HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson was honored as the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in a row.
She is the eighth player to win the award multiple times.
Wilson received 32 of 60 votes from a national media panel. Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas was second with 24. No other player received more than three votes.
In playing for the league’s top-rated defense, Wilson also led the WNBA in defensive efficiency rating (93.2) and blocked shots (2.2). She was third in defensive rebounds per game (7.5) and 10th in steals (1.4). This is the third time in four years Wilson led the league in blocked shots.
Wilson also was selected to the league’s defensive first team for the third time. Also making the team were the Sun’s Thomas, Brittney Sykes of the Washington Mystics, Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and Jordin Canada of the Los Angeles Sparks.
On the second team were Betnijah Laney of the Liberty, Ezi Magbegor of the Seattle Storm, Nneka Ogwumike of the Sparks, Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Elizabeth Williams of the Chicago Sky.
Wilson also is in contention for league MVP, which will be announced Tuesday before the Aces play the Wings in Game 2 of their semifinal series. She has won that award two of the past three years.
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