LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson has been named the 2023 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.
This is Wilson's second year winning the award, and she is now the 8th player in league history to take home the award multiple times.
Wilson is the only player in franchise history to be named Defensive Player of the Year. Wilson was also named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team, marking her third time being selected to the team. Wilson earned second-team honors in 2020 and first-team honors in each of the last two seasons.
Wilson received 32 votes from a national panel of 60 sportswriters and broadcasters.
Wilson ranked 1st in defensive win shares (3.5) and defensive efficiency rating (93.2), 1st in block percentage (6.0), 3rd in defensive rebound percentage (26.5), and 13th in steal percentage (2.2) as the Aces boasted the most efficient defense in the league this year (97.7). In more traditional statistics, Wilson led the league in blocked shots (2.23) for the 3rd time in 4 years while finishing 3rd in defensive rebounds per game (7.5) and 10th in steals per game (1.40).
Although this is a regular season award, Wilson has been even better on the defensive end in the postseason thus far, blocking 4.00 shots, grabbing 8.0 defensive rebounds, and picking up 1.50 steals per game. Her defensive efficiency in the 2023 playoffs is 72.0, while her block percentage (11.7), defensive rebound percentage (27.2), and steal percentage (2.6).
The Aces continue their playoff run with a WNBA Semifinals series against the Dallas Wings, beginning at home on Sunday, Sept. 24 (2 pm PT on ESPN2) and Tuesday, Sept. 26 (7 pm PT on ESPN2), before traveling to Dallas for Game 3 on Friday, Sept. 29 (5:30 pm PT on ESPN2).
If necessary, Game 4 will be played in Dallas on Oct. 1, and Game 5 in Las Vegas on Oct. 3.
