The first year was a record-breaking WNBA rookie class in 2024. What will happen in its second season?

In a way, rookie All-Stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese combined to set rookie records for points (Clark), rebounds (Rees) and assists (Clark). Clark's assist average and Reese's rebound average are also the highest level for first-year WNBA players - in Reese's case, the WNBA record regardless of experience.

In addition to Clark and Reese, the 2024 draft has produced four more players who averaged at least seven points per game last season: Los Angeles Sparks Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson and Reese's Chicago Sky teammate Kamilla Cardoso and Washington Mystic Aaliyah Edwards.

With a year of WNBA experience and the entire offseason late, coupled with other senior help from last year’s Rookie, let’s see how we expect these players to be weaker in the game that begins in 2025, and in the 2025 game that begins on Friday.

More weapons from Clark

After Clark was named "Rookie of the Year" and earned all-WNBA first-team honors and led Indiana fever into the playoffs for the first time since 2016, her team became the most popular destination for free agents. Indiana State loaded the teams of six-time All-Star Dewanna Bonner and 2019 Defensive Player Natasha Howard along with two top players.

With these additions, Clark became an MVP favorite in ESPN BET, before three-time MVP A'ja Wilson and 2024 MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier. If Clark wins the MVP, she will be the least experienced winner since Candace Parker in 2008.

Wilson and Breanna Stewart won five of the last seven MVPs, not reaching that level until the league's third grade. As Wilson determined, it wasn't necessary to beat the winner at her peak. The year before Stewart's first win in 2018, Sylvia Fowles won only her MVP at the age of 31.

Actually, I think Wilson and Collier are more likely to win the MVP, but Clark's status as a favorite shows what she expects for her second WNBA season. To some extent, Clark's monster performance (22.3 points, 10.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds per game) in the last 20 games of his rookie year may be difficult to maintain - for good reason.

As the fever adds two scoring threats to Bonner (15.0 last season) and Howard (17.6 ppg), as well as their starting five (17.6), plus sixth woman Sophie Cunningham (8.4 points in 2024, but double-digit first two seasons), the game will be less. Based on my projected rotation for Indiana, player usage will need to drop 3% from the average we originally expected.

While this change may not be distributed equally, fever certainly hopes to take some load away Clark, who ranks second (1,416) in the total of rookies (1,416), behind Arike Ogunbowale. On the other hand, this can lead to better efficiency for Clark. Last season, she shot 39% from the field on the Capture and Shooting 3S in Geniusiq's track, while pull-up attempts were 32.5%. Clark took out more than twice the 3s (231, which is easily the most in the league) and twice the catching and shooting (114). At night, the ratio could help Clark improve in areas that have become an advantage.

Clark's biggest leap could eventually make the playoffs. As the sixth-place seed, Indiana was swept by the third-seed Connecticut Suns without the home game last season. With Bonner and Howard, fever is now a favorite, winning home advantage in the first round and winning the playoff series for the first time since the 2015 WNBA Finals. Clark has been shining on the biggest stage and now has a team that can bring her there as a professional player.

Raised expectations for Rees

Reese hasn't expected much from herself and her team over the past year. After entering the WNBA draft seventh place, Rees joins a Sky team that will be one of the worst teams in the league after trading All-Star Kahleah Copper. In Reese's All-Star Game, Chicago pushed Chicago, but instead stayed in the playoffs until the last week of the season.

This pales compared to Reese's Rose BC team in an unrivalled match this spring. Last in my pre-season forecast - Based on the WNBA game, rather than the unrivalled 3-on-3 format, Ross ranked second with 8-6, second in the standings and won the first unrivalled title. Although Reese was unable to play in the playoffs due to hand injury, she won the Defensive Player of the Year.

Now, Reese can hope to restore the sky to the playoffs after two years of absence. Chicago took a 50-50 advantage in the top eight of ESPN BET after adding veteran guards Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot in the offseason. Along with Atkins and Vandersloot, coupled with newcomers Rebecca Allen and Kia Nurse, the Sky will place more modern floor spacing around Reese and Cardoso after just 14.9 3-pointers per game last season, with three points less than any other WNBA team.

In particular, Vandersloot's gaming abilities should benefit Reese by setting up easier endings. Reese won 44% of her potential assist chances last season based on Geniusiq. According to Geniusiq, Reese's shooting percentage is only 35% without the self-creation of assists, with the lowest effective shot score for any player who has tried at least 100 attempts.

Improved spacing will also help Cardoso with space for more operations in the post. According to Geniusiq, Cardoso's 11.2 postal per 100 games ranked third among rookies, behind only WNBA regulars and behind Brittney Griner and Tina Charles. Cardoso performed well in two preseason games against Minnesota Lynx, combining 23 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks in 42 minutes of action.

Reese's only downside is that after joining Yolanda Griffith as the second player in league history to average at least five offensive rebounds per game last season, an improved Sky offense could mean fewer rebounding opportunities. That's a trade-off Rees will definitely do it.

Plum joins Jackson, the edge

Like Chicago and Indiana, Los Angeles has also performed well in the free agent market, bringing the second pick trade as part of a three-team deal that landed the Kelsey Plum with the Sparks through signature and trade. This could mean Jackson has a smaller role in the offense, with Jackson ranked third among rookies with 13.4 points.

Still, Jackson is the pre-season favorite of ESPN BET’s most progressive player, with two other 2024 draft picks (Edwards and Cardoso) in the top five. This will mark a recent change in precedent. Jonquel Jones was the last second-year player to be named the most progressive player in 2017, although Jones was the third sophomore to win in four years at the time.

Los Angeles added Plums to a team that returned six of its seven leading scorers, only Lexie Brown (trade to Seattle Storm) missing. Sparks can also get a full season from Odyssey Sims and late-season Odyssey Sims and Azura Stevens, who missed half of the 2024 season with left arm surgery. Los Angeles also hopes to recover from the brink of ACL tears around the first anniversary around June 18.

Last year's second pick, Brink had a slow start on the offensive end, shooting 40% from the field. But her figure has made the 6-foot-4 edge one of the league's top protectors starting on day one. 9% of the 2-point attempts at the edge block were the most distant in the league, and no one else broke 7%. Getting her back on the court should help sparks improve the 10th defense based on each molecule.

With another ball handmade option available with Plum, Jackson's development as a shooter could be center stage in grade 2. Jackson accounts for 35% of rookies, up 35% from 31% of his college career and 34% in his senior year in Tennessee. If Jackson can maintain or improve the shooting, it may be difficult for Los Angeles to stop the offense.

Part of the Edwards Youth Movement

Contrary to other teams in the 2024 lottery, the Mystics didn't load during the offseason. Washington headed in another direction, trading Atkins to Chicago and veteran Karlie Samuelson to Lynx. It is worth noting that Edwards already has the fifth term of any mystic.

The offseason make Washington heavy in the frontcourt. The Mystics have two starting transplant centers for Shakira Austin and Stefanie Dolson, who started the five-man in the starting season when Austin was healthy last season and the former first-round picks for Edwards and rookie Kiki Kiki Iriafen. Emily Engstler and Sika Kone, who performed well later last season, were also involved.

Unfortunately, this depth has been tested for injury. Austin suffers a right leg injury every day, and Edwards has been sitting since early May due to a contusion in the lower back. Mystics announced that Edwards will be reevaluated within two weeks, giving her availability for the season opener.

Assuming Edwards returns soon, we'll see if she can turn her skills into the finals of an unparalleled one-on-one tournament. Edwards beat two No. 1 seeds - Stewart and Ogunbowale, as well as All-Star Allisha Gray. Edwards also shot 56% in unrivaled games. Although her 49% shooting percentage was second in the WNBA last season in rookies, Edwards needed to shoot high percentages to be efficient because she didn't hit 3 seconds (7-7 last season) and rarely made fouls.