A’ja Wilson wins AP WNBA Player of the Year for 3rd straight year; Angel Reese top defensive player

A’ja Wilson has been honored with the AP's WNBA Player of the Year award for a remarkable third consecutive year. She secured 15 first-place votes from a media panel, outpacing Olivia Miles, Caitlin Clark, and Kelsey Mitchell. This achievement marks Wilson's fourth AP award overall, surpassing Breanna Stewart's record. The award is determined by a 17-member panel's weekly voting throughout the season.

Wilson led the league in scoring (26.2 points) and shot nearly 53% from the field. She also added 9.4 rebounds, a career-high 3.2 assists, and 1.9 blocks. Angel Reese, who previously won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times in the past four seasons, edged Wilson out for the defensive title. Reese's move to the Atlanta Dream this offseason paid off, as she led the league in steals and rebounds, averaging 9.4 rebounds per game for the third consecutive season.

Rookie Olivia Miles, the Lynx's top draft pick, was named the AP Rookie of the Year, setting a new record for points by a rookie. The award-winning players were also part of the AP All-WNBA first team, alongside stars such as A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and New York's Cheryl Reeve, the coach of the year for the third time.