NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2025 – The WNBA announced today that Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes is the recipient of the Seasonlong WNBA Cares Community Assist Award in recognition of her mentorship, leadership, and commitment to advancing financial literacy and community empowerment. Throughout the Valkyries’ inaugural season in the Bay Area, Hayes dedicated herself to championing education and expanding access to tools that help individuals achieve financial independence. Central to that mission is the SEYAH Foundation, which Hayes founded to help shift people from survival to purpose. The foundation provides a safe and supportive space for overlooked and under-resourced individuals to grow through programs focused on mental health, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. “Community work is at the core of who I am, it’s not just about giving back, it’s about pouring into the same community that has poured so much love into me,” Hayes said. “Receiving this award is a true honor because it recognizes something I would do regardless of recognition: serve, uplift, and inspire. I’m grateful every day for the opportunity to work alongside communities in the Bay Area and beyond, knowing that together we create a cycle of love, growth, and empowerment.”Highlights of Hayes’ efforts in the community are included below:• Violet Book of Business Program Launch: On May 5, as part of the program with the Valkyries and Chase designed to empower 14 Bay Area women entrepreneurs, Hayes shared resources and her personal story on her path to entrepreneurship.• R.I.S.E: Juvenile Justice Center: Hayes participated in the team’s R.I.S.E (Rights, Inclusion, Strength, and Empowerment) initiative on June 2. R.I.S.E is a youth-focused program designed to educate, inspire, and empower young people to become champions of equity, justice, and positive change in their communities.• Soar With Her Event: On July 2, Hayes and her Valkyries teammates participated in the “Soar with Her: Mentorship Program,” presented by United Airlines, a transformative initiative dedicated to empowering girls from Youth UpRising, a local non-profit that provides services and support for Bay Area youth. • Ascending Star Summit presented by Rakuten: Hayes participated in a community event on Aug. 26 with the team and Rakuten designed to empower early career-women and provide leadership development and career advancement resources.• Golden State Valkyries Fashion Show presented by Sephora: On Aug. 28, alongside her Valkyries teammates, Hayes celebrated the intersection of the WNBA and fashion and amplifying the voices and visibility of women in sports by showcasing dynamic collaborations.In recognition of Hayes’ commitment to the community, the WNBA will donate $20,000 to Changing Faces Inc., a non-profit selected by Hayes that enriches the lives of youth by focusing on transitional programs, substance abuse treatment, and long-term stability.

Awards

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-205605 aligncenter" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/11/CAA.png" alt="" width="200" height="90" />
NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2025 – The WNBA announced today that Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes is the recipient of the Seasonlong WNBA Cares Community Assist Award in recognition of her mentorship, leadership, and commitment to advancing financial literacy and community empowerment. Throughout the Valkyries’ inaugural season in the Bay Area, Hayes dedicated herself to championing education and expanding access to tools that help individuals achieve financial independence. Central to that mission is the SEYAH Foundation, which Hayes founded to help shift people from survival to purpose. The foundation provides a safe and supportive space for overlooked and under-resourced individuals to grow through programs focused on mental health, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. “Community work is at the core of who I am, it’s not just about giving back, it’s about pouring into the same community that has poured so much love into me,” Hayes said. “Receiving this award is a true honor because it recognizes something I would do regardless of recognition: serve, uplift, and inspire. I’m grateful every day for the opportunity to work alongside communities in the Bay Area and beyond, knowing that together we create a cycle of love, growth, and empowerment.” Highlights of Hayes’ efforts in the community are included below: • Violet Book of Business Program Launch: On May 5, as part of the program with the Valkyries and Chase designed to empower 14 Bay Area women entrepreneurs, Hayes shared resources and her personal story on her path to entrepreneurship. • R.I.S.E: Juvenile Justice Center: Hayes participated in the team’s R.I.S.E (Rights, Inclusion, Strength, and Empowerment) initiative on June 2. R.I.S.E is a youth-focused program designed to educate, inspire, and empower young people to become champions of equity, justice, and positive change in their communities. • Soar With Her Event: On July 2, Hayes and her Valkyries teammates participated in the “Soar with Her: Mentorship Program,” presented by United Airlines, a transformative initiative dedicated to empowering girls from Youth UpRising, a local non-profit that provides services and support for Bay Area youth. • Ascending Star Summit presented by Rakuten: Hayes participated in a community event on Aug. 26 with the team and Rakuten designed to empower early career-women and provide leadership development and career advancement resources. • Golden State Valkyries Fashion Show presented by Sephora: On Aug. 28, alongside her Valkyries teammates, Hayes celebrated the intersection of the WNBA and fashion and amplifying the voices and visibility of women in sports by showcasing dynamic collaborations. In recognition of Hayes’ commitment to the community, the WNBA will donate $20,000 to Changing Faces Inc., a non-profit selected by Hayes that enriches the lives of youth by focusing on transitional programs, substance abuse treatment, and long-term stability.

2025-wnba-cares-community-assist-award

Golden State Valkyries’ Tiffany Hayes Receives Seasonlong WNBA Cares Community Assist Award

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-205459" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/Thumbnail-2025-10-22T091402.509.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/Thumbnail-2025-10-22T091402.509.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/10/Thumbnail-2025-10-22T091402.509-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />
NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2025 – Golden State Valkyries president Jess Smith has been named the inaugural recipient of the WNBA Business Executive Leadership Award presented by Deloitte, the WNBA announced today.
The new award recognizes a WNBA team president, nominated by their organization, who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in driving meaningful business transformation.
Teams submitted their business case for how the leader, and their team, excelled across four key business transformation categories including people and culture, revenue generation, stakeholder engagement, and innovation. All submissions were reviewed and voted upon by a committee of league leadership, led by Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison.
In Golden State’s inaugural season, Smith assembled a full-time front office staff of more than 60 employees dedicated to elevating women’s sports while fostering growth and retention opportunities across the organization. On March 26, 2025, the Valkyries eclipsed the 10,000-season ticket mark for season ticket holders of the team&#8217;s inaugural 2025 season, becoming the first WNBA team on record to hit this milestone. The Valkyries closed their first season by setting all-time WNBA records for both average attendance (18,064) and total attendance (397,408), selling out all 22 of their home regular-season games at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Smith also helped establish a robust roster of founding partners, including CarMax, JP Morgan Chase, Kaiser Permanente, OLLY, PG&amp;E, Sephora, United Airlines, Rakuten and Waymo. Additionally, the Valkyries sold merchandise in all 50 states and 70 countries.
Under Smith’s leadership, the Valkyries launched impactful community engagement initiatives. including an innovative partnership with Kaiser Permanente that generated a $25 [matching] donation to the Golden State Community Foundation for every jersey purchased. This program will donate the funds to Bay Area youth and has transformed merchandise revenue into a vehicle for social impact, funding research-based initiatives and coaching workshops designed to keeping young girls active.
Smith also oversaw the team’s local broadcast partnership, which introduced creative programming and community engagement activations, that gave fans unprecedented access throughout the season. The partnership extended the Valkyries’ reach to more than four million fans across Northern California.
Capping off a historic inaugural season, the Valkyries became the first WNBA expansion franchise to earn a playoff berth and the winningest expansion team in league history with 23 wins.
###

smith-business-executive-leadership-award-2025

Golden State Valkyries President Jess Smith Wins Inaugural WNBA Business Executive Leadership Award Presented by Deloitte

– Wilson and Collier Joined on First Team by Alyssa Thomas, Allisha Gray and Kelsey Mitchell – 
– Eight-Time All-WNBA Team Selection Nneka Ogwumike Leads Second Team, Which Also Features 
Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Aliyah Boston and Paige Bueckers – 
– Gray, Mitchell, Boston and Bueckers Make Their All-WNBA Team Debuts –
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2025 – Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, the 2025 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player and Kia WNBA Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier have been unanimously selected to the 2025 All-WNBA First Team, the WNBA announced today.
Wilson and Collier, the runner-up for the 2025 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player Award, were named to the All-WNBA First Team on all 72 ballots in voting by a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Wilson earned a spot on the First Team for the fourth consecutive season and is an All-WNBA pick for the sifth time overall. Collier, a four-time All-WNBA Team selection, was voted to the First Team for the third straight season.
Joining Wilson and Collier (360 points each) on the 2025 All-WNBA First Team are Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (358), Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (341) and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (320).
This is the fourth All-WNBA Team selection for Thomas, who makes her third consecutive appearance on the First Team. Gray and Mitchell are All-WNBA Team selections for the first time.
The 2025 All-WNBA Second Team consists of Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (185 points), Aces guard Jackie Young (148), Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (125), Fever center Aliyah Boston (112) and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (112).
Ogwumike is an All-WNBA Team choice for the eighth time, Ionescu for the fourth time and Young for the second time. Boston makes her debut on the All-WNBA Team. Bueckers’ selection marks the second straight season a rookie was selected to the All-WNBA Team (Indiana’s Caitlin Clark was a First Team choice in 2024).
Voting for the All-WNBA Team was conducted at the conclusion of the regular season. Players were selected without regard to position and received five points for each First Team vote and three points for each Second Team vote.
2025 All-WNBA First Team 
A’ja Wilson, Aces: In her eighth WNBA season, Wilson earned a record fourth Kia WNBA MVP Award – her second consecutive MVP honor – and was a co-winner of the Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award along with Minnesota’s Alanna Smith. The 6-4 Wilson averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocked shots and 1.6 steals – all the second-best per-game marks of her career. She led the league in points per game for the second straight season and in blocks per game for the fifth time. Wilson also scored the most points (937) and had the highest efficiency rating (29.2) in the WNBA.
Napheesa Collier, Lynx: Collier, the runner-up to Wilson as the Kia WNBA MVP in 2024 and 2025, was the Kia WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month for May, June and July. She was selected to the WNBA All-Defensive Team for the fourth time. The 6-1 forward ranked second in the league in scoring with a career-high 22.9 points per game. In addition, Collier ranked 11th in rebounds per game (7.3) and third in steals per game (1.6). Behind Collier, the Lynx finished the regular season with the league’s best record (34-10).
Alyssa Thomas, Mercury: The 6-2 Thomas finished third in voting for the Kia WNBA MVP Award after setting a WNBA regular-season record with eight triple-doubles, extending her WNBA career-leading mark to 19. In addition, Thomas led the league in assists per game (9.2) and recorded a league record for total assists (357). She also finished third in the league in rebounds per game (8.8). Thomas was selected to the WNBA All-Defensive Team for the seventh time.
Allisha Gray, Dream: In her ninth WNBA season, Gray earned her third straight All-Star selection and was an All-Star starter for the first time. The 6-0 guard was named the Kia WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for May, June and August and finished fourth in voting for the Kia WNBA MVP Award. Gray ranked seventh in the league in scoring with a career-high 18.4 points per game. She also set career highs in rebounds (5.3) and assists per game (3.5) and ranked sixth in the WNBA in three-point field goals made (98).
Kelsey Mitchell, Fever: Mitchell ranked third in the WNBA in scoring with a career-high 20.2 points per game and made a league-leading 111 three-point field goals. In her eighth WNBA season, Mitchell was an All-Star selection for the third consecutive season and finished fifth in the voting for the Kia WNBA MVP Award. The 6-0 guard also contributed 3.4 assists per game.
2025 All-WNBA Second Team 
Nneka Ogwumike, Storm: In her 14th WNBA season, Ogwumike started all 44 regular season games and earned her 10th All-Star selection. The 6-2 forward ranked ninth in the WNBA in points per game (18.3), 13th in rebounds per game (7.0) and 11th in field goal percentage (51.9). Ogwumike also became the sixth player in league history to reach 7,000 career points and the only one to do so while shooting at least 50 percent from the field.
Jackie Young, Aces: The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm and a two-time WNBA champion with Las Vegas, Young was an All-Star selection for the fourth season in a row. The 6-0 guard finished 12th in the league in scoring (16.5 points per game) and 11th in assists (5.1 apg), ranking second among Aces players in both categories while posting the second-best figure of her career in each.
Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty: The 5-11 guard ranked 10th in the WNBA in points per game (18.2) and sixth in assists per game (5.7). She also led the league in free throw percentage (93.3) and finished ninth in three-point field goals made (81). In addition, she contributed 4.9 rebounds and a career-high 1.3 steals per game. In her sixth WNBA season, Ionescu was selected as an All-Star for the fourth consecutive season.
Aliyah Boston, Fever: The unanimous 2023 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in all of her three WNBA seasons, Boston helped lead the Fever to a spot in the WNBA Semifinals and was named to the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team. The 6-5 center-forward averaged career highs of 15.0 points and 3.7 assists per game. She finished sixth among WNBA players in rebounds per game (8.2), fourth in total rebounds (361) and fifth in field goal percentage (53.8).
Paige Bueckers, Wings: The 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year led all rookies in total points (692), points per game (19.2), total assists (194) and assists per game (5.4). Among all players, Bueckers ranked fifth in scoring average, sixth in steals per game (1.6) and ninth in assists per game. The 6-0 guard, who was voted as a starter for the 2025 AT&amp;T WNBA All-Star Game, set a WNBA single-game scoring record for rookies with 44 points at the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 20.
In honor of their accomplishments, each member of the All-WNBA First Team will receive $10,300 and each member of the Second Team will receive $5,150.
Below are the voting results for the 2025 All-WNBA Team.
2025 ALL-WNBA FIRST TEAM 
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
Player, Team 
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">
1st Team Votes 
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">
2nd Team Votes 
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">
Total Points 
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">72</td>
<td style="width: 25%">0</td>
<td style="width: 25%">360</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">72</td>
<td style="width: 25%">0</td>
<td style="width: 25%">360</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">71</td>
<td style="width: 25%">1</td>
<td style="width: 25%">358</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">67</td>
<td style="width: 25%">2</td>
<td style="width: 25%">341</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 25%">
Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
</td>
<td style="width: 25%">58</td>
<td style="width: 25%">10</td>
<td style="width: 25%">320</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
2025 ALL-WNBA SECOND TEAM
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%;height: 176px">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 56px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 56px">
Player, Team
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 56px">1st Team Votes</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 56px">
2nd Team Votes 
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 56px">Total Points</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">1</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">60</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">185</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">5</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">41</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">148</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">1</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">40</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">125</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">2</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">34</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">112</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">2</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">34</td>
<td style="width: 25%;height: 24px">
112
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Players were selected without regard for position. Players received five points for each First Team vote and three points for each Second Team vote.
# # #

2025-all-wnba-teams

A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier Unanimously Selected to 2025 All-WNBA First Team

NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2025 – Atlanta Dream General Manager Dan Padover has been named the 2025 WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year, the WNBA announced today.
This marks a record third WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award for Padover and the first since he earned the honor in 2020 and 2021 with the Las Vegas Aces. Padover becomes the first three-time WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year, breaking a tie with two-time winner Cheryl Reeve (2019 and 2024).
The voting panel to determine the WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year was composed of the general manager from each of the league’s 13 active teams, plus the general manager of the Toronto Tempo, which will begin play in 2026. Each voter submitted a ballot with a first-place vote, second-place vote and third-place vote, and they could not vote for themselves. The executives received three points for each first-place vote, two points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.
Padover was named on the most ballots (12, including eight first-place votes). The Golden State Valkyries’ Ohemaa Nyanin (10 ballots) finished in second place and the Phoenix Mercury’s Nick U’ren (nine ballots) placed third. The Washington Mystics’ Jamila Wideman (three ballots) was fourth.
With Padover in his fourth year as general manager, Atlanta finished tied for the second-best record in the WNBA (30-14) in the regular season, doubling its win total from 2024. The Dream earned the No. 3 seed in the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google.
Leading into the 2025 season, Padover first hired Karl Smesko as Atlanta’s new head coach, bringing the longtime Florida Gulf Coast University coach to the WNBA for the first time after a decorated career in which he recorded the third-highest winning percentage (.843) among active head coaches in NCAA Division women’s basketball.
Padover then signed veteran free agent forward Brionna Jones and veteran free agent center Brittney Griner, adding the multi-time All-Stars to a roster that already included All-Star guards Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. Padover had previously selected Howard with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm and acquired Gray from the Dallas Wings in a January 2023 trade. In April, Padover selected guard Te-Hina Paopao with the 18th pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm.
In guiding the Dream to a franchise-record 30 wins, Smesko finished with the most victories ever by a first-year WNBA head coach and helped Atlanta improve in key statistical categories. The Dream’s year-over-year improvement included moving from 12th to second in offensive rating (108.2), sixth to second in defensive rating (98.9) and 12th to third in assists per game (21.4).
Gray was a three-time Kia WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month (May, June and August), finished fourth in the voting for the Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player Award and was selected as an All-Star starter for the first time in her career. She ranked seventh in the WNBA in scoring, averaging a career-high 18.4 points per game.
Howard, who was named an All-Star for the third time, led all WNBA players in made three-point shots per game (3.1) and became the first player in league history to record multiple games of nine made threes in a career (June 13 vs. the Chicago Sky and Sept. 5 vs. the Los Angeles Sparks).
Jones led the WNBA in total offensive rebounds (136) and ranked second in offensive boards per game (3.1). She also was named to her fourth AT&amp;T WNBA All-Star Game.
In addition, Naz Hillmon, a 2022 draft pick by Padover, was named the 2025 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year after recording career-high averages in scoring (8.6 ppg), rebounding (6.2 rpg) and assists (2.1 apg). Paopao ranked fifth among 2025 rookies with 2.4 assists per game.
Below is the list of recipients of the WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award since its inception in 2017.
&nbsp;
WNBA BASKETBALL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%;height: 216px">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Dan Padover</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Atlanta Dream</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">2025</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Cheryl Reeve</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Minnesota Lynx</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">2024</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Jonathan Kolb</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">New York Liberty</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">2023</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">James Wade</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Chicago Sky</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">2022</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Dan Padover</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Las Vegas Aces</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">2021</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Dan Padover</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Las Vegas Aces</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">2020</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Cheryl Reeve</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Minnesota Lynx</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">2019</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Chris Sienko</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Atlanta Dream</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">2018</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Curt Miller</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Connecticut Sun</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">2017</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

padover-2025-executive-of-the-year

Atlanta Dream's Dan Padover Wins Record Third WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2025 – Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike has been named the recipient of the 2025 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award, the WNBA announced today. Ogwumike becomes the first player in league history to win the award four times, having previously earned the honor in three consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2021.
The Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award is presented each season to a player who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, including ethical behavior, fair play and integrity. The award is named in honor of the late Kim Perrot, who helped the Houston Comets win WNBA championships in 1997 and 1998 in the league’s first two seasons before passing away in August 1999 after a seven-month battle with cancer.
Ogwumike received 18 votes from a national panel of 72 sportswriters and broadcasters. Connecticut Sun rookie guard Saniya Rivers finished in second with 11 votes, while Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton tied for third with seven votes each. Chicago Sky guard Rachel Banham and Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon each received six votes.
In her 14th WNBA season, Ogwumike averaged 18.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. She started all 44 games for Seattle and led the Storm in both points and rebounds per game. Ogwumike set a career high with 803 total points and became the first player in Storm history to record 40 double-digit scoring games in a single season.
Ogwumike also continued to climb league charts, moving to fifth all time in steals (668) and becoming the sixth-leading scorer in WNBA history. She is the first player ever to surpass 7,000 career points while shooting at least 50 percent from the field. A 10-time AT&amp;T WNBA All-Star, Ogwumike was named the Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player in 2016 and the Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2012.
Below are the voting results for the 2025 WNBA Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award and a list of past recipients.
2025 KIM PERROT SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD VOTING RESULTS
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%;height: 312px">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Player</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Team</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Votes</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Nneka Ogwumike </td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Seattle Storm</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">18</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Saniya Rivers</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Connecticut Sun</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">11</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Napheesa Collier</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Minnesota Lynx</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">7</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Kayla Thornton</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Golden State Valkyries</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">7</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Rachel Banham</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Chicago Sky</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">6</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Naz Hillmon</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Atlanta Dream</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">6</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Maddy Siegrist</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Dallas Wings</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">5</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Natasha Howard</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Indiana Fever</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">4</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Jewell Loyd</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Las Vegas Aces</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">3</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Sami Whitcomb</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Phoenix Mercury</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">3</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Leonie Fiebich</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">New York Liberty</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Jade Melbourne</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Washington Mystics</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
KIM PERROT SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD WINNERS
1997 – Haixia Zheng, Los Angeles
1998 – Suzie McConnell Serio, Cleveland
1999 – Dawn Staley, Charlotte
2000 – Suzie McConnell Serio, Cleveland
2001 – Sue Wicks, New York
2002 – Jennifer Gillom, Phoenix
2003 – Edna Campbell, Sacramento
2004 – Teresa Edwards, Minnesota
2005 – Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Connecticut
2006 – Dawn Staley, Houston
2007 – Tully Bevilaqua, Indiana
2008 – Vickie Johnson, San Antonio
2009 – Kara Lawson, Sacramento
2010 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2011 – Sue Bird, Seattle; Ruth Riley, San Antonio
2012 – Kara Lawson, Connecticut
2013 – Swin Cash, Chicago; Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2014 – Becky Hammon, San Antonio
2015 – DeLisha Milton-Jones, Atlanta
2016 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2017 – Sue Bird, Seattle
2018 – Sue Bird, Seattle
2019 – Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles
2020 – Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles
2021 – Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles
2022 – Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota
2023 – Elizabeth Williams, Chicago
2024 – Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles
2025-   Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle

oguwmike-2025-kim-perrot-sportsmanship-award

Seattle Storm's Nneka Ogwumike Wins 2025 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2025 – Las Vegas Aces center-forward A’ja Wilson has been named the 2025 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player, the WNBA announced today.
This marks a record fourth Kia WNBA MVP Award and second in a row for Wilson, who also earned the honor in 2020 and 2022. With the 2025 award, Wilson becomes the first four-time Kia WNBA MVP, breaking a tie with three-time MVPs Sheryl Swoopes (2000, 2002 and 2005), Lisa Leslie (2001, 2004 and 2006) and Lauren Jackson (2003, 2007 and 2010).
Wilson received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes (657 points) from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (534 points) finished in second place, followed by Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (391 points) in third place, Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (180 points) in fourth place and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (93 points) in fifth place. Players were awarded 10 points for a first-place vote, seven points for a second-place vote, five points for a third-place vote, three points for a fourth-place vote and one point for a fifth-place vote.
In her eighth WNBA season, Wilson averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocked shots and 1.6 steals in 31.2 minutes in 40 games – the second-best per-game marks of her career in scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks and steals. She led the league in points per game for the second straight season and in blocks per game for the fifth time (2020 and 2022-25). Wilson also scored the most points (937) and had the highest efficiency rating (29.2) in the WNBA.
For the second consecutive season, Wilson averaged at least 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steal per game. She is the only WNBA player to reach these averages in a season (minimum 15 games played).
This season, the 6-4 Wilson finished among the top five in the WNBA in points (No. 1), rebounds (No. 2), blocks (No. 1) and steals (No. 4) per game for the second consecutive year. The only other player to accomplish this feat in a season is Yolanda Griffith in 1999.
As a scorer, Wilson set a WNBA single-season record for games of 30 or more points with 13. She also led the league with 25 games of 20 or more points this season and her 21 double-doubles included 16 games with at least 20 points.
The seven-time All-Star shot 50.5 percent from the field, a career-high 42.4 percent from three-point range (25-of-59) and 85.5 percent from the free throw line. She made a career-high and WNBA-leading 284 free throws.
After Las Vegas entered the All-Star break with an 11-11 record, Wilson led the Aces to a 19-3 finish that propelled them to a 30-14 mark and the No. 2 seed in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs presented by Google. Las Vegas won a franchise-record 16 consecutive games to close out the regular season, tied for the second-longest regular-season winning streak in league history. During that streak, Wilson averaged 26.1 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals while shooting 52.7 percent from the field, 59.3 percent from three-point range and 88.9 percent from the free throw line.
Wilson was named the Kia WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month for August. She was also recognized as the WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week a league-high six times (Weeks 2, 6, 10-12 and 14).
Wilson and the Aces have advanced to the WNBA Semifinals, where they will meet the Indiana Fever. That best-of-five series tips off today at 3 p.m. ET (ABC).
In honor of being named the 2025 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player, Wilson will receive $15,450 and a specially designed trophy by Tiffany &amp; Co.
Below are the voting results for the 2025 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player Award and a list of past recipients of the annual honor.
VOTING RESULTS: 2025 KIA WNBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 99.6974%;height: 626px">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 122px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 122px">Player (Team)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 122px" width="90">1st Place Votes
(10 Points)</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 122px">2nd Place Votes
(7 Points)</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 122px">3rd Place Votes
(5 Points)</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 122px">4th Place Votes
(3 Points)</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 122px">5th Place Votes
(1 Point)</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 122px">Total Points</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 48px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 48px">A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 48px">51</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 48px">21</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 48px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 48px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 48px">0</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 48px">657</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 72px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">Napheesa Collier (Minnesota)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 72px">18</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">42</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">12</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">0</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 72px">534</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 72px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 72px">3</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">9</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">59</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">1</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">0</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 72px">391</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 48px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 48px">Allisha Gray (Atlanta)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 48px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 48px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 48px">1</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 48px">54</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 48px">13</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 48px">180</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">15</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">48</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 24px">93</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">Aliyah Boston (Indiana)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">1</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">2</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 24px">5</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">1</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">2</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 24px">5</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">Jackie Young (Las Vegas)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">2</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 24px">2</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">Veronica Burton (Golden State)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">1</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 24px">1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">Dearica Hamby (Los Angeles)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">1</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 24px">1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">Rhyne Howard (Atlanta)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">1</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 24px">1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">Rickea Jackson (Los Angeles)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 24px">1</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 24px">1</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 72px">
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">Breanna Stewart (New York)</td>
<td style="width: 14.264%;height: 72px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">0</td>
<td style="width: 14.2857%;height: 72px">1</td>
<td style="width: 13.9831%;height: 72px">1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
KIA WNBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD WINNERS
1997 – Cynthia Cooper, Houston
1998 – Cynthia Cooper, Houston
1999 – Yolanda Griffith, Sacramento
2000 – Sheryl Swoopes, Houston
2001 – Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles
2002 – Sheryl Swoopes, Houston
2003 – Lauren Jackson, Seattle
2004 – Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles
2005 – Sheryl Swoopes, Houston
2006 – Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles
2007 – Lauren Jackson, Seattle
2008 – Candace Parker, Los Angeles
2009 – Diana Taurasi, Phoenix
2010 – Lauren Jackson, Seattle
2011 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2012 – Tina Charles, Connecticut
2013 – Candace Parker, Los Angeles
2014 – Maya Moore, Minnesota
2015 – Elena Delle Donne, Chicago
2016 – Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles
2017 – Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota
2018 – Breanna Stewart, Seattle
2019 – Elena Delle Donne, Washington
2020 – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas
2021 – Jonquel Jones, Connecticut
2022 – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas
2023 – Breanna Stewart, New York
2024 – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas
2025 – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas
&nbsp;
Kia America – about us  
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top automotive quality surveys. Kia is recognized as one of the TIME World&#8217;s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024. Kia serves as the &#8220;Official Automotive Partner&#8221; of the NBA and WNBA and offers a range of gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America*.
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* Select trims of the 2025 all-electric EV6 and EV9 all-electric three-row SUV, Sportage (excludes HEV and PHEV models), Sorento (excludes HEV and PHEV models), and Telluride are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.

wilson-2025-mvp

Las Vegas Aces’ A'ja Wilson Wins Record Fourth Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player Award

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-204309" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Picture1.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="187" />
NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2025 – Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon has been named the 2025 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year, the WNBA announced today. She has earned the honor as the league’s top reserve for the first time and become the first player to win the award with the Dream.
Hillmon received 44 of 72 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (22 votes) and forward Jessica Shepard (four votes) finished in second and third place, respectively. Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga and Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb each received one vote.  To be eligible for the award, a player had to play more games as a reserve than as a starter.
In her fourth WNBA season, Hillmon averaged career highs of 8.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 25.5 minutes in 44 games (17 starts). She helped the Dream (30-14) set a franchise record with 30 wins, doubling its total from last season. Atlanta secured the No. 3 seed in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs presented by Google after finishing as the eighth seed in 2024.
Hillmon provided a spark off the bench throughout the season, recording eight games with at least 10 points and five rebounds as a reserve – the second-most such games in the league (Malonga, 12). The Dream went 5-0 in games when she scored 15 or more points.
Hillmon made 53 three-pointers this season after entering 2025 with one career three-pointer. On July 30 against the Dallas Wings, she scored a career-high 21 points and connected on five three-pointers, including a tiebreaking three with 2.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Durability has been a hallmark of Hillmon’s career since she joined the Dream as the 15th overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm out of the University of Michigan, where she was a four-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. She has played in a franchise-record 151 consecutive regular-season games for Atlanta, including all 124 games over the last three seasons.
In honor of being named the Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year, Hillmon will receive $5,150 and a trophy designed to commemorate her achievement.
Below are the voting results for the 2025 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Award and the list of recipients since the award’s inception in 2007.
 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" width="623">
2025 KIA WNBA SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR VOTING RESULTS
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="208">Player</td>
<td width="208">Team</td>
<td width="208">Votes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="208">Naz Hillmon</td>
<td width="208">Atlanta Dream</td>
<td width="208">44</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="208">Natisha Hiedeman</td>
<td width="208">Minnesota Lynx</td>
<td width="208">22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="208">Jessica Shepard</td>
<td width="208">Minnesota Lynx</td>
<td width="208">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="208">Dominique Malonga</td>
<td width="208">Seattle Storm</td>
<td width="208">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="208">Sami Whitcomb</td>
<td width="208">Phoenix Mercury</td>
<td width="208">1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
 
<table style="width: 77.6027%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 133.464%;text-align: center" colspan="3" width="487">KIA WNBA SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">Year</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Player</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Team</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2025</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Naz Hillmon</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Atlanta Dream</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%">2024</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%">Tiffany Hayes</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%">Las Vegas Aces</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2023</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Alysha Clark</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Las Vegas Aces</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2022</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Brionna Jones</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Connecticut Sun</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2021</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Kelsey Plum</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Las Vegas Aces</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2020</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Dearica Hamby</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Las Vegas Aces</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2019</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Dearica Hamby</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Las Vegas Aces</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2018</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Jonquel Jones</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Connecticut Sun</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2017</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Sugar Rodgers</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">New York Liberty</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2016</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Jantel Lavender</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Los Angeles Sparks</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2015</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Allie Quigley</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Chicago Sky</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2014</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Allie Quigley</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Chicago Sky</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2013</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Riquna Williams</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Tulsa Shock</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2012</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Renee Montgomery</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Connecticut Sun</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2011</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">DeWanna Bonner</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Phoenix Mercury</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2010</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">DeWanna Bonner</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Phoenix Mercury</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2009</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">DeWanna Bonner</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Phoenix Mercury</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2008</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Candice Wiggins</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Minnesota Lynx</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.8963%" width="112">2007</td>
<td style="width: 36.5949%" width="182">Plenette Pierson</td>
<td style="width: 73.9726%" width="192">Detroit Shock</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
About Kia America
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top automotive quality surveys. Kia is recognized as one of the TIME World&#8217;s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024. Kia serves as the &#8220;Official Automotive Partner&#8221; of the WNBA and NBA and offers a range of gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America*. 
For media information, including photography, visit <a href="http://www.kiamedia.com">www.kiamedia.com</a>. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert__;!!PMETyfE!LQ_AWgu_xS8m2ZdpIVOeFIM6CjzB7GXan16p-xQBBSMFDqSqBaxovepbT109Px9yCDy8QlykRUjGqeA$">www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert</a> 
* Select trims of the 2025 all-electric EV6 and EV9 all-electric three-row SUV, Sportage (excludes HEV and PHEV models), Sorento (excludes HEV and PHEV models), and Telluride are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.

2025-kia-wnba-sixth-poy

Atlanta Dream's Naz Hillmon Named 2025 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year

NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2025 – Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith and Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson have been named the 2025 Kia WNBA Co-Defensive Players of the Year, the WNBA announced today. This is the first Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award for Smith, and the third for Wilson (2022, 2023).
Smith and Wilson received 29 votes each from a national panel of 72 sportswriters and broadcasters. Seattle Storm guard Gabby Williams finished in second place with nine votes, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was third with three votes, and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier was fourth with two votes.
This marks the first time in league history that the award has been shared by multiple players.
Smith, in her seventh WNBA season, started all 42 games she appeared in for Minnesota and averaged 26.6 minutes per game. A 2024 WNBA All-Defensive Second Team selection, Smith was instrumental in leading the Lynx to the No. 1 seed in the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google.
Anchoring the league’s top-ranked defense, Smith powered Minnesota to a league-best 97.5 defensive rating. She finished second overall in combined steals and blocks (135), ranked third in both blocks per game (1.9) and total blocks (80), and tied for 10th in total steals (55).
Drafted eighth overall in 2019, Smith has developed into a defensive cornerstone for the Lynx, helping lead the team to the semifinals following a 2-0 series victory against the Golden State Valkyries in the first round.
Wilson, in her eighth season, started all 40 games she appeared in for Las Vegas while averaging 31.2 minutes per game. She helped the Aces secure the No. 2 seed in the WNBA Playoffs following a 16-game win streak to close the regular season. A three-time All-Defensive First Team honoree, Wilson now adds a third Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award to her decorated trophy case.
Wilson led the WNBA in blocks per game (2.3), total rebounds (407), defensive rebounds (316), and combined steals and blocks (156). She also ranked second in total blocks (92) and rebounds per game (10.2). Demonstrating her all-around defensive impact, Wilson ranked third in total steals (64) and fourth in steals per game (1.6).
Already one of the most dominant two-way players in league history, Wilson also delivered on the offensive end in 2025, leading the WNBA in total points (937), points per game (23.4), field goals made (332), and free throws made (248).
Behind the efforts of Smith and Wilson, Minnesota and Las Vegas have earned the top two seeds in the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google.
In honor of being named the 2025 Kia WNBA Co-Defensive Players of the Year, Smith and Wilson will each receive $5,150 and a trophy designed to commemorate the achievement.
Below are the voting results for the 2025 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and a list of past recipients.
2025 KIA WNBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR VOTING RESULTS
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%;height: 144px">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Player</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Team</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Votes</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Alanna Smith</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Minnesota Lynx</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">29</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">A’ja Wilson</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Las Vegas Aces</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">29</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Gabby Williams</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Seattle Storm</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">9</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Alyssa Thomas</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Phoenix Mercury</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">3</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Napheesa Collier</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">Minnesota Lynx</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%;height: 24px">2</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
KIA WNBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
1997 – Teresa Weatherspoon, New York
1998 – Teresa Weatherspoon, New York
1999 – Yolanda Griffith, Sacramento
2000 – Sheryl Swoopes, Houston
2001 – Debbie Black, Miami
2002 – Sheryl Swoopes, Houston
2003 – Sheryl Swoopes, Houston
2004 – Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles
2005 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2006 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2007 – Lauren Jackson, Seattle
2008 – Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles
2009 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2010 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2011 – Sylvia Fowles, Chicago
2012 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2013 – Sylvia Fowles, Chicago
2014 – Brittney Griner, Phoenix
2015 – Brittney Griner, Phoenix
2016 – Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota
2017 – Alana Beard, Los Angeles
2018 – Alana Beard, Los Angeles
2019 – Natasha Howard, Seattle
2020 – Candace Parker, Los Angeles
2021 – Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota
2022 – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas
2023 – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas
2024 – Napheesa Collier, Minnesota
2025 – Alanna Smith, Minnesota (Co-Winner)
2025 – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas (Co-Winner)
&nbsp;
About Kia America
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top automotive quality surveys. Kia is recognized as one of the TIME World&#8217;s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024. Kia serves as the &#8220;Official Automotive Partner&#8221; of the WNBA and NBA and offers a range of gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America*. 
For media information, including photography, visit <a href="http://www.kiamedia.com">www.kiamedia.com</a>. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert__;!!PMETyfE!LQ_AWgu_xS8m2ZdpIVOeFIM6CjzB7GXan16p-xQBBSMFDqSqBaxovepbT109Px9yCDy8QlykRUjGqeA$">www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert</a> 
* Select trims of the 2025 all-electric EV6 and EV9 all-electric three-row SUV, Sportage (excludes HEV and PHEV models), Sorento (excludes HEV and PHEV models), and Telluride are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.

smith-wilson-2025-dpoy

Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith and Las Vegas Aces’ A'ja Wilson Named 2025 Kia WNBA Co-Defensive Players of the Year

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2025 – Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase has been named the 2025 State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year, the WNBA announced today. She has earned the honor in her first season as a WNBA head coach.
Nakase received 53 of 72 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko finished in second place with 15 votes. Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon and Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve tied for third place with two votes each.
With Nakase leading the way, Golden State set the WNBA record for victories by an expansion team in its first season with 23. The Valkyries (23-21) also became the first team to qualify for the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google in its inaugural season.
After a 2-5 start to the season, Golden State won seven of its next nine games. That 7-2 stretch led to Nakase being honored as the WNBA Coach of the Month for June. As the Valkyries competed for a playoff spot in the final weeks of the season, Nakase guided them to winning streaks of four games from Aug. 9-15 and five games from Aug. 24 – Sept. 4.
Under Nakase, the Valkyries held opponents to league lows of 76.3 points per game and 40.5% shooting from the field. On offense, Golden State made a WNBA-high 9.7 three-pointers per game. Among Valkyries players, guard Veronica Burton won the 2025 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player Award and forward Kayla Thornton was selected to the AT&amp;T WNBA All-Star Game for the first time.
Nakase was hired as the Valkyries’ head coach in October 2024 after serving three seasons as an Aces assistant coach. She helped Las Vegas win back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023. Before her stint with the Aces, Nakase spent 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, finishing her tenure as an assistant coach.
Below are the voting results for the 2025 State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year Award and a list of past recipients.
VOTING RESULTS: 2025 STATE STREET INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SPY WNBA COACH OF THE YEAR
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%;height: 120px">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 50%;height: 24px">Coach (Team)</td>
<td style="width: 50%;height: 24px">Votes</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 50%;height: 24px">Natalie Nakase (Golden State)</td>
<td style="width: 50%;height: 24px">53</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 50%;height: 24px">Karl Smesko (Atlanta)</td>
<td style="width: 50%;height: 24px">15</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 50%;height: 24px">Becky Hammon (Las Vegas)</td>
<td style="width: 50%;height: 24px">2</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 50%;height: 24px">Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota)</td>
<td style="width: 50%;height: 24px">2</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
STATE STREET INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SPY WNBA COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
1997 – Van Chancellor, Houston
1998 – Van Chancellor, Houston
1999 – Van Chancellor, Houston
2000 – Michael Cooper, Los Angeles
2001 – Dan Hughes, Cleveland
2002 – Marianne Stanley, Washington
2003 – Bill Laimbeer, Detroit
2004 – Suzie McConnell-Serio, Minnesota
2005 – John Whisenant, Sacramento
2006 – Mike Thibault, Connecticut
2007 – Dan Hughes, San Antonio
2008 – Mike Thibault, Connecticut
2009 – Marynell Meadors, Atlanta
2010 – Brian Agler, Seattle
2011 – Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota
2012 – Carol Ross, Los Angeles
2013 – Mike Thibault, Washington
2014 – Sandy Brondello, Phoenix
2015 – Bill Laimbeer, New York
2016 – Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota
2017 – Curt Miller, Connecticut
2018 – Nicki Collen, Atlanta
2019 – James Wade, Chicago
2020 – Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota
2021 – Curt Miller, Connecticut
2022 – Becky Hammon, Las Vegas
2023 – Stephanie White, Connecticut
2024 – Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota
2025 – Natalie Nakase, Golden State
&nbsp;
About State Street Investment Management 
At State Street Investment Management, we have been helping to deliver better outcomes to institutions, financial intermediaries, and investors for nearly half a century. Starting with our early innovations in indexing and ETFs, our rigorous approach continues to be driven by market-tested expertise and a relentless commitment to those we serve. With over $5 trillion in assets managed*, clients in over 60 countries, and a global network of strategic partners, we use our scale to create a comprehensive and cost-effective suite of investment solutions that help investors get wherever they want to go. State Street Investment Management is the asset management business of State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT).
*This figure is presented as of June 30, 2025 and includes ETF AUM of $1,689.83 billion USD of which approximately $116.05 billion USD in gold assets with respect to SPDR products for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) acts solely as the marketing agent. SSGA FD and State Street Investment Management are affiliated. Please note all AUM is unaudited.

nakase-2025-coty

Golden State Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase Wins 2025 State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year Award

NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2025 – Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers has been named the 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year, the WNBA announced today. She is the first player to earn the honor with Dallas since Allisha Gray in 2017.
Bueckers received 70 votes from a national panel of 72 sportswriters and broadcasters. Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron received 2 votes.
A starter in all 36 of her appearances, Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 33.3 minutes and shot 47.4 percent from the field and 88.8 percent from the free throw line. She led all rookies in total points (692), points per game, total assists (194) and assists per game. Bueckers also ranked second among rookies in steals per game and free throw percentage and fourth in field goal percentage.
On top of breaking the Wings’ franchise rookie records, Bueckers finished third all-time in both total rookie points and total rookie assists. She also finished tied for second for the most double-digit scoring games by a rookie (35). Among all WNBA players, Bueckers ranked fifth in points per game, sixth in steals per game and ninth in assists per game.
On Aug. 20 against the Los Angeles Sparks, Bueckers set a WNBA single-game rookie record with 44 points, making 17-of-21 shots from the field (81 percent). She became the first player in WNBA history to score 40 or more points and shoot at least 80 percent from the field in a game.
Bueckers was voted as a starter for Team Collier for the 2025 AT&amp;T WNBA All-Star Game. She was also named the Kia WNBA Rookie of the Month three consecutive times (June, July and August).
Additional highlights of Bueckers’ 2025 season include:
<ul>
<li>Was the only player this season ranked in the top 10 in points, assists and steals per game.</li>
<li>Became the first rookie in WNBA history to average at least 15.0 points and 5.0 assists and shoot 45.0 percent or higher from the field in a season.</li>
<li>Scored at least 10 points in each of her first 30 games, the fourth-longest streak to begin a career in WNBA history.</li>
<li>Became the second rookie in WNBA history to record multiple games of at least 35 points, joining Wings teammate Arike Ogunbowale (2019).</li>
<li>Became the second rookie in WNBA history to finish with at least 500 points, 150 assists, 100 rebounds and 50 steals in a season, joining Caitlin Clark (2024).</li>
<li>Posted ten games with at least 20 points and five assists, the second most by a rookie in WNBA history (Clark had 18 last season).</li>
<li>Became the fastest rookie in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 100 assists.</li>
</ul>
Bueckers was selected by the Wings with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm after a decorated career at the University of Connecticut. A three-time AP All-America First Team selection, Bueckers led the Huskies to the Final Four in each of the four seasons she played and won the national championship in the 2024-25 season.
In honor of being named the 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year, Bueckers will receive $5,150 and a trophy designed to commemorate her achievement.
Below are the voting results for the 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Award and a list of past recipients.
2025 KIA WNBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR VOTING RESULTS
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%">Player</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%">Team</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%">Votes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%">Paige Bueckers</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%">Dallas Wings</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%">70</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%">Sonia Citron</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%">Washington Mystics</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%">2</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
KIA WNBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
1998 – Tracy Reid, Charlotte
1999 – Chamique Holdsclaw, Washington
2000 – Betty Lennox, Minnesota
2001 – Jackie Stiles, Portland
2002 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2003 – Cheryl Ford, Detroit
2004 – Diana Taurasi, Phoenix
2005 – Temeka Johnson, Washington
2006 – Seimone Augustus, Minnesota
2007 – Armintie Price, Chicago
2008 – Candace Parker, Los Angeles
2009 – Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta
2010 – Tina Charles, Connecticut
2011 – Maya Moore, Minnesota
2012 – Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles
2013 – Elena Delle Donne, Chicago
2014 – Chiney Ogwumike, Connecticut
2015 – Jewell Loyd, Seattle
2016 – Breanna Stewart, Seattle
2017 – Allisha Gray, Dallas
2018 – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas
2019 – Napheesa Collier, Minnesota
2020 – Crystal Dangerfield, Minnesota
2021 – Michaela Onyenwere, New York
2022 – Rhyne Howard, Atlanta
2023 – Aliyah Boston, Indiana
2024 – Caitlin Clark, Indiana
2025 – Paige Bueckers, Dallas
About Kia America
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top automotive quality surveys. Kia is recognized as one of the TIME World&#8217;s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024. Kia serves as the &#8220;Official Automotive Partner&#8221; of the WNBA and NBA and offers a range of gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America*. 
For media information, including photography, visit <a href="http://www.kiamedia.com">www.kiamedia.com</a>. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert__;!!PMETyfE!LQ_AWgu_xS8m2ZdpIVOeFIM6CjzB7GXan16p-xQBBSMFDqSqBaxovepbT109Px9yCDy8QlykRUjGqeA$">www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert</a> 
* Select trims of the 2025 all-electric EV6 and EV9 all-electric three-row SUV, Sportage (excludes HEV and PHEV models), Sorento (excludes HEV and PHEV models), and Telluride are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.

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