WNBA Season Awards Picks for MVP, Rookie of the Year and More
This was a monumental WNBA season. Obviously a big part of that was the unprecedented attention the league received, but another aspect was the on court play.
Which makes selecting awards an arduous task, particularly when perhaps the two most notable players in the league had historic seasons simultaneously.
Here is how I would cast my vote for MVP, Rookie of the Year and all the WNBA awards.
1. MVP: A'ja Wilson
This pick was way more difficult than it should have been. That's because Wilson had perhaps the most dominant season in WNBA history for the Las Vegas Aces. A'ja became the first player to score 1,000 points in a season, topping the league in scoring more points than anyone ever has. She also led the W in blocks and was second in rebounds per game. The only reason it wasn't a complete no-brainer is that Caitlin Clark did things no player had before as well, leading a complete turnaround of the Indiana Fever. While Napheesa Collier deserves mention for the all around year she had with the Minnesota Lynx. The top three selections for MVP should be Wilson, Clark, and Collier in some order. However, A'ja gets my vote for first in a selection that may end up unanimous, speaking to the staggering season she had.
2. Rookie of the Year: Caitlin Clark
Despite being debated for much of the season, this was an easy call. Clark set the rookie record for scoring, the all-time mark for single season assists, and generated more points than any player ever has. Caitlin created for herself more than anyone else, and also created for others more than anyone else. This as the Fever went from bottom dweller to at least .500 and a playoff appearance. Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky deserves a shout out for her stellar rookie campaign, but the choice was not close.
3. Defensive Player of the Year: Napheesa Collier
Wilson had a case for this award as well. But I'm going with Collier based on her versatility. The Lynx have a better defense than the Aces overall and Collier is adept at defending the rim and rotating out to the perimeter. She is tied for second in steals per game, tied for fifth in blocks, and leads the W in Defensive Rating. So Napheesa gets the nod for Defensive Player of the Year.
4. Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve
Sandy Brondello of the New York Liberty deserves consideration, but given New York was in the Finals last season, the slight disparity in record was not enough to put her above Cheryl Reeve. The Lynx look every bit of a championship contender this season, while playing unselfish basketball and defending. They also withstood a little time Collier missed with injury. Making Reeve the league's top coach this season.
5. Most Improved Player: DiJonai Carrington
DiJonai Carrington had never been a starter in her WNBA career until this season, but she was an integral one for the Connecticut Sun. Carrington averaged 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals for the Sun. She contributed enough offense to go with elite perimeter defense to receive Most Improved Player honors.
6. Sixth Player of the Year: Leonie Fiebich
The New York Liberty deserve some recognition for being the league's top team and part of the reason they were able to hold that standing was because of the 24-year-old rookie out of Germany. Fiebich not only gave the squad defense and three-point shooting off the bench, but she actually started 15 games, giving her the edge over Tiffany Hayes of the Aces.
I previously revealed my picks for All-WNBA teams. The selections for first team were Wilson, Clark, Collier, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.
All in all it wasn't easy to make these choices in a WNBA season that will wind up as one for the history books.
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!