Time Sensitive: Top 13 WNBA Players Over 30, #6-9
.jpg)
Last Saturday I wrote about the WNBA's Top Players Over 30 #1 to 5: Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, and Nneka Ogwumike.
Between last weekend and now, more young players made headlines in the WNBA: Azzi Fudd put up a career high 24 points (including 17 points in a single quarter); Awa Fam and Justé Jocyté debuted for their squads; Aneesah Morrow collected her third double-double of the season; and Carla Leite led the Portland Fire to their second win over The New York Liberty.
But the savvy veterans have kept at it, too.
Here are the WNBA's Top Players Over 30, #6 through #9.
(Or more accurately, #6 through #11, because I let myself off the hook with a three-way tie at #9)
#6 - Kelsey Mitchell (b. 1995)
Last season Kelsey Mitchell gave her all to a injury-riddled Fever squad and it was nearly enough to will Indiana into the WNBA finals. In 2026, she's picked up where she left off, averaging 22.3 ppg within the Fever's high-scoring offense.
This is a career-high scoring average for Mitchell—a striking statistic given that Mitchell was the Fever's primary scorer for years prior to Indiana's back-to-back #1 draft picks. It's easy to underestimate Mitchell's adaptability and versatility, but these traits of Mitchell's are key to the Fever's success.
So far, Indiana's backcourt is proving that there's more than enough ball to go around between Mitchell , who is #4 in the W in scoring, and teammate Caitlin Clark (#3 iat 23.8 ppg). Angling for a top-five spot on this list, Mitchell is one of the league's most electric players to watch.
#7 - Dearica Hamby (b. 1993)
Especially following the trade that sent Rickea Jackson to Chicago in exchange for Ariel Atkins, it is clear the Sparks are invested in winning now. Los Angeles has a lot riding on the 2026 season as they hope to get the most out of three of the top seven players over thirty: #4 Kelsey Plum, #5 Nneka Ogwumike, and #7: Dearica Hamby.
Hamby is one of my favorite players in the WNBA, full stop.
No one out-hustles Dearica.
A versatile slightly under-sized big, Hamby is the veteran I think of when I watch Angel Reese's high motor and passionate intensity on display.
A two-time 6th Player of the Year with the Aces, Hamby has come into her own the last two seasons with the Sparks, averaging 17+ points, 8+ rebounds, 3+ assists and 1.5+ steals a game and shooting over 50% from the field. Los Angeles's window for title contention is narrow and crowded, but with players like Plum, Ogwumike, and Hamby in their starting five, the Sparks have the talent and experience to get them there.
#8 Brittney Sykes (b. 1994)
An under-the-radar player for a lot of her career, Brittney Sykes has earned a reputation as a defensive stopper. But after hanging a career high of 38 pts on the Sparks a couple weeks ago (including a perfect 15-for-15 from the free throw line), Slim has put the league on notice: she is a scorer.
One of the quickest players in the league, Sykes (like Hamby) is a high-motor player who competes for every possession on both ends of the court.
Playing career high minutes for the expansion squad Toronto Tempo, Sykes is averaging 20.6 ppg along with 3.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals a game.
As the Tempo battle for tightly contested playoff spots, they'll need career bests across the board from Sykes (and fellow veteran Marina Mabrey) to make the cut in their first season.
#9 (3-Way Tie) The Lynx's Veteran Trio of Courtney Williams, Natasha Howard, and Kayla McBride
This is the part of the list where the decisions get really hard. But I'm in charge here, so I'm making it easier for myself by making #8 a three-way tie across the steady veteran core of the Minnesota Lynx: Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, and Natasha Howard.
Natasha Howard (b. 1993)
New fans to the W may not remember that Natasha Howard has been to the WNBA Finals five times with three different teams (Indiana, Minnesota, and Seattle) and she has won three WNBA championships, including one with the Lynx.
Howard's success is no fluke: she is an ideal complementary post player for teams with MVP-caliber bigs. A three-level scorer and a versatile defender, Howard excels when the pressure is distributed across a roster and she can just show up and put in her work. Early in 2026, Howard's scoring and rebounding numbers resemble her best years in Seattle and Dallas. In addition to her 17.0ppg and 8.3rpg, Howard is also averaging 3.8 assists, more than doubling her career average of 1.5apg.
Courtney Williams (b. 1994) and Kayla McBride (b. 1992)
Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride have been singing the praises of league-ready rookie Olivia Miles, but McBride and Williams deserve a lot of credit for the culture of success Miles has stepped into in Minnesota. The Lynx are off to a 4-2 start, paced by Williams and McBride both averaging over 15ppg.
Despite having one of the shorter rosters in the league, the Lynx are second overall in team rebounding. A big reason for this is how well McBride and Williams board the ball. The two guards are pulling down almost 11 rebounds a game between them.
The Lynx have a tough stretch of games upcoming, starting with tonight's rematch with the Atlanta Dream. They'll need Howard, McBride, and Williams to keep performing at their best if they're going to stay near the top of the standings.
Stay Tuned for Players #10-#13, Veterans Who Could Be Doing More, and Soon-To-Be-Old-Timers!
Finish Through Contact is a fan blog celebrating the players of the WNBA and Unrivaled (and other women's and non-binary players' basketball leagues).