Welcome back to the WNBA Cup!

In every WNBA regular-season game, we award descending points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five players.  At the end of the season, the player with the most points will be awarded the Notinhalloffame WNBA Cup. 

However, the winning player must accept their award in person in the Emerald City of Seattle.

Here is the current top ten as of games concluded on August 21:

1. A’Ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces, 125 Cup Points:  33 Games, 3.73 Cup Points per Game, 22.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.6 SPG, 2.2 BPG, 32.7 PER, 7.2 WS.  (#2 Last Week)

2. Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury, 107 Cup Points:  30 Games, 3.57 Cup Points per Game, 16.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 8.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 25.7 PER, 5.6 WS. (#3 Last Week)

3. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx, 106 Cup Points:  26 Games, 4.08 Cup Points per Game, 23.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 31.1 PER, 7.0 WS.  (#1 Last Week)

4. Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm, 101 Cup Points:  36 Games, 2.81 Cup Points Per Game, 18.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 22.8 PER, 4.8 WS. (#4 Last Week)

5. Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream, 95 Cup Points:  36 Games, 2.64 Cup Points per Game, 18.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 19.8 PER, 6.6 WS. (#5 Last Week)

6. Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks, 93 Cup Points, 35 Games, 2.66 Cup Points per Game, 17.9, PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 23.2 PER, 4.3 WS. (#6 Last Week)

7. Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever, 81 Cup Points:  35 Games, 2.31 Cup Points per Game, 15.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 22.8 PER, 5.8 WS. (#7 Last Week)

8 (TIE). Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks, 76 Cup Points:  34 Games, 2.24 Cup Points Per Game, 20.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 19.3 PER, 3.9 WS.  (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

8 (TIE). Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty, 76 Cup Points:  35 Games, 2.08 Cup Points Per Game, 19.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 20.4 PER, 3.9 WS. (#9 Last Week)

10. Paige Buckers, Dallas Wings, 75 Cup Points: 29 Games, 2.58 Cup Points per Game, 19.7, PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 22.0 PER, 3.7 WS. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell and New York’s Breanna Stewart fell out of the top ten.

At present, 122 players have received at least one point, the same amount as last week.

Our next update will be up next Friday.

The Las Vegas Aces are a special team, having just won their second straight championship, and could be a squad that has a chance to be a WNBA dynasty.

Whenever a title is won, it naturally helps key players make their respective Halls of Fame, and this win could help bring five women closer to Springfield.

Despite not winning what would have been her third MVP (she finished third) A’Ja Wilson is the team’s star, leader, and arguably the new face of the league.  She has only played six seasons, but the Basketball Hall does not have any minimum level of service.  No eligible player in either the WNBA or NBA who is a two-time MVP and two-time Champion will fail to gain enshrinement.  She might be well under 30, but Wilson is a first ballot entrant now!

Wilson is Las Vegas’ certifiable star, but one player can win a title alone.  Chelsea Gray, who is a nine-year veteran, added a fifth All-Star this year, and is a three-time WNBA Champion, two with the Aces and her first with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2018.

Jackie Young, who arguably was Las Vegas’ second best player this season, is not a Hall of Famer yet, but the number two on a dynasty can walk into a Hall (see, Pippen, Scottie).  At only 26, the best should be yet to come for Aces’ Guard.

Kelsey Plum, who is one of Vegas’ most popular stars, might be helped the most.  Approaching 30, Plum has only been an All-Star two times, but like the others, is not a repeat champion.  Her resume is already bolstered by her popularity (that shouldn’t matter, but it does), and the fact that she is the all-time NCAA scoring leader, and remember that the Hall looks at all aspects of a player’s career.

The Basketball Hall of Fame can reward people multiple times, and Becky Hammon is on her way to becoming a member of that elusive club.  Hammon, who was already inducted into the Hall as a player, has now coached the Aces to two Titles, and was already. A successful Assistant Coach in the NBA with the Spurs for many years, proving that a woman could succeed in that role.

An honorable mention is Mark Davis, who bought the team in 2021, and has already won two titles.  Under his watch, the Aces built the WNBA’s first state of the art training facility, rivaling that of any league. The Hall will not likely honor someone with such a short run, but no owner in the WNBA rivals Davis’ impact.