October 16, 2024
A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier nab unanimous All-WNBA first team nods
By Emily Caron
Sabrina Ionescu lands on second team
The 2024 All-WNBA first team selections were announced Wednesday, headlined by a pair of unanimous picks in Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, and including rookie Caitlin Clark.
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The honor marks the third consecutive and fourth overall first team nod for Wilson, who averaged a WNBA-record 26.9 points per game this year and a league-high 2.58 blocks per game en route to WNBA single-season records with 1,021 points and 451 rebounds. Wilson also took home the WNBA Most Valuable Player title for the third time after a historic season, this year earning it as the first undisputed MVP since the league’s inaugural campaign. It is the second straight first team selection for Collier, who doubles as the W’s 2024 Defensive Player of the Year.
Both received first team endorsements from all 67 voters, trailed closely by fellow first team selection Breanna Stewart (65). The honor marks the seventh overall All-WNBA Team selection and sixth first team nod for the New York Liberty veteran.
Rounding out the first team selections alongside Wilson, Collier and Stewart are Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas. The honor is the second consecutive first team selection for Thomas. Clark, who finished a record-setting rookie campaign by taking home Rookie of the Year honors, is the first newcomer to be selected to the All-WNBA first team since Candace Parker in 2008. She is just the fifth to be named overall. The other three include Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings in 2002 and Diana Taurasi in 2004. Clark received 52 first team votes; Thomas earned 39.
Each will take home $10,300 for their selection.
This year’s second team selections, worth a bonus of $5,150 apiece, include Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, the Phoenix Mercury’s Kahleah Copper, the Seattle Storm’s Nneka Ogwumike, Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale and the Liberty’s Jonquel Jones.
Ionescu, whose Liberty are tied 1-1 with the Lynx in the WNBA Finals heading into Game 3 on Wednesday, spoke to her third second team selection prior to the matchup.
“[I] just want to be the best that I can and help my team win,” Ionescu told The Next. “Regardless of first teams, second team, whatever it is, I think I understand what I bring to this team and obviously to this league. Regardless of that, I just want to be my best every single night. So obviously I’m thankful and honored for that award that I got, but obviously I want to be the best and show up like that every night.”
The Liberty guard and her teammates will take on Minnesota at Target Center in Minneapolis at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The second team selection is the first All-WNBA honor for Copper, who averaged a career-high 21.7 points per game in her ninth season in the league. This year marks the seventh All-WNBA team selection for fellow veteran Ogwumike, fifth for Jones and third for Ogunbowale.
Jackie Powell contributed reporting to this story.
