The WNBA season provided us with plenty of thrills and surprises.
From a previous champion falling from the top and rising again at the end in the Aces to rookie phenoms like Paige Bueckers shining and the expansion team Valkyries making the postseason, there were plenty of twists and turns in the 2025 season.
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With the league being as competitive as ever before, conversations regarding which players should earn end-of-the-season awards were as heated as ever.
I was asked to participate in the award process by the league and accepted the honor, a privilege I take very seriously. I went through countless hours of games and watched film in an effort to make the best, most educated selections possible.
In the end, these are my picks and a breakdown of why they were the best players to select.
Most Valuable Player – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Last year, Wilson won the MVP award unanimously. This season, it’s unlikely to be so clear-cut. The conversations so far seem to revolve around the trio of Napheesa Collier, Alyssa Thomas and Wilson and all three players are deserving.
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Thomas is the leader of the Mercury, helped the franchise finish with a top-four seed and registered a WNBA record seven triple-doubles this season.
Collier is the best player on the best team in the league and is tied for the highest plus-minus total in the WNBA at +335.
However, there can be only one MVP, and once I looked into the totality of the WNBA season, it was obvious I had to go with Wilson.
A’ja is the best scorer in the league, averaging 23.4 points per game. Her 2.3 blocks per game is also a WNBA best. Simply put, the Aces don’t reach the mind-boggling 16 consecutive wins they had to finish off the season if it wasn’t for her efforts.
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Las Vegas starts and ends with Wilson, and somehow she has them as WNBA title contenders once again. And yes, while she has incredible players on her team like Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young, no one would dare argue about why the Aces are contenders; it’s because of A’ja.
Her value is ineffable and that’s why she is my MVP.
Defensive Player of the Year – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
I don’t want my ballot to just be the Wilson show, but who else was a better defender? She led the league in blocks, as I mentioned earlier, and also averages a league-best 1.6 steals per game.
When you watch the Aces play, it’s clear that any time an opponent drives to the paint, Las Vegas’ goal is for Wilson to be waiting to challenge a shot attempt. And when teams are stubborn enough to attempt a shot with A’ja ready, the results are rarely positive for said team.
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Other worthy candidates included Gabby Williams, Alanna Smith and Collier. But none were as dominant defensively as Wilson was, nor were they as depended upon to be elite defenders for their teams to be successful.
Rookie of the Year – Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
This rookie class was elite with ready-now players like Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen making an impact right away.
For this award, I debated for almost no time; it’s Paige.
Sure, Citron was great, but Paige was the No. 1 pick, adjusted to the league almost immediately and is so dominant already that the franchise is now entirely centered on optimizing her as the cornerstone.
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Paige was the rookie leader in points, assists, and minutes played. She set the rookie record for points in a game with 44, which is also the most by any player in the league this year.
Given her dominance, I wouldn’t be surprised if Bueckers wins ROY unanimously.
Coach of the Year – Natalie Nakase, Golden State Valkyries
Raise your hand if you had the expansion team easily making the playoffs. If your hand is up, you are lying.
Somehow, Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase took a team of rookies and players left unprotected in the expansion draft and turned them into a postseason team.
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Simply put, no one did more with less than Nakase and, in record time, she established an identity and a winning culture. What she’s accomplished is unprecedented and will be the new benchmark of excellence for every upcoming expansion side.
Something tells me that even with multiple new teams arriving in the WNBA, what Nakase and the Valkyries have done will be very difficult to replicate.
Most Improved Player – Veronica Burton, Golden State Valkyries
Nakase helped create the culture at Golden State, but Burton has been the one who puts that into action. Burton went from a player who only played a couple of shifts a night with the Sun to a bona fide starter and leader for the Valkyries.
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She’s averaged 12 points, 4.4 rebounds, and six assists per game this year, which is far better than the 3.1 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 rebounds per game last season.
This wasn’t just an increase in playing time. Her field goal percentage is at a career high 39% and her per-36 stats are at career-best levels.
Sixth Player of the Year – Naz Hillmon, Atlanta Dream
Hillmon’s stellar 2025 campaign will include a playoff run and likely the Sixth Player of the Year Award.
In the 25 games she played as a reserve, Hillmon averaged eight points, 4.9 rebounds, shot 35% from 3-point range and had a plus-minus of +153.
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Her improvement, role on the team and impact on winning are all reasons why she got my vote for the best bench player in the WNBA.
All-Rookie Team
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics
Kiki Iriafen, Washington Mystics
Janelle Salaün, Golden State Valkyries
Saniya Rivers, Connecticut Sun
This year’s rookie class was an elite one. Paige was the best one, but Citron and Iriafen were All-Stars and Salaün and Rivers made massive contributions on their team.
Other notable standouts from this year’s class also include Monique Akoa Makani of the Mercury and Dominique Malonga of the Storm.
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All-WNBA teams
First Team
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
Second Team
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks
Figuring out which ten players should make the All-WNBA team is about as fun as going to the dentist. The work is long and painstaking and, when done well, you feel for the players left off who are deserving of making the team, but the constraints don’t allow it.
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Players like Dearica Hamby of the Sparks, Satou Sabally of the Mercury and Rhyne Howard of the Dream are all worthy and were heavily considered.
In the end, these were the ten players I felt consistently played the highest level of basketball in the WNBA.
All-Defensive Teams
First Team
Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm
Alanna Smith, Minnesota Lynx
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
Second Team
Brittney Sykes, Seattle Storm
Leonie Fiebich, New York Liberty
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm
Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
Just like the All-WNBA teams, these defensive selections here are tough to make. Gray of the Dream and Breanna Stewart of the Liberty could’ve easily made this list and will likely be in plenty of ballots.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
