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WNBA Season Preview 2019: Every team’s most important player

By Paul Centopani

MINNEAPOLIS - JULY 28: Diana Taurasi #3, A'ja WIlson #22, Elena DelleDonne #11, Brittany Griner #42, Sue Bird #10, and Breanna Stewart #30 of Team Delle Donne look on during the Three-Point Contest during halftime during the Verizon WNBA All-Star Game on July 28, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS - JULY 28: Diana Taurasi #3, A'ja WIlson #22, Elena DelleDonne #11, Brittany Griner #42, Sue Bird #10, and Breanna Stewart #30 of Team Delle Donne look on during the Three-Point Contest during halftime during the Verizon WNBA All-Star Game on July 28, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The 2019 WNBA season is here! Every year comes with myriad scenarios that can play out for each team, with the mantle balancing on the franchises’ most important players. These are those players.

Like cream, the best players in the WNBA rise to the top as the summer rolls along. Every team’s most important piece steps to the forefront. They’ll mostly be the usual suspects, the already established superstars and MVP candidates, pushing their squads toward championship aspirations. Others will be more unlikely, breaking through and revealing themselves as the rising stars of the league.

With all the injuries already popping up, this year’s most important players for each team will feature a lot of new faces.

Minnesota Lynx — Sylvia Fowles

With 2014 MVP Maya Moore taking a sabbatical and hometown hero Lindsay Whalen riding off into the sunset, Minnesota’s hopes fall to…2017’s MVP, Sylvia Fowles. Must be nice.

The Lynx’ center of attention averaged 18.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over the past two seasons. Fowles has the ability to carry a team. However, Minnesota stands at a crossroads.

They need to decide if standing pat with their veterans is the way to go or if they should veer into a rebuild. Either way, Fowles represents the most valuable piece the Lynx have.

Atlanta Dream — Tiffany Hayes

The Dream just came off their best regular season ever. Now, they need to parlay that momentum to take the next step in the playoffs. Tiffany Hayes returns as Atlanta’s leading scorer and they’ll need every point she can put up while Angel McCoughtry recovers from a knee injury. McCoughtry’s absence vacates 14 shot attempts per game spells more opportunity for Hayes.

With the added looks and (presumably) bigger stats over the majority of the season, Hayes should turn into a down-ballot MVP candidate if she can keep the Dream alive.