The WNBA introduced the All-WNBA First and Second Crew on Wednesday, and there was one notable omission: Kelsey Mitchell. All-WNBA, a annual honor bestowed on one of the best gamers within the league after every season, is voted on by sportswriters and broadcasters. The First and Second Crew, 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 crew: Kelsey Mitchell.
Right here had been the ultimate choices:
All-WNBA First Crew
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 Crew
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 checklist, with one key distinction: I had Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever the Second Crew instead of Arike Ogunbowale. Outdoors of that, my checklist 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 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 had been larger in all three classes. However, she shot a career-worst 38.3% from the sector, and 34.6% from three. To be truthful, on condition that Ogunbowale is her crew’s main scoring choice, she confronted extra defensive strain than Kelsey Mitchell did. Nonetheless, her inefficiency is unattainable 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 select a participant from one of many worst groups within the WNBA over one of the environment friendly guard scorers within the league.
Jonquel Jones really obtained the fewest votes of gamers chosen to the All-WNBA Crew (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 in opposition to.
It’d be equally troublesome to justify eradicating every other participant from the All-WNBA Second Crew. Sabrina Ionescu was the pinnacle of the snake that was one of the best crew within the league, and Kahleah Copper and Nneka Ogwumike every had nice particular person seasons and had been one of the best gamers on their respective playoff groups.
Ogubowale is an amazing 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 crew success must be rewarded with an All-WNBA bid.
