The reigning MVP enters 2015 as the leader of the odds-on favorites to win the WNBA championship. But can she do what only one person (Cynthia Cooper) has done since the league began: win the WNBA MVP award in back-to-back years? Moore averaged 23.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in 2014, and she seems to be in good position to repeat. Can she go one step further in 2014 and outpace a bunch of other stars who will be hoping to fend her off?

Easily Chicago’s best player when healthy, Delle Donne averaged 17.9 points and four rebounds per game in her second season in the league. But she only played in 16 games for the Eastern Conference champs. This season Delle Donne is finally back to full health, and that’s good news for the Chicago Sky as they hope to take care of some unfinished business.

McCoughtry has been the catalyst for Atlanta throughout her career, and league general managers recently touted her as the best player in the WNBA at creating her own shot. Her scoring dipped in 2014 (18.5 PPG, down from 21.5 PPG in 2013) but a return to prior form would certainly put McCoughtry in the mix for the 2015 WNBA MVP.

She won the Rookie of the Year award in 2013. She was named an All-Star in 2013 and 2014. So, the next natural step for Ogwumike in terms of postseason accolades would be WNBA MVP. And she’ll have a great opportunity to make her case this season. Ogwumike, who league GMs say is the most athletic player in the WNBA, will be leaned on to produce in Candace Parker’s absence.

Charles is one of the league’s most consistently dominant post players and has averaged a double-double in of her five seasons in the league. In fact, her 2012 season with Connecticut (18 PPG, 10.5 RPG) earned her the MVP award. She’ll be right back in the conversation this season as she looks to anchor a New York Liberty team that hopes to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

The reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year comes in at six to open the season after a productive sophomore campaign. She averaged 15.6 points, 8 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game for the Mercury. When she returns from suspension she’ll immediately be the focal point on both ends of the floor for the reigning WNBA Champions.

The jump Diggins made from year one to year two was so enormous that she took home WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year honors. She averaged 20.1 points per game and finished second in the league in scoring. As Tulsa looks to earn its first playoff berth since moving to Oklahoma, Diggins will look to cement her name as one of the league’s best young stars.

Year in and year out Tamika Catchings is mentioned in the WNBA MVP conversation, and though her career is coming to a close (she’s set to retire in 2016), there’s no reason to believe 2015 will be any different. Catchings won the MVP in 2010 and followed that up with her fifth Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2011. Last season she only appeared in 16 games but averaged 16.1 points in those outings.

Sims is already one of the premier players on a team league general managers believe is due for a breakout season. She along with Skylar Diggins is looking to turn Tulsa into one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Can Sims do more than she did in year one? Her production as a rookie (16.7 PPG, 4.7 APG) is reason enough to keep an eye on her in the MVP race this season.

Though the defending champs are still a top team in the Western Conference, their major stars will look a bit different this season. Candice Dupree is a four-time All-Star and has made a name for herself as a dominant frontcourt talent. Look for Dupree to step up in the absence of Griner early in the season.