WNBA awards 2025: Complete list of winners for MVP, Most Improved, Sixth Player, Rookie of the Year and more

Gilbert McGregor

•
WNBA awards 2025: Complete list of winners for MVP, Most Improved, Sixth Player, Rookie of the Year and more image

As the 2025 WNBA playoffs get underway, the league will begin announcing winners of its end-of-season awards.

The process began on Monday, Sept. 15, when the WNBA named its Most Improved Player for the 2025 season and it runs through Sunday, Sept. 21, with a much-anticipated MVP announcement. The league's second announcement was Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

10 of the league's 13 end-of-season awards are voted on by a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The league also gives out Peak Performer Awards to its statistical leaders in points, rebounds, and assists per game.

Here is a running list of end-of-season award winners for the 2025 WNBA season.

MORE: Everything to know about the WNBA Playoffs in 2025

WNBA awards 2025

Most Valuable Player: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Make it a record four MVPs for Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson.

Wilson, who is now a back-to-back MVP winner, edged out Lynx star Napheesa Collier for the honor. Wilson received 51 first-place votes to Collier's 18. Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas came in third.

At 29, Wilson is now a four-time MVP and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Sixth Player of the Year: Naz Hillmon, Atlanta Dream

Atlanta Dream F Naz Hillmon won the 2025 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Award, as announced on Sept. 20.

Hillmon, a 2022 second-round pick, averaged a career-high 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2025 while coming off the bench in 27 of Atlanta's 44 games. Hillmon is the first player in Dream history to win Sixth Player of the Year honors.

Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Alanna Smith, Minnesota Lynx and A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Defensive Player of the Year honors will be shared by Minnesota Lynx center Alanna Smith and Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson.

The result was reached after a national panel of 72 sportswriters' selections resulted in Smith and Wilson both receiving 29 votes. It marks the first time in league history that a key individual award ended in a tie.

In 2025, Wilson anchored the Aces' defense with 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. Smith anchored Minnesota's No. 1 defense with averages of 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.

Coach of the Year: Natalie Nakase, Golden State Valkyries

The honors continue to roll in for the Golden State Valkyries, as the expansion franchise's first-year head coach, Natalie Nakase, was named WNBA Coach of the Year on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Nakase led Golden State to a 23-21 record and the WNBA's eighth seed. Her coaching efforts resulted in the Valkyries becoming the first WNBA franchise to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season.

Rookie of the Year: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings

Dallas Wings' No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers is, unsurprisingly, Rookie of the Year for the 2025 WNBA season.

Bueckers took the league by storm in her first pro season, averaging 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game over 36 games. Her season included two games with 30-plus points, including a 44-point outburst against the Sparks on Aug. 20.

Most Improved Player: Veronica Burton, Golden State Valkyries

Valkyries guard Veronica Burton has been named Most Improved Player for the 2025 WNBA season.

Burton, who was waived by the Wings before the 2024 season, signed with the Sun and carved a role before being made available in the 2025 expansion draft. After averaging 2.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists through her first three seasons, Burton averaged 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists for Golden State in 2025.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.