Watch Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Connecticut Sun @ Washington Mystics, live on Sky Sports Arena on Sunday from 8pm
Thursday 26 September 2019 11:35, UK
After a vibrant regular season and with the WNBA Finals set to begin on Sunday night, live on Sky Sports Arena, Huw Hopkins selects his All-WNBA first team. Do you agree with his picks?
Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky)
It was very difficult to not pick Courtney Williams to be my All-WNBA starting point guard this season. The Connecticut Sun put together the second-best record in the league and she was a huge part of the reason why.
But Chicago's Courtney Vandersloot was something else this year. The Sky point guard pushed her team to the second-best record the franchise has ever had, and when I said "pushed", I mean it.
Vandersloot made every possession feel like a fast break, and the Sky ran most teams out of the gym, finishing the regular season with a league-leading 81.6 possessions per 40 minutes.
No other player has managed 300 assists in one season, but Vandersloot did so this year on her way to 9.1 per game. The next best player in terms of dishing out easy baskets was the LA Sparks Chelsea Gray, with 5.9 assists per game.
Diamond DeShields (Chicago Sky)
There is no Sophomore of the Year award in the WNBA, but if there were Diamond DeShields will have probably been a shoo-in.
No offence to last year's Rookie of the Year, A'ja Wilson, but DeShields was simply the better second-year player this season. She averaged 16.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists (all increases) while powering the Chicago Sky to a 20-14 record.
Her team was probably the most exciting in the league, and DeShields' passes threatened to be even more exciting than those of her point guard Vandersloot.
I picked her as one of the five players to watch at the start of this season, and she lived up to the hype. This Sky team can achieve great things in the coming years.
Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics)
How can you not have Elena Delle Donne on this team? She was easily the Most Valuable Player while putting together a historic season.
There have been rumblings this season that Delle Donne and the Washington Mystics wouldn't have done so well had more of the WNBA's stars been healthy this year. But this is no fluke.
'EDD' has won an MVP award before, and if you look through WNBA history to find how many players have shot 50 per cent from the field, 40 per cent from three-point territory and 90 per cent from the line, you know how many there are? None. Zero. Zilch. Zip. Nothing.
Delle Donne is one of one. And you only have to look at her long run of consecutive made free throws in the playoffs to appreciate her brilliance (a record-setting 44).
Her MVP award is totally deserved and her spot on this All-WNBA was guaranteed long ago.
Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks)
Let's be real, the only reason the Los Angeles Sparks finished with the third best record in the league was the play of Nneka Ogwumike. When Candace Parker was out with injury, when Maria Vadeeva was at EuroBasket, when Riquana Williams was out of action for a few weeks, Ogwumike was the veteran big that held down the fort while also trying to help the likes of rookie Kalani Brown adapt to the WNBA.
In the opening 10 games, she averaged 14 points and 9.5 rebounds, and while the team started to take shape and in the second set of 10 games, she managed 19.1 and 9.6.
At that point the team was on a roll: Parker got in rhythm, Chelsea Gray solidified her status as one of the best point guards in the WNBA and Derek Fisher got the team firing on all cylinders.
While the team struggled in their final three playoff games, Ogwumike continued her consistent play and showed why she is the backbone of the Sparks.
Liz Cambage (Las Vegas Aces)
Going from being the most dominant player in the league last year to being a vital cog in a new offense. The team has a number of scorers to feed, including one of the best forwards in the league, A'ja Wilson. But with the second-year lefty injured for three weeks, it fell to Cambage to roam the middle.
While her numbers are down from last year, her team play has improved to the level that she would have received greater MVP buzz had the talent of her team-mates not split votes.
Cambage is still terrifying in the post and she can stretch out the offense with an occasional three-point shot to keep the defense honest.
While the playoffs haven't been considered in putting this team together, her postseason performance kept the Las Vegas Aces from being swept in the semi-finals against the Washington Mystics. And while her team didn't reach the Finals this season, you can expect them to contend for a title pretty soon with Cambage at the helm.
DeWanna Bonner (Phoenix Mercury)
Despite being part of what was ultimately a disappointing season for the Phoenix Mercury, Bonner proved that she is one of the best players in the league.
Her ability to score from all over the court, while also proving to be a frustrating lengthy defensive problem, is turning her into the reason the Mercury will be relevant when Diana Taurasi eventually hangs up her sneakers.
At times, Bonner led the league in points per game as part of the best scoring duo in the league alongside Brittney Griner. But she also managed the most rebounds on the team, which were desperately needed by Phoenix.
Despite playing the forward position, her length, ball handling, shooting and quick feet mean you could put her at practically any position on the floor as the ultimate filler in this All-WNBA line-up.
Mike Thibault (Washington Mystics)
There are a number of coaches in the WNBA that rank among the world's best. James Wade of the Chicago Sky had a phenomenal rookie year. Cheryl Reeve proved that she can coach the Minnesota Lynx regardless of who is on the squad. Bill Laimbeer fulfilled his promise of turning the Aces into a contender.
But the coach that got the most out of his team this year, and one of the few that can take any roster and get the best out of whoever is available, is Mike Thibault of the Washington Mystics.
With Elena Delle Donne dragging around one leg last season and no Emma Meesseman to pick up the slack, the Mystics still made it to the Finals last year. This season, he guided his team to the No 1 seed, despite losing Meesseman and Kim Mestdagh to EuroBasket, Delle Donne for three games due to injury and Kristi Toliver for the final few weeks.
The quick pace, good passing and elite shooting are the signatures of one of the best offensive teams in league history and every Mystics player has bought into what Thibault wants.
Watch Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Connecticut Sun @ Washington Mystics, live on Sky Sports Arena on Sunday night from 8pm
