No undrafted or international players have ever won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award. That could all change this year. This season, we’ve seen some players join the league after playing overseas. While some of these players might be a little older than the rookies coming from the NCAA, they’re still considered rookies as this is their first time on a WNBA court.
Players like Olivia Miles, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are at the top of everyone’s minds when thinking about this year’s Rookie of the Year honors; just because that’s what we’re used to doesn’t mean we can count out these players who are leading the rookie class right now. Here are four newcomers that no one saw coming this season.
Pauline Astier, New York Liberty
Pauline Astier has stepped up in a major way as the New York Liberty navigate the absence of Sabrina Ionescu. She not only leads the rookie class in points per game, but she’s also sitting in 16th place across the entire league. She’s averaging 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Astier is shooting at 62.5 percent from the floor; no other rookie averaging more than 2.0 shot attempts per game has been that efficient.
After going 0-2 from beyond the arc during her first two appearances, she’s hit 5-of-9 from 3-point land. She’s seemingly getting more and more comfortable out there. Another dangerous guard might be the one thing other teams don’t want to hear about the New York Liberty having. Astier is currently averaging 26.8 minutes per game, but I imagine that even with the return of Ionescu, it will be hard to leave her on the bench.
When asked where the Liberty would be without Astier, Head Coach Chris Demarco told the media, per the NY Post, “I have no idea… She’s a phenomenal player. She’s so steady, and she really takes what the game gives her. I’m open, I’m going to shoot the 3, you play up, I’m going to go by you, you help, I’m going to pass to the open person.”
Laura Juskaite, Toronto Tempo
The Toronto Tempo have been short at the big position. Isabelle Harrison has yet to make her debut and Temi Fagbenle and Nyara Sabally have also missed games due to injury. Playing with an expansion franchise is a large feat within itself, as the team builds chemistry and culture from the ground up. It has to be even more difficult for an overseas player coming into the W for the first time, like Laura Juškaitė. Although she’s done the most with her time on the court so far, you can expect to see her only get better from here.
The Tempo got into a late back-and-forth battle with the Los Angeles Sparks over the weekend. Off the bench, Juškaitė put up 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals in 25 minutes off the bench. She currently leads the rookie class in steals with 1.8 per game. In Toronto’s second matchup against the Sparks, things went their way. They left with a 106-96 victory. This was Juškaitė’s first start; she recorded 7 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals, shooting 3-of-5 from the floor.
She is another player that is seemingly gaining more and more confidence as the season goes on. She’s already a great shooter and can quickly get back on defense to make stops in critical or transitional moments. With more minutes on the court, the sky is the limit for Juškaitė.
Jovana Nogic, Phoenix Mercury
28-year-old Jovana Nogić has quickly become a fan-favorite in Phoenix. Every time she checks in or throws up a 3-pointer, the crowd erupts. While Astier is leading a lot of the rookie categories, Nogić is just barely behind her. She’s averaging 16.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 24.3 minutes per game. The Mercury knew exactly what they were doing when they signed Nogić in the offseason. She’s played in several countries, most recently Russia, where she led her club to win multiple titles. She was also named Serbia’s best female player by the Basketball Federation of Serbia in 2025.
In her first outing, Nogić dropped 19 points, 4 assists and 2 steals against the Las Vegas Aces. She shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. People were left wondering if this game was a one-off, maybe fueled by first-game adrenaline — nope. In the very next game, she shot 4-of-5 from 3 again and in Phoenix’s most recent matchup, Nogić recorded 27 points, including five 3-pointers. Her 27-piece not only helped the Mercury to a 91-83 victory over the Chicago Sky, but also is a WNBA record for most points scored by an undrafted rookie.
While her offensive efficiency is translating into the WNBA, the Phoenix Mercury wants to be a strong, defensive-minded team this season; she’s provided that as the games continue, as well. After her historic outing, Nate Tibbetts told the media, “She’s getting great opportunities. Hopefully, she’s gaining confidence. I was really, really pleased with her defense tonight. Obviously, we all love shooting, but the step she made defensively is what I’m most proud of.”
Maria Conde, Toronto Tempo
While 29-year-old María Conde was technically selected in the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, she has never played in a WNBA game, making 2026 in Toronto her rookie season. Before her league debut, Conde was overseas with recent stints in the Czech Republic and Italy. She’s played with the Senior Spanish National Team, representing them at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
So far this season, Sandy Brondello and the Tempo have to be pleased with the effort and potential coming from Conde. Her best game of the season thus far came against the Seattle Storm; she recorded 16 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 6-of-13 from the floor. Conde is known for her defensive efforts, a big reason the Tempo picked her up in the expansion draft. Before the season, Brondello was asked about Conde. She said, “It’s her first time in the WNBA, but she’s ready. She’s a great wing and very versatile. She can create, she can play with and without the ball.”
Conde has shown her ability to shoot from beyond the arc, as well. Against Seattle, she was 4-of-8 from three-point land. After the game, Brondello told the media, “Just her overall energy, her rebounding, her persistence on the glass, really proud of her. We’ll keep building on it…” Between Conde, Juškaitė, and some other newcomers, the Tempo has tons of potential for growth as the season goes on.
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