Forwards Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun and center A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces were unanimous selections to the 2023 All-WNBA first team announced Sunday.
Stewart, Thomas and Wilson had finished first, second and third in the voting for the league’s Most Valuable Player Award. They were named to the All-WNBA first team on all 60 ballots in voting by a national panel of sports writers and broadcasters.
Stewart is on the first team for the fourth time in her six-season career. She was on the second team in 2016 and didn’t play in the 2019 season. She averaged 23.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.57 blocks and 1.45 steals in 40 regular-season games.
Thomas made her debut on the first team after being on the second team in 2022. She set WNBA single-season records in 2023 for triple-doubles (six) and double-doubles (28). Thomas led the league in rebounding (9.9 rpg) and was second in assists (7.9 apg), establishing career-highs in both categories, and equaled her career best of 15.5 points per game.
Wilson was selected to the All-WNBA first team for the third time. She was second team in 2021. The Defensive Player of the Year, Wilson ranked third in scoring (22.8 ppg), second in rebounding (9.5 rpg) and double-doubles (22), and led the WNBA in blocks average (2.23), setting career highs in each category.
Joining Stewart, Thomas and Wilson (300 points each) on the first team were Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (236 points) and Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally (186).
This is the second All-WNBA team selection for Collier, who was second team in 2020. She was fourth in scoring average (career-high 21.5) and seventh in rebounding (8.5).
Sabally is an All-WNBA selection for the first time in her career. She averaged career highs of 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.79 steals.
The second team consists of Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (168), Aces guards Jackie Young (163) and Chelsea Gray (159), Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd (158) and Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (143).
Voting was conducted at the conclusion of the regular season. Players were selected without regard to position and received five points for each first-team vote and three points for each second-team vote.
–Field Level Media
