Mid-Season Underground Rookie Standouts

Charlisse Leger-Walker

She's averaging 22.8 minutes per game, 6.7 points, 3.2 assists, and 1 steal per game.

While she's not lighting up the stat sheet like some other rookies, she's been incredibly steady and has become a starter for a very rocky Connecticut Sun team.

Going into the draft, people doubted her ability and potential because she was on the older side at 24. I think that's actually been her advantage compared to some of the younger players, as her experience has helped her adjust to the WNBA much faster.

Chance Gray

Gray was drafted 24th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks, and while Taniya Larson (who was taken by the Sparks ahead of her) was getting attention and being labeled "the steal of the draft," Chance Gray was the player who actually stood out to me.

I remember watching her at Ohio State, where she was a great and consistent three-point shooter, shooting around 50% from beyond the arc. But, similarly to Azzi Fudd, I think her defense is what kept her on the roster, eventually allowing her to outlast Ta'Niya Latson.

I think, similarly to Sarah Ashlee Barker, she could develop into an even better player once she's freed from the shackles of the Sparks.

Lauren Betts

I sighed when I saw Betts get drafted fourth overall by the Washington Mystics because, while she was a great post player at UCLA, she was going to be playing behind Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen.

Betts has already had some great performances, including an 18-point game against the Tempo and 13 points against the Aces in her most recent game. She's averaging 6.7 points per game in under 17 minutes.

I'd love to see her on a team that's weaker in the frontcourt, like the Valkyries, because she was known for her elite defense in college.

Chicago Sky Rookies

While Sydney Taylor is taking a lot of the spotlight—and rightfully so—two rookies, Aicha Coulibaly and Gabriela Jacquez, have stood out to me.

Jacquez

I remember the Sky's first game of the season against the Fire, when Jacquez was inserted into the starting lineup because of the team's large number of injuries. This surprised me because she didn't have any standout performances during the preseason, but as they say, a broken clock is right twice a day, and so is Tyler Marsh.

Jacquez excelled in her first few games before suffering an injury and has now settled into being a solid bench player, averaging 8.3 points per game and just under four rebounds.

Coulibaly

Due to Azurá Stevens' injury, Coulibaly started in the Sky's first preseason game against the Phoenix Mercury. This was the first time I had seen her play since she wasn't with the team during the 2025 season.

She signed a developmental contract before the start of the season and was later converted to a standard contract after some great performances against the Lynx and the Tempo.

Right now, she's averaging 4.4 points per game. While that's not an eye-popping number, I think it's impressive considering the horrible system she plays in.