The WNBA playoffs are getting closer, and that means it’s time to talk about defense. The ability to play tough D and get stops is one of the best indicators of playoff success, and the contenders who have this in their arsenal will be able to win games.
Several of the key players doing that will also be on the WNBA All-Defensive team, so let’s take a closer look at who they'll likely be and what makes them so special. The list includes A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier, but there are always players here who fly under the radar when it comes to making plays on defense.
A’ja Wilson leads the WNBA All-Defensive team
She’s the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and she can do it all on that end of the floor, whether it’s shot blocking, ranging outside to hound three-point shooters or defend different positions to give the Aces more versatility. The league’s leading MVP candidate was injured against the Liberty the other night, and she was seen in a walking boot after the game due to what’s believed to be an ankle sprain. If Wilson limited at all, Las Vegas’s ability to contain opponents will also be hampered, which is why they’ll be especially careful with her going forward.
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
At 6’4”, Stewart offers a unique combination of length, athleticism and switch-ability. Stewart also brings a fantastic defensive IQ to the table, which gives her the instincts to play outside or drop inside to help or D-up against post players. Throw in a 15-point per game average, the experience factor and the ability to fill up a box score, and it’s not exactly surprising to see her on this team, especially since she’s been a strong DPOY candidate herself in previous years.
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx were picked to finish ninth in most preseason rankings, but Collier’s defensive game is a big part of Minnesota’s rise to the top of the pack in the Western Conference. Yes, she gets the headlines because she’s raised her scoring average to just over 20 a game, but Collier’s tenacious defense has helped make the Lynx a team nobody wants to see in any round, much less the first. Her presence on the boards also ensures that second shots don’t become a defensive problem, and if it weren’t for Wilson she’d be a serious contender for the MVP award.
Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
We’ll need some guard types to lockdown in the backcourt, and Young’s name automatically comes to mind. She complements Wilson in Vegas’s defensive schemes, and Young routinely takes on the opponent’s best scorer. Young is especially strong at the point of attack, and she brings strong scoring and passing kills to the table, too, with 16 points a game to go with just over 5 assists and 4 rebounds a game. The Aces will need her to do it all in the playoffs, and based on past evidence Young will be more than up to the task.
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
Thomas is a bit of a guard/forward hybrid, but regardless of which position she plays she's almost always among the league leaders in steals. She brings tremendous ball pressure to the table, and her ability to guard two positions makes her tremendously important to Connecticut's success. Rest assured, she'll be even more of a factor in the playoffs.
Honorable Mention: Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
Simply having Griner back on the floor and in Paris for the Olympics has been a great story after her horrific experience in Russia, but naming her here isn’t just some empty honorific. Griner has been averaging 16 points and almost 2 blocks a game since the Olympic break, and she’s still more than capable of providing an inside presence defensively when the occasion demands.