WNBA GM survey: A’ja Wilson, Aces receive top marks; Wings win vote for best offseason

Lots of love for Las Vegas Aces

Forty percent of general managers picked the Aces to repeat as champions, beating out the New York Liberty with 33 percent of the vote. GMs picked Chelsea Gray as the best point guard in the WNBA with 73 percent of the vote, and Jackie Young topped a crowded field to earn best shooting guard with 27 percent of the votes.

Gray earned several other plaudits, including player who will make the best head coach (50 percent of votes), best passer (93 percent) and highest basketball IQ (93 percent). Considering GMs aren’t permitted to vote for their own players, Gray was essentially the unanimous pick in the latter two categories.

Among the coaches, Becky Hammon was voted best motivator and manager, but she lost out on the overall best coach to Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve, who received 53 percent of the votes, while Hammon garnered 40 percent. Hammon also finished second to Reeve for best in-game adjustments.

The question that arguably reflected best on Las Vegas was: Which player would you want taking a shot with the game on the line? Gray and Wilson tied for first, and Young finished third. Good luck trying to win a clutch game against the Aces.

Indiana is no longer the team of the future

A year ago, most GMs picked Caitlin Clark as the player to start a franchise with. She was also voted the best shooting guard and tied for best point guard. The Indiana Fever were overwhelmingly voted the most fun team to watch, and half of the general managers picked them as the best young core.

Now, Paige Bueckers ranked first among players GMs would sign today to build a team, earning 33 percent of the votes. The Dallas Wings were selected for having the best offseason and becoming the most improved in 2026. Dallas and Seattle tied for the best young core, with Dominique Malonga projected as one of the league’s breakout candidates.

Two-thirds of GMs voted the Seattle Storm’s Awa Fam as the rookie who will be the best player in five years. Additionally, Azzi Fudd was not the favorite for Rookie of the Year — that honor went to Olivia Miles, the No. 2 pick for the Minnesota Lynx.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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