The WNBA introduced the All-WNBA First and Second Staff on Wednesday, and there was one notable omission: Kelsey Mitchell. All-WNBA, a annual honor bestowed on the very best gamers within the league after every season, is voted on by sportswriters and broadcasters. The First and Second Staff, each positionless, every embrace 5 gamers. Whereas the ultimate picks weren’t significantly stunning, there’s one participant who ought to have been named to the All-WNBA staff: Kelsey Mitchell.
Right here have been the ultimate alternatives:
All-WNBA First Staff
A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces)
Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx)
Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty)
Caitlin Clark (Indiana Pacers)
Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Solar)
All-WNBA Second Staff
Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings)
Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty)
Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury)
Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm)
Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty)
I launched my All-WNBA picks final month, and my lists intently resembles the official listing, with one key distinction: I had Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever the Second Staff instead of Arike Ogunbowale. Outdoors of that, my listing had no discrepancies with the official poll.
Let’s check out the numbers. Within the 2024 season, Mitchell averaged 19.2 factors on 46.8% taking pictures, together with 40.2% from three. She additionally posted 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists, however was primarily used as a scorer on an Indiana Fever staff that went 20-20 en path to the No. 6 seed and its first playoff berth since 2016.
Ogunbowale averaged 22.2 factors, 5.1 assists, and 4.6 rebounds — so her numbers have been increased in all three classes. However, she shot a career-worst 38.3% from the sphere, and 34.6% from three. To be truthful, provided that Ogunbowale is her staff’s main scoring possibility, she confronted extra defensive stress than Kelsey Mitchell did. Nonetheless, her inefficiency is unattainable to disregard, as is her staff’s lack of success this season: at 9-31, the Wings completed with the second-worst document within the league. Definitely, that document displays team-wide points and accidents that go far past Ogunbowale’s particular person efficiency, but it surely’s nonetheless laborious to select a participant from one of many worst groups within the WNBA over one of the environment friendly guard scorers within the league.
Jonquel Jones truly acquired the fewest votes of gamers chosen to the All-WNBA Staff (she completed with 3 votes for 1st staff and 29 for 2nd staff), however given the Liberty’s success this season and her two-way dominance, her inclusion is tough to argue in opposition to.
It’d be equally tough to justify eradicating some other participant from the All-WNBA Second Staff. Sabrina Ionescu was the top of the snake that was the very best staff within the league, and Kahleah Copper and Nneka Ogwumike every had nice particular person seasons and have been the very best gamers on their respective playoff groups.
Ogubowale is an amazing participant, and she or he’s already had two worthy All-WNBA season and 4 All-Star seasons — and many extra honors sooner or later. However, Kelsey Mitchell was the second-leading scorer within the league post-Olympic break. She averaged 23.4 factors on 50.6% taking pictures and 45.4% from three within the last 14 video games of the season, a torrid scoring stretch that helped propel Indiana to the postseason. That sort of effectivity, scoring prowess, and staff success ought to be rewarded with an All-WNBA bid.