Tracking WNBA MVP race, awards: Time to vote for the winners

With four days remaining in the regular season -- and official ballots due Friday -- it's time to vote on this year's WNBA awards.

Throughout the 2026 campaign, ESPN has tracked the front-runners and top contenders for MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. Now, Michael Voepel, Alexa Philippou, Kendra Andrews and Kareem Copeland make their final selections.

Among our panel, there's little intrigue for the league's biggest honor: A'ja Wilson looks poised to win her fifth MVP and fourth in five years, adding to her already-record-setting haul. Even less of a debate was ESPN's pick for Rookie of the Year, Minnesota Lynx star Olivia Miles, who also is our runner-up for MVP.

Here's where we also land on the rest of the league's top awards.

Jump to:
MVP | Rookie of Year | Defensive Player of Year
Most Improved | Sixth Player | Coach of Year

MVP

Kendra Andrews: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Kareem Copeland: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Alexa Philippou: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Michael Voepel: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

ESPN's pick: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Last season, Wilson became the WNBA's first four-time MVP. If she wins a fifth MVP, she'll enter even more rarified air in American professional team sports history.

The all-time leader in MVP awards in the NHL is Wayne Gretzky, who won the Hart Trophy nine times, including eight in a row. Barry Bonds (seven) leads MLB players, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six) leads the NBA and Peyton Manning (five) leads the NFL.

Wilson's Aces are the defending WNBA champions. They are seeking their fourth title, and Wilson has been at the heart of it all since being drafted No. 1 in 2018. This season, she leads the WNBA in scoring (26.1 points per game), blocks (2.0 per game), player efficiency rating (32.4) and win shares (8.6). She ranks fourth in rebounding (9.3 per game).

Wilson, who turned 30 in August, has dealt with back issues this season that kept her from playing in the FIBA World Cup. But overall, she has remained a dominant force in the league. That's even more impressive when you consider the challengers for this award during Wilson's career, including this season. -- Voepel

ESPN's runner-up: Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx

You could take your pick of strong contenders, including the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, the New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart and the Atlanta Dream's Rhyne Howard. The case for Miles: The point guard took the keys to the Lynx's offense as a rookie with superstar forward Napheesa Collier out injured until July 22. Miles is averaging 19.8 points, 6.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds for the Lynx, who have the league's best record. Candace Parker was the only rookie to also win the WNBA's MVP award, in 2008, so it says something for a first-year player to even be in the conversation. -- Voepel

Rookie of the Year

Andrews: Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx
Copeland: Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx
Philippou: Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx
Voepel: Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx

ESPN's pick: Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx

From day one, Miles grabbed the lead for Rookie of the Year and never let go. In her debut, she dropped 21 points, eight assists, three rebounds and two steals -- and immediately proved she would be a force in the league. The No. 3 draft pick set the WNBA record for points scored by a rookie, and she is in the conversation to be named MVP.

Miles has been the best player on the best team throughout the season and ranks in the top 10 in the league in points and assists per game while being in the top five for rebounds per game by a guard. On Friday, Miles registered her seventh game of 20 points, five assists and five rebounds; that passed Tamika Catchings for the second most by a rookie in WNBA history and only trails Caitlin Clark (14).

Miles won every Rookie of the Month Award given by the league this season. In July, she became the 10th player in league history to record 30-plus points, eight-plus assists and eight-plus rebounds in a single game. Miles -- so dominant that we aren't even selecting a runner-up -- was instantly one of the best passers and quickly showed the ability to get to the rim at will. Defenders learned over the course of the campaign that she also can shoot from behind the arc; her eight treys on June 4 set a league record for rookies. -- Copeland

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Olivia Miles passes Caitlin Clark for most points in a WNBA rookie season

Defensive Player of the Year

Andrews: Gabby Williams, Golden State Valkyries
Copeland: Gabby Williams, Golden State Valkyries
Philippou: Gabby Williams, Golden State Valkyries
Voepel: Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream

ESPN's pick: Gabby Williams, Golden State Valkyries

The Valkyries have been the WNBA's best defensive team this season, allowing 74.8 PPG. They are the only team holding foes to fewer than 80 PPG, and opponents have shot just 41.5% from the field against them. Williams, in her first season with Golden State, has been one of the biggest keys to that effort.

The 5-foot-11 forward can guard players of all sizes. She is second in defensive rating (99.1) and one of four Valkyries players who are in the top five in that category. Williams and guard Veronica Burton, also a candidate for this award, lead the Valkyries in averaging 1.6 steals apiece. -- Voepel

ESPN's runner-up: Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream

Atlanta is second to Golden State in defensive rating (104.9), and Reese has improved her defense enough in her third WNBA season to be considered for this award. At 6-foot-4, she is a strong post defender and an elite rebounder who also can guard on the perimeter and cut off passing lanes. Reese leads the WNBA in defensive win shares (3.2) and is fourth in defensive rating (100.4).

Wilson, a three-time WNBA DPOY, is also in contention for this honor. -- Voepel

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Gabby Williams knocks down the trey

Most Improved Player

Andrews: Jessica Shepard, Dallas Wings
Copeland: Shakira Austin, Washington Mystics
Philippou: Jessica Shepard, Dallas Wings
Voepel: Jessica Shepard, Dallas Wings

ESPN's pick: Jessica Shepard, Dallas Wings

Players tend to end up in the Most Improved conversation in a few different ways. They might finally be healthy, enjoying an expanded role, thriving in a new system or benefitting from the work they put into the offseason. Shepard's successful campaign is largely a product of having more opportunity with the Wings; her 31.6 minutes per game are a career high and 10 more than she averaged last year with Minnesota. But even in her best stretches with the Lynx, it wasn't obvious she'd one day become such a critical, go-to player who a playoff-bound team -- and, in the longer term, a championship-minded one -- can build around and play through.

Shepard is on track to become the first player to average at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a season. (Candace Parker did so in 2015, but in only 16 games.) And while Alyssa Thomas is still the league's triple-double queen, Shepard leads the WNBA this season in that category with five. And Shepard's 23 double-doubles are second most, behind Angel Reese. That's all from a second-round draft pick who turned 30 this year and never averaged more than 8.1 points per game prior to this season. -- Philippou

ESPN's runner-up: Shakira Austin, Washington Mystics

Austin has been known for her defense and athleticism since entering the league, but her offensive game took a significant step forward as she helped the Mystics return to the playoffs for the first time since 2023. Her scoring average has increased by more than four points over that of last year to rank in the top 15 in the league, and she has averaged three more rebounds to rank in the top five.

Finally healthy, Austin has displayed an expanded offensive repertoire with an ability to put the ball on the floor and attack from the perimeter with her 6-foot-5 frame. The No. 3 draft pick in 2023 ranks in the top 11 in defensive win shares for the No. 2 scoring defense in the league. -- Copeland

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Jessica Shepard powers Wings to win with triple-double vs. Sparks

Sixth Player of the Year

Andrews: Janelle Salaun, Golden State Valkyries
Copeland: Janelle Salaun, Golden State Valkyries
Philippou: Janelle Salaun, Golden State Valkyries
Voepel: Janelle Salaun, Golden State Valkyries

ESPN's pick: Janelle Salaun, Golden State Valkyries

Few players have provided as big a spark off the bench as Salaun has for Golden State. In 22.9 minutes per game, she has become the team's second-best scorer, averaging 12.9 points. That's also the second-best scoring mark in the league among bench players seeing at least 20 minutes per game.

Salaun has established herself as one of the premier knockdown shooters in the WNBA, shooting 39.7% from 3 on 6.1 attempts per game, which is the best percentage among bench players averaging at least five 3-point shots.

The Valkyries outscore opponents by 4.7 points when Salaun is on the floor -- the second-best net rating among bench players averaging at least 20 minutes -- as she has made a habit of providing momentum-shifting plays. -- Andrews

ESPN's runner-up: Marine Johannes, New York Liberty

Johannes started for New York early on, but she has come off the bench in all but two games since June 19. She has been one of the Liberty's most dependable reserves, averaging 8.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. -- Voepel

Coach of the Year

Andrews: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx
Copeland: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx
Philippou: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx
Voepel: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx

ESPN's pick: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx

The Lynx have been a regular-season powerhouse for several consecutive years, but what Reeve has led them to this season feels different. Without Collier, their superstar forward, for much of the year, Reeve has coached rookie sensation Miles into one of the best and most impactful players in the league and established a new identity with a roster that started the campaign with just two returning players.

The Lynx have had the league's best record all season and are trying to clinch the No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs. They have the third-best offense (112.5 offensive rating) and the third-best defense (103.7 defensive rating).

In July, Collier told ESPN that if this season has proved anything, it's to never count out Reeve. Yes, she is the all-time winningest coach in league history, but remember that entering this season, some questioned how Minnesota would stay afloat with so much roster turnover and Collier sidelined indefinitely. Reeve has overachieved, outperformed expectations and once again led Minnesota to be a top contender. -- Andrews

ESPN's runner-up: Sydney Johnson, Washington Mystics

The Mystics were supposed to be in a methodical rebuild with a new draft-and-develop strategy that could take some time to return to the postseason. In Year 2, Johnson led Washington to the playoffs as the youngest team in league history to make the postseason. With six first-round picks from the past two drafts, Johnson has molded Washington into a defensive force as the No. 2 scoring defense in the league. He adapted when the big three of Austin, Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron requested that Johnson be more demanding, and he put more of an emphasis on wins and losses after 2025 was focused on building a cultural foundation. The Mystics' 26 wins this season matches that of their 2019 WNBA championship team for the most in franchise history. Washington is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2023. -- Copeland