was waived during training camp.
Los Angeles Sparks
🔗 Read the Los Angeles Sparks Draft Tracker here
On a veteran-heavy roster, the Sparks’ rookies are not getting much run early on. Chance Gray has seen the most floor time of the group, averaging 11.0 minutes across 14 games. Ta’Niya Latson, who led the nation in scoring during the 2024-25 college season with 25.2 points per game, has only appeared in 8 games, averaging 5.1 minutes per contest, while international rookie Jihyun Park is logging 6.6 minutes.
The remainder of the Sparks’ rookie class, third-round forward Amelia Hassett, was waived toward the end of April.
Minnesota Lynx
🔗 Read the Minnesota Lynx Draft Tracker here
The Lynx are off to a surprising 13-4 start, a mark few expected with Napheesa Collier sidelined by offseason injuries and most of last year’s starters departing in free agency.
A big reason for that success is Olivia Miles, who has emerged as the heavy favorite for Rookie of the Year by averaging 18.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while shooting 53.8% and 35.2% from deep. Minnesota’s other rookie standout, Emma Cechova, was also playing well to start the season—averaging 8.3 points and 3.7 rebounds—before her year was cut short by a torn ACL.
New York Liberty
🔗 Read the New York Liberty Draft Tracker here
Pauline Astier has stepped up as a major contributor for New York, starting 13 of 17 games as the Liberty were hit with a wave of injuries. She is averaging 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting a whopping 57% from the field and 44.0% from three-point range.
The rest of the team’s rookies are finding it much tougher to crack the rotation on a deep roster. Both Alex Fowler and Marine Fauthoux have been rarely used early on, seeing sparse action at the bottom of the depth chart.
Phoenix Mercury
🔗 Read the Phoenix Mercury Draft Tracker here
The Mercury are leaning heavily on international newcomers to fill out their rotation. Jovana Nogic has been a major floor-spacing threat, averaging 10.4 points over 16 games while knocking down a sharp 42.1% of her three-pointers in 20.2 minutes per contest. Noemie Brochant has also carved out a steady role, logging 21.7 minutes across 16 appearances while averaging 6.1 points and 2.4 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Marta Suarez found a landing spot in Phoenix after being waived by Golden State, appearing in 3 games and averaging 2.0 points in 10.0 minutes of action. To further round out their depth, the front office signed undrafted rookie guard Shay Ciezki to a player development contract following training camp cuts.
Portland Fire
🔗 Read the Portland Fire Draft Tracker here
Nyadiew Puoch leads the rookie contingent in floor time, logging 17.8 minutes over 16 games while averaging 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds. Teja Oblak has given the backcourt highly efficient production in 14.4 minutes per game, averaging 6.5 points and a team-high 3.7 assists while shooting a blistering 56.3% from three. At 35 years old, Oblak also holds the distinction of being the league’s oldest rookie.
In the frontcourt, Frieda Buhner has provided 4.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 13.2 minutes over 14 contests. Originally signed to a developmental spot ahead of opening night, Buhner was converted to a standard active roster spot in late May. Meanwhile, Serah Williams has carved out a regular depth role, averaging 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 10.9 minutes.
Toronto Tempo
🔗 Read the Toronto Tempo Draft Tracker here
Kiki Rice was playing exceptionally well for the expansion franchise, averaging 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 26.7 minutes over 10 games before being sidelined for several weeks with an ankle injury. She was highly efficient before the setback, shooting 53.3% from the field and 39.1% from three-point range while taking care of the ball with just 1.3 turnovers per game.
Laura Juskaite has also been effective, logging 22.5 minutes and averaging 9.0 points and 4.3 rebounds. On the wing, Maria Conde provides steady shooting and playmaking, averaging 8.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and shooting 40% from three as a floor spacer. In the frontcourt, Teonni Key is contributing despite limited minutes but is making her defense felt, averaging almost a block a game across 15 appearances.
Seattle Storm
🔗 Read the Seattle Storm Draft Tracker here
The youth movement is underway, starting 20-year-old Awa Fam alongside fellow 20-year-old Dominique Malonga in the frontcourt for the last 6 games. Fam’s minutes have steadily increased to 28.1 per game, and she is averaging 10.3 points and 5.4 rebounds since her late arrival.
On the perimeter, Flau’jae Johnson has been a fixture in the starting lineup, averaging 11.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 26.8 minutes. She is every bit as electric as expected, though she has struggled with efficiency. Meanwhile, guard Taina Mair remains a developmental player, appearing in just 2 games after being selected as the 14th overall pick.
Washington Mystics
🔗 Read the Washington Mystics Draft Tracker here
The Mystics are fielding the youngest team in the league, navigating their rebuild with a roster that at one point featured eight rookies. Among them is Georgia Amoore, who was selected in last year’s draft but had her debut delayed to this season following an ACL injury. Currently logging 23.9 minutes over 15 games, Amoore appears to still be adjusting to the blistering pace of the WNBA, occasionally struggling to find clean looks and orchestrate playmaking for others. Alicia Florez has stepped up to provide solid contributions in moments as the backup point guard, averaging 4.7 points and 3.4 assists in 19.0 minutes. Conversely, fellow guard Rori Harmon saw regular rotation minutes early in the season but has since fallen out of favor, playing very little lately.
In the frontcourt, the young trio of Cotie McMahon, Angela Dugalic, and Lauren Betts are maximizing their opportunities and giving the Mystics decent production despite limited floor time. Dugalic offers steady all-around play, averaging 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest. McMahon has adjusted well to a reserve role, providing an energetic spark off the bench with disruptive defense and timely shooting. Meanwhile, Betts anchors the interior with her size and highly efficient scoring, averaging 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds while knocking down 54.8% of her looks from the field. Even though she was the 4th pick in the draft and delivers solid production, Betts ranks just 18th in minutes among rookies with a seemingly short leash in the rotation.
For Cassandre Prosper, playing time has steadily declined over the course of the season. Her diminishing role raises the question of whether Washington would be better off moving her to a developmental spot, which would free up a standard roster slot to sign a much-needed veteran point guard. As for the rest of the rookie class, Darianna Little-Page Buggs continues to fill a developmental role for the franchise, while guard Alex Wilson has since been waived after appearing in just four games.
Helpful Links
- Minnesota Lynx Guard Olivia Miles Named Kia WNBA Rookie of the Month
- WNBA Rookie Rankings: Sydney Taylor makes her debut, Azzi Fudd rises and Olivia Miles solidifies the top spot
- Delayed, Not Denied (2026): Part 1 The WNBA’s Draft-and-Stash Rookies
- Delayed, Not Denied (2026): Part 2 The Global Grinders
- Delayed, Not Denied (2026): Part 3 The Comeback Kids
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