3 WNBA players who could be on the cusp of a breakout season

Every year, a few WNBA players unexpectedly break out.

Last year, it was Veronica Burton who went from a seldom-used bench player in Connecticut to the face of the Golden State Valkyries, upping her production from 3.1 points and 1.9 assists per game in 2024 to 11.9 points and 6 assists in 2025. At 25 years old, Burton was named the WNBA’s Most Improved Player.

Historically, it’s common for players to make a leap in their Year 3 or Year 4 season. Before Burton, it was DiJonai Carrington who was named Most Improved in 2024, her fourth season in the WNBA. But sometimes, that jump happens earlier (or later) in one’s career.

Here are my predictions for who might make a jump in the 2026 WNBA season.

1. Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks 

Rickea Jackson, the No. 4 pick in the 2024 draft, is entering her third season with the Los Angeles Sparks. She had a strong rookie campaign, averaging 13.4 points on 45.6% shooting, and upped her scoring to 14.7 points last season (though her efficiency slightly declined).

Jackson has played under two different coaches and systems in her first two years in the league, but in both, she demonstrated a steady ability to score the ball. After a somewhat slow start, Jackson finished the year strong, averaging 15.9 points on 47.6% shooting (and 40.7% from three).

If the three-point shot can come around, she’s poised to take another step as one of the league’s elite scorers. Over the last 10 games of the season, she was the league’s 13th-leading scorer and third-leading scorer among players under the age of 25.

2. Dominique Malonga, Seattle Storm  

Dominique Malonga didn’t get much playing time to begin her rookie campaign with the Seattle Storm. For the season, she averaged 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game. 

But the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft finished strong, tallying 8.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in 22.4 minutes across three postseason games against A’ja Wilson and the Aces. Malonga is the only rotation player under contract next season (Lexie Brown, who struggled to find consistent minutes, is the only other Storm player under contract). So it seems likely that Seattle will build around Malonga, with the future of more veteran players, like Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, and Gabby Williams, still uncertain.  

Malonga has a year of experience under her belt now and will also be playing in Unrivaled this offseason. I foresee she’ll get serious minutes with Seattle next season, and as such, her production will skyrocket. 

One positive note from Malonga’s rookie season — she was durable, appearing in 42 of 44 games. She also showed a marked improvement as the year progressed, tallying 11 double-digit scoring games after the All-Star break (and only two before). 

3. Carla Leite, Golden State Valkyries 

Carla Leite is my sleeper pick for a looming breakout star in the WNBA. At 21 years old, Leite is one of the youngest players in the league. She’s also one of just two Valkyries players who aren’t free agents this offseason (the other being rising third-year player Kate Martin).

Leite averaged 7.2 points and 2 assists per game last season, and showcased a strong ability to finish in the paint – shooting 66% in the restricted area. Last year, she was the fourth-most efficient isolation player in the league, trailing only Rhyne Howard, Caitlin Clark, and Dana Evans, per The Athletic.

The biggest thing that held her back? Her jumpshooting. She shot just 17.3% from three, and 29.2% between 16 feet and the three-point line. Her efficiency improves as she gets closer to the rim, but for her to take another step as an offensive talent, the shooting is going to have to come around. One thing that’s encouraging is that she’s an 84% free-throw shooter; the fundamentals are there, and a prospective leap could be on the horizon.

It’s almost impossible to predict exactly who is on the cusp of breaking out — but Rickea Jackson, Dominique Malonga, and Carla Leite are three of my early predictions.