SI’s WNBA Award Voters Reveal Their Ballots

Our two voters explain their picks for the six major individual awards and the All-WNBA Team.

A'ja Wilson won her third WNBA MVP award this season. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The WNBA’s end-of-season awards began rolling out with the announcement of A’ja Wilson as unanimous MVP on Sunday. Sports Illustrated has two voters on the WNBA’s panel—and they agreed on much of their ballots. Here’s how they voted for some of the major awards:

MVP

Clare Brennan: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Emma Baccellieri: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

There is a reason why Wilson was unanimously awarded MVP with all 67 first-place ballots. She became only the second WNBA player to win the honor unanimously since Cynthia Cooper in 1997. In an unprecedented 2024 campaign, Wilson broke the single-season scoring record— becoming the first WNBA player to score 1,000 points—while also setting the single-season rebounding record. There is an impulse to rattle off eye-popping stats and feats to contextualize Wilson’s greatness, but it all seems to fall short. At 28 years old, the three-time MVP is the best player in basketball right now and is on track to go down as one of the greatest players in league history. — CB

“Here, in Wilson, is a player establishing herself as both a more prolific scorer than prime [Diana] Taurasi and a more effective board-crasher than prime [Sylvia] Fowles. That combination may have sounded impossible not so long ago. But the game has changed, and a savvy, versatile Wilson has changed with it.” I wrote this about Wilson when the W returned from its Olympic break in August. Nothing changed as she finished her historic season.— EB 

Rookie of the Year

CB: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
EB: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Angel Reese initially made this Rookie of the Year race interesting, averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds for the Chicago Sky. Clark, however, solidified her ROTY case by shaking off a 1–8 start and elevating as the season wore on. Leading the league in assists per game (8.6) while averaging 19.2 points per game, Clark showed she’s not just a potent scorer, but an elite facilitator. There were sky-high expectations for Clark as she entered the league and, remarkably, she’s lived up to them, leading the Fever back to the postseason for the first time since 2016. — CB

Another no-brainer. — EB

Defensive Player of the Year

CB: Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
EB: Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

Collier is the motor for one of the league’s best defenses, helping the Minnesota Lynx secure the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. She leads the league in defensive win shares per game, averaging the second-most steals (1.9) and the fourth-most rebounds per game (7.5). A powerful rim protector and dogged perimeter defender, Collier is a disruptor at every level. Defense is the foundation of the Lynx’s success thanks in large part to the persistence of Collier, making her one of the most impactful players on any team in the league. — CB

I spent time deliberating between Wilson and Collier for DPOY; Wilson led the league in blocks and rebounds and had a strong case here. But what ultimately sealed this for me is that Collier was the best defender on one of the best defenses in the WNBA. The Lynx secured the No. 2 seed because of their defense, and that runs, in large part, on the prowess of Collier. She offers impressive versatility—she can guard all five positions—and forces opponents to make compromises. — EB

Coach of the Year

CB: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx
EB: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx

Reeve is pursuing her fifth championship as coach of the Lynx after guiding Team USA to the gold medal in Paris. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Lynx weren’t at the top of many preseason rankings heading into the 2024 campaign after finishing 19–21 in ’23. With a group of new faces joining Minnesota, including starters Courtney Williams and Alana Smith, it would’ve been reasonable if the team needed time to build chemistry. But Reeve had her squad firing on all cylinders early, jumping out to a hot start. That momentum continued as the Lynx finished the regular season on an 8–2 run, playing its best basketball heading into the postseason. The veteran coach deserves praise for getting her players to buy in and developing Minnesota into one of the most commanding team defenses in the league. — CB

Reeve took a roster that returned only five players from last year and got them to form one of the best defenses in the league, win the Commissioner’s Cup and generally hit way above expectations. The savvy and expertise that earned her the head coaching position for Team USA was on full display this year in Minnesota. — EB

Most Improved Player

CB: DiJonai Carrington, Connecticut Sun
EB: Bridget Carleton, Minnesota Lynx

Carrington took a significant step forward for the Sun this year, joining Connecticut’s starting lineup after coming off the bench in her first three seasons with the team. Rising to the occasion, Carrington improved in almost every statistical category, averaging a career-high 12.7 points, five rebounds and 1.6 assists. While that may be expected for such a significant role change, Carrington delivering when called upon is nothing to scoff at. The impact of her increased minutes is palpable, with Carrington playing a critical role in the Sun’s suffocating defensive scheme as one of the league's best perimeter defenders.  — CB

After coming off the bench for the last two seasons, Carleton started almost every game this year for the Lynx, tripling her overall scoring and developing into a bona fide threat from deep. Her three-point percentage went from 33.7% last season to 44.4% this season, and she offered strong, consistently tough defense, too. — EB

Sixth Player of the Year

CB: Tiffany Hayes, Las Vegas Aces
EB: TIffany Hayes, Las Vegas Aces

A strong case could also be made for the New York Liberty’s Leonie Fiebich, who has quickly emerged as one of Sandy Brondello’s most powerful weapons on both sides of the ball. Starting in 15 of the Liberty’s games, Fiebich saw her role with New York broaden as the season progressed. Hayes, however, narrowly edged out Fiebich on my ballot as a tried-and-true Sixth Player of the Year, injecting Becky Hammon’s lineup with energy off the bench. After coming out of retirement and joining the Aces, Hayes averaged 21.5 minutes, 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists for Las Vegas, which had struggled with injuries throughout the regular season. — CB

While I considered Fiebich and, to a lesser extent, Sophie Cunningham of the Phoenix Mercury, I chose Hayes for the same reasons that Clare did above: She was every bit as productive as the aforementioned players (if not slightly more so!) while serving in a true bench role. Hayes started just five games this year; Fiebich started 15, and Cunningham, 21. But it was Hayes who led this bunch in scoring—putting together a tremendously efficient, dynamic campaign. — EB

All-WNBA Team

CB: 
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun 

EB:
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm