Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers got the most votes as the player WNBA general managers would pick if they were starting a franchise today, the league's GM survey revealed Tuesday. Before last season, that nod went to the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark when she was coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign, as Bueckers is now.
The Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson and Clark were second with 20% of the vote to Bueckers' 33%. Wilson is 29; Bueckers and Clark are 24. Clark was limited to 13 games last season because of injuries.
Wilson, who won her fourth MVP last season, was the most lauded player overall in this year's survey, getting the highest percentage of votes (60%) as the favorite to win the 2026 MVP. She was followed by two-time MVP Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty (27%), then Clark and the Atlanta Dream's Allisha Gray with 7% each.
Wilson also was chosen as the league's top defender (53%), the player who forces other teams to make the most adjustments (60%), and the best leader (79%).
Wilson's Aces, the 2025 WNBA champions, received 40% of the votes as the team most likely to win the title in 2026, followed by the New York Liberty (33%) and Atlanta Dream (27%). The GMs, who were asked 42 questions, couldn't vote for their own team or personnel. Percentages were based on the pool of respondents to each question. Wilson's Aces teammate Chelsea Gray also was frequently mentioned in the survey. She got the most votes as the player most trusted to take a winning shot (36%), best point guard (73%), best passer (93%), best basketball IQ (93%) and active player who could be the best head coach someday (50%).
The Minnesota Lynx's Cheryl Reeve received 53% of the votes as the league's best head coach, topping Las Vegas' Becky Hammon (40%).
Minnesota guard Olivia Miles, the No. 2 draft pick, got the most votes (73%) for Rookie of the Year to 20% for No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd of Dallas. But No. 3 pick Awa Fam of the Seattle Storm was chosen as the rookie who will be the best player in five years (67%), ahead of Miles (33%).
Dallas was chosen as the most improved team (67%), followed by the Chicago Sky (20%). The WNBA begins its 30th season Friday.