WNBA Rookie Rankings: Sydney Taylor climbs to No. 2 after game-winner over Aces, Olivia Miles widens the gap

The Chicago Sky’s Sydney Taylor climbed to No. 2 in the recent CBS Sports WNBA Rookie Rankings, overtaking Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd and Seattle Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson, who were tied in July. Meanwhile, the New York Liberty’s Pauline Astier made a triumphant return to the top five. As for the top spot, Minnesota Lynx point guard Olivia Miles continues to widen the gap between herself and the rest of the field.

At this point in the season, we are seeing rookies’ personalities shine on the court, and it has been fun to see them compete more confidently against veterans. The talent of this rookie class is evident in these rankings — there have been fluctuations each week because of standout performances, and little stability outside of Miles at No. 1. There is still a lot of basketball left to play this season, but for now, here are our updated rookie rankings:

5. Pauline Astier

Seattle’s Awa Fam had this spot most recently, but Pauline Astier claimed it back with some very efficient performances in the past week, including 19 points on 8 of 12 shooting in just 21 minutes against the Las Vegas Aces on July 30.

On Monday against the Storm, Astier registered 12 points and two dimes in 23 minutes, which helped her become the first rookie in Liberty franchise history to reach 300 points and 100 assists. She went 4 of 5 from the field, which marked her 13th WNBA game shooting 60% or better. It was no small achievement because the team had played in four different cities in seven days, which is a tough schedule to handle, especially for a rookie.

New York has had some rough patches this season, but Astier has been one of the bright spots and an important part of their depth. The Liberty would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, but nothing is guaranteed, so they need to stay locked in. 

4. Flau’jae Johnson

After a poor shooting night against the Atlanta Dream, Johnson shook off those struggles and went 8 of 15 (53.3%) from the field for 25 points against the New York Liberty on Monday. She even outdid Liberty star Breanna Stewart’s 24 points, which made it a special night since Johnson has been open about how she looks up to her and even wore Stewart’s shoes for the game.

It was Johnson’s third 25+ point game in her last seven outings. Her shooting continues to be inconsistent, but the improvement from the beginning of the season till now has been notable.

As for her other stats, Johnson was leading all rookies in rebounds earlier this season, but that is no longer the case because her teammate Awa Fam has been sharing more of that responsibility with her — which is actually a great thing for the Storm’s young roster. Regardless, Johnson continues to bring a high level of energy every time she steps on the court. The team might be on a nine-game losing streak, but the young trio of Johnson, Fam and Dominique Malonga have a bright future ahead.

3. Azzi Fudd

Azzi Fudd became the first rookie in WNBA history to win the All-Star 3-point shooting contest, and her proficiency beyond the arc has been making waves in the regular season, too. During the Wings’ 83-63 win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, Fudd scored 12 points by shooting 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. In the process, she surpassed Arike Ogunbowale’s franchise record for the most 3-pointers by a rookie in a single season. She now has 61 3-pointers made with plenty of games remaining in the 2026 calendar.

Fudd is tied with Sydney Taylor in 10th place when it comes to 3-pointers made. However, Fudd’s defensive stats continue to help her stand out. She is on track to finish with the most steals + blocks ever made by a WNBA rookie guard. Saniya Rivers registered 100 “stocks” during her rookie year in 2025.

2. Sydney Taylor

The No. 2 spot has been very competitive this season because there are a lot of talented rookies that deserve it. This week the spot belongs to Taylor, the undrafted rookie who keeps turning heads with her scoring abilities. Her most recent highlights include scoring 31 points in a very competitive 95-94 loss to the Liberty on July 22. Then on Aug. 1, Taylor led her team to an 84-83 victory against the Las Vegas Aces with 29 points, including the last-second 3-pointer that won Chicago the game.

Taylor had five 3-pointers in the game, and she is currently tied at No. 10 overall in the league with 2.1 3-pointers made per game.

One thing to note is that Taylor tweaked her groin during Monday’s game against the Phoenix Mercury. She did not participate in shootaround on Wednesday and Coach Tyler Marsh says she is currently day-to-day.

1. Olivia Miles

Miles reported she felt guarding Indiana’s leading scorer Kelsey Mitchell was her “Welcome to the W” moment when the Lynx hosted the Fever on Aug. 2. And yes, Mitchell ended up with a 37-point performance, but Miles also held her own and helped her team get a 108-100 victory with 28 points, which was her 13th 20+ point game this season.

She has been so impressive that even South Carolina women’s college basketball coach Dawn Staley joked that the WNBA needed to change the logo to an outline of Miles. The hype surrounding Miles has even landed her in MVP conversations alongside superstar veterans like A’ja Wilson.

Miles is averaging a team-high 19.7 points and 5.6 assists per game, which has been key to the Lynx’s 10-game winning streak, their first once in a decade. And in case you somehow missed it, make sure to watch this incredible dish from Miles: