WNBA award picks for MVP, Rookie of the Year, All-WNBA, more

Here is my 2024 WNBA Awards ballot and my thought process for who I selected and why.

The 2024 WNBA regular season was one for the books. Generational young talent entered the league, like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese and veterans like A'ja Wilson raised the bar of excellence.

As we turn the page and enter the postseason, it is time to reflect and give out end-of-season awards for the WNBA.

I was asked to participate in the award process by the league and accepted the honor.

I went through hundreds of hours of games and watched film again and again, tossing and turning on certain selections because so many players were deserving.

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

Many decisions up and down the ballot were tough, but this one was not. It was always Wilson's award. Her numbers are up all across the board, averaging 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists. The fact that her minutes, points, assists, steals and blocks all went up and her turnovers went down is mind-boggling.

Even as the Aces enter the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, they are still the team to beat and Wilson is why. She is as dominant as they come and if Wilson needs to score 35-plus points to take the Aces back to the Finals, she very well might do just that and make it look easy.

Napheesa Collier is the only other player who can be mentioned in the same breath as Wilson and while she had an incredible season, it's just not at that level. This is why I picked Wilson for MVP and believe she should win the award and do so unanimously.

Rookie of the Year - Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Another easy decision was selecting Clark as the Rookie of the Year. While Angel Reese had a sensational season and would've easily won the award many other times, it was always Caitlin's to lose and she won it this year.

Carrying the Fever from the basement of the league to playoff contention, Clark mesmerized and electrified the basketball world.

She made countless passes that I didn't see possible and when she got hot from 3-point range, she looked like the best player in the league.

Clark's season was one for the history books and even with this being one of the best rookie classes, her play stood head and shoulders above her peers.

All-Rookie Team

Kamilla Cardoso - Chicago Sky
Caitlin Clark - Indiana Fever
Aaliyah Edwards - Washington Mystics
Rickea Jackson - Los Angeles Sparks
Angel Reese - Chicago Sky

What a rookie class 2024 gave us. I see multiple All-Stars on this team and let's not forget Cameron Brink, who most likely would've made this list had she not torn her ACL during the early part of the season. The WNBA's future is bright with these players leading the way.

Sixth Player of the Year - Leonie Fiebich, New York Liberty

Fiebich is a 24-year-old rookie who was the glue that helped keep the Liberty together throughout the season.

At the beginning of the year, she played only a few shifts per game, but by season's end, she was logging 20-plus minutes and became an integral part of the rotation.

Her 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game don't tell the whole story. Thanks to her size and versatility, she was able to carry more of the load during stretches where Courtney Vandersloot and Betnijah Laney missed action.

Thanks to her play and ability to adjust to the Liberty's needs, the team won a franchise-tying 32 games and is the top seed in the league.

Tiffany Hayes was also deserving and may very well win it, but I went with Fiebich based on her ability to impact winning and doing whatever the Liberty needed, making her an ideal player coming off your bench.

Most Improved Player - Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks

When you take into account their role the year before, their role now and how much better they've gotten, Hamby has improved more than anyone.

Her points more than doubled and she had significant increases in rebounds, assists and steals. Hamby went from a starter to the number one option and excelled in that role, being the most consistent player for the Sparks.

DiJonai Carrington also deserves this award, but the difference is that I expected her to be this good if she ever started instead of coming off the bench.

Her Per 36 numbers actually took a slight dip this year compared to last, while Hamby's performance was unexpected and unprecedented, given the numbers she's put up throughout her career.

Defensive Player of the Year - Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

Similar to the MVP award, it was between Collier and Wilson, but this time, I went with the Lynx big instead of the Aces star.

Thanks to her incredible play on the defensive side of the ball, the Lynx overachieved this year and won 30 games.

What Collier does as a defender is unreal. She protects the paint as well as anyone, discourages attempts near the rim and has the versatility to step out and disrupt perimeter players.

Coach of the Year - Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx

Raise your hand if you had the Lynx as the No. 2 seed at the start of the season. If your hand is up, you are lying. The Lynx are back in contention and head coach Reeve quickly moved past the Sylvia Folwes era and built a winning product based on Collier's game.

I considered Sandy Brondello for the award as well, given that she replicated another historic season for the Liberty, but what Reeve has done with the Lynx was so impressive that I had to go with her as the Coach of the Year.

All-WNBA teams

First Team

Napheesa Collier - Minnesota Lynx
Sabrina Ionescu - New York Liberty
Breanna Stewart - New York Liberty
Alyssa Thomas - Connecticut Sun
A’ja Wilson - Las Vegas Aces

Second Team

Caitlin Clark - Indiana Fever
Kahleah Copper - Phoenix Mercury
Jonquel Jones - New York Liberty
Arike Ogunbowale - Dallas Wings
Nneka Ogwumike - Seattle Storm

This, for me, was the hardest thing to do. Honestly, probably around 17 players deserve All-WNBA honors. Shrinking the list down to ten and cutting players out was difficult.

I'm sure people will be surprised I put Clark on the second team, but I'll take all five players I put in front of her right now. They all played bigger roles on better teams, and I think each one is a better defender than she is.

Ommissions I hated to make include players like Kayla McBride and Jewell Loyd, but again, plenty can be on this list, but only ten are.

All-Defensive Teams

First Team

Natasha Cloud - Phoenix Mercury
Naphessa Collier - Minnesota Lynx
Breanna Stewart - New York Liberty
Alyssa Thomas - Connecticut Sun
A’ja Wilson - Las Vegas Aces

Second Team

DeWanna Bonner - Connecticut Sun
DiJonai Carrington - Connecticut Sun
Jonquel Jones - New York Liberty
Ezi Magbegor - Seattle Storm
Alanna Smith - Minnesota Lynx

Similar to the All-WNBA teams, these defensive selections were difficult. I wish I could have a third team so players like Nneka Ogwumike could be included, but these ten were the best in a league that prides itself in its defensive play.

That's all, folks! I want to thank the powers that be for bestowing me with this privilege and I can't wait to hear what people think about my selections and who the award winners will be once the official results are announced.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.