An exciting WNBA season is coming to a close as the New York Liberty are one game away from their first title in franchise history. The season awards have also been handed out, as Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson (MVP), Indiana’s Caitlin Clark (Rookie of the Year), and Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier (Defensive Player of the Year) all took home hardware.
Those three players lead the way as the two All-WNBA teams were announced on Wednesday.
Wilson, Collier Top League in All-WNBA Votes
Wilson and Collier were unanimous All-WNBA selections, garnering 335 points among voters.
Wilson won her third WNBA MVP award and was a unanimous pick for that as well, leading the league in scoring and blocks, while ranking second in rebounds and fifth in steals. However, her Las Vegas Aces fell short of a three-peat, losing to New York in the semifinals. This is her fourth all-WNBA First Team selection, and fifth overall.
This is Collier’s second First Team selection, and third overall, as the Minnesota star was fifth in scoring, third in rebounds, and second in steals en route to winning Defensive Player of the Year. Clark was a near-unanimous pick for Rookie of the Year as she had a record-setting assists season, along with other records. The former Iowa star is the fifth rookie to make the First Team, joining Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings, and Candace Parker.
New York’s Breanna Stewart made her sixth First Team, and seventh overall, as the two-time MVP had another brilliant season. Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas made her second First Team, and third overall, to round out the team.
Ionescu Uses Second-Team Motivation in WNBA Finals
The All-WNBA Second Team is also stacked, led by New York’s Sabrina Ionescu, who dropped a joke on being snubbed for the first team.
However, Ionescu used that to motivate her in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, putting the Liberty up in the series with one of the great shots in the history of the league.
Kahleah Copper made the Second Team for her first All-WNBA appearance, as the Phoenix star was third in the league in scoring for the Mercury. Seattle’s Nneka Ogwumike is on the Second Team for the sixth time, and an All-WNBA team overall for the seventh time. The Storm star is a fantastic two-way player who was third in the league in steals.
Dallas’ Arike Ogunbowale was the MVP of the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game, in which a team of WNBA All-Stars defeated the women’s US national team. The sharpshooter was second in the league in scoring, but she saved her best performance for the All-Star Game, pouring in 34 points in 31 minutes in a 117-109 victory for the WNBA. This is Ogunbowale’s third overall All-WNBA team.
New York’s Jonquel Jones rounds out the Second Team, and this is her fifth All-WNBA selection. The Liberty center and former WNBA MVP was sixth in the league in rebounds, and eighth in blocks. Jones, like Stewart and Ionescu, will try to put away Minnesota in the WNBA Finals on Friday night.
