The 2022 WNBA season will maintain a special place in my heart as my first full season covering the league. It’s difficult to grasp that the year comes to an end today, and soon, free agency and the throes of another start to the league season will be upon us quicker than we can fathom.

Free agency will be a whirlwind. March Madness and the Draft will hit with quickness. Then, training camp will be here, and oh hey, games are starting!

To condense down to my Top 5 moments of the season feels impossible, given the wealth of excitement and intrigue that the 26th season of league play brought.

A first-time league champion was crowned as the Aces won the Finals in a season filled with endearing moments. Few teams in pro sports have possessed the charisma and gravitas that Las Vegas conjures without trying.

Legends of the game put forth incredibly impactful final seasons; Sylvia Fowles was an All-Star and All-Defense nominee. Sue Bird and Briann January were integral parts of one of the best guard rotations in the W.

The timeless play of three of the players that defined the league for the last decade-plus won’t be forgotten.

Without further adieu, here are my Top 5 moments of the WNBA season, in no particular order!

Chicago Sky Record-breaking Comeback

The Aces were in the midst of an unreal opening month to the season. The Sky were still finding their way after integrating new pieces, players coming over from international play, and regaining their championship form.

This was set to be one of the marquee games of the mid-season, and it looked like a dominant blowout for Vegas by the end of the first quarter. But, as was the case for the entire season, Sky vs. Aces did not disappoint. Every game brought emotion, excitement, and tremendous play between two of the elite squads in the W.

Courtney Vandersloot cut up the Aces’ defense with drives, mid-range jumpers, and dynamic pick-and-roll play. Candace Parker’s defense was a significant determining factor in the evening of the game. Azura Stevens outscored the Aces’ bench on her own with an incredibly efficient 19-point outing. This game had it all as the Sky erased a 28-point deficit and wound up nearly winning by double-digits themselves.

Here’s to another year of an awesome in-season series between the Aces and Sky.

The Two Weeks of the 2022 Draft Class

The opening two weeks of league play were significant for a plethora of reasons, but perhaps my favorite was the establishment of the next wave of youth.

You can project and contemplate a great deal based off of pre-professional data and viewings, but to an extent, you just don’t know who a player will be as a pro until they play in the league. The first few weeks of the season gave great reason for optimism about the ’22 Draft Class.

First-overall pick, Rhyne Howard, hit the ground running and didn’t look back. She shot the lights out and scored in double digits in her first five games, looking like an immediate All-Star, including a 21-point outburst against the Sparks in an early surprise win and 33 against the Fever a few games later in one of her more complete games of the season (her highest scoring as well).

The second overall pick, NaLyssa Smith, went a bit under the radar this season but had an incredibly fun and exciting season. Off rip, she shot the ball with confidence and efficacy from deep, including a 3/5 outing against the Dream in the same game Howard popped off. One of the more intriguing face-up and skilled scoring prospects in recent memory, adding that three-point jumper early and often was head-turning considering how little Smith shot from deep at Baylor.

Don’t forget about NaLyssa Smith! This Fever team is coming.

Third-overall pick, Shakira Austin, stepped into the starting lineup during her second game in the W… starting against Sylvia Fowles. In a Washington win, Austin legitimately held her own against Fowles while snagging the first double-double of her young career. Her defense and impact as a roller, screener and release valve for the Mystics’ guards were felt immediately. Austin would go on to start 32 games her rookie year after initially looking like she’d be the first big off the bench for a team that had deep playoff aspirations.

Elena Delle Donne’s First Back to Back

Former MVP and franchise stalwart Elena Delle Donne had played just three games in the last two years due to a back injury and missing the bubble due to COVID concerns (due to her Lyme disease, the risks of COVID were of that much more significance).

In the short stint that she did play last season, you could see the flashes of greatness, but she understandably wasn’t all the way back or primed physically. There were questions heading into this season on what level she would get back to.

I tried to approach it from an aspect of just hoping she could stay healthy, and anything additional would be awesome.

Well, Delle Donne returned as one of the best players in the league, arguably playing at an All-WNBA level.

There was no moment quite as special in Delle Donne’s season for me than when she played her first back-to-back of the season, playing in one of the most enjoyable miniseries of the year as the Mystics and Storm traded blows prior to an impending playoff series.

Delle Donne was stellar in both games, and the Mystics exited with a win in the second game of the series. While things didn’t go quite how the Mystics wanted in the postseason, seeing Delle Donne get back to that level was one of the moments I’ll cherish most from this season.

Connecticut’s Game 5 Comeback

Down 63-54 with just under 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter in the deciding game of the 2022 WNBA Semifinals, the Sun were in trouble. They were struggling to get stops as the Sky pushed the pace of the game, and every possession ending in a miss or turnover felt earth-shattering.

I was preparing to write my “This was a fun run” column on the Sun.

And then, the switch just flipped. Literally and figuratively.

The Sun ripped off a game-ending 18-0 run, the longest scoring run to close out a game in W playoff history. The sheer suddenness and change of momentum were not just unpredictable but felt impossible. It wasn’t even a thought in the back of my head.

Playing against the reigning champs, and not just the reigning champs, the champs who sent you packing as the One-seed last playoffs, you string together THAT run after playing a pretty shaky game? I’m not really one for miracle talk, but if miracles exist, the Sun’s Finals clinching run will persist in the annals of history when the word miracle is mentioned.

Every player for the Sun seemingly did something vital to propel the lead forward. Connecticut didn’t ultimately win the Finals they’ve sought to with this core group, and that undoubtedly stings for fans and the organization, but this playoff run isn’t one I’ll ever forget.

Chelsea Gray’s Postseason Run

If you thought this wasn’t making the list, shame on you!

Just kidding, but in all sincerity, there is legitimately no way to have a comprehensive and inclusive remembrance of the 2022 season without mentioning and applauding Chelsea Gray.

I took an extra few hours to write this simply because I got pulled down the rabbit hole of rewatching Gray’s shots and assists from the playoffs yet again.

We might never see an individual postseason run again like that in my lifetime. Statistically, one of the greatest runs we’ve seen in the sport at any level in any capacity.

Across 10 total games, Gray averaged 21.7 points and seven assists. She hit her shots at a 72.7% true-shooting clip, which accounts for threes and free throws. League average true-shooting for the 2022 W season was 54.1%.

She shot 54.4% from deep (nearly 6 per game), with the majority of her shots self-created and off the dribble. She shot 63.2% from 3-10 feet, 62.9% from 10-16 feet, and 69.2% from 16 feet to the arc. 12.3% of her two-pointers were assisted on, meaning that she self-created almost 90% of her baskets.

When factoring in the difficulty of her shot diet, the way those shots were created, and the way she contorted defenses, it’s mind-boggling.

The Aces’ victories were team efforts without question, but Gray punctuated everything.

The final game of the Semi-Finals against Seattle was one of those moments as a person covering the sport where you just stop taking notes and smile while you watch. The Storm literally pulled every coverage in the book to throw at Gray, but she was a supercomputer, set to pick apart every aspect of the court with every counter locked in at the exact right moment against some of the best individual and team defenders in the league.

An absolutely special run and showing from a special player.

While this doesn’t count as a moment per se, I want just briefly to take the time to thank you. Thank you for reading my work. Thank you for supporting me as I covered the league this year. Thank you for helping me grow in my enjoyment and coverage of a spectacular game.

It’s wild to comprehend the end of 2022, but that’s only opening the doors for another incredibly exciting year with new opportunities and possibilities.

I hope you enjoy the day, had a wonderful year, and are headed into a new calendar cycle with hope and passion.

WNBA reporter Mark Schindler writes a column on WNBA.com throughout the season and can be reached on Twitter at @MG_Schindler. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.