This season, both Sonia Citron and Paige Bueckers are making runs at the Rookie of the Year in the WNBA. If one of them takes home the award, they will join a long list of great players who made an immediate impact in their debut season. Here is a top 10 list of the greatest rookie years of all time.
The best rookie seasons in WNBA history, ranked:
10. Napheesa Collier, 2019, Minnesota Lynx: One of the WNBA favorites this season won Rookie of the Year, averaging 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds. She also had a career best of 1.9 steals per game.
9. Aliyah Boston, 2023, Indiana Fever: Boston was a unanimous Rookie of the Year selection and averaged almost a double-double on the year — 14.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
8. Diana Taurasi, 2004, Phoenix Mercury: Taurasi followed up three straight NCAA Women's National titles, by averaging 17 points per game and winning Rookie of the Year.
7. DeWanna Bonner, 2009, Phoenix Mercury: Bonner joined Taurasi and won a title in her rookie season, averaging 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
6. Leonie Fiebich, 2024, New York Liberty: The German player finally got a crack at the WNBA last season. She scored 21 points in her opening game and scored 13 points and had seven rebounds in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, helping the Liberty clinch the first title in franchise history.
5. Maya Moore, 2011, Minnesota Lynx: She came out swinging, averaging 13.4 points and 4.6 rebounds a game. She helped lead the Lynx to a WNBA title in her first season and even received MVP votes.
4. Rebecca Lobo,1997, New York Liberty: Lobo had 16 points and six rebounds in the WNBA's debut game, in a win over the Sparks. She averaged 12.4 points, 7.3 rebounds a game and helped lead the Liberty to the Finals.
3. Elena Delle Donne, 2013, Chicago Sky: Delle Donne averaged an impressive 18.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game, shooting better than 40 percent from beyond the arc and helping lead the Sky back to the playoffs.
2. Candace Parker, 2008, Los Angeles Sparks: Parker is the only Rookie of the Year to also win MVP the same season. The Sparks made the Western Conference Finals while Parker averaged 18.5 points a game and 2.3 blocks per game.
1. Caitlin Clark, 2024, Indiana Fever: Outside of perhaps Lobo in the debut season of the WNBA, no rookie may have meant more to the league. Clark broke the league record for assists and recorded the first triple-double by a rookie in league history. The Fever broke numerous attendance and viewership records with her on the court.