A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark had record-breaking seasons, putting up numbers the WNBA has never seen before.
Wilson became the first player in league history to score over 1,000 points in a season, averaging 26.9 points, while Clark broke the league’s single-season assist record and became the most points scored by a rookie in history.
So it was no surprise when the pair were unanimously selected as the Associated Press Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, respectively, by a 15-person media panel on Sunday.
“It means a lot,” Wilson said in a phone interview with The Associated Press, “the way I prepared and approached this season.”
The Las Vegas Aces star was unanimously named the league’s MVP early Sunday morning. The WNBA is expected to announce the rest of the awards during the postseason, which begins Sunday.
Wilson finished the regular season with 1,021 points, 451 rebounds and led the league with 98 blocks. She finished third in WNBA MVP voting last season, receiving one fourth-place vote, which she said motivated her to get even better in the offseason.
“When I started offseason training, I had a little bit of motivation, but by February I got bored of it,” Wilson said. “I didn’t want to give that guy that kind of energy, so I started to focus.”
Clark entered the league with perhaps the highest expectations of any rookie ever, and she lived up to them, leading the Indiana Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016. She broke the WNBA single-season record with 337 assists, including a league-record 19 in a single game, and also broke the single-season rookie scoring record with an average of 19.2 points.
“I am incredibly honored to be named the Associated Press Rookie of the Year,” she said, “This honor would not have been possible without my great teammates and coaching staff, and I look forward to continuing an exciting regular season into the postseason.”
Off the court, she helped drive the WNBA’s viewership and attendance to record levels.
Clark was named to the All-Rookie Team along with Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky. Reese averaged 13.1 rebounds per game, setting a new record for rebounds per game. Had it not been for a season-ending injury, Reese would have also set the overall rebounding record. Other rookies on the team were Leonie Fiebic of New York, Rikea Jackson of Los Angeles and Camila Cardoso of Chicago.
Wilson’s teammate, Tiffany Hayes, was named the Associated Press’ Sixth Woman of the Year award winner.
“She’s a difference maker for us in a lot of ways, both on the court and in the locker room,” Wilson said. “Tiff doesn’t have to be a vocal leader, but when she speaks, everyone listens. It just goes to show what a great player she is.”
Wilson and Clarke led the AP All-WNBA First Team along with Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas. Sabrina Ionescu, Kalia Copper, Nneka Ogwumike, Kayla McBride and Arike Ogunbowale were selected to the Second Team.
Other AP winners include:
• Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve. She led a team picked to be ninth in the preseason and helped Minnesota finish the regular season in second place. The Lynx won the Commissioner’s Cup and finished with 13 wins in their final 15 regular season games.
• Comeback Player of the Year: Skylar Diggins-Smith. The Seattle Storms guard missed last season to give birth to her second child. Diggins-Smith averaged 15.1 points and 6.4 assists this season.
• Most Improved Player: Dearica Hamby. The Los Angeles Sparks forward took a big step forward this season, averaging 17.3 points, 8.4 more points than last season, and grabbing more than three more rebounds per game. Hamby beat Connecticut’s Di’Jonai Carrington by one vote.
• Defensive Player of the Year: Collier. The Lynx star had a great season on both ends of the court, but was especially key to Minnesota’s stellar defense. The team boasted the best defense in the WNBA this season, and Collier’s play was a major reason for that. Wilson came in second, three votes behind Collier.
“I am extremely proud of Fee’s defensive work in 2024. Her dedication in all aspects of defense – deflections, denials, steals, blocks, rebounds – has anchored one of the best defensive teams in the league and led to her best season to date as a pro,” Reeve said.
AP WNBA Power Pole
Minnesota topped the power poll, with New York coming in second. Las Vegas and Connecticut followed. Seattle, Indiana, Atlanta and Phoenix followed. Washington, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles rounded out the voting.
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