There’s less than a month left of the WNBA regular season, and the awards picture is coming into focus. Not surprisingly, the Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream feature heavily in this year's awards, as they are two of the best teams in the league right now. The Liberty, Storm and Mercury have not played as well as of late, so it will be interesting to see how these final weeks affect awards voting as well as the playoff picture.
Most teams still have more than 10 games left to play, so this is a very early look, and a lot can change in the next few weeks. But here are the frontrunners, contenders and dark horses of each race right now:
Sixth Woman of the Year
To be eligible for this award, a player needs to have come off the bench for more games than she started. Considering the many injuries affecting the league, some of the best candidates have started some games this season.
Frontrunner: Natisha Hiedeman, Minnesota Lynx
One half of the “Stud Budz” crew has been a spark off the bench for Minnesota, as the Lynx have put together an incredible regular season that saw the team clinch a playoff spot this week. Hiedeman has been a key part of that, leading all bench players in points and assists.
Contender: Naz Hillmon, Atlanta Dream
While she started five games when Brittney Griner was injured, Hillmon has spent most of the season giving Atlanta valuable depth. Among bench players, she is just behind Hiedeman in scoring, and Minnesota’s Jessica Shepard in rebounds.
Dark horse: Dana Evans, Las Vegas Aces
The Aces haven’t had a picture-perfect season, but Evans has been a bright spot. She’s third in points and second in assists among bench players, and has been a source of consistency for Las Vegas.
Most Improved Player
Is there anything better than seeing a player who has always had the skills put everything together and elevate her game? It makes MIP one of the more fun award races to follow.
Frontrunner: Kayla Thornton, Golden State Valkyries
In 2016, Thornton was cut from the San Antonio Stars (now Las Vegas Aces) and didn’t play in the WNBA that season. Nine years later, after stops in Dallas and New York, where she showed steady growth, Thornton came into her own as one of the stars of the Golden State Valkyries. She made her first All-Star Game, averaging 14 points and 7 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, her season ended on July 16 with a knee injury, but she still is deserving of the award.
Contender: Brittney Sykes, Seattle Storm/Washington Mystics
Sykes, known as “Slim,” has always been a star on defense, but she’s added significantly to her offensive game in 2025. She’s averaging 20.5 points per game — a five-point jump over last season — and now in Seattle after a trade deadline move, has the chance to help the Storm try to right the ship and make a playoff run.
Dark horse: Naz Hillmon, Atlanta Dream
Yep, Hillmon is on the list twice. She’s improved in every statistical category, and in particular, has added an outside shot to her game. Hillmon attempted a total of 3 three-pointers last season. This season? She’s made 39 of 118 attempts (33%), and has given the Dream some versatility on the court.
Rookie of the Year
This is one category where the frontrunner, contender and dark-horse distinctions aren’t as important, because all three women were All-Stars in their first season, and have a decent shot at winning the ROY.
Frontrunner: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
As the No. 1 draft pick and a superstar for UConn in its NCAA championship run, Bueckers had giant expectations on her shoulders. She has managed to handle everything that’s expected of her while playing like a star in her first season in the league, despite missing games for a concussion and back injuries. Bueckers has 18.4 points and 5.4 assists per game, easily tops among all rookies.
Contender: Kiki Iriafen, Washington Mystics
Drafted fourth in the 2025 draft out of USC, Iriafen has made an immediate impact on the league. She is pulling 8.3 rebounds per game — ranked fifth in the W — and adding 12.5 points per game. Her play, coupled with Sonia Citron’s, made a huge turnaround in the Mystics’ fortunes this season.
Dark horse: Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics
Drafted just before Iriafen, Citron had the experience during her time at Notre Dame to be ready for the WNBA. She immediately showed she was ready for the big time. She’s scoring 14.8 points per game and has brought her quick 3-point shot with her to the WNBA, including this year's All-Star 3-point contest.
Defensive Player of the Year
For the DPOY, players need more than big statistics. They need to show a kind of intimidation to their opponents — almost an air of “I dare you.”
Frontrunner: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Wilson has won this award twice, and her defense this season means she could make it a trifecta. She leads the league in blocks per game — her blocks are of the soul-snatching variety — and is second in rebounds per game.
Contender: Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
Alyssa Thomas is so good at every aspect of the game, but it’s her defense that makes her so fun to watch on the court. She has 9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, but what she’s really good at is suffocating opponents so they can’t even attempt a shot.
Dark horse: Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm
Williams was named an All-Star for the first time this season, and her defense is a big reason why. No ball handler is safe when Williams is around, as she leads the league in steals with 82 (the next closest player, Dearica Hamby, has 51).
Most Valuable Player
A wonderful problem the WNBA continues to have is that so many players could contend for this award, so limiting this group to just three is always a challenge. Thomas and Wilson will likely (deservedly) show up in the top five of MVP voting, too.
Frontrunner: Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
The only question about Collier winning the MVP is if missing games due to her ankle injury should penalize her, and the answer is no. The Lynx are 27-5 with a sizable lead on the rest of the league, and they’re in that position in large part because of Collier. She leads the league in scoring with 23.5 points per game, plus 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks, and she does all that while fouling less than three times per game. She’s a special player having a special year.
Contender: Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
Going to turn this part over to Gray's teammate Hillmon, who spoke about why Gray should be an MVP contender:
“There's no fluff. There's no fake about it." Hillmon told Yahoo Sports recently. "But it's not just her scoring, like the attention that she draws so her teammates could be open. Her passing has gotten better; defensively, she's been an All-Star for our team.
The Dream’s jump this season has been thanks to Gray’s jump as a player, posting career-highs in points (19), rebounds (5.6) and assists (3.8). She's a major reason why the Dream have overtaken the Liberty for the second-best record in the league.
Dark horse: Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Coming off a WNBA title and Olympic gold medal in 2024, Ionescu has still found ways to become even more valuable to her team in 2025. She's averaging 19.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, but her contributions are about more than numbers. She’s continually stepped up as the Liberty have dealt with injuries, ensuring the team has stayed near the top of the league.
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