WNBA Awards Summary and Schedule: A'ja Wilson and Alanna Smith Share Defensive Player of the Year; Paige Bueckers Wins Rookie of the Year Award
The WNBA season has come to a thrilling close, with a host of awards and recognitions being announced over the past few weeks. Here's a roundup of the most notable accolades and achievements from the 2022 season.
On September 20, Veronica Burton of the Golden State Valkyries was named the Sixth Player of the Year. Burton, who was selected from the Connecticut Sun in the expansion draft last December, had a remarkable season, surpassing her career-best totals in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Her impressive performance earned her the title of Most Improved Player for the Valkyries.
Meanwhile, Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, had an impressive rookie season with the Connecticut Sun. Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, and even set the highest-scoring game of the season with 44 points, tying the WNBA's single-game rookie scoring record. Bueckers was named the unanimous WNBA Rookie of the Year, falling just two votes shy of a unanimous decision.
In the defensive category, A'ja Wilson and Alanna Smith were named co-Defensive Players of the Year. Wilson led the league in blocks with 2.3 per game, while Smith was third in the league with 1.9 blocks per game. The duo's dominance on defense helped their respective teams, the Las Vegas Aces and the Minnesota Lynx, boast league-leading defenses.
The Valkyries, under the leadership of Coach Natalie Nakase, made history by becoming the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season. Nakase, who spent the past three seasons as an assistant for Becky Hammon with the Las Vegas Aces, was awarded WNBA Coach of the Year at the 2022 WNBA Awards.
The schedule for future award announcements includes the MVP, All-WNBA, and All-Defensive teams. The Sportsmanship Award was announced on September 22, and the All-Rookie Team will be announced on September 29. The Executive of the Year will be announced on September 23, and the finalists for MVP will be announced on September 19. The All-WNBA Teams and All-Defensive Teams will be announced on October 7 and October 1, respectively.
As the 2022 WNBA season comes to a close, it's clear that the league is in good hands with the rising stars and talented coaches leading the way. The future looks bright for the WNBA, and fans are eagerly awaiting the playoffs and the announcement of the remaining awards.
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