Ranking WNBA roster cores: Stacking 13 teams’ young players

The 2025 WNBA season is riding a wave of momentum from last year’s record-breaking popularity, expanding to 13 teams with the debut of the Golden State Valkyries and increasing the schedule to 44 games per team. But the most exciting future belongs to the players themselves — from whether reigning MVP A’ja Wilson can lead the Aces back to the top after Las Vegas was dethroned by the champion New York Liberty, to how much higher a new generation of stars, led by electric sophomore Caitlin Clark, can soar.

The league is currently led by players in the middle of their primes, part of a golden generation that includes Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and 2025 MVP front-runner Napheesa Collier. Weighted by leaguewide value produced (see explanation below), the average age of a WNBA player this season (28.5 years old) is the highest it has been in league history, breaking a mark that has been surpassed in each of the previous three seasons.

Even though the veterans haven’t left the court yet, the WNBA’s future is in excellent hands. Clark’s recent quad injury aside, she is the No. 1 must-watch draw, while names such as Clark’s Fever teammate Aliyah Boston, Dallas Wings No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers, Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard, Seattle’s Ezi Magbegor and Liberty sharpshooter Leonie Fiebich are growing their games as well.

That makes now a great time to assess which teams have assembled the greatest collections of young talent to power success in the future. In quantifying which teams have the best young cores, we were aided by a simplified forecasting system that projects every WNBA player’s value over the next five seasons, including 2025. (For value, we’re using a measure I call Consensus Wins per 44 games (CW/44), which blends estimates of wins added from three different advanced stats: Estimated RAPTOR, Win Shares and Player Efficiency Rating.)

The projection formula is mainly based on a weighted average of each player’s performance over the past three years — with more recent seasons counting more — with adjustments for aging, draft status and regression toward the mean.

Then for each team, we added up the total five-year projected CW/44 from players currently in their age-25 season or younger, to arrive at a rough guideline for how valuable each team’s current nucleus of young talent figures to be in the near future. These projections weren’t used strictly for the rankings, but they formed the basis for our assessments — with light editorial judgment used when projecting upside and accounting for context such as injuries or role changes.

With all of that in mind, here’s how the WNBA’s youth movement stacks up — and which teams are sitting on the biggest troves of future production in the league. Note: Stats and records are through June 3:

Jump to a team:ATL | CHI | CON | DALGS | IND | LAS | LV | MINNY | PHX | SEA | WAS

Average age (league ranking): 28.5 (6th youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024 (league ranking): 11.9 (1st)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025 (league ranking): 21.1 (1st)Key players to build on (age): Caitlin Clark (23), Aliyah Boston (23), Lexie Hull (25)

It’s no surprise to see the Fever here with the brightest group of young stars in the WNBA. With Clark and Boston, Indiana has the No. 1 picks from the 2023 and 2024 drafts — each of whom went on to win Rookie of the Year in back-to-back seasons as well. When healthy (and both have been extremely durable throughout college and the pros, up until Clark’s recent injury), no team has a dynamic duo this good and this young.

That’s particularly true when you consider how well their games complement each other’s, with Clark serving as the WNBA’s ultimate heliocentric perimeter creator and initiator, and Boston scoring inside the arc with high volume and efficiency. The two took some time to figure out how to mesh in Clark’s rookie season last year, but both were improving their numbers early this season before Clark got hurt. Boston has a sky-high 65.7 True Shooting % (TS%) this season, for instance, while scoring 16.8 points per game.

Don’t sleep on Hull, either; the fourth-year guard out of Stanford has improved each year of her WNBA career and is tracking for a breakout performance.

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Average age: 24.8 (youngest in league)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 4.6 (6th)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 13.8 (2nd)Key players to build on: Sonia Citron (21), Aaliyah Edwards (22), Kiki Iriafen (21), Jade Melbourne (22)

The Mystics have improved already from last year, with their net rating rising from -3.7 points per 100 possessions in 2024 to +0.8 in 2025, and their youth movement is a big reason why. Three of their four leading minute-earners are in their age-22 season or younger — led by Citron and Iriafen, pick Nos. 3 and 4 in this April’s WNBA draft.

Citron, who helped lead Notre Dame to the Sweet 16 in March, has taken to the Mystics right away; she’s scoring 15.0 PPG with a scorching 65.5 TS% (hitting 40% of her 3s). Fellow rookie Iriafen is playing beyond her years as well, and we can’t forget about the comparative veterans of the bunch as well: Edwards, the No. 6 pick in the 2024 draft who is recently returning from injury, and Melbourne, who is earning more playing time with her all-around play.

We could also name-drop more players here from the league’s youngest team — 2022 draft picks Shakira Austin (No. 3) and Emily Engstler (No. 4) and 2025 No. 6 pick Georgia Amoore (who suffered a torn ACL and will miss the season). Bottom line: Washington is loaded for the future.

Average age: 30.6 (13th youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 6.9 (3rd)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: -0.2 (10th)Key players to build on: Ezi Magbegor (25), Dominique Malonga (19), Jordan Horston (24)

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The Storm are in an interesting place here, as they are simultaneously one of the most veteran-laden teams in the league — Gabby Williams is 28 while Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike, Alysha Clark and Erica Wheeler are all 34 or older — but also a team with promising next-generation talent.

Magbegor is having a rough start to the 2025 season, but she has been one of the best young two-way bigs in recent seasons, and Malonga went No. 2 in this year’s draft thanks to her impressive combination of size and skill. The Storm also have Horston (who made big strides last season) and 2024 rookie Nika Mühl, but both will miss the 2025 season with ACL injuries.

That creates uncertainty about just how much this group can produce down the line, but Magbegor and Malonga are an imposing pair to build from.

Average age: 28.0 (3rd youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 5.5 (5th)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 8.2 (5th)Key players to build on: Rhyne Howard (25), Naz Hillmon (25), Te-Hina Paopao (22)

Howard alone gives Atlanta a strong foundation: The 2022 No. 1 draft pick and WNBA Rookie of the Year turned 25 about three weeks before the season opened, and she easily has the most total points by a player under 25 over the past four seasons. The Dream are one of the most improved teams early on despite Howard’s offense not quite rolling yet, so there’s even more room for them to grow.

Beyond Howard, Atlanta also has Hillmon, a fourth-year forward who has great per-minute numbers despite lower playing time this year, and a pair of 2025 rookies: Paopao and Taylor Thierry. Neither has seen much game action so far, but Paopao’s shooting could help her carve out a regular role.

Average age: 28.2 (4th youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: N/ACW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 6.7 (6th)Key players to build on: Veronica Burton (24), Justė Jocytė (19), Carla Leite (21), Janelle Salaun (23)

The Valkyries are the youngest franchise in the WNBA, as the league’s first expansion squad in 17 years. But what about Golden State’s foundational young players? They are also in good shape, after the team poached Burton, Leite and Kate Martin in the expansion draft, signed Salaün as an international free agent and drafted Jocytė at No. 5 in the 2025 draft as a long-term investment.

Salaün has immediately been the team’s top scorer, Burton has embraced a greater offensive role while maintaining her trademark efficiency, and Leite has performed well in limited playing time. Jocytė remains in Europe for 2025, but her upside is undeniable.

Average age: 26.1 (2nd youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: -1.4 (12th)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 8.9 (4th)Key players to build on: Paige Bueckers (23), NaLyssa Smith (24), Maddy Siegrist (25)

Armed with a trio of recent top-three draft picks — Smith (No. 2 in 2022), Siegrist (No. 3 in 2023) and Bueckers (No. 1 in 2025) — plus the intriguing potential of Aziaha James, the Wings have a solid young supporting cast set up around the prime-age core of Arike Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington and Myisha Hines-Allen.

Much of this bunch’s ability to rise or fall comes down to Bueckers’ ceiling as a star, and the early returns have been quite good. She currently boasts a +3.1 Estimated RAPTOR, which is particularly impressive considering the tendency for highly touted WNBA rookie guards to face a steeper learning curve than bigs in the pros.

That Bueckers has stepped in and played with efficiency right away is a terrific sign for her — and Dallas’ — potential.

Average age: 28.7 (9th youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 9.4 (2nd)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: -1.0 (11th)Key players to build on: Angel Reese (23), Kamilla Cardoso (24), Hailey Van Lith (23)

The Sky had one of the most productive 25-and-under corps in the league last season, between rookies Reese and Cardoso, and Chennedy Carter (who has since graduated out of that age category and is no longer in the league).

But some inconsistency from Reese and Cardoso also confounded the advanced metrics, and the team’s rough start in 2025 (they’re being outscored by 18.0 points per 100) adds further confusion. Cardoso has certainly improved her offensive game this season; she has boosted her PPG from 9.8 to 12.8 while shooting better and passing more effectively.

Reese, on the other hand, has been underperforming. She remains one of the top rebounders in the league, but her shooting percentage has dipped from 39.1% last season to 31.3%. It’s a small sample so far, and Chicago has the potential to land higher on this list.

Average age: 29.3 (12th youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 6.4 (4th)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 4.1 (7th)Key players to build on: Leonie Fiebich (25), Nyara Sabally (25), Marquesha Davis (24)

The defending champion Liberty are one of the oldest teams in the league, but the young players they have punch above their weight in terms of performance. Chief among those is Fiebich, who played a key role in New York’s title run as a rookie a year ago. She’s off to a slower start in 2025, but her combination of all-around efficiency will be important as the Liberty attempt to repeat.

The other youngster in New York’s main rotation is Sabally, who is battling a knee injury but makes a big difference on defense as a rim protector when she’s on the court. Davis, the No. 11 pick in 2024’s draft, is still waiting for more of an opportunity, which are generally hard to come by for up-and-comers on this roster.

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Average age: 28.3 (5th youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 2.0 (8th)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: -2.6 (12th)Key players to build on: Olivia Nelson-Ododa (24), Jacy Sheldon (24), Saniya Rivers (22), Rayah Marshall (21)

A full-scale rebuild for the Sun, just a few years removed from a Finals run in 2022, means plenty of focus on the next generation that might lead Connecticut back to a title push. Right now, that remains a work in progress for a one-win team.

Under-25 players Sheldon, Nelson-Ododa and Rivers are getting at least 24 minutes per game apiece for the team this season, to varying degrees of success — Nelson-Ododa has a positive RAPTOR on offense, Rivers is positive on defense and Sheldon continues to struggle to deliver on her potential as 2024’s No. 5 pick.

A couple of other decently high draftees, Marshall and Aneesah Morrow, haven’t gotten much of a look yet, but that might change with injuries across the roster and a general sense of wanting to see what the team has in what appears to be an otherwise lost season.

Average age: 28.6 (tied for 7th youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 0.3 (9th)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: -0.1 (9th)Key players to build on: Diamond Miller (24), Dorka Juhász (25), Alissa Pili (24), Anastasiia Olairi Kosu (20)

Similar to the Liberty, the Lynx are in win-now mode and have little need for developing young players who can’t contribute right away. Napheesa Collier is having an MVP-level career season, and none of that can go to waste.

Each of Minnesota’s top seven players by minutes this season is 28 or older this year, so the future is somewhat on the backburner — its most used player in the 25-or-under club is Miller, the 2023 No. 2 pick who has improved but is averaging 8.2 MPG. The talent for these younger Lynx isn’t lacking as much as the opportunities.

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Average age: 28.9 (10th youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 2.7 (7th)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: -5.6 (13th)Key players to build on: Cameron Brink (23), Rickea Jackson (24), Sania Feagin (22), Sarah Ashlee Barker (23)

The Sparks’ young contingent is riddled with absences — with Brink out since midseason last year with a torn ACL, and Jackson and Rae Burrell missing games recently as well. When they have played, L.A.’s 25-and-under set has struggled, producing the lowest value in the league this season. (Each of the Sparks’ five players in that category — Barker, Jackson, Liatu King, Burrell and Feagin — has a RAPTOR of -5.7 or worse.)

Brink and Jackson, two of the top-four players drafted in 2024, have the highest potential, but the former suffered a torn ACL last June (she’s expected to return this month), and the latter has not impressed in the advanced metrics yet. Both trends have a chance to change later this season.

Average age: 29.2 (11th youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: -0.8 (11th)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 9.3 (3rd)Key players to build on: Monique Akoa Makani (24), Lexi Held (25)

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If we were just basing this ranking off of 2025 results to date, the Mercury would be much higher. The team’s surprising start (Phoenix ranks No. 4 in net rating) has been driven in part by the play of rookies Akoa-Makani and Held, both of whom are rotation regulars (Akoa-Makani is even starting) and are producing very good numbers early in the season.

The only thing holding down the Mercury in this projection is that neither player has much of a track record and each went undrafted, which outweighs the upside of a handful of games’ worth of sample size. But if both end up being this good all season long, Phoenix would have a couple of amazing diamond-in-the-rough pickups on its hands to help them both now and in the future.

Average age: 28.6 (tied for 7th youngest)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2024: 0.0 (10th)CW/44 from Under-25 players in 2025: 1.8 (8th)Key players to build on: Aaliyah Nye (22), Elizabeth Kitley (23), Kierstan Bell (25)

A year after having practically no rotation members age 25 or younger — Kate Martin was the only one who played more than six games — the Aces are still heavily dependent on their veterans, with good reason, but they have at least thrown a few more minutes (7 to 10 per game) to the likes of Nye, Bell and Kitley this season. None of that group was drafted any higher than Bell at No. 11, however, and she is the oldest of the group. (Kitley, for what it’s worth, has good metrics in a very small sample so far.)

As long as A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young are the franchise’s present, the Aces are not exactly looking to the future generation quite yet.