Wilson Wins Third Straight AP WNBA Player of the Year

A’ja Wilson won the Associated Press WNBA Player of the Year award for the third consecutive season, while Angel Reese was named the AP’s Defensive Player of the Year, the award results released Sunday showed. Wilson received 15 of 17 first-place votes from a national media panel. It was her fourth time winning the AP Player of the Year honor, giving her the most wins since the distinction began in 2016 and breaking her tie with Breanna Stewart. The award is separate from the WNBA’s own postseason honors, which had not yet been announced. The Las Vegas Aces center averaged 26.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and a career-best 3.2 assists per game this season, according to the reported results. She led the league in scoring and helped Las Vegas finish with a 31-13 record and the No. 3 playoff seed. Reese, a forward with the Atlanta Dream, received the AP defensive honor in her first season with the team. She averaged 12.1 rebounds per game and ranked third in the league in steals, according to the award coverage. She also led the league in rebounds for a third consecutive season. Her selection ended Wilson’s run as the AP defensive award recipient in three of the previous four seasons.