‘This class is better’: Aces see impact of WNBA rookies firsthand

Amid a tough start to the season, the Aces are surrounded by reminders that the WNBA has simply improved.

One glaring example of that advancement is the 2025 rookie class.

Last year, Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever’s No. 1 pick, ran away with the Rookie of the Year award, with Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese the only other player even mentioned as a threat.

When asked how this year’s group of newcomers compares, Aces coach Becky Hammon cited the sheer depth of talent.

“Yeah. This class is better. Look at Paige (Bueckers), (Kiki) Iriafen, (Sonia) Citron,” Hammon said. “Even (Dominique) Malonga. She’s going to be a great one. … It’s hard to rate a draft class so quickly, but I really liked Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly, too, and those were later picks for people.”

The first rookies that came to Hammon’s mind are leading a competitive Rookie of the Year race that seems to feature a new breakout performance every week — some of which have come against the Aces.

Citron and Iriafen, the respective Nos. 3 and No. 4 picks by the Washington Mystics, were key in handing the Aces a 94-83 loss Thursday. Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick, shined when the Dallas Wings, who also have James and Quinerly, almost stole a win on the Aces’ home court June 13.

The Aces are 1-2 this season against No. 2 pick Malonga and the Seattle Storm.

The strength of the rookie class hasn’t been all bad for the Aces, as their No. 13 overall pick, Aaliyah Nye, has bolstered the bench.

“I feel like we’re all pretty mature and calm within the game. I feel like everyone knows their role and they’re very smart, basketball IQ-wise,” Nye said of herself and her peers. “I think that’s what makes this group good.”

Mercury rookies

Hammon and the Aces aren’t done facing new talent.

To start a five-game road trip, the Aces (7-8) visit the Phoenix Mercury (12-4) on Sunday in a matchup against two rising rookies.

Guard Monique Akoa Makani is one of best long-range shooters of the 2025 draft class, shooting 46 percent on 3-pointers. Forward Kathryn Westbeld is an older rookie at 29 years old, but has been a consistent starter as Phoenix navigates multiple injuries.

That misfortune is now impacting rookie guard Lexi Held, who averaged 9.5 points in the 11 games that Kahleah Copper missed to start the season. Held, now out with a collapsed lung, was the Mercury’s third-leading scorer behind Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas during that stretch. Sabally even suggested Held as a candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Nye pleasant surprise

Hammon often says she never expected to play Nye for nearly 20 minutes a game when she was drafted, and the rookie feels the same.

“I didn’t expect to play this much either, because I know we have a lot of vets and they’ve been around the league for a long time,” Nye said. “So I was just hoping maybe to get trash minutes or something.”

While veteran starters Chelsea Gray, Kiah Stokes, A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Jewell Loyd have played the third-most minutes in the league together since June 20, that lineup has a -12.5 net rating (point differential per 100 possessions).

When Nye has been substituted for Stokes in that group, the lineup’s net rating shoots up to 40.8.

For the season, Nye is averaging 4.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per game. She matched her season high with 13 points in a loss to the Storm on June 20.

The sharpshooter out of Alabama has drawn praise from Wilson for being adaptable, while Gray thinks Nye’s defense is underrated.

“She knows that she is a threat to a lot of people, and people have to guard her. And so that’s why any chance that I get, I tell her to shoot the basketball,” Wilson said. “And she just self-corrects, which is crazy. I’ve never seen a rookie just self-correct so quickly and on the fly.”

Gray added: “She knows the scouts. She’s ready to switch. She’s ready to guard the post. She’s really solid on both ends of the floor.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.