Note: WNBA.com’s Race to the MVP, released every Wednesday during the season, is
the opinion of this writer and does not reflect the views of the WNBA or its
clubs.
Archive: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5
Connecticut Sun center Jonquel Jones is making WNBA general managers look
awfully smart. After voting Jones as the player most likely to have a breakout
season, the GMs are watching Jones emerge as one of the entire league’s most
dominant forces. In the month of June, even with Morgan Tuck sidelined due to
injury, Jones and the Sun have won all four of their games to improve to 5-5.
They went on the road and handed Minnesota its first loss this past Saturday.
Thus, the 23-year-old Jones joins an MVP conversation already loaded with
frontcourt stars.
1. Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx Last Week: 1 Stats: 20.9 points, 65% FG, 9.8
rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 2.1 steals
The Lynx came back down to earth on Saturday, and so did Fowles. Minnesota’s
veteran center was held to just 12 points – tied for a season low – and seven
boards in 35 minutes of action against the Sun. Still, considering the full body
of work, Fowles is the MVP so far. She’s shooting a career-high 65.4 percent
from the field and leads the WNBA in true shooting percentage.
2. Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury Last Week: 2 Stats: 22.9 points, 55% FG, 8.0
rebounds, 2.5 blocks
Before the Sparks blitzed Phoenix over the weekend in a one-sided affair, Griner
put together another sensational game against Chicago. In guiding the Mercury
(6-5) to victory, she posted 27 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, and
continued to get to the free throw line at will with 14 attempts. Griner leads
the WNBA in blocks for the fifth straight year and is poised to win her first
scoring title.
3. Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks Last Week: 4 Stats: 20.3 points, 57% FG,
6.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals
Don’t look now, but the Sparks have won four straight and both of their former
MVPs are playing at a high level. The Sparks only needed 21 minutes from
Ogwumike on Sunday against Phoenix – they led by 20 just four minutes into the
game – but the reigning MVP still tallied 18 points on 8-of-9 from the floor.
Could we be headed for another star-studded Finals between Minnesota and LA?
4. Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics Last Week: 3 Stats: 20.4 points, 49%
FG, 96% FT, 6.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks
Delle Donne and the Mystics had won six out of seven games before falling to
Dallas on Sunday. Despite the loss, it’s easy to understand EDD’s value when you
compare the records of her current and previous teams. Chicago is 2-9 so far
after going 18-16 with her last year, while Washington is 7-4 after finishing
13-21 the season before Delle Donne’s arrival.
5. Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks Last Week: 6 Stats: 16.8 points, 46% FG,
7.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.8 blocks
Like Ogwumike, Parker did most of her damage early on to help the Sparks pull
away from Phoenix. She still finished with 17 points, eight boards, six dimes
and three blocks, a line that helped her earn Player of the Week honors in the
Western Conference. The Sparks went 3-0 last week with Parker averaging 18.0
points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 blocks.
6. Tina Charles, New York Liberty Last Week: 5 Stats: 20.5 points, 47% FG, 9.0
rebounds
Several players have stepped up for the Liberty in recent weeks, which was
necessary after Epiphanny Prince and Kia Vaughn departed for EuroBasket.
Shavonte Zellous, Sugar Rodgers and Kiah Stokes are the names that come to mind.
Charles, meanwhile, is playing like an MVP for the second straight season, the
latest example being her 25-point, 10-rebound performance in an overtime win
over Dallas.
7. Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm Last Week: 10 Stats: 17.3 points, 8.7
rebounds, 1.9 blocks
After a three-game losing streak, Stewart helped Seattle (6-5) bounce back with
a resounding win over the Stars on Sunday. The reigning Rookie of the Year
dominated with 22 points (8-of-13 shooting), a season-high 15 rebounds and a
career-best five blocks, a category in which she ranks second in the WNBA. On
Friday, she matches up with the league’s best shot-blocker in Griner.
8. Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx Last Week: 8 Stats: 14.8 points, 41% 3FG, 5.7
rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.7 steals
Although the Lynx suffered their first loss of the season, Moore had the hot
hand once again, scoring a game-high 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Never afraid
to take the big shot, Moore connected from way beyond the arc on a clutch triple
in the final minute against the Sun. She then had a chance to tie the game with
10 seconds left, but her straightaway three-pointer came up short.
9. Jonquel Jones, Connecticut Sun Last Week: Unranked Stats: 15.1 points, 53%
FG, 50% 3FG, 12.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks
Where do we start with Jones? She just earned the first Player of the Week honor
of her career, and it was probably long overdue. She’s leading the league in
rebounds by a wide margin – Jones is the only player averaging double figures –
and scoring at an ultra-efficient rate for the surging Sun. Others in
Connecticut have also been pleasant surprises, such as second-year guard
Courtney Williams. Jones has shined the brightest among an exciting, young core.
10. Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury Last Week: Unranked Stats: 18.3 points, 42%
3FG
Maybe this is a heat-of-the-moment reaction to Taurasi, who surpassed Tina
Thompson as the league’s all-time leading scorer on Sunday. Phoenix was blown
out by the Sparks that day, and the 35-year-old Taurasi certainly isn’t the
unstoppable force she used to be. Still, she ranks seventh in the league in
scoring, is shooting the best three-point percentage of her career, and has the
Mercury in position to make another playoff push.
