Caitlin Clark gets the majority of the attention among this year's crop of WNBA rookies, but she's not the only first-year player with a chance to impact fantasy basketball lineups.
Here's a look at other rookies who could shine in Year 1.
Cameron Brink, F, Los Angeles Sparks: Brink was drafted by the perfect team to make an impact right away. The Sparks lost 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike in free agency and Azura Stevens is out for at least the first month of the season after having surgery on the left arm she injured while playing in China. Brink will most likely start in place of Ogwumike and definitely play major minutes for the team. Brink was dominant in her senior season at Stanford and she's extremely efficient when she's on the floor. She averaged 17.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 2.8 APG and 3.7 BPG in just 25.4 MPG this past season. However, one thing to keep an eye on with her is foul trouble. She fouled out of four games this season and 15 during her career, which is tied for the fifth most among major-conference players over the past four seasons.
Rickea Jackson, F, Los Angeles Sparks: Jackson will help fill out a frontcourt that is pretty depleted because of Ogwumike's departure and the injury to Stevens. Jackson is an elite scorer and rebounder, who was one of five SEC players over the past 25 seasons to average at least 20 PPG and 5 RPG in multiple seasons. She has been great inside, averaging 11.4 PPG in the paint (second most in the SEC, trailing only Angel Reese). And she is efficient, shooting 51% on 2-pointers. She has the potential to expand her range to beyond the arc, as she has increased her 3-point FG percentage in each of the final three seasons of her collegiate career.
Aaliyah Edwards, F, Washington Mystics: Edwards found her stride in her junior and senior seasons at UConn, when she averaged 17.1 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.4 SPG and 1.0 BPG. She was extremely efficient as well, shooting better than 58% from the field in three of her four seasons. She also had 18 double-doubles in her senior season, leading the Big East. With Elena Delle Donne stepping away from basketball this season, there is a large opening in the Mystics' frontcourt rotation and Edwards could help fill it. However, the Mystics have a few other strong options as well in Shakira Austin, Myisha Hines-Allen and Stefanie Dolson (signed in free agency).
Angel Reese, F, Chicago Sky: The double-double queen is joining a Sky roster that needs frontcourt depth, and Reese could be the perfect player for that. Reese averaged 20.9 PPG, 14.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.9 SPG and 1.3 BPG in her two seasons at LSU. She was one of three players in D-I to average at least 20 PPG and 10 RPG in that span, along with Aneesah Morrow and Elizabeth Kitley. She led the nation with 61 double-doubles in that span, and only WNBA legend Sylvia Fowles has more in LSU history. Reese isn't the most efficient post player, shooting just 47% from the field, and she can't stretch the floor. However, she has an amazing ability to get to the free throw line, putting up 8.1 FTA per game this past season, second most in D-I. She also started in both of the Sky's preseason games and averaged 13.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 2.0 SPG.
Jacy Sheldon, G, Dallas Wings: Sheldon joins a Dallas roster that doesn't have a ton of depth in the backcourt after trading Crystal Dangerfield to the Dream. The Wings currently have only one guard on their roster who has played more than two years in the league (Arike Ogunbowale). Of the seven guards on their current roster, five are rookies. With that being said, Sheldon has a good opportunity to work her way into the starting lineup or be an impactful role player off the bench. She is a great two-way player and is one of six Big Ten players in the past 25 seasons with at least 250 steals and 150 3-pointers. In her senior season, she averaged 17.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.9 SPG and 1.4 3PG per game. And while Sheldon played only 13 minutes in the Wings' preseason game, she was efficient, scoring six points (2-2 FG) and adding two assists.
Don't forget about
Kamilla Cardoso, C, Chicago Sky: Cardoso will have to wait to impact fantasy rosters after suffering a shoulder injury in the Sky's first preseason game. She will be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks, which means she'll miss a good chunk of the season. Cardoso moved into the starting role in her senior season with South Carolina and averaged 14.4 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.0 APG and 2.5 BPG. She's extremely effective inside with 79.3% of her points coming in the paint. However, only 12 of her 325 FGA came from outside the paint, and she made just 33% of those shots. If you have the IR spot to stash a player for a couple months, Cardoso could prove to be worth it upon returning to action this summer.