Three of the most underrated rookies in the 2024 WNBA season

1. Julie Vanloo 

WNBA rookies tend to be older than newcomers in the NBA but they are not normally 31 years old. Julie Vanloo is the oldest rookie this WNBA season and is really only a rookie in theory. Vanloo has years of experience as a professional basketball player overseas and with the Belgium national team. 

She is already a pro but making the move to a new league and new country at 31 is not an easy choice or transition to make. That alone deserves its own kind of respect. The fact that Vanloo made the transition so smoothly, is even more impressive. 

Vanloo ranks sixth in points per game, second in threes made per game, and second in assists per game among all rookies. Averaging 7.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, Vanloo has had a positive impact on a young Washington Mystics roster. 

It only took Vanloo 24 games to break the Mystics’ record for most 3-pointers made in a rookie season and she helped the Mystics somewhat surprisingly fight for the final playoff spot. 

While it is only right to celebrate the rookies who will carry the league in the future, we should also give some respect to an older rookie who uprooted her entire life to join the WNBA and has been putting together a solid first season.