WNBA awards 2025: Complete list of winners for MVP, Most Improved, Sixth Player, Rookie of the Year and more originally appeared on The Sporting News
As the 2025 WNBA playoffs get underway, the league will begin announcing winners of its end-of-season awards.
Advertisement
The process began on Monday, Sept. 15, when the WNBA named its Most Improved Player for the 2025 season and it runs through Sunday, Sept. 21, with a much-anticipated MVP announcement. The league’s second announcement was Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
10 of the league’s 13 end-of-season awards are voted on by a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The league also gives out Peak Performer Awards to its statistical leaders in points, rebounds, and assists per game.
Here is a running list of end-of-season award winners for the 2025 WNBA season.
MORE: Everything to know about the WNBA Playoffs in 2025
Advertisement
WNBA awards 2025
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Alanna Smith, Minnesota Lynx and A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Defensive Player of the Year honors will be shared by Minnesota Lynx center Alanna Smith and Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson.
The result was reached after a national panel of 72 sportswriters’ selections resulted in Smith and Wilson both receiving 29 votes. It marks the first time in league history that a key individual award ended in a tie.
In 2025, Wilson anchored the Aces’ defense with 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. Smith anchored Minnesota’s No. 1 defense with averages of 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
Advertisement
Coach of the Year: Natalie Nakase, Golden State Valkyries
The honors continue to roll in for the Golden State Valkyries, as the expansion franchise’s first-year head coach, Natalie Nakase, was named WNBA Coach of the Year on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
Nakase led Golden State to a 23-21 record and the WNBA’s eighth seed. Her coaching efforts resulted in the Valkyries becoming the first WNBA franchise to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season.
Rookie of the Year: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Dallas Wings’ No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers is, unsurprisingly, Rookie of the Year for the 2025 WNBA season.
Advertisement
Bueckers took the league by storm in her first pro season, averaging 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game over 36 games. Her season included two games with 30-plus points, including a 44-point outburst against the Sparks on Aug. 20.
Most Improved Player: Veronica Burton, Golden State Valkyries
Valkyries guard Veronica Burton has been named Most Improved Player for the 2025 WNBA season.
Burton, who was waived by the Wings before the 2024 season, signed with the Sun and carved a role before being made available in the 2025 expansion draft. After averaging 2.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists through her first three seasons, Burton averaged 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists for Golden State in 2025.
Advertisement
Sixth Player of the Year
Atlanta Dream F Naz Hillmon won the 2025 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Award, as announced on Sept. 20.
Hillmon, a 2022 second-round pick, averaged a career-high 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2025 while coming off the bench in 27 of Atlanta’s 44 games. Hillmon is the first player in Dream history to win Sixth Player of the Year honors.
Most Valuable Player
The WNBA will reveal the winner of the MVP on Sunday, Sept. 21.
Five players were announced as finalists for the WNBA MVP award on Friday. With the winner set to be announced Sunday, the finalists are as follows:
Advertisement
-
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
-
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
-
Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
-
Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
-
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
