The 26th and 27th seasons of the WNBA have marked a sort of changing of the guard in the W; All-time greats who carried the torch for over a decade have hung it up in Sylvia Fowles and Sue Bird. A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart have continued to stake their claims at the pinnacle of the sport, both barely into their primes. 

That evolution of the league is punctuated by the influx of talent. The top three picks of the 2022 Draft Class cemented themselves immediately, and are building off their rookie foundations early in year two.

Rhyne Howard

2022 Season Stats: 16.2 ppg/4.5 rpg/2.8 apg (48.9% true-shooting)

2023 Season Stats: 17.2 ppg/5.2 rpg/3 apg (49.7% true-shooting)

Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard dazzled in year one, the first rookie named an All-Star since Napheesa Collier in 2019. Howard is an electric shooter and scorer, setting herself up off of screens with crisp movement off the ball. 

Howard doesn’t typically win with overwhelming bursts or speed, rather picking her defenders apart with her fluidity. There are a handful of players in league history that have played at the wing spot with the same blend of size, handle, and feel for the game that Howard possesses.

Due to her shooting and ability to create space at a moment’s notice, either with a screen, cutting, or in isolation, she is a constant threat. Utilizing that to open up easier looks for herself and expand her playmaking has been a focus in year two.

While there were multiple flashes of her ability to change pace and create space with lateral movement as a rookie, Howard has been toying with extra gears in her transmission in the early season.

Howard has mentioned multiple times this season that getting to the rim more frequently is a goal; 46.4% of her field goal attempts have come within 16 feet of the basket, an uptick from 31.8% as a rookie. Though her frequency of shots at the rim hasn’t seen a dramatic increase, the process to get deeper into the has been abundantly clear throughout the season.

Especially considering the plethora of injuries to Atlanta’s guard group (both Danielle Robinson and Aari McDonald are expected to be sidelined until roughly the All-Star Break), expect Howard to continue to take on reps initiating the offense and working to command more and more of the court.

NaLyssa Smith

2022 Season Stats: 13.5 ppg/7.9 rpg/1.4 apg (49.6% true-shooting)

2023 Season Stats: 13.8 ppg/11.5 rpg/1.2 apg (46.9% true-shooting)

Watching NaLyssa Smith and Aliyah Boston gel together has been one of the joys of the season thus far. Indiana is still young, and in the early process of establishing their identity, but against the Dream, we saw how potent their frontcourt duo can be.

Smith is a one-of-a-kind scorer, with phenomenal touch inside the arc, and the ability to drive, face-up, and post-up. Her versatility in scoring at 6’4 causes so many problems for the opposition, as few defenders can guard her on every area of the court, even more, difficult as Smith keeps expanding her range on volume.

Her feel for the game has taken a step forward in year two, something that’s been felt in her aggression as an offensive player. Head Coach Christie Sides has harped on repeatedly that aggression is the key for Smith, finding ways to make her presence felt at all times. Her ferocity in attacking the glass and finding spots to quickly attack a mismatch in the post, cut into open space, and exploit pockets in defense has been noteworthy. 

One play against the Aces, however, is THE play that sticks out most.  

As mentioned, Smith has the potential to be one of the very best and most versatile scorers in the league: This simple read and kick to the open corner after drawing the help defender is a monumental play for Smith.

She has the gravity as a scorer to force defenses to pay attention, and making that extra read and timely pass makes her that much harder to guard, and that much more effective as a player, something Sides hit on after the Aces game.

“NaLyssa came off one time and could have taken a shot, but she swung to E-dub (Erica Wheeler) in the corner for an open 3. Maybe we weren’t getting that a couple of weeks ago, and it’s the plays we’re getting now… we’re learning that the ball moves faster in the air and not dribbling, that you gotta get downhill to make people help and get swing passes, and we got several of those tonight.”

Shakira Austin

2022 Season Stats: 8.7 ppg/6.5 rpg/0.9 apg (57.6% true-shooting)

2023 Season Stats: 13.7 ppg/9 rpg/1.2 apg (58.9% true-shooting)

After a dominant overseas season in Israel, including a Finals MVP and league title, a significant leap in year two was palpable for Shakira Austin. 

Austin’s defensive prowess earned her a starting role last season as a rookie, and she’s only gotten even better on that end. Her mobility, understanding of positioning, and ability to protect the rim at arguably an All-Defense level already is breathtaking, anchoring the best defense in the league last season and 2nd best in the 2023 season.

However, it’s her offensive growth that’s stood out most.

That same understanding of defensive positioning plays out on the opposite end of the court, as Austin is a dominant cutter and incredibly effective at moving without the basketball. She eats open space and is adept at finding ways to make herself available to passers.

While Washington’s offense is still a work in progress overall this season, Austin has received more trust and opportunity. 

In early offense, the Mystics will clear out a side and allow her to face up and drive on slower-footed bigs. She’s embraced quickness and aggression, attacking with duck-ins to the post and ripping into her moves without hesitation.

Her handle is just a little bit tighter than it was last year, which is a terrifying prospect for the opposition. Few fives in the league can stick with Austin on a face-up drive, and it’s difficult to crossmatch a four onto her, because, well…her frontcourt mate is Elena Delle Donne! We’ve seen more of that duo running 4 / 5 pick and roll, and it’s been a nightmare for defenses to guard.

The Mystics aren’t where they want to be yet, but with Austin blossoming the way she has, there’s an extra layer and verve they didn’t have as a team last year.

WNBA reporter Mark Schindler writes a column 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.