Top 20 WNBA players countdown, ranked for the 2018 season: Part 1

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 29: Renee Montgomery #21 of the Minnesota Lynx protest the ball against Alana Beard #0 of the Los Angeles Sparks in Game Three of the 2017 WNBA Finals on September 29, 2017 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photos by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 29: Renee Montgomery #21 of the Minnesota Lynx protest the ball against Alana Beard #0 of the Los Angeles Sparks in Game Three of the 2017 WNBA Finals on September 29, 2017 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photos by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
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SEATTLE, WA – MAY 8: Jewell Loyd #24 of the Seattle Storm handles the ball against the Phoenix Mercury during a pre-season game on MAY 8, 2018 at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joshua Huston/NBAE via Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – MAY 8: Jewell Loyd #24 of the Seattle Storm handles the ball against the Phoenix Mercury during a pre-season game on MAY 8, 2018 at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joshua Huston/NBAE via Getty Images)

19. Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm

Now three years into a career that began as a number one overall pick, the shape and scope of Loyd’s tenure is coming into greater focus. After some back-and-forth about whether she’d be the successor to Sue Bird or built into the classic two guard she’s got the best skill set for, the Storm appear to have settled on the latter, bringing in Jordin Canada as the long-term running mate for Loyd, while Bird shows no signs of slowing down in the meantime. This allows Loyd to work off the ball, create her shot when she wishes, while her accuracy from three (38.6 percent last year, well up from her first two seasons) and secondary creating (20.1 assist percentage) give opponents an impossible task beyond gameplanning for Bird and Breanna Stewart. If Dan Hughes gets her to the level her athleticism should allow defensively, this will be low.