HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson was honored as the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in a row.
She has won the award more than once, making her the eighth player to do so.
Wilson was the recipient of 32 out of 60 votes from a panel of national media members. Alyssa Thomas, a forward for the Connecticut Sun, came in second place with 24 votes. No other player managed to secure more than three votes.
Wilson, while playing for the league’s best defense, also topped the WNBA in defensive efficiency rating (93.2) and blocked shots (2.2). She ranked third in defensive rebounds per game (7.5) and tenth in steals (1.4). Wilson has now led the league in blocked shots for the third time in four years.
Wilson was chosen for the league’s defensive first team for the third time. Joining her on the team were Thomas from the Sun, Sykes from the Washington Mystics, Stewart from the New York Liberty, and Canada from the Los Angeles Sparks.
On the second team were Betnijah Laney of the Liberty, Ezi Magbegor of the Seattle Storm, Nneka Ogwumike of the Sparks, Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Elizabeth Williams of the Chicago Sky.
Wilson is also a candidate for the league MVP, which will be revealed on Tuesday prior to the Aces facing the Wings in Game 2 of their semifinal series. She has been the recipient of this award in two out of the last three years.
