WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year (MIPOY) Rankings 2024: Top 5 candidates ft. Dearica Hamby (Week 13)

Week 13 of the 2024 WNBA season is in the books now, with five teams already clinching a playoff berth. As the playoff picture gets clearer, the races for individual awards enter their final stages.

The Most Improved Player of the Year award has presented multiple candidates throughout the season, but it looks like the top five finalists have already been defined.

With two weeks left on the schedule, here are the top five candidates to win the MIPOY award this WNBA season.

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Top 5 WNBA MIPOY candidates after Week 13

#5 Ezi Magbegor

Source: Getty

Ezi Magbegor and the Seattle Storm didn't have the best week, losing two of three games. The veteran could only surpass the 10-point threshold once, scoring 13 points against the Connecticut Sun on Sunday.

Yet, Magbegor's season is still solid, as she averages 12.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.2 blocks per game.

The Storm have already secured a WNBA playoff spot, but Magbegor and company need to get things back on track, as the Indiana Fever are 2.5 games behind them.

#4 Dearica Hamby

Source: Getty

Dearica Hamby keeps struggling to find consistency after the Olympic break. The LA Sparks star played two games last week, beating the New York Liberty after she scored 21 points. However, she then lost to the Atlanta Dreams in a game where she only scored five points in 23 minutes.

As the weeks go by, she keeps losing spot, sitting at fourth this week with 17.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.4 apg and 1.5 spg. Hamby shoots 51.1% from the field and 60.5% from the free-throw line.

#4 DiJonai Carrington

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DiJonai Carrington is finishing the WNBA season on a strong note, scoring in double digits in all three of last week's games. The Connecticut Sun won two of its last three games, with Carrington scoring 19, 17 and 14 points, respectively. She's been a terrific contributor to the second-best team in the league, record-wise.

While playing 29.5 minutes per game, she's averaging 13 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 1.5 apg while shooting 40.3% from the field and 78.4% from the free-throw line.

#2 Chennedy Carter

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Chennedy Carter remains a strong candidate to win this award although she missed the Chicago Sky's three games from last week. The veteran guard has been the offense's driving force and her absence was notable. The team is in a six-game skid right now, playing worse without Carter on the court.

The four-year veteran is averaging 17.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 2.8 apg. If she misses another week of action, it'll be hard for Carter to keep her chances to win this award alive.

#1 Kahleah Copper

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Kahleah Copper and the Phoenix Mercury have struggled to be consistent in the 2024 WNBA season. They lost the two games they played last week, with Copper scoring 13 and 15 points, respectively.

The veteran is still one of the best scorers in the league (22.1 ppg). But if she doesn't improve in the upcoming weeks, the two players behind her will have a real shot at taking the award home.

Copper averages 4.7 rpg, 2.2 apg and shoots 44.3% from the field and 82.0% from the free-throw line.