A'ja Wilson and Alanna Smith share WNBA Defensive Player of the Year
award
[September 19, 2025]
By MARK ANDERSON
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson
was voted WNBA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday for the third
time in four seasons, sharing the award this time with Alanna Smith of
the Minnesota Lynx.
Each player received 29 votes from the 72 media members who
participated. It's the first time the award, first given out in the
WNBA's inaugural season in 1997, went to more than one player. |
Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike, center, goes to the basket against
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) and forward NaLyssa Smith (3)
during the first half of Game 2 in the first round of the WNBA
basketball playoffs Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Seattle. (AP
Photo/Lindsey Wasson) |
|
Wilson, who also won the award in 2022 and 2023, tied Sheryl
Swoopes for the third-highest number of times capturing top
defensive player. Tamika Catchings owns the record with five and
Sylvia Fowles is next with four.
Wilson led the league with 2.3 blocks per game, was third with
7.9 defensive rebounds per game and finished fourth with an
average of 1.6 steals.
The Lynx led the WNBA with 97.5 points per 100 possessions.
Smith was second in combined steals and blocks with 135 and
third in average blocks with 1.9 and total blocks with 80.
She is the second Minnesota player in a row to at least share
this award. Napheesa Collier was voted the league's top
defensive player in 2024, making the Lynx the first team to have
two different players win the award in consecutive seasons.
Wilson and Collier are the front-runners for MVP, so whether the
defensive player voting was any kind of harbinger for what could
be a close vote remains to be seen. That award will be announced
Sunday.
The Lynx captured the top seed for the playoffs, and the Aces
were second.
Wilson and Smith were far ahead of the others in votes for top
defender. Seattle's Gabby Williams was third with nine votes,
Phoenix's Alyssa Thomas had three and Collier two.
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