September 27, 2026. Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson was named The Associated Press WNBA Player of the Year for a third consecutive season, becoming the first player to win the media award four times since it began in 2016.
Wilson received 15 of 17 first-place votes after leading the league with 26.2 points per game. She also averaged 9.4 rebounds and a career-high 3.2 assists, according to Reuters’ September 27 report.
Olivia Miles earns unanimous rookie recognition
Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles was the unanimous AP Rookie of the Year. The second overall draft pick averaged 19.8 points, 6.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds while Minnesota finished with the league’s best regular-season record.
Miles also broke the WNBA rookie scoring record in the final week of the regular season. The Lynx confirmed her league Rookie of the Year honor on September 28, one day after the AP awards were announced.
Other AP award recipients
- Defensive Player of the Year: Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream
- Comeback Player of the Year: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
- Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx
- Most Improved Player: Jessica Shepard, Dallas Wings
- Sixth Woman of the Year: Janelle Salaün, Golden State Valkyries
Reeve’s selection followed a regular season in which Minnesota posted the league’s best record. The Lynx also announced on September 28 that Reeve had won the WNBA’s official Coach of the Year award.
AP awards and league awards are different
The AP awards are selected by a national media panel. They are separate from the WNBA’s official awards, which use their own voting process and timetable. A player can win both, but an AP result should not be described as the league’s official award unless the WNBA separately announces it.
The awards arrived as the postseason began. For game coverage, AskNovus reported on Breanna Stewart’s 34-point performance in New York’s Game 1 win over Minnesota.
Sources
- Reuters, September 27, 2026
- Minnesota Lynx official news, September 28, 2026
- Dallas Wings official news, September 28, 2026
Featured photo: Max Winkler via Unsplash. The image is illustrative and does not depict the award recipients.