Including this season, we have awarded the NIHOF NBA Cup by awarding the best five players in the game with descending points, 5-4-3-2-1. Obviously, we can’t watch all the games, but box scores and write ups give an approximate idea as to who were each game’s top five.

This year, we decided to the same for the WNBA.

The top players for the WNBA NIHOF Cup are not always the best in the league, as injuries keep players out of games, and a premium on staying healthy can help pile up points.  It also does not hurt to be a top player on an average or mediocre team, as they can amass Cup points easier that elite players on loaded squads.  

Please remember, that this is NOT necessarily who we think were the best players this year, and does not reflect overall consistency, but snapshots of each game.

Treat this the way did, as a fun process and more of a compilation of temporary statistical domination.  

So, like we said the last two years, WNBA players!  Get your agents to work winning this into your contracts!

This is our second update.

Here are the 2023 top ten rankings for the WNBA NIHOF CUP:

1. Alyssa Thomas: Connecticut Sun, Forward: (#1 Last Week)

43 PTS, 12 Games, 4.08 Cup Points per Game, 15.0 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 7.7 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 20.8 PER, 2.1 WS.

Thomas remains a surprise leader, as she is the three-time All-Star is on the wrong side of 30, but is posting the best numbers of her career. Her traditional metrics are the significantly higher than in previous years, and she is averaging a double-double. She is at present third in Rebounds (10.2) and second in Steals per Game (2.0), and in pure numbers, she is first in Rebounds (122), Assists (92) and Steals (24). It will be interesting to see if she can hold the top spot, as many of the stars below her have games in hand. Our bet is that it will be a tough ask, and this rank won’t last.

2. Nneka Ogwumike: Los Angeles Sparks, Forward: (#5 Last Week)

40 PTS, 10 Games, 4.00 Cup Points per Game, 19.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 27.5 PER, 2.1 WS

The 2018 MVP has never finished over 20 Points per Game but Ogwumike is close right now. Currently, Ogwumike eighth in Points (19.6) and fourth in Rebounds per Game (9.7), while also being sixth in PER (27.5).

3. A’Ja Wilson: Las Vegas Aces, Forward: (#2 Last Week)

39 PTS, 11 Games, 3.56 Cup Points per Game, 18.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 2.2 BPG, 29.9 PER, 2.7 WS.

Wilson is the reigning and two-time MVP, and is third in Blocks (2.2), seventh in Rebounds (9.1) and tenth in Points per Game (18.5). She is also third in PER (29.9).

4. Satou Sabally: Dallas Wings, Forward: (#3 Last Week)

36 PTS, 11 Games, 3.27 Cup Points per Game, 20.9 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 23.3 PER, 1.9 WS

Like Alyssa Thomas, Sabally is averaging a double-double but is nearly doubling last year’s metrics. The fourth-year player is currently leading the WNBA in Rebounds (11.0) and is fourth in Points per Game (20.9).

5. Jackie Young: Las Vegas Aces, Guard: (#7 Last Year)

35 PTS, 11 Games, 3.18 Cup Points per Game, 20.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 29.1 PER, 2.8 WS.

Young is fifth in PER (29.1) and is sixth in Points per Game (20.8). The Ace’s Guard has proven herself as one of the top shooters in the league, as she is second True Shooting Percentage (.716) and is the league-leader in Effective Field Goal Percentage (.679).

6. Breanna Stewart: New York Liberty, Forward: (#5 Last Week)

33 PTS, 10 Games, 3.30 Cup Points per Game, 23.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 2.1 BPG, 33.6 PER, 3.1 WS

Stewart is on fire thus far in her first season in New York, and is averaging a double-double; a mark she has never finished a season with. She is the WNBA leader in PER (33.6), and is second in both Points and Rebounds per Game. This is incredible!

7. Napheesa Collier: Minnesota Lynx, Forward (#6 Last Week)

32 PTS, 11 Games, 3.09 Cup Points per Game, 20.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 25.1 PER, 1.6 WS

The 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year is sixth in Points per Game (20.5) and third in Steals per Game (1.8).

8. Elena Delle Donne: Washington Mystics, Forward:

30 PTS, 10 Games, 3.00 Cup Points per Game, 18.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 22.8 PER, 1.7 WS

The future first ballot Hall of Fame inductee is currently tenth in PER (28.1).

9 (TIE). Cheyenne Parker: Atlanta Dream, Forward:

27 PTS, 10 Games, 2.70 Cup Points per Game, 15.8 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 21.6 PER, 0.9 WS

A nine-year veteran, Parker is putting up the best metrics of her career and is the present leader in Offensive Rebound Percentage (12.8).

9 (TIE). Jewell Loyd: Seattle Storm, Guard: 

27 PTS, 9 Games, 3.00 Cup Points per Game, 25.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 22.1 PER, 0.7 WS

Loyd is the current leader in PPG (25.4), though this has not generated a lot of wins for Seattle. She is also the league leader in Usage Percentage (33.5).

Phoenix’s Brittney Griner and Dallas’ Arike Ogunbowale have fallen off the top ten.

Our next update will be on the June 27.

It is with great pleasure that we continue the third annual Notinhalloffame MLB Regular Season Cup, and let us explain how this works:

With every single regular season game, we anointed the best five players in the game with descending points, 5-4-3-2-1.

We knew the following:

-       The top players for the MLB NIHOF Cup are not always the best in the league, as injuries keep players out of games, and a premium on staying healthy can help pile up points. It also does not hurt to be a top player on an average or mediocre team, as they can amass Cup points easier that elite players on loaded squads.

-       In Baseball, it is more common than in Basketball and Hockey for a player to accrue points with a single Home Run in a game, and overall favors position players. Starting Pitchers have a hard time with approximately 30-35 Starts and throwing less innings than in previous generations. This also is true for closers, which is not made for this process.

-       Please remember, that this is NOT necessarily who we think were the best players this year, and does not reflect overall consistency. Treat this the way did, as a fun process and more of a compilation of temporary statistical domination.

At present 847 (up from 827 last week) Players have generated at least one Cup Point.

So, MLB players! Get your agents to work winning this into your contracts!

This is the seventh update, with standings as of the morning of June 19.

1. Shohei Ohtani: Los Angeles Angels, Designated Hitter & Pitcher: (Ranked #1 last week)

115 Cup Points, 72 Games, 1.60 Cup Points per Game, 24 Home Runs, 58 Runs Batted In, 10 SB, .300/.384/.632, 4.9 bWAR & 6-2, 3.29 ERA, 105 SO, 1.049 WHIP.

The Notinhalloffame Cup is built for Ohtani, who can compile points in two different avenues; the only one who can do so. Ohtani has been brilliant this week, and the chasm between the top spot and second spot has never been higher. He is off to a good pitching start, leading the AL in H/9 (5.596) and is second in Strikeouts (105). With his bat, Ohtani has taken over the American League lead in Home Runs (24), Runs Batted In (58) and Total Bases (175). The AL MVP is his to lose.

2. Ronald Acuna: Atlanta Braves, Outfield: (Ranked #2 Last Week)

95 Cup Points, 72 Games, 1.32 Cup Points per Game, 15 Home Runs, 45 Runs Batted In, 30 SB, .325/.403/.561, 3.6 bWAR.

Acuna leads all National League batters in Stolen Bases (30) and is second in Runs Scored (63), and is second in bWAR (3.6). He is in the top sixth in all three Slash Line components, and is second in OPS (.964).

3. Jorge Soler: Miami Marlins, Outfield & Designated Hitter: (#4, Last Week)

81 Cup Points, 68 Games, 1.19 Cup Points per Game, 20 Home Runs, 42 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .260/.366/.553, 1.6 bWAR.

Soler is playing more and more at DH this year, but he is providing the Marlins incredible offense. He is second in NL Home Runs 209), and sixth in Slugging (.553), and seventh in OPS (.919).

4. Corbin Carroll: Arizona Diamondbacks, Outfield: (Ranked #4, Last Week)

79 Cup Points, 62 Games, 1.16 Cup Points per Game, 15 Home Runs, 38 Runs Batted In, 19 SB, .305/.386/.589, 3.6 bWAR.

Carroll is running away with the National League Rookie of the Year Award, and it is only June! At present, the young Outfielder is leading the National League in bWAR (3.6), Offensive bWAR (3.6), Slugging (.589), OPS (.975) and OPS+ (164). Carroll is also in the top ten in Batting Average (.305), Stolen Bases (19) and Hits (75).

5. Juan Soto: San Diego Padres, Outfield: (Ranked #3, Last Week)

77 Cup Points, 65 Games, 1.12 Cup Points per Game, 11 Home Runs, 34 Runs Batted In, 5 SB, .252/.408/.459, 2.6 bWAR.

Soto is still the National League leader in Walks (64) and is fourth in OBP (.408). He is also eighth in OPS (.853).

6. Rafael Devers: Boston Red Sox, Third Base: (Ranked #6 Last Week)

76 Cup Points, 57 Games, 1.07 Cup Points per Game, 17 Home Runs, 57 Runs Batted In, 0 SB, .245/.307/.498, 1.2 bWAR.

Devers holds strong on at #6 and is currently third in the AL in RBIs (57) and third in Home Runs (17).

7. Marcus Semien: Texas Rangers, Shortstop: (Ranked #8, Last Week)

73 Cup Points, 71 Games, 1.02 Cup Points per Game, 10 Home Runs, 54 Runs Batted In, 7 SB, .279/.342/.466, 3.1 bWAR.

Semien is having an outstanding 2023, though he has substantially cooled off in the last two weeks. He is the current AL leader in Runs Scored (59) and is third in bWAR for Position Players (3.1).

8. Luis Arraez: Miami Marlins, Second Base: (#9, Last Week)

72 Cup Points, 67 Games, 1.07 Cup Points per Game, 2 Home Runs, 33 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .388/.440/.480, 2.7 bWAR.

Arraez is flirting with a .400 Batting Average and he is currently the National League leader in Hits (97), Batting Average (.388) and On Base Percentage (.440). He also has a very impressive Slugging Percentage (.480) for a player with only two Home Runs.

9. Aaron Judge: New York Yankees, Outfield: (Ranked #7, Last Week)

70 Cup Points, 49 Games, 1.43 Cup Points per Game, 19 Home Runs, 40 Runs Batted In, 3 SB, .291/.404/.674, 1.9 bWAR.

A toe injury kept Judge out of the lineup the last two week, thus he tumbled four spots on the NIHOF Cup leaderboard. Last year’s NIHOF Cup winner and Home Run leader is still leading the AL in Slugging (.674), OPS (.674), OPS+ (192) and is second in Home Runs (19).

10. Matt Olson: Atlanta Braves, First Base: (Ranked #6 Last Week)

68 Cup Points, 73 Games, 0.93 Cup Points per Game, 20 Home Runs, 51 Runs Batted In, 1 SB, .233/.348/.502, 1.3 bWAR.

Olson makes it to the top ten giving Atlanta two members in the top ten. He is second in both Home Runs (20), RBIs (51) and is forth in Walks (47)

Houston’s Yordan Alvarez fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be the afternoon of June 26.

Days after the Denver Nuggets won their first NBA Championship, we have our first significant retirement of the NBA off-season.

Lou Williams, 36, announced on YouTube that he is calling it a career as an NBA professional and leaves behind a legacy as one of the game’s best bench players, currently holding the record for the most NBA Games for a player coming off of the bench.

Drafted in the 2^nd Round in 2005 by the Philadelphia 76ers as a Georgia High School player, Williams and after a few years, the Guard found his groove in a top bench role. Williams remained with the Sixers until 2012, where he signed with Atlanta. After two seasons there, Williams joined Toronto for one year, where he won his first Sixth Man of the Year Award, the first in Raptors history.

With his higher profile and playing time, Williams joined the Los Angeles Lakers for a year-and-a-half before he was traded to Houston. Williams signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017, winning his second and third Sixth Man of the Year Awards in back-to-back fashion in 2018 and 2019. He closed his career out with two years in Atlanta.

Williams is eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2026, though is unlikely to gain any serious consideration, but any player with 16 years of service is worth honoring on this platform.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Lou Williams the best in his post-NBA career.

Including this season, we have awarded the NIHOF NBA Cup by awarding the best five players in the game with descending points, 5-4-3-2-1. Obviously, we can’t watch all the games, but box scores and write ups give an approximate idea as to who were each game’s top five.

This year, we decided to the same for the WNBA.

The top players for the WNBA NIHOF Cup are not always the best in the league, as injuries keep players out of games, and a premium on staying healthy can help pile up points.  It also does not hurt to be a top player on an average or mediocre team, as they can amass Cup points easier that elite players on loaded squads.  

Please remember, that this is NOT necessarily who we think were the best players this year, and does not reflect overall consistency, but snapshots of each game.

Treat this the way did, as a fun process and more of a compilation of temporary statistical domination.  

So, like we said the last two years, WNBA players!  Get your agents to work winning this into your contracts!

Here are the 2023 top ten rankings for the WNBA NIHOF CUP:

1. Alyssa Thomas: Connecticut Sun, Forward:

35 PTS, 10 Games, 3.50 Cup Points per Game, 14.1 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 19.3 PER, 1.5 WS.

Thomas is a surprise leader, as she is the three-time All-Star is on the wrong side of 30, but is posting the best numbers of her career. Her traditional metrics are the significantly higher than in previous years, and she is averaging a double-double. She is at present second in Rebounds and Steals per Game. It will be interesting to see if she can hold the top spot, as many of the stars below her have games in hand. Our bet is that it will be a tough ask, and this rank will fall quickly.

2. A’Ja Wilson: Las Vegas Aces, Forward:

33 PTS, 9 Games, 3.67 Cup Points per Game, 20.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 2.1 BPG, 31.5 PER, 2.3 WS.

Wilson is the reigning and two-time MVP, and is fourth in Blocks (2.1), seventh and Rebounds (8.2) and eighth in Points per Game (20.1). She is also third in PER (31.5).

3 (TIE). Setou Sabally: Dallas Wings, Forward:

31 PTS, 9 Games, 3.44 Cup Points per Game, 21.2 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 24.4 PER, 1.8 WS

Like Alyssa Thomas, Sabally is averaging a double-double but is nearly doubling last year’s metrics. The fourth-year player is currently leading the WNBA in Rebounds (11.2) and is sixth in Points per Game (21.2).

3 (TIE). Nneka Ogwumike: Los Angeles Sparks, Forward:

31 PTS, 7 Games, 4.43 Cup Points per Game, 21.3 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 30.8 PER, 1.7 WS

The 2018 MVP has never finished over 20 Points per Game but Ogwumike is well over that now. Currently, Ogwumike is fifth in both Points (21.3) and Rebounds per Game (9.7), and is fourth in PER (30.8).

5. Breanna Stewart: New York Liberty, Forward:

28 PTS, 8 Games, 3.50 Cup Points per Game, 24.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.9 SPG, 2.1 BPG, 34.9 PER, 2.5 WS

Stewart is on fire thus far in her first season in New York, and is averaging a double-double; a mark she has never finished a season with. She is the WNBA leader in PER (34.9), and in the top four in Points, Rebounds, Steals and Blocks per Game. This is incredible!

6. Napheesa Collier: Minnesota Lynx, Forward

26 PTS, 9 Games, 3.22 Cup Points per Game, 20.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 24.2 PER, 1.2 WS

The 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year is seventh in Points per Game (20.2) and fifth in Steals per Game (1.8). She has also made the most Free Throws this season (49).

7. Jackie Young: Las Vegas Aces, Guard:

25 PTS, 9 Games, 2.78 Cup Points per Game, 19.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 27.2 PER, 2.0 WS.

Young is fifth in PER (27.2) and is ninth in Points per Game (19.7). The Ace’s Guard has proven herself as one of the top shooters in the league, as she is second True Shooting Percentage (.700) and is the league-leader in Effective Field Goal Percentage (.664).

8. Brittney Griner: Phoenix Mercury, Center:

23 PTS, 7 Games, 3.29 Cup Points per Game, 22.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.7 BPG, 33.8 PER, 1.6

Griner picked up where she left off after her Russian incarceration, and her advanced stats are better than ever. She is the league-leader in Field Goal Percentage (.648) and Blocks per Game (2.7), while also being third in PPG (22.7). If she had an extra game (or two or three), she would be in the top three.

9 (TIE). Arike Ogunbowale: Dallas Wings, Guard:

22 PTS, 9 Games, 2.44 Cup Points per Game, 22.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 16.3 PER, 0.7 WS

Ogunbowale is leading the WNBA in Field Goals (71) and Points (204) and is fourth in Points per Game (22.7).

9 (TIE). Jewell Loyd: Seattle Storm, Guard: 

22 PTS, 7 Games, 3.14 Cup Points per Game, 24.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 21.8 PER, 0.5 WS

Loyd is the current leader in PPG, though this has not generated a lot of wins for Seattle. She is also the league leader in Usage Percentage (34.0).

9. (TIE) Elena Delle Donne: Washington Mystics, Forward:

22 PTS, 8 Games, 2.75 Cup Points per Game, 18.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 21.8 PER, 1.2 WS

The future first ballot Hall of Fame inductee is currently tenth in PPG (18.4).

Our next update will be on the June 21.