Zozo 🏀🏳️‍⚧️

2025 WNBA Rookie stats

Here's the spreadsheet I had for my rookie rankings, weren't made purely based on it but some numbers definitely lead to further digginig/opinion shifting

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

went through the entire top 15 with all the numbers :)

3rd team
bsky.app/profile/coac...

2nd team:
bsky.app/profile/coac...

1st, Paige Bueckers, Wings

22.0 pts/75
6.2 ast/75
+9.5 on/off
+1.61 LEBRON

Good at basketball. Would like to see her generate more team rim offense but that's not exclusively on her

2nd, Sonia Citron, Mystics

18.0 pts/75
60.6% TS
+7.5 on/off
-1.54 LEBRON

You'd think expecting a "3&D" rookie to assume a primary on-ball role would be too much but she's just taken the opportunity and done a great job. I'd like to see the playmaking growth continue

3rd, Kiki Iriafen, Mystics

18.9 pts/75
12.2 reb/75
+4.5 on/off
+0.39 LEBRON

Kiki burst onto the scene early in the season, even earning an all-star nod from the coaches. The scoring aggression always stood out. Want to see her grow as a decision maker and team defender

4th, Monique Akoa Makani, Mercury

13.9 pts/75
55.5% TS
+12.3 on/off
+0.88 LEBRON

Elite defender with all the complementary skills you could ask for. Incredible PnR partner for AT both ways on both ends of the court. Phoenix will need a lot from her in their playoff run

5th, Leïla Lacan, Sun

15.0 pts/75
3.4 stocks/75
+19.6 (lol) on/off
+1.04 LEBRON

Lacan joined a historically bad Sun team mid-season and they've gone even in her minutes, that is insane. Defends, makes plays, drives, impacts the game in every way she can

My 2025 WNBA all-rookie 1st team

🧵with stats and words below
2nd and 3rd team in replies

Thoughts on any of the rankings?

graphic by irisnuke on twitter (please hire her)

3rd team:
bsky.app/profile/coac...

6th, Dominique Malonga, Storm

20.4 pts/75
12.3 reb/75
-7.5 on/off
-0.21 LEBRON

It's unfair to look at a 19yo through a playoff readiness lens but Dom has been that good. Needs to get stronger to assert herself and the Storm spacing makes it tough for her but she's already great

7th, Kathryn Westbeld, Mercury

10.4 pts/75
2.8 stocks/75
+0.6 on/off
+0.18 LEBRON

Kathryn will screen, make simple reads and occasionally hit shots. She will also #DoHerJob (and more) in a variety of defensive schemes. Needs to keep defenses honest to earn big playoff minutes

8th, Te-Hina PaoPao

13.4 pts/75
7.1 3PTA/75 (38,6%)
+1.7 on/off
-0.68 LEBRON

The minutes haven't always been there, the bombing away from deep has. Throw in some drives, playmaking and defensive effort (sometimes results) and she might end up in Smesko's playoff rotation

9th, Saniya Rivers, Sun

12.9 pts/75
3.5 stocks/75
+0.8 on/off
-2.21 LEBRON

Great defender, drives and transition play have been fun, as well as the confident (but inefficient) scoring and passing flashes. Has she gotten that much better post all-star or is it just hot shooting?

10th, Luisa Geiselsöder, Wings

11.7 pts/75
2.5 stocks/75
-3.7 on/off
-0.54 LEBRON

Luisa tries to do everything you could want from a big and succeeds fairly often. Her screening and spacing have been a welcome improvement for the Dallas guards

My 2025 WNBA all-rookie 2nd team

🧵with stats and words below
3rd team in reply

Graphic made by irisnuke on twitter

11th Janelle Salaün, Valkyries

17.0 pts/75
7.2 3PTA/75 (36.6%)
-5.9 on/off
-1.31 LEBRON

Thought she'd be much higher on the list but some defensive questions, impact and "what else does she do?" have landed Janelle here. Still easily 1st team all-hype moments and aura

12th, Aneesah Morrow, Sun

15.5 pts/75
13.9 reb/75
+6.0 on/off
-0.89 LEBRON

Morrow lacks size at the 5 and shooting at the 4. Despite that, her flashes of versatility and her being the best rebounder in the class have both been huge for the late-season Sun surge

13th, Carla Leite, Valkyries

16.6 pts/75
4.6 ast/75
+5.3 on/off
-1.53 LEBRON

Leite not wearing a Wings jersey this year is still insane to me. The drives have been incredible, the shot has not. She needs the latter to come along to lock down a playoff rotation spot

14th, JJ Quinerly, Wings

15.1 pts/75
5.4 ast/75
+5.2 on/off
-1.53 LEBRON

Quinerly's rim pressure and playmaking were able to secure her a starting spot before her finishing fell off a cliff and a knee injury ended her season

15th, Aziaha James, Wings

15.8 pts/75
46.6% TS
-2.1 on/off
-1.94 LEBRON

We've seen 20+ point scoring outbursts from James. We've also seen her inefficient scoring and lack of complementary skills prevent her from securing a rotation spot on a bad team for most of the season

"What if the WNBA had 3 all-rookie teams?" is the question I asked myself. Here is my 3rd team including rankings.

🧵with stats+words below

graphic made by irisnuke on twitter, someone please hire her she's great :)

Top 4 WNBA MVP candidates and their global offensive impact:

- AT is the worst scorer here but still is right there in terms of impact
- Making short mid range shots at layup efficiency bends the defense but doesn't generate layups
- Phee upscale possible?
- Aces NEED A'ja

Idk who my CC comp would be, I have issues with her halfcourt (especially PnR) process which makes any sort of Trae/Nash/Hali comp feel weird but those 3 are probably the closest I can get

Tried to compare the rookie seasons of both Paige and Caitlin in terms of offensive impact

- Paige has a very similar footprint to SGA
- Caitlin generated sooo many rim points
- Paige would probably look better on a better team
- Fever somehow scored more from 3 without CC

WNBA playoff teams NET ratings with their top 3 players, starting 5s* and also 5 and 4+ of their top 7* players on the court

*current starting 5s and rotations if the playoffs started today so no longterm injured players

Yesterday we saw what the vision is when the shots do go down and when she's getting easy looks to get her going we get to see more of the Arike magic. It's nowhere near perfect yet but she deserves a lot of credit for adapting her game despite all the complications

Before the break she went 3/22 from the field across two games but also played off Paige well, reacted to coverages on off-ball screens, set screens herself and made quick decisions in "dominos" situations. Also notice how she's actively avoiding going to her injured left hand.

Luckily for everyone involved, things might just turn for the better. While we have seen a fair share of the classic Arike madness and her injury is still hampering her, she's also been involved in a variety of actions without the ball in her hands to start