WNBA Awards Watch: A'ja, Thomas combat Collier for top honors

Welcome to our monthly look at the various individual awards in the WNBA and who merits a mention for their performances across the season.

Rookie of the Year

Citron has been a vital component of the Mystics' turnaround this season. She's offered steady play at both ends and is second among all rookies with 14.1 points and 1.6 threes made per game. Coach Sydney Johnson has given Citron a ton of responsibility, and as such, her 33.5 minutes per contest is eighth among all players and second behind Paige Bueckers for rookies. A first All-Star selection was more than deserved for the off-ball scorer.

Like Citron, Iriafen was selected as a reserve for the midseason showcase in Indiana, and for good reason: She's third among rookies in scoring (11.9) and tops in rebounds (8.5), which also puts her fourth in the league for boards. Her seven double-doubles are a team rookie record, surpassing Chamique Holdsclaw's mark of six.

Bueckers leads all rookies in scoring (18.3), assists (5.4), steals (1.7), and minutes (34.7). Her contributions have helped spark a modest boom for the Wings following a 1-11 start to the campaign - they now own a 5-5 record over their last 10 contests. Bueckers became the fastest player in league history to reach 200 points and 50 assists (11 games), and has scored in the double digits in all of her 17 WNBA outings.

Defensive Player of the Year

Collier is putting together another sensational season at both ends, but her defensive impact hasn't been as pronounced as it was in her 2024 DPOY campaign. She's still one of just two players to rank in the top seven in both blocks and steals, but the Lynx's bench defense has improved, and they're now slightly stingier when Collier's not on the court. That boost was partly due to the acquisition of Karlie Samuelson, who's now out for the season. This could potentially place more responsibility back on Collier.

Seattle's backcourt vet continues to be one of the league's most impactful perimeter stoppers since rejoining the franchise after the 2024 Olympic break. Williams leads the WNBA by a significant margin with 54 total steals and 2.5 on average. She's also the only player to tally four swipes in at least five games so far this season, including a career-high eight against the Sparks on June 17.

Despite a down season (relatively speaking for Wilson's lofty standards), the 28-year-old is still putting together a strong case for her third Defensive Player of the Year award in the last four seasons. She leads the WNBA with four stocks per game (combined blocks and steals), and the Aces' defensive rating is nearly at its worst when she isn't on the court.

Most Improved Player

Stevens missed the first half of 2024 due to injury and then struggled with inconsistent shooting after the All-Star break. She's looked like a different player in 2025, though. Her modest bump in scoring (14.7 points per game to 9.6 in 2024) comes courtesy of a 50% mark from the field - a huge jump from the 39.9% she shot last season. That includes a career-high 40.6% clip from distance, plus a personal-best 8.7 boards per game in Year 8.

Sykes never seemed to find her footing last season after a serious ankle sprain sidelined her for 10 contests. However, she's been as effective as ever through 2025 so far: She averaged 21.4 points through her first seven outings and now sits at 17.1 per game, the highest mark a young Mystics squad - she's one of only two players older than 26. Her bounce-back year has Washington on course, for now, to return to the playoffs after a 14-26 record last season.

Landing in Golden State has completely revitalized Burton's career. She's a full-time starter for the first time in four WNBA seasons, and the Valkyries guard is averaging more points this year (11.1) than in her first three combined (8.1). She also leads the squad in assists (5.4), and her turnover rate hasn't spiked despite a roughly 50% increase in usage from last season.

Sixth Player of the Year

Hiedeman's role behind Courtney Williams means the Lynx will rarely be without a facilitator who also doubles as a defensive backcourt menace. She averages 7.6 points and three assists per game, and arguably the most important stat is that she boasts Minnesota's best on-court net rating (15.1) by any player with at least 300 minutes. Her work off the bench has been vital as the Lynx attempt to lock down the No. 1 seed in the second half.

Hillmon, who's averaging 7.1 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 20.3 minutes, has arguably been the Dream's most impactful player even though she hasn't started any of her 21 appearances in Year 4. Atlanta's net rating is at its best when she's on the court (14) and its worst when she isn't (minus-5.2). Put another way, Atlanta is 7-1 in the eight times she's played the most minutes, but only 4-6 in the 10 games she's played the fewest.

Burke has thrived as the Liberty's new first option off the bench amid a breakout second year in New York. After shooting just 25.9% from deep in 2024, her 47.9% clip from distance this year ranks third in the league and second on the Liberty behind stretch forward Leonie Fiebich. Jonquel Jones' injury opened the door for Burke's increased role, but the 28-year-old will likely continue to be relied on after the Bahamian center returns from her ankle sprain.

Coach of the Year

Nakase and the Valkyries have been nearly the perfect pairing in all aspects. Despite a rough patch with four losses in their last five, the debut head coach still has the expansion side exceeding expectations in their inaugural campaign. Golden State is still well entrenched in the playoff race beyond the season's halfway mark with a defensive rating (99.2) that ranks fourth in the league.

The Lynx are pulling away in first thanks in large part to Napheesa Collier's stellar year, but reigning Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve has also been getting the most out of the whole roster. Her team ranks No. 1 in the WNBA in offensive rating, assist percentage, and assist-to-turnover rate, proving that her players have fully bought into the flowing system. The Lynx also own the top net rating for both starters and bench units, further exemplifying the coach's positive impact throughout the rotation.

Tibbetts has led Phoenix's entirely overhauled roster to top-seed contention, despite 2024 top scorer Kahleah Copper playing just six games due to left knee surgery in May. It helps when All-WNBA talents like Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally are the marquee offseason additions, but getting several new faces on the same page is no simple task; the new-look Mercury have five scorers averaging double-digits while also playing the third-best defense.

Most Valuable Player

Oddsmakers have Caitlin Clark as the third favorite for MVP, but at present, Clark has missed nine of the Indiana Fever's 21 games, opening the door for two-time recipient Stewart. The 30-year-old has appeared in all 20 of the New York Liberty's contests, and remains the focal point of a roster littered with stars, leading the team in points (19.5), rebounds (6.7), blocks (1.3), and minutes per game (32.8).

The Phoenix Mercury have been one of the best teams, and playmaking point forward Thomas is a big reason why. The six-time All-Star leads the league with nine assists per game, three-plus more than anyone not named Caitlin Clark, and her 56.3% assist percentage dwarfs the field. She's no slouch at scoring either (15.4), and she secured a league-record 16th triple-double in a July 7 victory over the Wings.

After finishing runner-up to Wilson a year ago, this is Collier's award to lose. She's guided the Lynx to a league-best 20-4 mark and leads the league in scoring (23.9) while sitting fourth in blocks (1.6), tied for fourth in steals (1.7), and sixth in boards (7.7). Collier will captain one of the two All-Star teams in the midst of a monster season for the team with the WNBA's best offensive and defensive ratings.