Wilson Wins 3rd Straight AP WNBA Player of the Year — SkimNews
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- A'ja Wilson won AP WNBA Player of the Year for an unprecedented third consecutive season, receiving 15 of 17 first-place votes and breaking a tie with Breanna Stewart with her fourth overall award.
- Wilson led the WNBA in scoring at 26.2 points per game while shooting nearly 52.7% from the field, adding 9.4 rebounds, a career-best 3.2 assists, and 1.9 blocks.
- Angel Reese won AP Defensive Player of the Year, dethroning three-time former winner Wilson; Reese was third in the league in steals and topped the WNBA in rebounds for the third straight season after her offseason move to Atlanta.
- Olivia Miles was a unanimous AP Rookie of the Year, averaging 19.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.7 rebounds for the top-seeded Lynx, and set the WNBA rookie scoring record, surpassing Caitlin Clark's 2024 mark.
- Cheryl Reeve earned AP Coach of the Year for the third time after guiding the Lynx to the No. 1 seed despite missing Napheesa Collier for the first half of the season as she recovered from ankle surgery.
- Caitlin Clark took Comeback Player of the Year after missing much of last season with injuries, averaging 22.3 points and 8.3 assists across 40 games this year.
- Jessica Shepard was named Most Improved Player after posting career highs of 14.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists with six triple-doubles, while Janelle Salaun won Sixth Woman of the Year as Golden State's top reserve.
- Wilson, Clark, Miles, and Kelsey Mitchell headlined the AP All-WNBA first team alongside Breanna Stewart; Reese was named to the second team.
Why it matters: Wilson's third straight AP honor — a feat no player has matched since the awards began in 2016 — cements her as the league's defining star heading into the playoffs, while Reese's defensive crown and Miles' record-setting rookie campaign signal a generational handoff already underway across the WNBA's top awards.
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