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 perfect 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 notably stunning, there’s one participant who ought to have been named to the All-WNBA crew: 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 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% capturing, 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 crew 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, provided that Ogunbowale is her crew’s major scoring possibility, she confronted extra defensive strain than Kelsey Mitchell did. Nonetheless, her inefficiency is unimaginable to disregard, as is her crew’s lack of success this season: at 9-31, the Wings completed with the second-worst file within the league. Actually, that file displays team-wide points and accidents that go far past Ogunbowale’s particular person efficiency, but it surely’s nonetheless laborious 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 really acquired the fewest votes of gamers chosen to the All-WNBA Workforce (she completed with 3 votes for 1st crew and 29 for 2nd crew), however given the Liberty’s success this season and her two-way dominance, her inclusion is tough to argue towards.
It’d be equally tough to justify eradicating some other participant from the All-WNBA Second Workforce. Sabrina Ionescu was the pinnacle of the snake that was the perfect crew within the league, and Kahleah Copper and Nneka Ogwumike every had nice particular person seasons and have been the perfect gamers on their respective playoff groups.
Ogubowale is an incredible participant, and she or he’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% capturing and 45.4% from three within the closing 14 video games of the season, a torrid scoring stretch that helped propel Indiana to the postseason. That kind of effectivity, scoring prowess, and crew success ought to be rewarded with an All-WNBA bid.
