Fan Rankings Home » WNBA » Who will be the WNBA Rookie of the Year?

The 2026 draft was widely considered a deep class, with many players expected to contribute quickly to their respective franchises. About a month and a half into the season, that has held true as several players have found big roles on their rosters.

Olivia Miles has been dominant, exceeding the lofty expectations placed upon her coming into the year, while Azzi Fudd, Gabriela Jaquez, and Awa Fam have also lived up to their top-5 selections.

While the players we expected to be great have done just that, players that we were not on the fans’ radar coming into the year have also shown out. Undrafted players like Pauline Astier, Sydney Taylor, and Jovana Nogic have proved to be impactful players in year 1.

This was a tough list to rank because of depth, but in the end, I think everyone ended up in the right spot.

So here is a midseason of the players that have a best chance to win Rookie of the year. in 2026.

Honorable Mention

Lauren Betts

Team: Washington Mystics

Position: Center

My first honorable mention is Mystics’ big and number 4 overall pick Lauren Betts. Betts is somewhat unlucky that she was drafted to the Mystics because this team has a bunch of talented young bigs, and it makes this frontcourt really crowded.

She has started only 1 game, and the minutes just are not there for her to have the opportunity to show how good she really is. She has been solid in the time given to her, and I am sure at some point, whether that is in DC or elsewhere, she will be given a bigger role, but for right now, she is an HM.

Laura Juskaite

Team: Toronto Tempo

Position: Forward

Laura Juskaite has been a really good part of the Toronto Tempo’s rotation this year. I was debating her and Maria Conde at 10, but ultimately chose Conde with how she has looked as of late.

Juskaite spent years playing overseas in a number of countries before eventually joining the Tempo and making the roster. It’s a cool story for someone who has been somewhat of a surprise.

Juskaite has nice size and can extend defenses with her shooting. She is solid on the boards and provides a really strong presence off the bench for Toronto.

Top 10 WNBA Rookies 2026 Rankings

10. Maria Conde

Team: Toronto Tempo

Position: Forward

Another older Toronto Tempo rookie on this list is Maria Conde. Conde finally made her debut this year after being drafted all the way back in 2019. A mix of her choosing to stay overseas and injuries kept her from touching a WNBA court for a while, but the 29-year-old rookie has been really solid for the Toronto Tempo.

Conde’s mix of size, playmaking, shooting, and two-way ability is what enticed teams all those years ago, and she has shown a lot of that this year. The long-range shooting has been fantastic, and that is where she has done most of her offensive work this season. Conde is averaging 8.3 PPG and is shooting 43.1% from three on the year.

9. Jovana Nogić

Team: Phoenix Mercury

Position: Guard

Undrafted sharpshooter Jovana Nogić has been one of the biggest surprises of the rookie class, quickly making a name for herself as a potent perimeter threat. The Serbian guard carved out a significant role in the Phoenix Mercury’s rotation early on, showing zero hesitation stepping into high-volume scoring opportunities.

Nogić has proved to be a pure floor-spacer, knocking down 42.1% of her shots from beyond the arc on nearly five attempts per game. Highlighted by a massive 27-point outburst against Chicago in May and averaging 10.4 PPG in 20.2 minutes over 16 games, her instant offense off the bench and efficient shooting touch make her a well-deserved top-10 rookie in this class.

8. Gabriela Jaquez

Team: Chicago Sky

Position: Guard

One of the many UCLA Bruins who were picked in the first round of this past draft was Chicago Sky Guard Gabriela Jaquez. Jaquez has gotten off to a solid start for the Sky this year, and it looks obvious she will have a big time impact for them this season.

Coming into the draft, Jaquez was one of the prospects for whom it felt like it was clear she would be a successful WNBA player. Her versatility, effort, and consistency are all huge strengths of her’s. While I think Jaquez is a lock to have a successful rookie campaign, I don’t know if she has the upside as some of the other top prospects, which is why I don’t have her higher.

7. Kiki Rice

Team: Toronto Tempo

Position: Guard

Kiki Rice’s injury is really unfortunate, and if she were able to stay healthy, she would be in the top 4 of this list. Rice sprained her ankle about three weeks ago, and her return does not seem imminent, so it really put a damper on what was shaping up to be one of the better rookie seasons this year.

Rice was playing beyond her years this year, and a lot of the growing pains you see from young guards seem to have eluded her. Her efficiency as both a scorer and passer has been top-notch, and she constantly makes the right decision. You saw her shooting improve throughout her time at UCLA, and her long-range shooting has again looked great this year to go along with her elite driving ability.

Her defensive versatility has been something that has always been a part of her game, and the endless praise from teammates tells the story of how good Rice has been. She is a do-it-all player and, most importantly, contributes to winning as well as almost anyone here. She is averaging 12.7 PPG, and hopefully, she can find her way back to the court soon.

6. Flau’Jae Johnson

Team: Seattle Storm

Position: Guard

Most people knew coming into the season, Flau’Jae Johnson would be at the top of the ladder when it came to rookie scoring. Flau’Jae is such a great athlete and an elite perimeter shot creator, so it’s no shock she has scored so well.

The lack of efficiency and overall consistency are things to point to as somewhat negative, but for a young guard, that is something you will have to live with, and I am sure both things will improve.

I have also been impressed with both her defense and her rebounding, and she has had multiple double-doubles with points and rebounds. She is averaging 12.3 PPG and 5.2 RPG on a Seattle Storm team with a handful of franchise cornerstones.

5. Sydney Taylor

Team: Chicago Sky

Position: Guard

What a pleasant surprise Sydney Taylor has been for the Chicago Sky. The Sky were hungry for some scoring, especially since Rickea Jackson went down, and Sydney Taylor has definitely brought that.

Her 30-point breakout and coming-out party against the Indiana Fever a few weeks ago really kick-started things for her, and since then, she has continued this hot streak.

Taylor is a pretty cool story, going from being undrafted a few years ago, playing overseas, to then making the Sky’s roster after a training camp invite.

I know this may be a little high for someone who has only gotten consistently big playing time in the last two weeks, but in that span, no rookie has been better than her besides Olivia Miles, and I think she has the type of skillset to stick around for a while. The elite shooting and deep bag of scoring are fun to watch, and she has been must-watch TV as of late.

She is averaging 12.4 PPG, and watch as that number will probably keep rising.

4. Pauline Astier

Team: New York Liberty

Position: Guard

Pauline Astier is another one of these undrafted players who had to grind their way to a WNBA roster, and man, has she capitalized on the opportunity.

Astier’s impact has been somewhat lessened since the return of Sabrina Ionescu, but in Ionescu’s absence, Astier was genuinely looking like one of the better point guards in the league.

She was one of the most efficient guards in the league as a scorer and was doing great as a playmaker. She was dictating what the offense did a lot of times and really helped elevate other players in the offense. She is shooting an elite 55.2% from the field and 42.3% from three and is a big-time contributor for a bona fide contender.

3. Awa Fam

Team: Seattle Storm

Position: F/C

Maybe this is a little high for Awa Fam because she missed time fulfilling her obligations, finishing her contract out in Spain. But to me, she has been playing for about a month, and I think I have seen enough from her to know she is the future.

Awa is the youngest player on this list, and she became the second teenager to record 10 points in her debut. She has been amazing since starting, and even though she was the 3rd pick, I think there are a few things she has done above expectations.

She has shot the ball really well from three, and I love what I have seen from her in the post. She is incredibly fluid in the paint, and the only real criticism right now is the fact that she is not great yet at playing through contact or seeking out.

The shot creation is good, and the defensive impact is there as well. She has been historically good for someone her age, and again, there is no doubt in my mind that she is the future of not only the Seattle Storm, but she is the future of the sport as a whole.

2. Azzi Fudd

Team: Dallas Wings

Position: Guard

Azzi Fudd’s start to her career was not ideal, especially with the comparisons to Olivia Miles, but as of late, I think she has really righted the ship and shown why she was picked first.

Azzi has had a couple of huge games as of late, specifically a 26-point outburst in an OT win over Seattle. Azzi has been the model of consistency over the past month or so, and she is a huge reason for the Wings’ improvement.

I love Azzi’s fit with the rest of the roster, and I think a big reason she went #1 is her portability. The off-ball impact is big, and she is one of the best spot-up shooters in the game right now. She is averaging 13.2 a game, and I think that number will get higher before the year ends.

1. Olivia Miles

Team: Minnesota Lynx

Position: Guard

Number 1 is obviously going to be Olivia Miles, and right now, I think there is more of an argument for her being the MVP than for her not winning ROTY.

Olivia Miles is leading a first-seeded Lynx team in scoring and assists, and doing that without Napheesa Collier. There is a very real chance she is the second-best player (when Collier gets back) on a team that wins a ring as a rookie.

The Lynx have built a lot of what they are doing this year around the skillset of Miles, with the heavy emphasis on PNRs with Natasha Howard and the shooting around her. The generational passing and shot creation have been on display, and she is putting together one of the best rookie campaigns ever.

I think it’s pretty telling that the Lynx have geared so much of what they do around a rookie, and it’s obvious how good she is. It’s exciting to see what she is going to be moving forward, and I am even more excited to see how this Lynx team looks at full strength.

Who’s #1 on your WNBA Rookie of the Year list?

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