The new generation of WNBA stars has been everything the league could have hoped for. Players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and Olivia Miles were ready to take the league by storm the moment they were drafted, changing not only their franchises' trajectories but the WNBA's as well. Many others are waiting to follow their example. Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam just turned 20 this year; Cameron Brink has barely gotten a chance to play yet due to an ACL tear; and JuJu Watkins and Sarah Strong are playing their final college seasons.
And yet, even with that influx of dominant young stars, playoff success continues to be dictated by the veteran elite.
This year’s postseason is proof of that with three of the four first-round series already wrapped up and veterans showing out against younger stars.
Veteran stars continue to dictate playoff success
This year’s first round featured many of the most exciting young talents in the WNBA. Olivia Miles led the Minnesota Lynx to the number-one seed. Angel Reese held down the paint for the Atlanta Dream with Brionna Jones out for most of the season, and Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen led the Washington Mystics to a surprise top-five finish. Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston are the backbone of the Indiana Fever’s success, and Paige Bueckers led the Wings back to the playoffs after a few years at the bottom of the league.
It also featured many of the WNBA’s most proven veteran stars, and they made their presence known early on.
Breanna Stewart averaged 27.5 points over the two games it took her to lead New York’s historic upset over Minnesota and Olivia Miles. Miles hadn’t looked much like a rookie in the regular season, but she sure did against Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and the Liberty.
A’ja Wilson put together two 30-point double-doubles as she, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young led the Aces to a first-round victory over Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and the Fever.
The Dream-Mystics series came down to contributions from a lot of younger players, like Reese and Rhyne Howard. However, it also came down to experience. The Dream swept the youngest team in the playoffs in large part because Jordin Canada and DeWanna Bonner played well and provided championship experience. Canada averaged a double-double with 14.5 points and 10.5 assists, and Bonner hit huge shots in Game 1.
There is a lot of great young talent in the WNBA. Still, for now, the path to a championship continues to go through veteran stars like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.
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