WNBA Awards Rankings: Kahleah Copper crashing the list of way too early MVP favorites

We're through the first week of the WNBA season and the league's power structure is already beginning to take shape. But there are surprises in the standings — Seattle off to a 1-3 start, the Mercury 2-1 — and certainly in individual player performances.

It's a long season but it's never too early to start breaking down the top performers and looking at who has started building their MVP campaign early. Here are the top candidates after the first week of the season.

WNBA MVP Rankings: Week 1

A'ja Wilson's individual numbers are up through three games — 24.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.7 blocks per game. Those are remarkable and on their own could absolutely earn her third career MVP. But it hasn't all been rosy. Wilson is shooting just 45.0 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc to start the season. The Aces have also already dropped a game and haven't looked as polished as last season yet, at either end of the floor.

A'ja Wilson is almost certainly going to climb in the MVP rankings but the Aces have gotten off to a somewhat bumpy start and this is an opportunity to shine a light on some other players.

Napheesa Collier finished fourth in WNBA MVP voting last season and, through two games, looks like she's ready to take her game to the next level. She's led the Lynx to a 2-0 start, averaging a double-double, shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc and 90 percent from the free throw line. Collier is carrying Minnesota's offense as the primary scorer and creator but she's also bringing maximum intensity at the other end of the floor, piling up 7 steals and 4 blocks.

Alanna Smith has been red-hot from beyond the arc and with Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride, she's surrounded by a slew of dangerous outside shooters who will help open driving lanes and draw defensive pressure away from the paint. Collier may need some serious team success to climb any higher in the MVP standings but she's clearly one of the best two-way players in the WNBA right now.

Breanna Stewart has already won a pair of MVPs and never finished lower than third in the voting over the past five years. Her 3-point shot hasn't been falling yet, her minutes and shot attempts are down slightly but her overall impact is still enormous.

Stewart has helped anchor the Liberty defense with 2.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, on their way to a 4-0 start. She's been just as effective as ever inside the arc and she's hit 94.7 percent of her free throws so far. With superstar teammates around her, Stewart is able to share two-way responsibility perhaps more than some other players on this list. But she's still a dominant force and could easily finish at the top of these rankings again this year.

No player in WNBA history has ever averaged a triple-double across an entire season but Smith seems determined to try this year. The Sun have had the benefit of beating up on the Fever twice already but Smith is stuffing the box score, as well as adding 2.0 steals per game so far.

Thomas sets the tone for the Sun with her intensity and physicality at both ends of the floor but her ability to conduct the offense, slot everyone else into their ideal roles and keep everything humming is what sets their lofty ceiling. DeWanna Bonner has also gotten off to a hot start for the Sun but her chemistry with Thomas is a huge factor — more than half of her made baskets this season have been assisted by Thomas.

Thomas finished fourth in MVP voting in 2022 and second last season. With some voter fatigue perhaps settling in around Stewart and Wilson, this could be her best shot to finally break through.

A lot of people expected Copper to build off a breakout 2023 in her new home with the Phoenix Mercury. But I'm not sure anyone expected this — 31.3 points per game on a 66.4 true shooting percentage through three games. The Mercury, without Brittney Griner, have already gotten off to a 2-1 start with a win over the Dream and a 10-point win over the Aces.

Copper has been, by far, the most effective and efficient scorer in the league thus far, raining down pull-up jumpers from every area of the floor. Her efficiency probably won't stay at this level — 52.4 percent from beyond the arc — but she's a real threat to lead the league in scoring while flirting with a 50/40/90 season.

For the past few seasons, the WNBA MVP race has seemingly come down to to Stewart, Wilson and a handful of longshots — together they've won three of the last four, and four of the last six. But this year a crop of strong challengers seem ready to shake things up.