It’s time for one of my most difficult WNBA end-of-season award decisions: the dreaded All-WNBA First and Second Teams.

I’ll start by sharing my general philosophy in selecting players for the All-WNBA First and Second Teams. When it comes to this award (and, to be frank, most others), I strongly value winning and generally believe all of the top-performing teams should be sufficiently represented. As such, I aimed to have at least one player from each of the 8 playoff teams on the All-WNBA team.

That meant that players who had individually strong seasons — like Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, and Mercury guard Kahleah Copper — began my calculus at a strong disadvantage. These players would have had to have otherworldly seasons to be considered, not just strong ones.

I’ll dive into my rationale in a moment, but first, here are my official selections:

Why I picked these 10 players

Ultimately, Olivia Miles and A’ja Wilson were both First Team no-brainers. Miles has been the best player on the WNBA’s best team; Wilson has been the MVP (and the league’s leading scorer and shot-blocker). Not much more needs to be said there.

Breanna Stewart and Paige Bueckers have been the best players on lower-ranked playoff teams, which, in theory, should not guarantee them a spot on First Team All-WNBA. But both players have shouldered massive loads (on both ends, really) and are far and away the biggest reasons why their teams are in the playoffs. While teams like the Mystics, the Dream, and the Fever have two or three players who shoulder substantial and somewhat similar responsibilities, when it comes to the Liberty and the Wings, there is no question around who their undisputed MVP is. And both players’ on-court production speaks for itself; Bueckers has been the WNBA’s 5th-leading scorer; Stewart has been the 7th.

I really struggled with the fact that Kelsey Mitchell was on the All-WNBA Second Team considering the incredible scoring year she’s had. But it was between her and Caitlin Clark for First Team, because the Fever’s record did not justify having two First Team players. Ultimately, Mitchell has had the more impressive pure scoring season, but Clark has been the league’s third-leading scorer and best playmaker, and shoulders more offensive responsibilities. As such, she secured a spot on First Team.

I also had to grapple with the fact that the Valkyries did not have a First Team All-WNBA player when they have been the second-best record in the WNBA. But I voted Natalie Nakase for Coach of the Year, and picked three Valkyries players for First Team All-Defense, so Golden State was well-represented in other sections of my ballot.

When it came to Second Team, there was no doubt Kelsey Mitchell was going to be included after her omission from my First Team. She just put together one of the best scoring seasons in WNBA history, averaging 25 points while shooting 51.4% from the field and 45.2% from three.

And the Valkyries were undoubtedly going to be represented too; Veronica Burton has been the team’s most important player in my view (despite being their third-leading scorer), and as such, she was on my Second Team. While the Valkyries are a deep squad rather than a top-heavy one, I still felt compelled to have at least one player from the roster on the All-WNBA team.

I wanted a Washington Mystics representative as well, and ultimately concluded that Shakira Austin has been the team’s most critical player from top to bottom, although a strong case could be made for Sonia Citron, too. But Austin has been an elite rim protector and the team’s leading scorer, and she’s tied with Kiki Iriafen as the team’s leading rebounder.

I ultimately picked Jackie Young because she’s been one of the best No. 2 options in the WNBA; she’s averaging 19.3 points on high efficiency, and she’s on a third-seeded Aces squad.

And Angel Reese established herself as the Dream’s most impactful all-around player as the year progressed; she was my Defensive Player of the Year pick, she’s the best rebounder in the league, and she’s also averaging 16.4 points per game, which is the 18th-most in the WNBA.

A glance at some other players I heavily considered

It might just be time for a Third Team. Here are just a few players who were painful omissions from my All-WNBA ballot.

Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever

Aliyah Boston is an All-WNBA-level player — and she’s been particularly crucial to the Fever defensively — but I couldn’t justify putting three Fever players on the All-WNBA team, especially when the Fever aren’t a Top 4 seed. And Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell were more consistent contributors this season.

Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx

If the Lynx were to have a second All-WNBA player, it’d be Kayla McBride, who had a phenomenal season on both ends of the floor. And a part of me really wanted to give the Lynx a second player, especially because the Aces and Fever got them with worse records.

Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream

Rhyne Howard has been pivotal to the Dream on both ends of the floor. But I only had room for one Dream player, and ultimately concluded Angel Reese’s impact on the glass and on the defensive end outweighed the fact that she wasn’t the team’s top-performing offensive player.

Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream

Last year, Allisha Gray was a First Team player, and she hasn’t gotten worse. So, her omission this year is more of a result of the fact that the league got better (and healthier). Gray has been the Dream’s leading scorer, but Reese has been the more impactful all-around player.

Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics

Sonia Citron is one of the most impactful two-way guards in the game, and I considered her being the Mystics rep over Austin. Austin ultimately had a slight edge, but I wouldn’t be upset at any ballots that listed Citron.

Gabby Williams, Golden State Valkyries

Given the Valkyries’ dominance, I considered putting Gabby Williams on the Second Team alongside Burton. But it was hard to pick her over Young and Mitchell, who have had more impressive individual seasons on winning teams. Williams is an elite defender and is rewarded on my All-Defense First Team.

One thing I’ve learned in my two years as a WNBA awards voter: there’s no way to feel 100% about an awards ballot — and this ballot is no exception.