Blocks
The premier blockers in the WNBA are undoubtedly Brittney Griner and Sylvia Fowles, and the two are at the center of a fun battle to watch in 2019. They each enter this season with 574 career blocks, looking to cross the 600-block mark this summer and pass Lauren Jackson (586) in the process.
At 28 years old, Griner will likely become the youngest player to record 600 blocks, besting Dydek’s previous record of 29 years which has stood for about 16 years.
With the better average (3.8 per game over her six years), expect Griner to create some separation from Fowles (1.9 blocks per game) this summer. Both are in the top 5 all time, and beyond Jackson are also looking up to Lisa Leslie (820) and the late Margo Dydek (877) at the top of the leader board. Griner already has the single-game block record (11) along with the single-season mark (129), but her skill as a rim protector makes her a defensive force to watch every game.
Others to keep an eye on:
- Jessica Breland enters 2019 with 293 career steals. She averaged just under a pair of blocks per game last season, so she could get her 300th within the first handful of games this year.
- Carolyn Swords’ next block will be the 100th of her career, making her the 101st player to reach the century mark.
- By the end of the season, Rebekkah Brunson (284) and Elena Delle Donne (261) will likely also hit the 300 mark. Candice Dupree is just 15 blocks from 300 but has averaged only about 10 blocks per season the last three years.