1. Tina Charles
2017 notable stats: 25.7 defensive rebounding percentage, 10.8 turnover percentage, many others
Projected 2018 role: Superstar
Once again, Tina Charles lifted the New York Liberty into the upper echelon of the WNBA without the kind of complementary star that essentially every other top-tier team could count on. With a usage rate around 30 percent once more, the Liberty lived and died on Charles’ performances. Somehow, she manages to be more than the sum of her diversified scoring game, however, with a solid 16.2 assist percentage a testament to her ability to pass out of double-teams, and a turnover rate reflecting how unflappable she is in the face of relentless defensive pressure. Oh, did I mention she was 27th of 125, per Synergy, in defensive points per possession? Assuming the Liberty aren’t sold to a new owner intent upon causing a riot among the fan base, and Charles wishes to remain, figure she’ll stay in New York as long as the team does in 2018. But if by some chance she goes elsewhere, she can fundamentally change any franchise’s trajectory.
* Originally, this article said Jessica Breland did not make an all-star team. We regret the error.