The WNBA introduced the All-WNBA First and Second Workforce on Wednesday, and there was one notable omission: Kelsey Mitchell. All-WNBA, a annual honor bestowed on the most effective gamers within the league after every season, is voted on by sportswriters and broadcasters. The First and Second Workforce, 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 workforce: Kelsey Mitchell.
Right here have been the ultimate alternatives:
All-WNBA First Workforce
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 Workforce
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 carefully resembles the official listing, with one key distinction: I had Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever the Second Workforce rather than 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 workforce 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 greater in all three classes. However, she shot a career-worst 38.3% from the sphere, and 34.6% from three. To be honest, on condition that Ogunbowale is her workforce’s major scoring choice, she confronted extra defensive stress than Kelsey Mitchell did. Nonetheless, her inefficiency is unattainable to disregard, as is her workforce’s lack of success this season: at 9-31, the Wings completed with the second-worst report within the league. Definitely, that report displays team-wide points and accidents that go far past Ogunbowale’s particular person efficiency, however it’s nonetheless exhausting to choose a participant from one of many worst groups within the WNBA over some of the environment friendly guard scorers within the league.
Jonquel Jones truly acquired the fewest votes of gamers chosen to the All-WNBA Workforce (she completed with 3 votes for 1st workforce and 29 for 2nd workforce), however given the Liberty’s success this season and her two-way dominance, her inclusion is difficult to argue in opposition to.
It’d be equally tough to justify eradicating every other participant from the All-WNBA Second Workforce. Sabrina Ionescu was the pinnacle of the snake that was the most effective workforce within the league, and Kahleah Copper and Nneka Ogwumike every had nice particular person seasons and have been the most effective gamers on their respective playoff groups.
Ogubowale is an incredible participant, and he or she’s already had two worthy All-WNBA season and 4 All-Star seasons — and lots 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 kind of effectivity, scoring prowess, and workforce success ought to be rewarded with an All-WNBA bid.
