All stats and records reflect games played through Friday, September 1

The 2023 WNBA has just one week to go in the regular season. The top two seeds still have some wiggle room, and the middle of the playoff race is ever-changing by the day, as a handful of games separate the 5th and 10th-seeded teams. As the season winds to a close and teams look to make final leaps in the standings and tweaks before the playoffs, standout play is even more in focus.

Who stands out on the Most Valuable Player Ladder this far into the season?

Each week for the remainder of the regular season, catch up on the MVP race with Nekias Duncan and Mark Schindler as they release their Top 5 MVP Ladder for the week while highlighting one candidate’s individual case.

1. A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (25.1 ppg/9.7 rpg/1.1 apg/3.9 stocks per game)
2. Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty (22.9 ppg/8.7 rpg/3.4 apg/3.3 stocks per game)
3. Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun (17 ppg/10.2 rpg/8 apg/2.4 stocks per game)
4. Satou Sabally, Dallas Wings (18.3 ppg/7.1 rpg /5.5 apg/3 stocks per game)
5. Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks (18.6 ppg/8.1 rpg/2.7 apg/2.8 stocks per game) (+1 spot, first entry into MVP ladder)

***Stats listed are since the All-Star Game***

Breanna Stewart is our spotlight player this week, the primary focus of the hottest team in the league over the second half of the season. The New York Liberty are 14-3 since the return to play post-All-Star break, blitzing opposition with the best offense in the league over that stretch (111.7 offensive rating) and a defense that’s steadily improved as the season’s gone on, culminating in the third best defensive efficiency since the All-Star break, allowing just 99.4 points per 100 possessions.

For reference, that 111.7 offensive rating would rank above the 2019 Mystics, the best offense of all time by the numbers. Watching the Aces and Liberty both straddle the line of greatness on that side has been a joy to take in this season. We’re watching incredible hoops!

The way New York has done has been so wildly impressive, and also indicative of what makes them so successful, and is then a great inflection point of how special Stewart is in general, but particularly through the lens of this 2023 team. 39.3% of New York’s points have come from three since the All-Star break; the next closest team over that stretch is the Mystics at 30.4%.

On top of that, the Liberty have by far the highest assist rate, with just 27.7% of their made baskets unassisted; they’re the only team in the W below 32% unassisted makes.

TLDR: The New York Liberty are shooting the leather off of the ball, while also moving the ball at a remarkably high level.

New York has thrived with their ability to push teams to the breaking point within a possession. Playing out of motion has become their bread and butter, kicking the offense into gear with a quick drive into the lane. What happens on the weak or secondary side of the offense has been what’s separated the Liberty.

After the quick drive, the ball is swinging on a kick-out and pinging around to open pockets; flare screens on the other side of the court to take advantage of the initial attack that snags the focus of a defense have been lethal. Breanna Stewart shines in her ability to slip through the teeth of a defense, shoot off of movement, hit contested looks over tight defense, and attack from all over the court. Flare screens put her in an immaculate position to shine through even brighter.

A flare screen is an action involving a player without the ball cutting away and another offensive player screens the player defending the cutter to open up an advantage against the defense. Part of what makes the action so fun and effective is what can happen when you work it into an empty corner with two players who can dribble, pass, and shoot. There’s already strain when a corner is empty out, as the immediate help in the area of where the ball is headed is in general harder to execute without overhelping and causing even more problems.

Even if the flare doesn’t end up as the action the Liberty scores out of, it so often sets the table by kicking a defense into a scramble, and that’s where New York’s ball movement blends in with their shooting prowess.

Stewie can screen herself and open up a shooter. She can screen and pop to open herself as the shooter, or she can slip/dive to attack a mismatch generated on the low block. She can be the cutter herself and take and make an open shot, drive the lane, or kick when she draws help. When she forces switches as the screener when screening for Jonquel Jones, she can then attack and isolate on a slower-footed five. The options feel limitless in some regards.

The Liberty are playing simple, in a sense, and Stewart’s versatility and effectiveness from all areas of the court is a large reason for their success as the year has gone on. Keep your eyes peeled the next time you see Stewart spotted up in the slot without the ball to start a set!

WNBA reporter Mark Schindler writes columns on WNBA.com throughout the season and can be reached on Twitter at @MG_Schindler. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.