The 2024 WNBA playoffs are in full swing, and we've reached the semifinals, which feature a Finals rematch between the top-seeded New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces, and a defensive minded showdown between the Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Sun.
We're also right in the middle of awards season. The league has announced several major honors, including MVP, which went to Aces star A'ja Wilson for the third time, and Defensive Player of the Year, which Lynx forward Napheesa Collier collected on Sunday. There is also a report from Shams Charania that Caitlin Clark has won Rookie of the Year, though that has not been officially announced.
Here's a look at the awards we know so far, and what's still to come:
MVP: A'ja Wilson, Aces
Wilson put together the best individual season the league has ever seen, and had, in truth, wrapped up the MVP award by the middle of the summer. She became the first player to score 1,000 points in a season, set a record for the highest single-season scoring average (26.9 points), and broke the single-season rebounding record (451). Among all players, she was first in scoring, second in rebounds, first in blocks and fifth in steals. The only real question was whether Wilson would win the award in unanimous fashion, which she did, joining Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the only players to achieve that feat.
Rookie of the Year: Caitlin Clark, Fever
The league has still not made an official announcement regarding Rookie of the Year, but Charania reported that Clark will be the winner. That's no surprise after she put up one of the best debut seasons in league history. Clark set the single-game assist record, single-season assist record, rookie scoring record and rookie 3-point record, became the first rookie to record a triple-double (she finished with two) and the first rookie to receive a Player of the Month honor. She finished seventh in the league in scoring and first in assists.
Defensive Player of the Year: Napheesa Collier, Lynx
The Lynx were the biggest surprise team this season. They won a franchise-record 30 games and earned the No. 2 seed in the playoffs on the back of their dynamite defense, which ranked second in the league (94.8 defensive rating). Collier was the anchor of that unit. She averaged 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, which ranked second and seventh in the league, respectively, and had 3.7 defensive win shares, which was also good for second.
Most Improved Player: DiJonai Carrington, Sun
Carrington moved into the starting lineup for the Sun this year and put up career-highs across the board with 12.7 points, five rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. While that was impressive, she was named Most Improved Player in large part because of the leap she took on the defensive side of the ball. Arguably the best perimeter defender in the league, Carrington played a major role in the Sun's league-best 94.1 defensive rating.
Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year: Cheryl Reeve, Lynx
For just the second time ever, the Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year was the same person, Minnesota's Reeve. The Lynx maestro is also now the first person in league history to win Coach of the Year four times. She made a series of smart moves, both in the winter and mid-season, highlighted by signing Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith, and guided the Lynx to a franchise-record 30 wins and the No. 2 overall seed.
All-Defensive Teams
First Team
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
DiJonai Carrington | Sun |
Napheesa Collier | Lynx |
A'ja Wilson | Aces |
Second Team
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
Liberty | |
Storm | |
Lynx | |
Sun |
