Here’s a look at some of the most improved players in the WNBA in 2023. The improvement score is the difference between the player’s 2023 stats (points, rebounds, assists times 1.5, steals and blocks added up) and their career-best stats.
Sug Sutton
Phoenix Mercury
Improvement score: 14.1
Sutton played in 12 games in 2020 with the Washington Mystics, so she is not a rookie. It was surprising to see the Texas Longhorn make a WNBA roster three years later after being out of the league, but she has gone a step further, becoming an impact player for the Mercury, averaging 8.6 points and five assists in 27 minutes per game.
Alanna Smith
Chicago Sky
Improvement score: 9.1
Smith was a great talent at Stanford, averaging 19.4 points on 39.7 percent shooting from downtown (81 makes) as a senior. But this is the first WNBA season where you can say she is a borderline star. She’s averaging career-bests in all five major categories, with points being up 3.7 to 9.8 and rebounds being up 2.9 to 6.5. Her minutes (26.9 per game) are also up (11.3 from her previous career high).
Ezi Magbegor
Seattle Storm
Improvement score: 8.55
Magbegor was a very deserving first-time All-Star this season. The fact that she made it to the ASG will give her an edge over Sutton and Smith in the…
