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Of the WNBA’s annual regular-season awards, the Most Improved Player award is the wild card. The term “improvement” can be interpreted differently by each individual award voter, and there’s rarely one player who stands head and shoulders above the rest; year-by-year player improvement isn’t always blindingly obvious, and there are external factors to be considered as well, such as changes to that player’s role or surrounding roster.

That ambiguity is also what makes the Most Improved Player award fun to talk about; you could ask ten different people and get ten different answers as to which WNBA player deserves to win. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few players who have taken a noticeable jump in 2024.

DiJonai Carrington (Connecticut Sun)

If Most Improved was voted on today, Carrington perhaps would be the most popular choice for the award. Drafted by the Sun in 2021, she’s gradually improved in every season since then, though her breakout in 2024 definitely has been the most noticeable. In Carrington’s first season as a full-time starter, she’s averaging career-highs across the board (13.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game), and the strengths that previously made her such a valuable piece off Connecticut’s bench are now on full display. Carrington routinely takes on the challenge of guarding the best perimeter scorer on opposing teams, and her level of energy on the boards and aggression attacking the hoop have become crucial parts of the Sun’s identity as one of the WNBA’s most physical teams.

Chennedy Carter (Chicago Sky)

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Carter didn’t play in the WNBA in 2023, though it certainly wasn’t for a lack of talent. It’s extremely rare to find a lead guard with Carter’s strength and athleticism, and there may not be a more difficult player in the league to contain off the dribble. In her first season in Chicago, Carter has proven herself to be a game-changer, averaging 16.5 points per game (21.9 as a starter) while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, which leads the WNBA among guards who have attempted at least 100 total field goals. One could definitely argue that Carter has always been this good and that her performance can be attributed to opportunity more than improvement, but her comeback is going to be something voters will want to reward in one way or another.

Jordan Horston (Seattle Storm)

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Should second-year players be eligible to win Most Improved? Some believe that sophomores in the WNBA are expected to get better and thus should not be considered for the award, but it’s not a steadfast rule, and Horston’s second-year leap is definitely worthy of mention. She doesn’t have as much freedom on offense after Seattle’s big offseason vaulted the team back into win-now mode, but she’s become considerably more efficient with her scoring, shooting 54.6 percent from 2-point range after struggling inside the arc as a rookie. Horston has also embraced a role as the Storm’s perimeter stopper, doing the dirty work on defense for the team’s stars with her athleticism and turning that defense into offense at an exceptional rate; she currently ranks third in the WNBA in steal rate at 3.4 percent, according to Basketball Reference.

Alanna Smith (Minnesota Lynx)

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Smith was a good candidate to win Most Improved last season, finishing third in voting behind Satou Sabally and Jordin Canada, and she’s taken another jump in 2024. Much of what made Smith such a valuable player for Chicago in 2023—defensive playmaking in the frontcourt, in particular—has stayed the same during her first season with the Lynx, but she’s having a better season shooting the basketball, knocking down a career-high 45.6 percent of her 3-pointers (3.2 attempts per game). She’s also shown improved tertiary playmaking skills as one of four Lynx to be averaging at least three assists per game. Minnesota’s offense depends heavily on ball movement and 3-point shooting, and if Smith continues her career year in those categories, the Lynx will be a tough team to stop as the season progresses.