All statistics listed are per Reflector Press Time.
The WNBA Finals are quickly approaching and with more hype than ever surrounding the league, many eyes are turned to the races for the end-of-season awards. Some awards have a clear front runner while others have been a tight race since May. Records have been broken and many players have seen career highs, but the most important factors to keep in mind when choosing award winners are not only statistics, but also how the player has impacted their team. I may not be a pro, but I know and love all things basketball, so here are my predictions on who will be honored in this year’s postseason awards.
Most Valuable Player
After receiving one fourth-place vote and finishing third in the MVP last year, according to NBA Communications, the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson has put on dominant performance after dominant performance this season. Not only does she lead the league in points (27.0) and blocks (2.7) per game, she is second in rebounds (12.1), according to ESPN. In several games, Wilson has carried her team on her back to victories — like the team’s playoff-clinching win over the Atlanta Dream when she had 26 points and 16 rebounds — or to close losses, such as her 42-point performance in the Aces’ loss to the Dallas Wings. Although the Aces have not had the same record as the past two years, Wilson has only improved in defiance of that fourth-place vote. According to ESPN, Wilson’s top challenger for MVP is the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier, who averages 20.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. While Collier’s play has been incredible, and she has helped lead the Minnesota Lynx to a projected second or third seed in the playoffs, Wilson has been undeniably dominant in this year’s MVP race. I think the bigger question and anticipation lies in whether her selection will be unanimous.
Rookie of the Year
Since Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese declared for the draft, everyone knew the intensity for Rookie of the Year would be a fight to the end, and it certainly has not disappointed those who have watched them battle since the 2023 NCAA Championship. Some of the milestones Clark has reached in her first season have been breaking the single-game assist record (19), recording the first ever rookie triple double, setting the new WNBA record for most assists in a single season, tying the record for most career games with 25+ points and 10+ assists as well as several franchise records for the Indiana Fever. Additionally, Clark leads the league in assists per game (8.4), rookies in points (19.1) and steals (1.3). Reese has proved impressive in similar fashion as she did at LSU — rebounding. Before her unfortunate season-ending wrist injury, Reese broke the league record for single-season rebounds, passing Sylvia Fowles’ record from 2018 and ending with 446, according to ESPN, as well as recording three consecutive games with 20 rebounds, according to Yahoo Sports. She also leads the league in rebounds with 13.1 per game. Despite both women displaying incredible skills in their rookie seasons, I think the Rookie of the Year can be decided, maybe unlike other awards, by looking at the overall team records for the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky. Last season, Indiana’s record was 13-27 and Chicago’s was 18-22, according to the WNBA. This year, while the Sky has struggled and is sitting right on the edge of playoff contention with a record of 13-24, the Indiana Fever is 19-19, having reached a winning record in their win against Dallas on Sept. 1, the first time the team has been over .500 since 2019, according to the Indy Star. Because of the tremendous impact she has had on her team, leading them to a winning record, her incredible ability to hit her teammates up with jaw-dropping assists and to score just about anywhere on the floor, I am taking Caitlin Clark as my Rookie of the Year pick.
Coach of the Year
A team cannot improve without a good coach to lead the way, and the Minnesota Lynx have shown tremendous improvement from last season. This is seen by Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve to be ESPN’s front-runner to win Coach of the Year. Last year, the Lynx ended the season 19-21 and were ranked sixth in the playoffs where they fell to the Connecticut Sun. This year, the team is 28-9, won the Commissioner’s Cup in-season tournament and have the potential to be title contenders. One of the main differences between the Lynx’s past couple of seasons and this one, from a viewer’s standpoint, is the chemistry and defensive energy — both of which, cannot happen without a solid coaching staff. Other notable coaches this year have been Christie Sides who — although I do not think is in the running for Coach of the Year — I would certainly nominate for Most Improved Coach, if it were an award. The growth of the Fever throughout the season has been tremendous, and watching Sides and the team learn how to play together has been incredible. ESPN has New York Liberty Head Coach Sandy Brondello and Sun Head Coach Stephanie White — both leaders of championship-caliber teams this season. Although White has built a roster I love to watch play, and Brondello and the Liberty are always entertaining to watch, I will take Reeve for Coach of the Year due to the team’s jump in the standings from last season to this season.
Defensive Player of the Year
Although being the predicted runner-up for MVP, the Lynx’s Napheesa Collier is ESPN’s front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year. However, with two-time, defending Defensive Player of the Year A’ja Wilson right behind Collier, the race is far from over. Collier ranks in multiple defensive statistical categories, including third place in rebounds per game (9.7) and steals (1.9), according to ESPN. Collier’s leadership on the defensive end of the court has helped make the Lynx as successful as it has been this season, allowing teams to score an average of 75.7 points per game, according to WNBA. As previously mentioned, Wilson leads the league in blocks and is second in rebounds, making her a strong contender to go for three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards. In my opinion, what gives Collier the edge is the Lynx’s overall defensive efficiency and success this season. The Aces’ opponents score 81.3 points against them on average, according to WNBA, and they are 24-13 compared to the Lynx’s 28-9. While this is an individual award, the success of the two teams highlights how Collier’s defense has built her entire team up, where Wilson’s defense is phenomenal, but has not led to as much success as Collier’s.
Sixth Player of the Year
For those unfamiliar with basketball awards, the Sixth Player of the Year award is given to the best bench player in the league, and players must start less games than they do not start in order to be eligible to win. According to ESPN, this year’s race for Sixth Player of the Year could follow the same formula as last year — the strongest bench player from the strongest team. Last year this was Alysha Clark from the Aces, and this year ESPN gives it to the New York Liberty’s Leonie Fiebich. Although she averages 6.8 points per game, according to the WNBA, her minutes are efficient. She is averaging 46.9% from the field, 43.8% from three-point range and 72% from the free throw line. Fiebich has also had to jump in and play important minutes for the Liberty this season as they have dealt with injuries from two of the team’s starters, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Courtney Vandersloot. According to ESPN, the only bench player averaging double digit points is Los Angeles Sparks guard, Odyssey Sims, who has played on different contracts and teams throughout the season. ESPN’s runner-up for Sixth Player of the Year is the Aces’ Tiffany Hayes, who came out of her short retirement to join Las Vegas this season. Since playing a starting role for most of her professional career, Hayes has played well with the defending championship this season, contributing valuable minutes on both ends of the court when the team has needed it. This is a close call for me, since it is often less clear-cut than most other awards; every team needs something different from their sixth player, but this year I would give it to Hayes. Hayes is averaging 9.2 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists per game, according to WNBA. While she is not shooting as efficiently as Fiebich, Hayes is far from inefficient, shooting 50.3% on field goals and 39.2% from three.
Most Improved Player
Connecticut Sun Guard DiJonai Carrington has continued to grow with every season she has been in the league since being drafted in 2021. In 2023, she averaged 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, according to WNBA. In addition to her even contributions on the offensive end of the court, Carrington really shines on defense which has only become more impressive this season. In 2024, Carrington is averaging 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game, according to ESPN. While Carrington was a defensive menace last season, anybody who has seen her match up with the Fever’s Caitlin Clark knows how tough she plays. Carrington has consistently been a starter for the Sun this season, contributing important minutes, which will hopefully continue in the postseason. According to ESPN, Carrington’s top challenger is Chicago Sky Guard Chennedy Carter. While Carter has typically been in and out of the spotlight for negative reasons this season, she has certainly improved with the Sky and Head Coach Theresa Witherspoon. However, I do not see her as a strong contender for Most Improved Player. After being traded from the Atlanta Dream due to misconduct and released from the Los Angeles Sparks for similar reasons, this has been the first season where I think viewers have really seen Carter shine. This is an improvement, of course, but I think Carrington’s improvement has overall helped put her team in a better position this season than Carter’s contributions to the Sky.
WNBA Champion
At the beginning of the season, I would have bet anything that the Aces would be looking at a probable three-peat at this point in the season, but reality has not been kind to Las Vegas this year. While they are not out of the running for the title, they are looking at a 4- or 5-seed compared to its 1-seed in 2022 and 2023. The strongest contender for the title this year is the New York Liberty. The super team New York built in 2023 has continued to shine behind the reigning MVP Breanna Stewart as well as Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, and after losing to the Aces in the finals last season, I think they want to prove themselves more than any team going into playoffs.
