WNBA GMs fired off some hot takes before the season gets started
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images Paige Bueckers not being the best WNBA rookie in five years wasn't the only unexpected result from the league’s annual GM survey. Every year, the WNBA surveys the league’s general managers about the upcoming season, with a mix of fun and serious questions. The rules are pretty simple: the GMs answer 40 questions anonymously, but they are NOT allowed to vote for their own players or team personnel. Let’s dive into some of the findings from this year’s survey. The first and one of the most surprising results of the survey was the overwhelming opinion that the Minnesota Lynx will win the WNBA Finals. They received 60% of the votes league-wide. New York came in second with 20% of the vote, while Indiana and Las Vegas tied with 10% each. Minnesota also was the pick for best defensive team in the league with an overwhelming 73% of the votes. Minnesota continued to show out as the general managers predicted Napheesa Collier would win the league’s MVP award this season. Collier received 67% of the votes, with Wilson — who won last year for the third time — behind her with 25%, and Caitlin Clark in third with 8%. Collier also won the vote for best overall defender in the league at 37%. Caitlin Clark was also voted as the player GMs would sign today if they were starting a new team, with 50% of that vote. Another fun result was the fact that Caitlin Clark and Chelsea Gray split a 50/50 tie for best guard in the league. A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier also tied for first place in the best forward category, each receiving 33% of the vote. Wilson also won best center (though many will agree she is more of a forward than a center, but I digress). The Indiana Fever won the vote for best moves in the offseason, with 64% of that vote, and the most surprising move of the offseason went to DeWanna Bonner signing in Indiana. Indiana was also voted the team that will improve most in 2025. Paige Bueckers was predicted as the 2025 Rookie of the Year, winning 73% of the vote in that category. Though Dominique Malonga only got 18% of the ROTY votes, she was voted the rookie who will be the best player in five years, getting 60% of that vote over Bueckers’s 40%. Malonga, Aaliyah Nye of Las Vegas, and Mikayla Timpson of Indiana all tied in a 20/20/20 split for steal of the 2025 WNBA Draft. Jonquel Jones (Bahamas) was voted the league’s best international player, and France won 92% of the vote for the country producing the best talent outside of the US. Kinda rude no one voted for Canada, but that’s because I am not a GM. DiJonai Carrington was named the league’s best perimeter defender, with Wilson winning the vote for the best interior defender. When it comes to coaches, Cheryl Reeve was the overwhelming favorite for best coach in the WNBA, with 83% of the vote. Reeve also won the votes for the coach who is the best motivator, the best at in-game adjustments, and the coach who runs the best offence in the league. Steph White was voted the relocated coach who will make the most impact on her new team. Chelsea Gray was voted the current player who would make the best coach in the future. Indiana won the vote for the team that will be the most fun to watch in 2025, as well as the team with the most promising young core. A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier tied for the best leader in the league, while Collier won the vote for most versatile player in the league. Gray was voted the player with the highest basketball IQ, as well as the player you’d choose to take a shot with a game on the line. For all of the results of the 2025 general manager survey, head to the WNBA’s full release here.


Paige Bueckers not being the best WNBA rookie in five years wasn't the only unexpected result from the league’s annual GM survey.
Every year, the WNBA surveys the league’s general managers about the upcoming season, with a mix of fun and serious questions. The rules are pretty simple: the GMs answer 40 questions anonymously, but they are NOT allowed to vote for their own players or team personnel. Let’s dive into some of the findings from this year’s survey.
The first and one of the most surprising results of the survey was the overwhelming opinion that the Minnesota Lynx will win the WNBA Finals. They received 60% of the votes league-wide. New York came in second with 20% of the vote, while Indiana and Las Vegas tied with 10% each. Minnesota also was the pick for best defensive team in the league with an overwhelming 73% of the votes.
Minnesota continued to show out as the general managers predicted Napheesa Collier would win the league’s MVP award this season. Collier received 67% of the votes, with Wilson — who won last year for the third time — behind her with 25%, and Caitlin Clark in third with 8%. Collier also won the vote for best overall defender in the league at 37%. Caitlin Clark was also voted as the player GMs would sign today if they were starting a new team, with 50% of that vote.
Another fun result was the fact that Caitlin Clark and Chelsea Gray split a 50/50 tie for best guard in the league. A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier also tied for first place in the best forward category, each receiving 33% of the vote. Wilson also won best center (though many will agree she is more of a forward than a center, but I digress).
The Indiana Fever won the vote for best moves in the offseason, with 64% of that vote, and the most surprising move of the offseason went to DeWanna Bonner signing in Indiana. Indiana was also voted the team that will improve most in 2025.
Paige Bueckers was predicted as the 2025 Rookie of the Year, winning 73% of the vote in that category. Though Dominique Malonga only got 18% of the ROTY votes, she was voted the rookie who will be the best player in five years, getting 60% of that vote over Bueckers’s 40%. Malonga, Aaliyah Nye of Las Vegas, and Mikayla Timpson of Indiana all tied in a 20/20/20 split for steal of the 2025 WNBA Draft.
Jonquel Jones (Bahamas) was voted the league’s best international player, and France won 92% of the vote for the country producing the best talent outside of the US. Kinda rude no one voted for Canada, but that’s because I am not a GM.
DiJonai Carrington was named the league’s best perimeter defender, with Wilson winning the vote for the best interior defender.
When it comes to coaches, Cheryl Reeve was the overwhelming favorite for best coach in the WNBA, with 83% of the vote. Reeve also won the votes for the coach who is the best motivator, the best at in-game adjustments, and the coach who runs the best offence in the league. Steph White was voted the relocated coach who will make the most impact on her new team. Chelsea Gray was voted the current player who would make the best coach in the future.
Indiana won the vote for the team that will be the most fun to watch in 2025, as well as the team with the most promising young core. A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier tied for the best leader in the league, while Collier won the vote for most versatile player in the league. Gray was voted the player with the highest basketball IQ, as well as the player you’d choose to take a shot with a game on the line.
For all of the results of the 2025 general manager survey, head to the WNBA’s full release here.