WNBA ’25 GM Survey: Clark, Fever Are Hot, But Lynx Win Title, Collier MVP
Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 02:53PM By Barry Janoff
May 15, 2025: When it comes to the 2025 WNBA season, the league’s 13 GMs like Caitlin Clark but don’t pick her to be MVP, like the Indiana Fever but don’t pick them to win the championship and say the Fever will be the most improved team but do not see their head coach (Stephanie White) as the best in the league.
In the 2025 WNBA GM Survey, second-year play Clark was the top choice among general managers as the player they’d most want to sign if starting a franchise today. And the Fever were selected as the most fun team to watch and most improved team as the 2025 season begins.
However, the Minnesota Lynx were picked to win the 2025 WNBA Finals by 60% of GMs, followed by defending champion New York Liberty (20%), which defeated the Lynx in the 2024 title series.
Asked if they were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the WNBA, who would it be, 50% chose Clark, followed by A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces (33%).
However, the Lynx Napheesa Collier was tapped as favorite to win 2025 Kia WNBA MVP (67%), followed by Wilson (25%) and Clark (8%).
As the league itself proclaims in its 2025 ad campaign, "Welcome To The W 2025", “The 2025 WNBA season is here — and it's offensive, defensive, confident, disrespectful, and devastatingly good.”
Collier, the reigning Kia Defensive Player of the Year, is once again recognized as the WNBA’s best defender.
Collier and Breanna Stewart of the Liberty had a busy off-season, co-founding the highly successful Unrivaled 3x3 women’s pro hoops league.
The Lynx Cheryl Reeve is seen as the best head coach in the WNBA (83%).
Overall No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings is projected as 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year (73%), followed by overall No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga of the Seattle Storm (18%).
Malonga, a 19-year-old from France, was named as the rookie who will be the best player in five years (60%), followed by Bueckers (40%).
Clark, last season’s Rookie of the Year, received plenty of respect, also being named as the best point guard and the best shooting guard in the WNBA.
A just-released report from online ticket platform StubHub shows the Fever are atop StubHub’s list of ticket sales, listed in all of the company’s Top Ten In-Demand WNBA Games.
Nine of those Fever games are on the road. No fewer than six teams have moved home games in which they host the Fever to larger venues due to ticket demand, including the Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Wings, Aces and Washington Mystics.
“The momentum behind women’s sports has never been stronger, and this year’s WNBA season is a prime example,” Adam Budelli, StubHub spokesperson, said via the company.
“New stars like Paige Bueckers, alongside stars A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark are driving record-breaking demand with the highest pre-season sales in StubHub’s history for the league.”
WNBA GMs responded to 40 different questions about the best teams, players, coaches and off-season moves.
General managers were not permitted to vote for their own team or personnel. Percentages are based on the pool of respondents to that particular question, rather than all 13 GMs.
See full WNBA GM Survey 2025 results here.
• Which team will win the 2025 WNBA Finals?
1. Minnesota 60%
2. New York 20%
T-3. Indiana 10%
T-3. Las Vegas 10%
• Who will win 2025 Kia WNBA MVP?
1. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota 67%
2. A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas 25%
3. Caitlin Clark, Indiana 8%
• If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the WNBA, who would it be?
1. Caitlin Clark, Indiana 50%
2. A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas 33%
Also receiving votes: Napheesa Collier (MIN); Dominique Malonga (SEA)
• Which team will be most improved in 2025?
1. Indiana 42%
2. Chicago 33%
3. Atlanta 17%
4. Los Angeles 8%
• Which team made the best overall moves this off-season (via free agency, trades and Draft)?
1. Indiana 64%
2. Dallas 18%
Also receiving votes: Phoenix; Chicago
• Who is the best head coach in the WNBA?
1. Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota 83%
2. Becky Hammon, Las Vegas 17%
• Who will win 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year?
1. Paige Bueckers, Dallas 73%
2. Dominique Malonga, Seattle 18%
3. Sonia Citron, Washington 9%
• Which rookie will be the best player in five years?
1. Dominique Malonga, Seattle 60%
2. Paige Bueckers, Dallas 40%
• Which player would you want taking a shot with the game on the line?
1. Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas 25%
T-2. Sabrina Ionescu, New York 17%
T-2. A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas 17%
T-2. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota17%
Also receiving votes: Caitlin Clark (IND); Courtney Williams (MIN); Breanna Stewart (NYL)
• Which player is most likely to have a breakout season?
1. Satou Sabally, Phoenix 20%
Also receiving votes: Maddy Siegrist (DAL), Marina Mabrey (CON); Kelsey Plum (LAS) Gabby Williams (SEA); Aliyah Boston (IND); Rickea Jackson (LAS); Rhyne Howard (ATL); Brittney Griner (ATL)
• Who is the best point guard in the WNBA?
T-1. Caitlin Clark, Indiana 50%
T-1. Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas 50%
• Who is the best shooting guard in the WNBA?
1. Caitlin Clark, Indiana 33%
T-2. Kayla McBride, Minnesota 25%
T-2. Sabrina Ionescu, New York25%
Also receiving votes: Arike Ogunbowale (DAL); Jackie Young (LVA)
• Who is the best forward in the WNBA?
T-1. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota 33%
T-1. A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas 33%
3. Breanna Stewart, New York 25%
4. Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix 8%
• Who is the best center in the WNBA?
1. A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas 50%
2. Jonquel Jones, New York 33%
3. Brittney Griner, Atlanta 17%
• Which rookie was the biggest steal at where she was selected in the Draft?
T-1. Dominique Malonga, Seattle 20%
T-1. Aaliyah Nye, Las Vegas 20%
T-1. Makayla Timpson, Indiana 20%
Also receiving votes: Sarah Ashlee Barker (LAS); Anastasiia Kosu (MIN); Hailey Van Lith (CHI); Aziaha James (DAL)
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