Ranking the top 25 players in the WNBA for the 2024 season - ESPN

The 2024 WNBA season tips Tuesday with four games. Some of the best players in the league will be on the court on opening night, including the New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart and the Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson — the past two WNBA MVPs — as well as the Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner and the Seattle Storm's Jewell Loyd.

All four have made ESPN's first iteration of the top 25 WNBA player rankings for 2024, which we'll update monthly throughout the season.

To answer the burning question on many people's minds up front: Did Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick in April's draft, make the list? No. Rookies were not included because they haven't played any official games yet — but there will be plenty of time for them to play their way onto the list later this season.

Also absent from our player pool: Candace Parker, who announced her retirement at the start of training camp, and Elena Delle Donne, who is sitting out the season. Satou Sabally (shoulder surgery) was excluded as well, as she isn't expected to play in the WNBA until after the Olympic break. All three would be certain inclusions in the top 10-12 were they active.

Whether to include 2012 MVP Tina Charles and how to rank a player like Skylar Diggins-Smith were among the fiercest debates, as both haven't played in the league since 2022. Diggins-Smith was one of the best players in the world when she last suited up for a WNBA team in August 2022, and she starts at No. 13 in our rankings.

Ultimately, Charles' Atlanta Dream teammate Cheyenne Parker-Tyus got the nod at No. 25, but it wouldn't be shocking to see the future Hall of Famer work her way back into the rankings.

The top 10, meanwhile, is dominated by reigning WNBA champion Las Vegas, featuring four core members