Shepard Wins WNBA Most Improved Player — SkimNews
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- Jessica Shepard won Most Improved Player over Shakira Austin and Carla Leite in a close race, averaging 14.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game—up from 8.0, 7.3, and 2.6 last season.
- Shepard led the league with six triple-doubles, recorded just the second 20-20-10 game in WNBA history, and was one of only two players (alongside Angel Reese) to average a double-double.
- Olivia Miles was named unanimous Rookie of the Year—the sixth player to win the award unanimously, joining A'ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston and others—after averaging 19.8 points and 6 assists and breaking Caitlin Clark's rookie points record of 790.
- Cheryl Reeve won Coach of the Year for a record fifth time, becoming the first coach in major American professional sports to receive the honor five times, despite losing six rotation players and playing without Napheesa Collier until late July.
- Two of the three announced awards went to Minnesota Lynx members, yet the top-seeded Lynx were eliminated by the New York Liberty—the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 seed in the first round in WNBA history.
- Shepard joined Dallas in free agency on a two-year, $2 million deal, becoming a full-time starter for the first time in her career; Marina Mabrey, Dominique Malonga, and Rae Burrell also received MIP votes.
Why it matters: Reeve becomes the only five-time Coach of the Year across major American professional sports, cementing her status as the WNBA's most decorated coach even as her No. 1-seeded Lynx made history as the first top seed bounced in the first round. Shepard validates a $2M free-agent gamble by transforming from a 7.3-rebound role player into a triple-double threat who led the league in that category.
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