WNBA season awards: A’ja Wilson and Alanna Smith split DPOY; Paige Bueckers crowned Rookie of the Year

WNBA Awards 2025: A’ja Wilson and Alanna Smith Make History as Co-Defensive Players of the Year; Paige Bueckers Named Rookie of the Year

Award season in the WNBA is officially underway, and history has already been made. For the first time ever, the league has crowned co-Defensive Players of the Year, with A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces and Alanna Smith of the Minnesota Lynx sharing the honor.

Wilson, who continues to build her legacy as one of the greatest defenders in league history, captured her third Defensive Player of the Year award, joining the exclusive ranks of Sheryl Swoopes, Sylvia Fowles, and Tamika Catchings. Smith, meanwhile, earned the recognition for the first time in her career, cementing her status as a defensive anchor for the Lynx, who finished with the league’s top-rated defense.

Both players received 29 votes each, and because the WNBA does not use a tiebreaker system for this award (only MVP has weighted voting), the two were officially declared co-winners. Statistically, Wilson led the league in blocks with 2.3 per game, while Smith ranked third at 1.9 per game, highlighting their dominance on opposite ends of the Western Conference.

Paige Bueckers Headlines Individual Awards as Rookie of the Year

The spotlight also shined on Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers, who was named Rookie of the Year after a phenomenal first season in the WNBA. Drafted No. 1 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Bueckers narrowly missed a unanimous selection, finishing just two votes short.

Her numbers speak for themselves: 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game on 47.7% shooting. She finished fifth in the league in scoring, ninth in assists, and sixth in steals. The rookie also etched her name into the record books by tying the WNBA’s single-game rookie scoring record with 44 points, which doubled as the highest-scoring performance by any player this season.

Veronica Burton Wins Most Improved Player With Breakout Season

Another standout story comes from the Golden State Valkyries, the league’s newest expansion franchise. Veronica Burton, selected from the Connecticut Sun in last December’s expansion draft, was named Most Improved Player after delivering career-best numbers across the board.

Burton started all 44 games and averaged 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, more than doubling her production from her first three WNBA seasons combined. Her steady play was pivotal in helping the Valkyries make the postseason in their inaugural season, a historic accomplishment for any expansion team.

Natalie Nakase Named Coach of the Year After Leading Expansion Valkyries to Playoffs

The Valkyries also struck gold with the hiring of Natalie Nakase as their first-ever head coach. Formerly an assistant under Becky Hammon with the Aces, Nakase guided Golden State to a 23-21 record and a playoff berth in their debut season.

Despite a roster without a traditional superstar, Nakase built a top-tier defense and maximized every player’s role, earning the Coach of the Year honor in her very first season as a WNBA head coach. Her rise establishes her as one of the league’s most promising young coaches.

Upcoming WNBA Awards Schedule

The WNBA will continue announcing its 2025 season awards over the coming weeks. Here’s the full schedule of what’s still to come:

Sept. 19: MVP Finalists Announced

Sept. 20: Sixth Player of the Year

Sept. 21: Most Valuable Player

Sept. 22: Sportsmanship Award

Sept. 23: Executive of the Year

Sept. 29: All-Rookie Team

Oct. 1: All-Defensive Teams

Oct. 7: All-WNBA Teams

The spotlight will soon shift to the league’s Most Valuable Player award, one of the most anticipated announcements of the season.