2024 WNBA Awards Discussion Thread

[Ice Man]

In one sense, I'm surprised that there's no love for Sabrina. In another sense, I am not. Her team has 2 of the past 3 MVPs. So, the thought process is "Sure Sabrina is excellent but any team with Stewart and Jonquel will be near the top of the table, no matter who its PG is."

Not saying that mindset is right, but I do understand the thought process.

[MrDollarBills]

In one sense, I'm surprised that there's no love for Sabrina. In another sense, I am not. Her team has 2 of the past 3 MVPs. So, the thought process is "Sure Sabrina is excellent but any team with Stewart and Jonquel will be near the top of the table, no matter who its PG is."

Not saying that mindset is right, but I do understand the thought process.

It's a valid opinion and I'm a huge Sabrina fan

[MrDollarBills]

Here's the link to the ESPN article and the analyst's votes:

MVP: A'ja Wilson (LV) (all 3)

Phee (Min) mentioned as likely #2, with Stewie (NY), AT (Con) & CC (Ind) mentioned as likely Top 5.

ROY: Caitlin Clark (Ind) (all 3)

Reese (Chi) only other mentioned.

COY: Cheryl Reeve Min) (all 3)

Brondello (NY), White (Con) & Sides (Ind) also mentioned.

DPOY: Napheesa Collier (Min) (all 3)

A'ja (LV) only other player mentioned.

6WOY: voting split -

Leonie Fiebich (NY) (Pelton & Philippou)
Tiffany Hayes (LV) (Voepel)

No other players mentioned.

MIP: voting split -

Bridget Carleton (MIN) (Pelton)
Chennedy Carter (CHI) (Philippou)
DiJonai Carrington (CON) (Voepel)

No other players mentioned.

All-WNBA First Team:

Pelton: A'ja, Phee, Stewie, CC, McBride
Philippou: A'ja, Phee, Stewie, CC, AT
Voepel: A'ja, Phee, Stewie, CC, AT

No votes for Stewie for DPOY? Wow.

[hermes]

i'll vote for bridget carlton for most improved

its wild to think that diamond miller was starting over her to begin the year and only moved into the starting lineup when diamond got injured

[Doctor MJ]

Adding some commentary:

Here's the link to the ESPN article and the analyst's votes:

MVP: A'ja Wilson (LV) (all 3)

Phee (Min) mentioned as likely #2, with Stewie (NY), AT (Con) & CC (Ind) mentioned as likely Top 5.

It makes sense that A'ja is the choice, and it's awkward for me siding with Phee in a year where ESPN (Voepel) calls A'ja's year the GOAT WNBA season. This is something I think is going to be a thing I think about - and might haunt me - for a good while. It's strange.

The essence of this issue is that I rely a lot on scoreboard family stats (+/-, etc.) and A'ja there doesn't look she's getting dragged by teammates. We'll see how things look going forward. If A'ja just owns the playoffs and drags her team to a title this year, siding with Phee might forever damage whatever WNBA cred I have.

Beyond the top of the ballot the main thing I note here is the inclusion of CC as Top 5. I'll speak to this more in the All-WNBA part below, but I'm honestly a bit shocked she's rated that high.

ROY: Caitlin Clark (Ind) (all 3)

Reese (Chi) only other mentioned.

Here there's no doubt in my mind: Clark deserves this and is a very strong ROY.

I'm not sure if I'd call Reese a "strong ROY candidate" level player for what she did this year, but the stuff she did well was absolutely amazing, and I'm glad people are taking notice of it.

COY: Cheryl Reeve Min) (all 3)

Brondello (NY), White (Con) & Sides (Ind) also mentioned.

Yup, were I casting a 3 name ballot, Reeve, Brondello & White would probably be my ballot in just that order.

6WOY: voting split -

Leonie Fiebich (NY) (Pelton & Philippou)
Tiffany Hayes (LV) (Voepel)

No other players mentioned.

MIP: voting split -

Bridget Carleton (MIN) (Pelton)
Chennedy Carter (CHI) (Philippou)
DiJonai Carrington (CON) (Voepel)

No other players mentioned.

I have to acknowledge I haven't thought that much about these yet, and so I'm glad to chew on the candidates they put forward.

All-WNBA First Team:

Pelton: A'ja, Phee, Stewie, CC, McBride
Philippou: A'ja, Phee, Stewie, CC, AT
Voepel: A'ja, Phee, Stewie, CC, AT

Yeah so this is really noteworthy to me that Clark is one of only 4 players to be on all of their ballots. The way it's done leaves no doubt that 2 of the 3 writers see Clark as a Top 5 player for the season, and the 3rd - the analytically-minded Pelton - at the very least also finds a way to put Clark in that accolade.

I feel like what's happening here isn't so much that people are overrating Clark, but they are in effect overrating Clark's season in an MVP conversation. In the end we're talking about a team whose year-on-year statistical improvement isn't that big and whose play this year is still basically only mediocrity. Yeah they're a lot better now than when they started, but we don't typically give season accolades based on how everything looks at the end.

As I say all of this, I want to be clear I don't think it's crazy for Clark to be a "1st team guard", so to some degree I'm picking nits. It's just that I have a hard time saying I think Clark is seriously a Top 5 MVP candidate when there's such a massive gap between the 5 best teams and the other 7 by season play, and Clark's team is still just part of the other 7.

To the question of who hasn't been mentioned that I think is most deserving: I'd probably go with Jonquel. It's always a bit delicate when talking about the second player from a one team over the top from another, but we're talking about a former MVP playing her knew role to perfection sacrificing volume to enable her team to be the best in the league. It's no small thing.

I should also say though that I think I'd single out Brionna Jones from the Sun this year over AT. I suppose my Top 5 right now would be something like:

1. Phee
2. A'ja
3. Stewie
4. Jonquel
5. Brionna

[Doctor MJ]

DPOY: Napheesa Collier (Min) (all 3)

A'ja (LV) only other player mentioned.

No votes for Stewie for DPOY? Wow.

Felt like breaking this out into its own response after seeing your comment.

So big thing I'll say here - as a guy who has Phee for his MVP & DPOY - is that the unanimous choice for her as DPOY on their list feels weird. As in, it feels less like a serious debate, and more like a consolation prize because A'ja getting the MVP with a historical offensive season.

I'd guess that Pelton actually sees enough in the data that if he's siding with Phee, he's doing it for non-sentimental reasons, but for the others, I just don't think you get to this conclusion from traditional stats and traditional defensive beliefs (given that Phee's not a big).

And yeah, the fact that only Phee & A'ja got mentioned here when there were 4 elite defenses this year and A'ja's team wasn't one of them is odd.

To give those other teams some mention:

Connecticut has the 2nd best DRtg in the league, and AT remains a natural candidate for discussion here.

New York's next, and Stewie's clearly a candidate to mention.

And then Seattle and Ezi seems like she really deserved a mention here since she didn't get it anywhere else.

[Ice Man]

Every I see Ezi she terrifies me and I'm not even on the floor. It's hard for me to believe that any WNBA center is a better defender than her.

[cupcakesnake]

Every I see Ezi she terrifies me and I'm not even on the floor. It's hard for me to believe that any WNBA center is a better defender than her.

Seattle was so inconsistent on offense this year, so that Ezi-anchored defense is what kept Seattle from having a more disapointing season. There were so many games where Seattle looked like they couldn't decide what to do on offense. Skylar, Jewell, and Nneka would take turns attacking with mixed results. The whole time they're figuring that out, Ezi is on the other end playing perfect backline defense and generating stops. She has terrific feet and anticipation skills (always putting herself in the right spot), and then whips out that 6'7" wingspan to confound anyone who thinks they've found an interior look. There were so many standout defensive stops from Ezi, and so many quiet ones.

Nneka was excellent on that end this year too. It was a very good defensive froncourt. It will be fun to watch them tackle the A'ja problem in the first round.

[MrDollarBills]

Every I see Ezi she terrifies me and I'm not even on the floor. It's hard for me to believe that any WNBA center is a better defender than her.

Seattle was so inconsistent on offense this year, so that Ezi-anchored defense is what kept Seattle from having a more disapointing season. There were so many games where Seattle looked like they couldn't decide what to do on offense. Skylar, Jewell, and Nneka would take turns attacking with mixed results. The whole time they're figuring that out, Ezi is on the other end playing perfect backline defense and generating stops. She has terrific feet and anticipation skills (always putting herself in the right spot), and then whips out that 6'7" wingspan to confound anyone who thinks they've found an interior look. There were so many standout defensive stops from Ezi, and so many quiet ones.

Nneka was excellent on that end this year too. It was a very good defensive froncourt. It will be fun to watch them tackle the A'ja problem in the first round.

Match ups like this is why we need the first round to be a 5 game series.

[MrDollarBills]

Congrats to A'ja for an incredible, dominant season

Read on Twitter

Well deserved.

[MrDollarBills]

A'ja oh my god she is a gem of a human

https://youtu.be/

Watch on YouTube

Watch all of this. This is a leader

[cupcakesnake]

A'ja oh my god she is a gem of a human

https://youtu.be/

Watch on YouTube

Watch all of this. This is a leader

Can't handle A'ja speeches. They get me crying with her and I don't even know these people in real life!

[cdubbz]

Congrats to A'ja for an incredible, dominant season

Read on Twitter

Well deserved.

Congrats to A'ja!!! Leading the league in points & boards and being a defensive monster. Impressive.

[Doctor MJ]

Congrats to A'ja for an incredible, dominant season

Read on Twitter

Well deserved.

Very awkward for me.

[cupcakesnake]

Congrats to A'ja for an incredible, dominant season

Read on Twitter

Well deserved.

Very awkward for me.

Never let them see you cry.

[MrDollarBills]

Congrats to A'ja for an incredible, dominant season

Read on Twitter

Well deserved.

Very awkward for me.

Never let them see you cry.

[MrDollarBills]

A'ja oh my god she is a gem of a human

https://youtu.be/

Watch on YouTube

Watch all of this. This is a leader

Can't handle A'ja speeches. They get me crying with her and I don't even know these people in real life!

I started tearing up too. There's so much care and empathy in her words. That's the kind of person you run through a wall for.

[DOT]

Read on Twitter

TBH I would've had Ty Harris as most improved, but both them stepped up in a huge way this year.

[MrDollarBills]

Congrats to Dijonai!!!

More than deserved. Her play always stands out when i watch Sun games on both ends. I think she still has room to improve as well.

[MrDollarBills]

Leaving this here in celebration of Dijonai's big accomplishment