Brittney Griner was selected by the Phoenix Mercury first overall and has been a pretty solid force down low. She is leading the league in blocks with almost 3 per game(!) and is scoring almost 60 % of the shots she takes. Right now the Mercury are in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference, but Griner has been a huge help on both sides of the floor.
Don’ t count the Mercury out just yet, as Griner has a teammate who is capable of stringing wins together for her club. Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi has arguably been the most consistent player this league has ever seen as she is leading the league in points during her 9 th WNBA season. Her 21.5 per game average is one of the highest of her career as she too is looking for a clean slate from a sub-par 2012 campaign. Together with Griner, Taurasi and the Mercury could make a run late in the season.
While Griner has been playing well, the real rookie to talk about is Elena Delle Donne, the 2 nd overall pick from the Chicago Sky. Already top-5 in points and blocks per game, she would be my pick for rookie of the year.
Besides for her incredible individual play, Delle Donne has helped turned this Chicago team around – from a 14-20 finish last year to a 12-5 start to the 2013 season. Not many rookies are capable of making such a 180 for their new teams as quickly as she has, and Delle Donne’ s play makes her the top rookie to look out for as the season progresses.
This has been a very exciting WNBA season so far with plenty of players breaking out in a big way. But the real story has been the level of play of those looking for fresh starts, and they have not disappointed. The second half of the year will definitely provide some stunning finishes to these great storylines.
Sports Passion The Magazine | 7 August 2013 | Issue No. 1