WNBA 2023 midseason check-in: Can anyone stop the Las Vegas Aces? - ESPN

With the All-Star Game in the rearview mirror, the WNBA enters the second half of the 2023 season with the preseason favorite Las Vegas Aces in the driver's seat for the championship.

Still, there's a lot to be decided with two months to go before the playoffs. Team Breanna Stewart beat Team A'ja Wilson at the All-Star Game, but which of the two front-runners will win MVP? Can any rookie catch All-Star Aliyah Boston in the Rookie of the Year race? As predictable as the defending champion Aces' success has been, are there any surprises so far?

ESPN's Alexa Philippou, Kevin Pelton and M.A. Voepel evaluate what we've seen so far and what might be in store.

Pelton: Breanna Stewart has been the clear leader in my wins above replacement player (WARP) metric all season, but A'ja Wilson has narrowed the gap at the All-Star break — with a caveat. The Aces have played 21 games to 18 for the New York Liberty, so Stewart is still well ahead on a per-game basis. Add in Wilson potentially splitting the MVP vote with Jackie Young and that makes Stewart the favorite. I said before the season I wasn't sure a player from either stacked roster could win MVP but have changed my thinking on New York because Stewart has so clearly been the go-to star all year.

WNBA leaders in my wins above replacement player (WARP) metric coming out of the All-Star break. WARP is a box-score value metric, explained here: https://t.co/wkoaRC95g8 pic.twitter.com/GwIVJwp7xZ

Philippou: Stewart, for now, for the same reason Pelton chose her, especially considering the Liberty haven't exactly been a superteam to this point. But we'd be remiss if we didn't include Alyssa Thomas in the MVP conversation. No player in league history has averaged 15 points, 9 rebounds