The WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award often is difficult to determine. Defense in basketball is hard to quantify, and with several statistics usually in play—a player’s defensive playmaking, defensive rebounding, on/off court stats, team success, and so on—there are almost always a handful of candidates for the award, and who wins depends on which of those criteria the voters prioritize.
For that reason, it’s tough to draw the line between a great individual defender and a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. There are certainly more than a handful of top-tier defenders in the WNBA, and a lot can happen between now and the end of the 2023 season. That being said, there are a few players who probably have the best chances to win the award. Let’s try to narrow things down and look at each of their cases.
A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces)
Wilson took home both Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022, and she could very well do it again this season….
