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"&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;The WNBA season is just around the corner, which means fans get to take in another summer of the league&rsquo;s rich talent pool of women&rsquo;s basketball. In the spirit of celebrating all this skill and inevitably enraging&nbsp;a LOT of fans, what follows is a ranking of the WNBA&rsquo;s top 20 players. &lt;/span&gt;rnrn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;This list was compiled solely by yours truly, in the frame of re-drafting the league for this upcoming season. Past performance, potential, versatility&mdash;basically every factor under the basketball sun was put in consideration. The process was absolutely brutal, a testament to the W&rsquo;s talent level. Some familiar names like Angel McCoughtry, Chiney Ogwumike, DeWanna Bonner and others were left&mdash;under the assumption they will miss most or all of the 2017 season. Without further ado, let&rsquo;s begin.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;It's Maya's world&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1029&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/679445970-atlanta-dream-v-minnesota-lynx-preseason.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1029&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/679445970-atlanta-dream-v-minnesota-lynx-preseason.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; ST. PAUL, MN - MAY 5: Maya Moore[/caption]rn&lt;ol&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Maya Moore - Minnesota Lynx&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Oh, like you thought it would be anybody else? When everybody close to the league told me they were sure Minnesota was beating out the Sparks, Moore was the one reason why. She&rsquo;s everything you could want in a player. On offense, it&rsquo;s an easy and efficient 20 points by way of post-up moves, jumpers off the catch and dribble, precise handles and &ldquo;how the hell?&rdquo; plays. She&rsquo;s everywhere on defense, and does all the little things. Rebounds? Check. Dish? Check. Her killer instinct can&rsquo;t be taught. Watch a tight Lynx game, tell yourself Maya&rsquo;s about to do Maya things, and enjoy the show. &ldquo;It&rsquo;d be hard to argue against Maya,&rdquo; one WNBA coach said. Yes, yes it would be.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;The Washington power broker&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1030&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/676130786-washington-mystics-v-indiana-fever.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1030&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/676130786-washington-mystics-v-indiana-fever.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 02: Elena Delle Donne[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;2&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Elena Delle Donne - &lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: line-through&quot;&gt;Chicago Sky&lt;/span&gt; Washington Mystics&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;And immediately this list gets really difficult. When Delle Donne is locked in defensively, she&rsquo;s as much of an all-around machine as Moore. She quietly shot 42.6% from three last season, after already being a 6&rsquo;5&rdquo; destroyer of&nbsp;traditional basketball positions. She can dribble, pass and score. There&rsquo;s no simple answer for her defensively, and one can only imagine what kind of havoc she wreaks in this spaced out Mystics offense.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;The stature of Liberty&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1033&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/676526518-new-york-liberty-v-la-sparks.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1033&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/676526518-new-york-liberty-v-la-sparks.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; UNCASVILLE, CT - MAY 2: Tina Charles[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;3&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Tina Charles - New York Liberty&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;We&rsquo;re doing this, okay? Charles should have been MVP last season, and she&rsquo;s a top three player in the WNBA. She led the league in points and rebounds per game in 2016, only the third player in league history to do so, while improving her defense, passing and three-point shooting to levels few bigs are at. That&rsquo;s miraculously&nbsp;good. These rankings are going to be imperfect, but there&rsquo;s no room for movement on this one.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Storm approaching&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1034&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/670768764-breanna-stewart-workout-in-santa-monica.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1034&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/670768764-breanna-stewart-workout-in-santa-monica.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Santa Monica, CA - APRIL 19: Breanna Stewart[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;4&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Breanna Stewart - Seattle Storm&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Except, Stewart might be Delle Donne V.2 considering she was a serious Defensive Player of the Year candidate last season. She was a rookie. She also put up ridiculous numbers across the board, and now has a full regular season under her belt. Stewart&rsquo;s a top-ten player, maybe top five, if she remains exactly what she was a year ago. Depending on how much she&rsquo;s improved, she could be top two.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;The reigning MVP&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1036&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/616058360-2016-wnba-finals-game-five.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1036&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/616058360-2016-wnba-finals-game-five.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 20: Nneka Ogwumike[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;5&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Nneka Ogwumike - Los Angeles Sparks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;I originally had Ogwumike sixth on this list behind Candace Parker. The two compliment each other so perfectly&mdash;and Ogwumike just completed the most efficient shooting season in the history of the league. The knock on Nneka is that she isn&rsquo;t your traditional number one player, scoring a ton from Brian Agler&rsquo;s system and her scrappiness. On the other hand she is does everything else superbly. This is a paradox. It&rsquo;s trying to find the last digit of pi.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Another L.A. Story&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1037&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/616069814-2016-wnba-finals-game-five.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1037&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/616069814-2016-wnba-finals-game-five.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 20: ESPN Reporter, Holly Rowe interviews Candace Parker[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;6&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Candace Parker - Los Angeles Sparks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;This feels low. She just won Finals MVP, which was well deserved. She&rsquo;s great at everything. She shut up everybody saying she lacked the winning mentality&mdash;though a career scoring and posting elite assist percentages should have done that already. It&rsquo;s entirely possible she&rsquo;d get even more respect if her defensive effort were more consistent during the regular season and, ironically, if she put up bigger numbers on a worse team.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;A complete center&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1038&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/676110672-minnesota-lynx-2017-media-day.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1038&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/676110672-minnesota-lynx-2017-media-day.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; MINNEAPOLIS, MN - May 1: Sylvia Fowles[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;7&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Sylvia Fowles - Minnesota Lynx&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Fowles is the most steady and reliable star in this league. On days Maya is off, Fowles is always there ready to protect the paint better than anybody. Her low-post game is essentially an automatic go-to bucket. Her screens free up a ton of action. There isn&rsquo;t really a negative in her game&mdash;she finished atop the league in defensive win shares in 2016, and fifth in offensive win shares.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Will early Griner return?&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1039&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/612071048-minnesota-lynx-v-phoenix-mercury-game-three.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1039&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/612071048-minnesota-lynx-v-phoenix-mercury-game-three.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 2: Brittney Griner[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;8&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Brittney Griner - Phoenix Mercury&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Griner took a step back last season. Being a touch late on rotations every so often made it impossible to cover up Phoenix&rsquo;s lousy perimeter defense, though injuries were likely a factor. She&rsquo;ll hopefully return to form, and even get more scoring opportunities this season, making her an easy choice&nbsp;for the top ten, considering she led the league in block percentage even in 2016.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Sky's the limit&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1040&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/679801868-indiana-fever-v-dallas-wings.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1040&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/679801868-indiana-fever-v-dallas-wings.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; ARLINGTON, TX - MAY 6: Skylar Diggins[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;9&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Skylar Diggins - Dallas Wings&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;This is a huge bet on the return of 2015 Diggins. She was an early MVP favorite until going down with an ACL tear, and she&rsquo;s hungry to start dominating again. The Wings are going to have to win on offense, and with Odyssey Sims gone, the ball&rsquo;s going to be in Diggins&rsquo;s hands a whole lot more. That&rsquo;s a good thing, especially if she approaches her 2015 player efficiency rating of 24.9.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Jewell's time to shine&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1042&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/680130782-seattle-storm-v-phoenix-mercury.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1042&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/680130782-seattle-storm-v-phoenix-mercury.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; PHOENIX, AZ - MAY 7: Jewell Loyd[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;10&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Jewell Loyd - Seattle Storm&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Might be high&mdash;there&rsquo;s a big gap between Loyd at her best and Loyd at her worst. When the latter happens, she looks awfully average for a top ten player. However, it&rsquo;s only been a couple of seasons, and I&rsquo;m optimistic about her work ethic in polishing the finer points of her game, especially considering her player efficiency rating jumped from 14 in 2015 to 18.1 in 2016.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Washington's returning star&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1045&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/603000264-indiana-fever-v-washington-mystics.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1045&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/603000264-indiana-fever-v-washington-mystics.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: Emma Meesseman[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;11&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Emma Meesseman - Washington Mystics&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;A straight knock-down scorer&mdash;she led the WNBA in three-point percentage in 2016&mdash;strong rebounder and elite passer for her size. Having a player at Meesseman&rsquo;s size that can set a screen and pop out behind the arc at her efficiency is invaluable. Guarding her in the post is not a fun time. Now she has Delle Donne taking up the D&rsquo;s attention. And she turns 24 on May 14, so her best days are likely ahead.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Sky's big addition&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1046&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/676678064-chicago-sky-v-connecticut-sun.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1046&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/676678064-chicago-sky-v-connecticut-sun.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; UNCASVILLE, CT - MAY 2: Stefanie Dolson[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;12&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Stefanie Dolson - Chicago Sky&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;We&rsquo;re just going to call 2016 a fluke, okay? Just a blip. Dolson being able to thread high-low passes, shoot from range and bulldoze defenders down low at 6&rsquo;5&rdquo; lands her this high. The Sky can build some fun offensive sets around her, and her defense has been a plus throughout her career. She is a star in need of opportunity, and Chicago should provide one.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Still D after all these years&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1047&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/611035018-phoenix-mercury-v-minnesota-lynx-game-one.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1047&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/611035018-phoenix-mercury-v-minnesota-lynx-game-one.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; ST. PAUL, MN - SEPTEMBER 28: Diana Taurasi[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;13&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Diana Taurasi - Phoenix Mercury&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Right, so, my thinking here wa&mdash;::gets mobbed by dozens of angry DT fans::. Taurasi&rsquo;s a killer, but struggled mightily&nbsp;on defense last season and wasn&rsquo;t as versatile on the offensive end as she used to be. The biggest thing going for her is that half her shots come from three, where she&rsquo;s still shooting above league average despite her insane shot selection. This ranking will look really silly if her ability/willingness to facilitate&nbsp;makes a comeback, with her 2013 assist percentage of 35.9 dropping to 24.1 by 2016.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;An Epiphanny for New York offense&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1048&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/679292072-new-york-liberty-media-day-2017.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1048&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/679292072-new-york-liberty-media-day-2017.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; TARRYTOWN, NY - May 04: Epiphanny Prince[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;14&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Epiphanny Prince - New York Liberty&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;If we get 2015 Prince, we get one of the best scoring guards in the W. Her pick-and-roll game was straight masterful, her shooting deadly, and her defense solid. This all depends on health, but remember that 2015 Prince led the Liberty in player efficiency rating, not Tina Charles.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Give Glory respect&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1050&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/679801870-indiana-fever-v-dallas-wings.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1050&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/679801870-indiana-fever-v-dallas-wings.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; ARLINGTON, TX - MAY 6: Glory Johnson[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;15&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Glory Johnson - Dallas Wings&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Speaking of health, when Johnson&rsquo;s at 100% you can expect 15 and 10 every night. She can space the floor a bit and her length is a constant nuisance, while she finished second in the league in rebound percentage in her truncated 2016. A multi-time All Star, just 26, capable of many more.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;It's January's Fever now&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1051&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/606523802-minnesota-lynx-v-indiana-fever.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1051&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/606523802-minnesota-lynx-v-indiana-fever.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 16: Lindsay Whalen and Briann January.[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;16&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Briann January - Indiana Fever&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Low, if anything. A reliable point guard that defends hard, can shoot the three, and scurry into the paint simply isn't a replicated skill set around the league, and new coach Pokey Chatman wants her to score even more now. Best defender in the league, points per possession, per Synergy. One of the W&rsquo;s most underrated players.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Bird still flying&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1052&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/678613296-seattle-storm-media-day-2017.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1052&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/678613296-seattle-storm-media-day-2017.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; SEATTLE, WA - May 03: Sue Bird[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;17&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Sue Bird - Seattle Storm&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;At 35 years old, she led the league in assists and shot 44% from deep. Bird&rsquo;s holding down the old guard and doesn&rsquo;t seem to be slowing down much, while developing Stewart and Loyd will only provide her with additional opportunities to create.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Offensive players can't shake Beard&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1056&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/635694514-2016-wnba-finals-game-two.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1056&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/635694514-2016-wnba-finals-game-two.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 11: Seimone Augustus and Alana Beard.[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;18&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Alana Beard - Los Angeles Sparks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;The single most pesky, obnoxious, obtrusive perimeter defender in basketball, clutch knock-down shooter, sure, good rebounder for her size. But man, that defense. Look at her go:&lt;/span&gt;rnrnhttps://youtu.be/hvppUA-jyrornrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;A Mystical shooter&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1057&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/576528090-los-angeles-sparks-v-connecticut-sun.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1057&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/576528090-los-angeles-sparks-v-connecticut-sun.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; UNCASVILLE, CT - JULY 15: Kristi Toliver[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;19&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Kristi Toliver - &lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: line-through&quot;&gt;Los Angeles Sparks&lt;/span&gt; Washington Mystics&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;The single best shooter in the WNBA. Last year, Toliver finished 10th in points per play among players with over 200 possessions, according to Synergy Sports. She shot 43% from three on just under six attempts per game. A&nbsp;constant threat if the defense fell asleep. Now gets the open looks created by Delle Donne and Meesseman.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;The Lynx's engine&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1058&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/679459170-atlanta-dream-v-minnesota-lynx-preseason.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1058&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/679459170-atlanta-dream-v-minnesota-lynx-preseason.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; ST. PAUL, MN - MAY 5: Lindsay Whalen[/caption]rn&lt;ol start=&quot;20&quot;&gt;rn t&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Lindsay Whalen - Minnesota Lynx&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;rn&lt;/ol&gt;rn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Whalen doesn&rsquo;t have the speed she once did, but can punish most point guards thanks to her strength and craft, reflected in her 51.3 field goal percentage, the highest of her career. She&rsquo;s still a heady playmaker, finisher and defender, and essential creator for one of the league's elite teams.&lt;/span&gt;rnrn[nextslide teaser=&quot;Just off the list&quot; slider=&quot;true&quot; /]rnrn&lt;!--nextpage--&gt;rnrn[caption id=&quot;attachment_1059&quot; align=&quot;alignnone&quot; width=&quot;850&quot;]&lt;a href=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/607564768-phoenix-mercury-v-san-antonio-stars.jpg.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img class=&quot;size-large wp-image-1059&quot; src=&quot;https://summitthoops.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/05/607564768-phoenix-mercury-v-san-antonio-stars.jpg-850x560.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;850&quot; height=&quot;560&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; SAN ANTONIO, TX - SEPTEMBER 18: Moriah Jefferson[/caption]rnrn&lt;strong&gt;Apologies to:&lt;/strong&gt;rnrn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Moriah Jefferson&lt;/span&gt;rnrn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Cappie Pondexter&lt;/span&gt;rnrn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Kayla McBride&lt;/span&gt;rnrn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Kelsey Plum&lt;/span&gt;rnrn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Odyssey Sims&lt;/span&gt;rnrn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Seimone Augustus&lt;/span&gt;rnrn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Tiffany Hayes&lt;/span&gt;rnrn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Sugar Rodgers&lt;/span&gt;rnrn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Elizabeth Williams&lt;/span&gt;rnrn&lt;span style=&quot;font-weight: 400&quot;&gt;Jonquel Jones (she&rsquo;s probably going to break out and make me look really foolish)&lt;/span&gt;rnrn&lt;strong&gt;Final thought:&lt;/strong&gt;rnrnThis list was really hard."
<https://highposthoops.com/2017/05/08/the-wnbas-top-20-players-ranked/11/>