A tight, three-way MVP race showed up on the All-WNBA Teams, as each of the three candidates was a unanimous pick for the first team, the league announced Sunday during “WNBA Countdown” ahead of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson and Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas were selected to the first team on all 60 ballots. They were joined by Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally. Voting is positionless for the first and second teams.
The All-WNBA Second Team included three players in the WNBA Finals: the Aces’ Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, and the Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu. Also making the second team were Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike and Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd.
Ogwumike is the longest-tenured player on the lists with her sixth selection.
Stewart, who was named 2023 MVP, earned her fifth first-team honor, while Wilson was selected for the third time and also earned the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year award. Thomas is a first-time selection, although she has been on the second team twice.
Wilson, who has led the Aces to the brink of a second straight championship, averaged a career-high 22.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.23 blocks per game in the regular season. Her 55.7% from the field also was the highest of her six-year career. The blocks mark was the best in the league. She had 22 double-doubles.
Stewart, in her first season with the Liberty, had a career year, averaging 23 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. She notched 20 double-doubles in the regular season and finished second in the league in scoring.
Thomas nearly averaged a triple-double this season with 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game. No player in WNBA history had ever averaged a 7-7-7 season. She also had a single-season record six triple-doubles.
That trio also made the All-WNBA Defensive Team earlier this postseason.
For being selected to the first team, players receive $10,300 and second-team honorees receive $5,150.
