WNBA: How overseas opportunities benefitted Sixth POY candidates

Halfway through the 2025 WNBA season, there are numerous bench players worthy of winning the Sixth Player of the Year award.

While no player stands head and shoulders above the competition, these three players deserve recognition for the way they have been performing their teams.

Jade Melbourne (Washington Mystics)

22-year-old Aussie Jade Melbourne is enjoying the best season of her short WNBA career, which follows a stellar WNBL campaign for the Canberra Capitals, where she was the primary ball handler and a 3-point threat with a lethal stepback shot. In Canberra, Melbourne averaged 15.7 points, 6.8 dimes and 5.7 boards playing 35 minutes per game.

For the Washington Mystics, Melbourne has started only four games so far, but her all-around game is still at full display for 23 minutes per contest. Averaging 6.2 points, 2.8 assists and 2.2 rebounds, Melbourne is showing signs of steady progress, while setting the pace for the second unit of the surprising team from DC.

Naz Hillmon (Atlanta Dream)

Another player to benefit from increased playing time in the WNBL is Naz Hillmon. She was one of the few bright spots on the worst team of the league, the Southside Flyers, averaging 19.5 points and 9.9 rebounds.

Now back with the Atlanta Dream, Hillmon is playing 20 minutes per game, averaging 7.1 points, five boards and two assists per contest. Her numbers are up despite moving to the bench after starting last season, which shows how beneficial she has been to the Dream’s second unit.

Jessica Shepard (Minnesota Lynx)

During June’s EuroBasket Women competition, Jessica Shepard proved that she can be the focal point of a team, leading the competition in points (22.7) and rebounds (11.3) per game in the three games she played for Slovenia. Her team didn’t make it out of the group stage, but her WNBA team, the Minnesota Lynx, are on a different trajectory, as they are the league leaders and the favorites to win the championship.

And that’s in large part thanks to Shepard, whose season averages of 6.7 points and 6.4 rebounds are eclipsing her career numbers. After a year away from the league, Shepard is playing like she never left—and the Lynx are all the better for it.