In our 3rd annual iteration of Hustle Stat All-Stars, we have an ode to the players who go above and beyond in contributions on the court in a way that won’t consistently get recognized in the mainstream. To be a Hustle Stat All-Star, you, of course, cannot have made the All-Star team this year or any year prior. That’s not to say that some of these players won’t warrant that nod in the future, but with their present roles, they shine through for how they make those around them better and do the unheralded aspects of the game.
Carleton is enjoying a career year for the Lynx, her 6th season in the WNBA. She’s served as a vital part of one of the best teams in the league, all the more important considering she filled in budding star Diamond Miller’s spot in the starting lineup after her early season injury.
She’s started 21 straight games since, averaging 9.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. She’s been an absolute sniper this season, shooting 43.5% of her attempts from outside the arc. Carleton is 9th in the league in total made 3’s and 5th in three-point percentage amongst players who have taken at least 30 threes this season.
While shooting is her standout elite skill, how she’s filled out the rest of her game has been crucial for Minnesota. The Lynx are on pace to set the WNBA record for assist rate in a season, and Carleton’s ability as a secondary playmaker and ball mover has shined. Minnesota is also the top-ranked defense in the association, and her improvement on that end has been key. She often guards some of the top perimeter options in the league and provides enough resistance consistently to maintain the Lynx’s defensive shell. She’s been active and engaged off the ball, arguably even more important than stopping ball handlers herself.
The Lynx succeed because Carelton so consistently does her job, and part of the difficulty in recognizing that is that it’s more noticeable when she’s not on the court. She makes her teammates better by being on the court and thriving in her role.
The Seattle Storm went through some flux early in the season, which was understandable given how many new faces they were integrating into the team. However, Seattle really hit a groove headed into the All-Star Break, 8-2 in their last 10 games. Not so coincidentally, that coincides with Jordan Horston being moved into the starting five for the first time this season.
In 272 minutes of playing time together, the 5-player lineup of Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jewell Loyd, Jordan Horston, Ezi Magbegor, and Nneka Ogwumike has a +15.4 net rating. In other words, the Storm outscored the opposition by 15.4 points per 100 possessions with that lineup on the floor. That’s an elite number and one that the Storm seek to keep building off of for the remainder of the season.
The Storm have struggled with shooting from distance this season, 12th in the WNBA in three-point percentage. So, that might make it sound counterintuitive that Horston has been the answer as a 5th starter. While Horston is not someone you have to guard out to three, she’s allowed the Storm to lean into the areas where they excel. She’s phenomenal, moving without the ball and cutting to play off of her star teammates. She’s got a real case for an All-Defensive team this season, an elite playmaker in the passing lanes and capable of clamping up at just about any position on the court. It’s also worth noting how much better she’s been as a finisher in year two, shooting 55.2% on two-pointers as opposed to below 40% as a rookie. You also can’t sleep on her ability to rip and run off the glass. Horston makes the Storm stronger with her all-around play.
The Chicago Sky have found their base of stars and promising players for their future, headlined by Angel Reese, Chennedy Carter, and Kamilla Cardoso. First-year coach Teresa Weatherspoon has this team playing defense at a high level and rebounding with ferocity. As Carter has shined since entering the starting lineup, point guard Lindsay Allen's play has been impactful alongside her.
Carter is more of a natural scoring guard and combo guard, whereas Allen is the consummate floor general. Their games have meshed beautifully.
Allen has assisted Carter 27 times this season, the most fruitful assist combo for Chicago in 2024. Allen’s been elite at getting into the paint, whirling around to and fro, navigating sometimes cramped spacing (understandable in year one of a rebuild), and getting the ball where it needs to go. When Carter catches the ball and can step into her drives, she’s nearly unstoppable as the league's fastest player.
Allen hustles on defense, adds just enough as a scorer, and is commanding with the ball in her hands. She’s the exact player this young group needs to direct and settle things at times, and her play deserves so much shine.
The Washington Mystics have played so much better than their record will ever indicate. They endured an incredibly difficult stretch to start the season, with franchise stars Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin both sustaining injuries that have held them out much of the year. The Mystics have fought tooth and nail with a shorthanded group and given every team its best shot, taking all of the top four teams in the league by record down to the wire.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough is an embodiment of that spirit from the Mystics. If I were asked to describe Shatori in one sentence to someone who’d never seen her play, I’d say she’s the picturesque idea of what you want in a role player. She’s just a damned good basketball player.
She can create with the ball in her hands in a pinch. She can come off screens and succeed as an off-ball player. She’s a quality playmaker. She’s always on the shortlist for an All-Defensive team. She just adds value across the board.
In her last 10 games, Walker-Kimbrough is averaging 12.1 points and 3.4 assists while shooting well from the field and from deep. In a year in which the Sixth Player of the Year race feels fairly open, she’s absolutely made herself part of the conversation.
Watching Li Yueru keep growing into her potential has been a delight. She’s dominant for the Chinese national team and was fantastic for Beskitas in Turkey this prior season: she has started to find herself in a smaller role at the highest level for the Sparks.
While it’s not always consistent, the flashes of brilliance are becoming more frequent. At 6’7 and with natural mobility, it’s hard not to be excited seeing some of the things Li Yueru does routinely on the court. She’s developing into one of the better pick-and-roll bigs in the league, improving her screening and angling to open up ball handlers best and herself. She’s fierce on the offensive glass. The game is starting to slow down for her, and she’s improving at making reads with and without the ball.
Acquired by the Sparks in the off-season in the trade with the Chicago Sky for Julie Allemand, Yueru has proven herself as a player with real potential to make an impact long-term for this team.
WNBA reporter Mark Schindler writes columns onWNBA.comthroughout the season and can be reached on Twitter at@MG_Schindler. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its teams
