Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
Expectations were understandably high for the #1 pick, but Stewart has managed to exceed them already. She leads all rookies in points (19.0), rebounds (9.8), blocks (1.8), steals (2) and is third in assists (2.8) per game. After scoring a career-high 25 points against the Mystics on 5/26, Stewart is currently sixth in the WNBA in points per game, and 4th in rebounds per game at 9.8. It's not unreasonable to think her numbers could improve, as she is only shooting 70% from the FT line where she shot closer to 80% at UConn, and her 41.8 FG% should improve as well.
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Tiffany Mitchell, Indiana Fever
The 9th pick in the draft out of South Carolina has posted a very solid year for Indiana so far, ranking second to Stewart in scoring at 13.3 points per game. Her efficiency has been impressive as she is shooting 50% from the field and 83.3% from the stripe. If she can improve her three-point shooting from her current 33% clip then she could be even more of a force.
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Aerial Powers, Dallas Wings
The 5th pick out of Michigan State has had an immediate impact for the Dallas Wings. Her 9.5 points per game rank third among rookies, and she has been able to contribute in a number of ways, chipping in 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
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Moriah Jefferson, San Antonio Stars
Jefferson was used to setting up Breanna Stewart in college, and her ability to make her teammates better has translated to the WNBA, where she currently ranks first among all rookies and fifth in the league in assists per game at 5.0. Jefferson has struggled from the field, though, shooting just 28%, but she's also 3-for-4 on three-point attempts, an encouraging sign.
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Kahleah Copper, Washington Mystics
The 7th pick out of Rutgers has shown an ability to clean up the glass, ranking second among rookies in rebounds per game at 3.8. Her 6.0 points per game also rank 5th as she emerges as a valuable rotation piece for coach Mike Thibault's squad.
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