SB Nation picks Carla Leite for WNBA Most Improved Player
Columnist Noa Dalzell selects Portland Fire guard over Shakira Austin and Jessica Shepard after weighing statistical jumps and team impact.
What to know
- SB Nation columnist Noa Dalzell selected Portland Fire guard Carla Leite as her pick for the 2026 WNBA Most Improved Player award.
- Leite showed the largest percentage gains in scoring, assists, and shooting efficiency compared to finalists Shakira Austin and Jessica Shepard.
- All three candidates posted significant improvements and playoff impact, but Austin and Shepard anchor playoff teams while Leite's Fire squad is not in contention.
- Leite transitioned from a bench role on the Golden State Valkyries to becoming the Fire's franchise player this season.
“The one knock on Leite's Most Improved Player campaign is that she's not on a winning squad; Austin and Shepard both help anchor playoff teams.”
Noa Dalzell, SB Nation columnist · SB Nation ↗ · Sep 22
Carla Leite Portland Fire guard
Shakira Austin Washington Mystics center
Jessica Shepard Dallas Wings forwardNoa Dalzell SB Nation columnist and awards voter
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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Dalzell assesses Jessica Shepard's improvements
Shepard's scoring increased from 8 to 14.3 points per game, rebounds from 7.3 to 10.9, and assists from 2.6 to 5.1. Her field goal percentage declined slightly from 63.8% to 57.9%. She moved from a backup role on the Minnesota Lynx to All-Star status on the Dallas Wings.
“Ultimately, after a ton of back-and-forth, I picked Carla Leite.”
— Noa Dalzell, SB Nation columnist · source -
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Dalzell assesses Shakira Austin's improvements — Austin increased her scoring from 12.7 to 17 points, rebounds from 6.4 to 9.4, and assists from 1.8 to 2.6 per game. Her efficiency improved with field goal percentage rising from 46.5% to 49.1% and three-point percentage jumping from 13.3% to 32.7%. She anchors the Mystics' third-ranked defense in the league.
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Dalzell details Carla Leite's statistical improvements — Leite's scoring increased from 7.2 to 16 points per game, assists from 2 to 6.3 per game. Her shooting improved dramatically: field goal percentage from 38.7% to 46.3%, and three-point percentage from 17.3% to 40%. She transitioned from a bench player on the Golden State Valkyries to Portland Fire's franchise player.
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SB Nation columnist names Carla Leite WNBA Most Improved Player
Noa Dalzell of SB Nation selects Portland Fire guard Carla Leite for the award after evaluating three finalists: Leite, Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin, and Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard. Dalzell notes all three players showed major improvement and could deserve the award, but Leite's gains in scoring, assists, and efficiency margins exceeded the others.
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first by SB Nation, 4d ago · also Yahoo Sports, Sporting News
1 more headline
- Shakira Austin’s Most Improved Player case is about more than her scoring jump Yahoo Sports · 3d ago
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Shakira Austin and Jessica Shepard didn’t just improve individually. They made their teams improve remarkably. The two have split our experts’ vote for this year's Most Improved Player in the WNBA. Who gets your vote?
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