5 stars who can win the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award
The Defensive Player of the Year award is a prestigious title given to the best defender in the league. Both the NBA and WNBA have had this award for several years.
We've had multiple winners of the DPOY in the NBA, with Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo winning the award a record four times. Dwight Howard remains the only person to have won it three consecutive times.
The WNBA also has record holders like the NBA, with Tamika Catchings being the top-rated defensive machine. She won it a record five times, with her closest competitor Slyvia Fowles winning four. Both retired, so the tally shall remain at five and four, respectively.
Let's look at active players who could win the trophy for the first time or add it to their growing number of wins and may even surpass the likes of Catchings and Fowles.
Looking at players who can win WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award
#5 A'ja Wilson
The reigning DPOY of the WNBA, A'ja Wilson, has statistics that can be compared to NBA players. Her averages from last season are 1.9 blocks per game, 7.5 defensive rebounds a game, and a Basketball Reference defensive rating of 97.3.
Wilson's done even better this season, with a defensive rating of 93. Her blocks have also gone up to 2.2 per game.
Playing for the Las Vegas Aces, A'ja Wilson will look to win another DPOY, along with helping her team retain the championship.
#4 Candace Parker
Wilson's teammate, Candace Parker, is another player who can win the DPOY. She has won it once, during her final WNBA season with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2020.
Playing as a power forward, Parker boasts an impressive defensive rating of 94, very close to her new teammate. However, her averages across the board are slightly lower than the reigning champion, plus diminishing minutes will see her only be an outside shout.
#3 Shakira Austin
The youngest on this list, Shakira Austin, has only played one full season in the WNBA but has already staked her claim as one of the league's best defenders. Playing for the Washington Mystics, her season averages put her as the Top 3 defenders in the league.
With a defensive rating of 98.3 and averaging almost one block a game, Austin has excellent mobility and strength to protect her team from falling under the rim. She also only allows about 16 points a game in the paint, one of the league's best in rankings.
#2 Breanna Stewart
Breanna Stewart is in the news for her incredible achievement of breaking Diana Taurasi's WNBA single-season points record. But don't let her scoring achievements take away the limelight on her defensive abilities.
Stewart is a great perimeter defender for the New York Liberty; her size and mobility make her one of the most feared players on this list.
An incredible rebounder, she has 7.7 defensive rebounds a game, 1.6 blocks a game and 1.5 steals a game. Breanna Stewart is the perfect two-way player in the WNBA.
#1 Alyssa Thomas
The Connecticut Sun star player is essential for her team like none other. Alyssa Thomas reminds observers of P.J. Tucker, as she plays like a small ball center. Leading her team in rebounds and assists, her contributions on both ends of the court are heavily noticed.
Her defensive work rate puts her in the Top 10 of the league, with a Basketball Reference defensive rating of 97.7 and a win-share of 3.4, pushing her almost to MVP status.