Diana Taurasi: Somehow, at age 36, Diana Taurasi is having her best season in years, with her highest true shooting percentage ever (.635) and her best PER (23.8) since 2013.
Tiffany Hayes: It is easy to focus on what Hayes does offensively, which is virtually everything, and miss her defensive work—sixteenth in the league in defensive points per possession, per Synergy, for the league best defensive team so far.
Skylar Diggins-Smith: Wonder no more how Diggins-Smith will play alongside another superstar in Liz Cambage. She’s posting the best assist percentage of her career, with the 22nd-best defensive PPP per Synergy, and the Wings look like a legit contender.
Chelsea Gray: Parker and Ogwumike are great, no question, but it is possible that Chelsea Gray is the Sparks MVP. Another season among the leaders in assist percentage, north of 40 percent from three, unstoppable when she drives.
Sue Bird: Somewhere, in an attic, there’s a portrait of Sue Bird not hitting threes and distributing the ball like she’s 25.
Courtney Vandersloot: Recently talking to a WNBA talent evaluator who agreed with me on this: Vandersloot, had she not chosen to go play for Hungary, would be USA Basketball’s starting point guard.