Every Queer WNBA Rookie of the Year
From standout rookie seasons to becoming some of the biggest names in women’s basketball, here’s a look at every queer WNBA Rookie of the Year.
From breaking barriers to changing the game, queer athletes have been making their mark on the WNBA for decades. From standout rookie seasons to becoming some of the biggest names in women’s basketball, here’s a look at every queer WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Olivia Miles (2025)
Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles won Rookie of the Year unanimously after a record-breaking rookie season. With all 74 votes from the national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, Miles started in all 40 of her appearances for Minnesota, averaging 19.8 points, 6 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31 minutes per game. The TCU and Notre Dame alum shot 49.2 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from three-point range and 87 percent from the free throw line.
Related: Olivia Miles Breaks Caitlin Clark’s Rookie Scoring Record
Miles also just broke Caitlin Clark’s record for total points with 790 and earned the record for games with at least 20 points. The Lynx, led by Miles, faced a historic upset against the Liberty in the 2026 playoffs, becoming the first one seed team to lose to an eight seed team. Miles was linked to rumored new girlfriend Elle Uyeda after soft-launching on social media and appearing together at the WNBA All-Stars Orange Carpet.
Paige Bueckers (2025)
Averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 33.3 minutes, Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers won Rookie of the Year in 2025 with 70 out of 72 votes. On a losing Wings teams, Bueckers managed to make her presence felt on the court shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 88.8 from the free throw line.
Bueckers set a single-game rookie record scoring 44 points at 81 percent. She became the first player in WNBA history to score 40 or more points and shoot at least 80 percent from the field in a game. Bueckers is in a relationship with UCONN and Dallas Wings teammate Azzi Fudd. The pair met while playing for the youth USA basketball team.
Breanna Stewart (2016)
After being the only college basketball player—male or female—to win four straight national titles and four straight Final Four Most Outstanding Player awards, it was no surprise that Breanna Stewart was named Rookie of the Year in 2016 while playing for the Seattle Storm. Averaging 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, Stewart helped the Storm reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
Stewart has continued to be a fixture in the league, leading the Seattle Storm to two WNBA Championships and New York Liberty to one. Stewart was key in the Liberty’s recent upset against the Minnesota Lynx, making them the first eighth seed team to take out a one seed in WNBA history. Stewart is married to former WNBA player Marta Xargay and the two share two children.
Elena Delle Donne (2013)
Getting all 39 votes, Elena Delle Donne was voted Rookie of the Year in 2013 for her season with the Chicago Sky. Delle Donne was surrounded by competition in her rookie class which included Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins. Averaging 18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and shooting 93 percent from the free throw line, Delle Donne helped lead the Sky to their first ever playoff appearance.
Delle Donne also finished third in the league’s MVP ballot behind Candace Parker and Maya Moore, making her only the second rookie to finish that high in the voting. She went on to win one WNBA Championship with the Washington Mystics and was voted league MVP twice. Delle Donne is married to Amanda Clifton whom she met through a mutual friend in 2013.
Angel McCoughtry (2009)
The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2009, Angel McCoughtry was named the Adidas Rookie of the Year in 2009 for her season with Atlanta Dream. As the all-time leading scorer at the University of Louisville, it was no surprise that she finished first among rookies in scoring. McCoughtry averaged 12.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 47.6 percent from the field.
McCoughtry has not played in the league since 2022 having suffered knee injuries to both knees. While she is not officially retired, it is unclear when or if she plans to return, having pivoted to a career in media and filmmaking. When McCoughtry was playing for a Turkish league in 2015, she celebrated her engagement with her then fiancé Brande Elise and was instructed to write a statement claiming her relationship was a lie by the Turkish league. Instead, she decided to terminate the contract.
Candace Parker (2008)
The only player to ever win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season, Candace Parker’s legendary WNBA career will always be history-making. Averaging 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists, Parker set the rookie debut record for points in a debut game with 34 points.
Parker went on to win three different championships with three different franchises, won two MVP awards, a Finals MVP award and a Defensive Player of the Year award. Earlier this year Parker was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Parker married former Russian basketball player Anna Petrakova in 2019 in a private ceremony and the couple share two sons together alongside Parker’s daughter from a previous marriage.
Seimone Augustus (2006)
After being drafted first by the Minnesota Lynx out of LSU, Seimone Augustus went on to win Rookie of the Year in 2006. Averaging 21.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, Augustus finished the season with 744 points and was names an All-Star. Augustus went on to win four WNBA Championships with the Lynx, three Olympic gold medals, and won two National Player of the Year honors.
Augustus now works as an assistant coach for LSU’s women’s basketball team under Kim Mulkey and is affectionately known in the program as “Coach Money.” Augustus was briefly married before getting divorced in 2018.
Diana Taurasi (2004)
One of UCONN’s greatest alums, Diana Taurasi was picked first by the Phoenix Mercury where she would spend her entire 20-season career. Winning Rookie of the Year in 2004, Taurasi averaged 17 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists throughout her first season. Taurasi is an undisputed legend in the game having won three WNBA Championships, two Finals MVP awards, a regular season MVP award, being an 11-time All-Star and retiring as the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Taurasi also won six Olympic gold medals, three FIBA World Cup Championships and side EuroLeague Championships. Taurasi got married to former Phoenix Mercury teammate Penny Taylor in 2017 after playing together for 10 seasons. The couple share two children together, a son Leo and a daughter name Isla.
