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Seven for 2027: The WNBA's Next Breakout Candidates

Geoff Magliocchetti September 22, 2026Fact checked by: Sara Jane Gamelli Be First

These seven players have offered fantastic foreshadowing on the WNBA's road forward.

Three decades down and ideally infinity to go, it's already worth checking out what lies ahead for the WNBA.

Georgia Amoore WNBA Washington Mystics
Georgia Amoore WNBA Washington Mystics

The league's 30th postseason is set to get underway in less than a week and the bracket is peppered with seasoned stars of the game chasing an elusive or surplus championship. But several players of both the veteran and fledgling variety alike have made their case for a larger spotlight, even if they're destined to play supporting roles on this playoff trip, should they be fortunate enough to be making one. 

Which seven could shine in '27? Ballislife has seven breakout candidates for the road ahead below ...

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Georgia Amoore, Washington Mystics

The capital kids, we cannot stress enough, are quite all right in Washington. The Mystics stand as one of the most intriguing playoff subplots since their youth allows them to approach this trip with the healthiest sense of reckless abandon. Such antics, of course, are headlined by Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, who have already developed into All-Star mainstays.

But what will become of their fellow 2025 draftee Amoore, who was forced to sit out her entire freshman tour due to a torn ACL? The Kentucky alumna became somewhat lost in the fold early on, as Washington's baby vets (i.e. Citron, Iriafen, Shakira Austin) matured in a hurry to hit fast forward on this post-Elena Delle Donne rebuild session. 

But Amoore has saved the best for last in her professional debut, emerging as a new weapon while the Mystics partake in meaningful games that yield the top prize of a six seed: she has reached double figures in five of her last seven, including a career-best 25 in a late August win over Phoenix. Amoore could linger on the shortlist for next season's 3-Point Contest: since mauling the Mercury for six, Amoore is one of two players (next to scoring extraordinaire Kelsey Mitchell) averaging four threes in multiple games played. Her success rate of 53.3 is best among all trying at least five per game in that same span. 

Amoore feels primed for something bigger, defining the resilient concept of "delayed, not denied." Whether it comes now or later seems to be the ultimate question on the capital ledgers. 

Kaila Charles, Golden State Valkyries

When it comes to the Golden State Valkyries, it feels like the only appropriate question is not "when will it stop" but the simpler query of "who's next"? 

As Golden State continues to make grit look great, new heroines appear to rise every night. One of the latest is Charles, a relatively late bloomer at 28 who is taking advantage of new opportunities to the tune of career-bests in scoring and rebounding.

Charles has also made sure to keep the defensive intensity that's required to survive down by the Bay (Area): over the last 15 games, Charles ranks fourth in defensive rating among women averaging at least 20 minutes a game, behind only Valkyrie teammates Kiah Stokes, Cecilia Zandalasini, and Kayla Thornton. She's keeping pace on offense, as her net places third behind fellow purple people beaters Zandalasini and Veronica Burton. 

Golden State is well-stocked for now and later but it's getting late somewhat early for the Valkyries, who have big decisions to make on the fates of seasoned free agents Thornton and Zandalasini. Having earned her place after a series of seven-day deals during last year's maiden voyage, Charles has presented herself as an effective cog in the Valkyries machine, one that shows no sign of stopping as a busy postseason looms.

Shay Ciezki, Phoenix Mercury

This season, all desert eyes will linger on the decision of a backcourt talent whose handling will determine the fate of the franchise. Also, Kelsey Plum is set to become a free agent.

Ciezki, an undrafted and undersized Big Ten prospect, has been on and off development deals with this year's Mercury. The latest has allowed her to become one of the feel-good stories of this late tour.

Ciezki went into the FIBA break on a high note by pairing a 15-point tally with five assists and five rebounds in a blowout win over Toronto. She picked up right where she left off with 22 points in last Thursday's triumph in Portland, becoming the first Phoenix rookie to reach a double-decade off the bench within her first five games since Clarissa Davis Wrightsil in 1999.

The Mercury faces one of the more intriguing offseasons among the seven spectators of the playoffs thanks to the Plum conundrum. Ciezki's late outputs could convince Phoenix that it doesn't have to engage in a drastic teardown, even if Plum does shift her services elsewhere.  

Marine Fauthoux, New York

In New York, the real United Nations building resides not in Midtown Manhattan but rather on Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue.

The New York Liberty's modern heyday has been partly penned by talents from abroad: adding Leonie Fiebich (Germany) proved to be the final piece of a championship puzzle in 2024. She was briefly joined by fellow German Satou Sabally, whose debut metro minutes have been marred by injury. Marine Johannes (France) and Han Xu (China) remain fan favorites while Rebecca Allen was brought back as a lengthy depth star this time around. Johannes was joined by fellow countrywoman Pauline Astier, who helped keep the team afloat early while Sabrina Ionescu dealt with her own injuries.

Call it a case of three musketeers: yet another Franco flinger in Fauthoux may be the latest foreign asset that the Liberty deploys in the name of further success with its "big three" era headlined by Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Bahamian-born Jonquel Jones. Fauthoux, a 2021 draft pick, made her long-awaited debut on a developmental deal this season and played her way into a standard contract by August.

It's clear that the Liberty has big plans for Fauthoux: not only was her new contract of the multi-year variety, but the timing of its offering coincided with the departure of veteran champ Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Fauthoux's 2026 role has shrunk as the Liberty inch closer toward the playoffs but there's a prime opportunity for her to contribute to the road ahead. 

Awak Kuier, Dallas Wings

This season's playoff field is partly defined by the efforts of imported post products: the league-leading Minnesota Lynx were able to withstand an early storm thanks in part to the early work of Natasha Howard while the Dallas Wings were able to end a multi-year playoff drought thanks to Jessica Shepard's uptick.

Among free agent post patrollers, Kuier might be one of the more attractive names for a team in need of paint prowess. Back stateside after a three-year tour overseas, the second overall pick of the 2021 draft posted career-best numbers while taking over for an injured Alanna Smith at forward.

Capable of procuring a 3-point stroke on occasion (shooting just under 37% this year after going less than 15% in her first three WNBA tours), Kuier's tallies have often been a barometer of North Texas success: the Wings are 8-2 when she reaches double-figures this year.

It's fair to say that Kuier's own breakout potential has been partly overshadowed by the sterling MIP campaign that Shepard has put up. But she should no doubt attract her share of suitors come this winter, which should give her a more expansive opportunity to push her narrative further.

Iyana Martin, Portland Fire

One of the bolder endeavors we saw on the WNBA ledgers in year 30 was Portland patience: rather than go after an immediate contributor (Flau'jae Johnson and Cotie McMahon were still on the board at seventh overall), the rebooted Fire went with the international prospect Martin, fully aware that she was sticking around in her native Spain.

This muted experiment appears to have essentially succeeded as it draws to an end: Portland missed the playoffs in its return trip but set the table fairly well thanks to the philosophical work of head coach Alex Sarama, who oversaw Carla Leite's development into a reliable shooter.

Martin, for her part, has enjoyed a successful tour overseas, culminating in a run at the Rising Star award at the World Cup. Of note, she put up 17 in a tightly-contested semifinal with the eventual champion United States and fell just short of a double-double in the third-place game that secured a podium finish after Spain missed the tournament entirely in 2022.

Pairing Martin with Leite in the backcourt could be well worth staying up late on the East Coast and Portland has the second-most cap space to spend in 2027, only adding to their potential as a playoff dark horse at this time next year. Their biggest acquisition, however, may already be in the system, as Martin has shown that the RINO (Rookie In Name Only) trend isn't going anywhere.

Madina Okot, Atlanta

Moving to Atlanta was heavenly for Angel Reese. It's been downright dreamy (pun fully intended) for the rookie Okot.

From the get-go, Okot relished a chance to work with the rebounding master Reese. Her opportunities have been somewhat stifled in the early going but it's easy to see where she's taking advantage so far: adjusted for per 40 minutes, Okot ranks third in the league in rebounds behind only Reese and Aneesah Morrow. Her shot percentage stands at over 57%, rivaled on the team only by veteran newcomer DeWanna Bonner.

Atlanta faces an intriguing situation in the frontcourt: Reese's victorious impact has begun to match that of franchise faces Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard and the Dream's diving rebounding work has carried despite Brionna Jones' recurring injury woes. With Okot hinting that she can rise to the occasion and Jones under contract, it opens the door to some intriguing possibilities in the future. In any event, Atlanta's wall of rebounding feels well-fortified for the road ahead and Okot's contributions to that cause shouldn't be discounted either now or later. 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags

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