3. Indiana Fever: Teaira McCowan, 6’7 C, Mississippi State
It is easy to lose sight of how Teaira McCowan, after a massive leap forward, has continued her evolution as a high-impact player. Her effective field goal percentage, 60.1 percent last year, has jumped to 69.1 percent so far this season. Her block rate, a healthy 6.6 percent last year, is 10.4 percent this season. Her assist rate, an area of the game where she’s struggled, has virtually doubled as well, from 3% to 5.7%. And even the rebounding, where she already led the country, has improved a bit at both ends. We know very clearly what she will do in the WNBA, at minimum: she’ll alter shots, she’ll end possessions, and she can finish as well as anyone. This happens to be exactly what Indiana, 12th in the league in rebounding percentage and 11th in defensive rating, needs most. Don’t expect them to pass up the chance to address it.