This edition of the CBS Sports WNBA Rookie Rankings was tough, because injuries have impacted multiple players over the last couple of weeks. The most notable one involves Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd, who on Wednesday announced she will undergo arthroscopic surgery on her right knee and miss the remainder of the season. Because of this, and the fact that she has not played since Aug. 5, Fudd dropped out of the rankings.
However, she does deserve a shoutout as a consistent member of our top five. She ends her season averaging 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game while being one of the Wings' strongest defenders. She also became the first rookie to ever win the WNBA 3-point shooting contest during All-Star weekend.
Many other top rookies of the class of 2027 have unfortunately been affected by injuries, including the top Rookie of the Year candidate Olivia Miles, who appeared to tweak her ankle on Wednesday. With players coming in and out of the lineups, deciding how to rank them is a balance between looking at performances before their injuries and how they have done upon their return. Without further ado, here are the latest rookie rankings: Yep, she is back on the list.
Rice had been absent from our rankings for a while because she was sidelined with a left ankle sprain and has only played 19 of 35 games this season. But before her injury, she was one of the top rookies to watch, and August has been a good month for her. Although her chances at winning Rookie of the Year are slim, she has the potential to move higher in these rankings before the regular season is over.
In her last outing, Rice scored 19 points on 55.6% shooting from the field, including going 3 of 4 from beyond the arc against Washington. The Tempo have not won a game since her return, and in fact have lost 12 in a row. However, coach Sandy Brondello said the losses have been "learnings," not failures, especially since the team has dealt with multiple injuries.
A bright spot for this season? Brondello called Rice a "franchise player" who the team will continue to invest in. Kiki Rice tonight 🔥• 19 points • 2 assists • 3/4 3PM• 5/9 FGLed the Tempo in points pic.twitter.com/O0qWC8CNl9 Johnson suffered a left ankle sprain against Portland on Aug. 8 and missed the following two games.
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