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WNBA Defensive Player of the Year
Annual basketball award
Annual basketball award
The Women's National Basketball Association's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the league's inaugural season -- 1997, to the top defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote is worth five points; each second-place vote is worth three points; and each third-place vote is worth one point. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award.
Tamika Catchings has won the defensive player of the year award more times than any other player with the record of 5.
Winners
| Team (X) | Denotes the number of times a player from this team has won |
|---|
| Season | Player | Position | Nationality | Team | First-Place Votes | Ref. | Teresa Weatherspoon | Teresa Weatherspoon (2) | Yolanda Griffith | Sheryl Swoopes | Sheryl Swoopes (2) | Sheryl Swoopes (3) | Lisa Leslie | Tamika Catchings | Tamika Catchings (2) | Lauren Jackson | Lisa Leslie (2) | Tamika Catchings (3) | Tamika Catchings (4) | Sylvia Fowles | Tamika Catchings (5) | Sylvia Fowles (2) | Brittney Griner | Brittney Griner (2) | Sylvia Fowles (3) | Natasha Howard | Sylvia Fowles (4) | A'ja Wilson | A'ja Wilson (2) | Napheesa Collier | Alanna Smith | A'ja Wilson (3) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [1997](1997-wnba-season) | Guard | New York Liberty | 22 out of 37 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [1998](1998-wnba-season) | Guard | New York Liberty (2) | 28 out of 45 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [1999](1999-wnba-season) | Center | Sacramento Monarchs | 17 out of 51 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2000](2000-wnba-season) | Guard / Forward | Houston Comets | 33 out of 62 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2001](2001-wnba-season) | Debbie Black | Guard | Miami Sol | 22 out of 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2002](2002-wnba-season) | Guard / Forward | Houston Comets (2) | 22 out of 60 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2003](2003-wnba-season) | Guard / Forward | Houston Comets (3) | 35 out of 54 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2004](2004-wnba-season) | Center | Los Angeles Sparks | 27 out of 46 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2005](2005-wnba-season) | Forward | Indiana Fever | 35 out of 50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2006](2006-wnba-season) | Forward | Indiana Fever (2) | 43 out of 56 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2007](2007-wnba-season) | Forward / Center | Seattle Storm | 20 out of 48 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2008](2008-wnba-season) | Center | Los Angeles Sparks (2) | 20 out of 43 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2009](2009-wnba-season) | Forward | Indiana Fever (3) | 34 out of 40 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2010](2010-wnba-season) | Forward | Indiana Fever (4) | 30 out of 39 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2011](2011-wnba-season) | Center | Chicago Sky | 19 out of 40 | url=http://www.excellesports.com/news/sylvia-fowles-wins-wnba-defensive-player-of-the-year/ | title=Sylvia Fowles wins WNBA Defensive Player of the Year | date=2016-09-30 | language=en-US | access-date=2016-10-01}} | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2012](2012-wnba-season) | Forward | Indiana Fever (5) | 19 out of 41 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2013](2013-wnba-season) | Center | Chicago Sky (2) | 21 out of 39 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2014](2014-wnba-season) | Center | Phoenix Mercury | 31 out of 38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2015](2015-wnba-season) | Center | Phoenix Mercury (2) | 33 out of 39 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2016](2016-wnba-season) | Center | Minnesota Lynx | 19 out of 39 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2017](2017-wnba-season) | Alana Beard | Guard / Forward | Los Angeles Sparks (3) | 28 out of 40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2018](2018-wnba-season) | Alana Beard (2) | Guard / Forward | Los Angeles Sparks (4) | 16 out of 39 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2019](2019-wnba-season) | Guard / Forward | Seattle Storm (2) | 33 out of 43 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2020](2020-wnba-season) | Candace Parker | Forward / Center | Los Angeles Sparks (5) | 16 out of 47 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2021](2021-wnba-season) | Center | Minnesota Lynx (2) | 31 out of 49 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2022](2022-wnba-season) | Forward | Las Vegas Aces | 20 out of 56 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2023](2023-wnba-season) | Las Vegas Aces (2) | 32 out of 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2024](2024-wnba-season) | Minnesota Lynx (3) | 36 out of 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [2025](2025-wnba-season) | Minnesota Lynx (4) | 29 out of 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Center | Las Vegas Aces (3) |
Multi-time winners
| Awards | Player | Team(s) | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Tamika Catchings | Indiana Fever | [2005](2005-wnba-season), [2006](2006-wnba-season), [2009](2009-wnba-season), [2010](2010-wnba-season), [2012](2012-wnba-season) |
| 4 | Sylvia Fowles | Chicago Sky / Minnesota Lynx | [2011](2011-wnba-season), [2013](2013-wnba-season), [2016](2016-wnba-season), [2021](2021-wnba-season) |
| 3 | Sheryl Swoopes | Houston Comets | [2000](2000-wnba-season), [2002](2002-wnba-season), [2003](2003-wnba-season) |
| A'ja Wilson | Las Vegas Aces | [2022](2022-wnba-season), [2023](2023-wnba-season), [2025](2025-wnba-season) | |
| 2 | Teresa Weatherspoon | New York Liberty | [1997](1997-wnba-season), [1998](1998-wnba-season) |
| Lisa Leslie | Los Angeles Sparks | [2004](2004-wnba-season), [2008](2008-wnba-season) | |
| Brittney Griner | Phoenix Mercury | [2014](2014-wnba-season), [2015](2015-wnba-season) | |
| Alana Beard | Los Angeles Sparks | [2017](2017-wnba-season), [2018](2018-wnba-season) |
References
References
- "Saying Goodbye to WNBA Great Tamika Catchings".
- "WNBA.com: Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie Named 2008 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year".
- (2016-09-30). "Sylvia Fowles wins WNBA Defensive Player of the Year".
- (September 12, 2017). "Los Angeles’ Alana Beard Named 2017 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year". WNBA.
- (August 30, 2018). "Sparks’ Alana Beard Named 2018 Defensive Player Of The Year". WNBA.
- (September 11, 2019). "Seattle’s Natasha Howard Named 2019 WNBA Defensive Player Of The Year". WNBA.
- (September 24, 2020). "Candace Parker Named 2020 WNBA Defensive Player Of The Year". WNBA.
- "Sylvia Fowles Named 2021 WNBA Defensive Player Of The Year".
- (August 30, 2022). "Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson Named 2022 Kia WNBA Defensive Player Of The Year". WNBA.
- (September 22, 2023). "Aces star A'ja Wilson wins second straight DPOY award". [[ESPN]].
- (September 29, 2024). "Napheesa Collier Named 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year". [[Minnesota Lynx]].
- (September 18, 2025). "Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith and Las Vegas Aces’ A'ja Wilson Named 2025 Kia WNBA Co-Defensive Players of the Year". [[WNBA]].
- Struck, Logan. (September 18, 2025). "Alanna Smith, A'ja Wilson Make WNBA History With DPOY Announcement".
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