2018 WNBA.com GM Survey: Sparks predicted to win championship; Maya Moore tabbed to be MVP

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The WNBA’s 12 general managers picked the Los Angeles Sparks to win the 2018 WNBA championship in the 16th annual WNBA.com GM survey. A title for the Sparks would be a fourth championship for the franchise. The league’s GM’s also predicted the season’s MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and more.

The results of the survey are below:

Predictions

Which team will win the 2018 WNBA Finals?
1. Los Angeles Sparks = 33% 
2. Minnesota Lynx = 25%
T-3. Phoenix Mercury, Connecticut Sun = 17%
5. Dallas Wings = 8%

Which team will have the most (regular-season) wins in the Eastern Conference?
1. Connecticut Sun = 75% 
2. Washington Mystics = 17%
3. Atlanta Dream = 8%

Which team will have the most (regular-season) wins in the Western Conference?
1. Los Angeles Sparks = 50% 
2. Minnesota Lynx = 25%
3. Phoenix Mercury = 17%
4. Dallas Wings = 8%

Who will win the 2018 WNBA MVP?
1. Maya Moore = 33% 
2. Brittney Griner = 17%
3. Elena Delle Donne = 8%
T-4. Tina Charles, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jonquel Jones, Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart = 8%

Who will win Rookie of the Year?
1. A’ja Wilson = 83% 
2. Kelsey Mitchell = 17%

Who will win the Defensive Player of the Year Award?
1. Brittney Griner = 33% 
T-2. Alana Beard, Angel McCoughtry = 17%
4. Sylvia Fowles = 17%
T-5. Liz Cambage, Maya Moore = 8%

Which player is most likely to have a breakout season?
T-1. Kelsey Plum, Brittney Sykes = 25% 
3. Kayla McBride = 18%
T-4. DeWanna Bonner, Nia Coffey, Azura Stevens, Breanna Stewart, Erica Wheeler = 8%

Which international player is most likely to have a breakout season?
1. Liz Cambage = 75% 
T-2. Damiris Dantas, Ji-Su Park, Maria Vadeeva = 8%

Which sleeper rookie is most likely to be a success?
1. Monique Billings = 25% 
T-2. Ariel Atkins, Azura Stevens = 17%
T-4. Jordin Canada, Myisha Hines-Allen, Stephanie Mavunga, Kelsey Mitchell, Ji-Su Park = 8%

Best Players and Coaches

Who is the best guard in the WNBA?
1. Diana Taurasi = 67% 
2. Courtney Vandersloot = 17%
T- 3. Sue Bird, Skylar Diggins-Smith = 8%

Who is the best forward in the WNBA?
1. Maya Moore = 42% 
2. Candace Parker = 25%
3. Elena Delle Donne = 17%
T-4. Tina Charles, Breanna Stewart = 8%

Who is the best center in the WNBA?
1. Sylvia Fowles = 58% 
2. Brittney Griner = 25%
T-3. Liz Cambage, Jonquel Jones = 8%

Who is the best overall coach in the WNBA?
1. Cheryl Reeve = 50% 
2. Brian Agler = 25%
3. Mike Thibault = 17%
4. Curt Miller = 8%

Which head coach is the best manager/motivator of people?
1. Cheryl Reeve = 33% 
2. Brian Agler = 25%
3. Curt Miller = 17%
T-4. Nicki Collen, Dan Hughes, Mike Thibault = 8%

Who is the most underrated player in the WNBA?
T-1. Chelsea Gray, Tiffany Hayes = 17% 
T-3. Karima Christmas-Kelly, Layshia Clarendon, Alysha Clark, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Erica Wheeler, Jasmine Thomas, Kayla McBride, Courtney Vandersloot = 8%

Which player is the best finisher?
1. Tina Charles = 33% 
2. Maya Moore = 25%
3. Brittney Griner = 17%
T-4. Sylvia Fowles, Nneka Ogwumike, Diana Taurasi  = 8%

Which player is the best at creating her own shot?
1. Angel McCoughtry = 42% 
2. Diana Taurasi = 25%
T-3. Jewell Loyd, Jonquel Jones, Maya Moore, Courtney Williams = 8%

Which player is the best rebounder?
1. Jonquel Jones = 58% 
2. Tina Charles = 25%
T-3. Sylvia Fowles, Brittney Griner = 8%

Which player has the best post moves?
1. Tina Charles = 83% 
T-2. Elena Delle Donne, Nneka Ogwumike = 8%

Which player is the best passer?
T-1. Sue Bird, Courtney Vandersloot = 42% 
2. Chelsea Gray = 17%

Which player is the most dangerous in the open floor?
1. Angel McCoughtry = 50% 
T-2. Jewell Loyd, Maya Moore = 17%
T-4. Skylar Diggins-Smith, Erica Wheeler = 8%

Which player is the most athletic?
1. Angel McCoughtry = 25% 
2. Brittney Sykes = 17%
3. Glory Johnson = 17%
T-4. Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jewell Loyd, Chiney Ogwumike, Nneka Ogwumike, Courtney Williams = 8%

Which player is the best pure shooter?
T-1. Allie Quigley, Diana Taurasi = 33% 
T-3. Sue Bird, Elena Delle Donne, Maya Moore, Kristi Toliver = 8%

Which player is the best leader?
1. Sue Bird = 75% 
2. Lindsay Whalen = 17%
3. Candice Dupree = 8%

Who is the toughest player in the WNBA?
T-1. Rebekkah Brunson, Glory Johnson, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt = 17%
T-4. Alana Beard, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart, Lindsay Whalen = 8%

Which player has the highest basketball IQ?
1. Sue Bird = 67% 
2. Candace Parker = 17%
T-3. Diana Taurasi, Lindsay Whalen = 8%

Which player is the best at making her teammates better?
1. Sue Bird = 58% 
2. Lindsay Whalen = 17%
T-3. Karima Christmas-Kelly, Diana Taurasi, Courtney Vandersloot = 8%

Defense

Who is the best on-the-ball defender in the WNBA?
1. Alana Beard = 50%
2. Jasmine Thomas = 25%
3. Briann January = 17%
4. Angel McCoughtry = 8%

Which is the best defensive team in the WNBA?
1. Los Angeles Sparks = 50%
2. Minnesota Lynx = 25%
T-3. New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Washington Mystics = 8%

Who is the best interior defender in the WNBA?
1. Sylvia Fowles = 58%
2. Brittney Griner = 33%
3. Liz Cambage = 8%

Who is the best perimeter defender in the WNBA?
1. Alana Beard = 58%
2. Angel McCoughtry = 17%
T-3. Maya Moore, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, Jasmine Thomas = 8%

Offense

Which one player acquisition will make the biggest impact?
1. Liz Cambage (Dallas Wings) = 67%
2. Renee Montgomery (Atlanta Dream) = 17%
T-3. Jessica Breland (Atlanta Dream), Natasha Howard (Seattle Storm) = 8%

Which team will be most improved in 2018?
1. Atlanta Dream = 50%
2. Dallas Wings = 25%
T-3. Indiana Fever, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury = 8%

Which team made the best offseason moves overall?
1. Atlanta Dream 50%
2. Dallas Wings 17%
T-3. Indiana Fever, Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury = 8%

What was the most surprising move of the offseason?
1. Renee Montgomery signing with Atlanta Dream = 42%
2. Cappie Pondexter signing with LA Sparks = 17%
T-3. Danielle Robinson traded to Minnesota Lynx, Gabby Williams drafted No. 4 overall by Chicago Sky, Liz Cambage re-joining Dallas Wings, Marissa Coleman waived by Indiana Fever, Odyssey Sims signing with LA Sparks = 8%

Miscellaneous

If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the WNBA, who would it be?
1. Breanna Stewart = 42%
2. Maya Moore = 33%
T-3. Brittney Griner, Nneka Ogwumike, Diana Taurasi = 8%

Which team has the best home-court advantage?
1. Minnesota Lynx = 92%
2. Seattle Storm = 8%

Which team is the most fun to watch?
1. Connecticut Sun = 50%
2. Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx = 17%
3. Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm = 8%

Which active player would make­­ the best head coach someday?
1. Lindsay Whalen = 50%
2. Sue Bird = 42%
3. Alana Beard = 8%

Which player would you want taking a shot with the game on the line?
1. Maya Moore = 58%
2. Diana Taurasi = 33%
3. Sue Bird = 8%

Which player do you think has the greatest hunger to win a championship in 2018?
T-1. Skylar Diggins-Smith, Angel McCoughtry, Diana Taurasi = 17%
T-4. Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Elena Delle Donne, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Candace Parker = 8%

Which player forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments?
1. Brittney Griner = 42%
2. Sylvia Fowles = 17%
T-3. Elena Delle Donne, Angel McCoughtry, Maya Moore, Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart = 8%