WNBA Crowns New Royalty: Wilson, Reese, Clark Dominate AP Awards!

A'ja Wilson has achieved an unprecedented milestone, securing The Associated Press' WNBA Player of the Year award for the third consecutive season. This marks her fourth overall AP award, breaking a tie with Breanna Stewart for the most since the awards' inception in 2016. Wilson received 15 of the 17 first-place votes from a national media panel, reflecting her exceptional performance. She led the WNBA in scoring with an impressive 26.2 points per game, maintaining a field goal percentage of nearly 52.7%. Her all-around game also included an average of 9.4 rebounds, a career-best 3.2 assists, and 1.9 blocks per contest. Wilson expressed humility and honor for the achievement, acknowledging the immense talent within the league.

While Wilson claimed the top individual honor, Angel Reese was named the AP Defensive Player of the Year, dethroning Wilson who had won the award in three of the past four seasons. Reese's move to Atlanta proved impactful, as she ranked third in the league in steals and demonstrated remarkable defensive versatility across positions. Notably, Reese also topped the league in rebounds for the third consecutive season, underscoring her defensive dominance.

The AP Rookie of the Year award was unanimously given to Olivia Miles of the Minnesota Lynx. As the No. 2 pick in the draft, Miles delivered an incredible debut season, averaging 19.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. Her stellar play was crucial in guiding Minnesota to the best record in the league. Miles also made history by setting a new WNBA record for points by a rookie, surpassing Caitlin Clark's mark from 2024. The AP All-Rookie team also included Azzi Fudd (Dallas), Sydney Taylor (Chicago), Flau'jae Johnson (Seattle), Pauline Astier (New York), and Kiki Rice (Toronto).

The AP All-WNBA First Team was headlined by A'ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Olivia Miles, and Kelsey Mitchell, joined by New York's Breanna Stewart. The Second Team comprised Angel Reese, her teammate Rhyne Howard (Atlanta), Paige Bueckers (Dallas), Jackie Young (Las Vegas), and Gabby Williams (Golden State).

Several other AP awards recognized outstanding achievements across the league. Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx earned her third AP Coach of the Year award, having previously won in 2020 and 2024. She expertly led her team to the No. 1 seed in the playoffs despite superstar Napheesa Collier missing the first half of the season due to ankle surgery. Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever guard, was honored as the Comeback Player of the Year. After missing significant time last season due to injuries, Clark returned strong, playing in 40 games and averaging 22.3 points, 8.3 assists, and 4.0 rebounds. Jessica Shepard, the Wings forward, was named the Most Improved Player. Joining the team as a free agent, Shepard set career highs in points (14.5), rebounds (11.1), assists (5.3), and minutes (31.7), and recorded an impressive six triple-doubles. Lastly, Janelle Salaun, the Valkyries forward, received the Sixth Woman of the Year award. Salaun came off the bench in all 40 games, leading all reserves in scoring with 12.7 points and 4.0 rebounds, while shooting 39.2% from three-point range, contributing to Golden State's bench averaging over 36 points per game.