WNBA Rookie of the Year Award explained

The Women's National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the 1998 WNBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote is worth five points; each second-place vote is worth three points; and each third-place vote is worth one point. The player(s) with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award.

The 2003 award winner Cheryl Ford and 2011 award winner Maya Moore are the only players to win both the WNBA Rookie of the Year award and a WNBA championship in the same season.

The 2008 award winner was Candace Parker who became the first player to win the award after garnering all possible votes and also the first player to win the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award in the same season. In the NBA, only Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld have won the Most Valuable Player Award and Rookie of the Year Award in the same season.

The 2020 award winner, Crystal Dangerfield, is the first who was not chosen in the first round of the draft; she was chosen in the second round in 2020 as the 16th overall pick.

As of 2019, eight Rookie of the Year recipients have gone on to become a member of a WNBA championship team.

Winners

Key
^Denotes player who is still active in the WNBA
Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as player
Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
†Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration
§1st time eligible for Hall of Fame in 2025[1] -->
Player
(in bold text)		Denotes unanimous winners
Rookie of the Year
SeasonPlayerPositionNationalityTeamSchoolPickYear
1998Tracy ReidForwardCharlotte StingUNC (Sr.)71998[2]
1999Chamique HoldsclawWashington MysticsTennessee (Sr.)11999[3]
2000Betty LennoxGuardMinnesota LynxLouisiana Tech (Sr.)62000[4]
2001Jackie StilesPortland FireMissouri State (Sr.)42001[5]
2002Tamika CatchingsForwardIndiana FeverTennessee (Sr.)32001[6]
2003Cheryl FordDetroit ShockLouisiana Tech (Sr.)32003[7]
2004Diana Taurasi^GuardPhoenix MercuryUConn (Sr.)12004[8]
2005Temeka JohnsonWashington Mystics (2)LSU (Sr.)62005[9]
2006Seimone AugustusGuard/ForwardMinnesota Lynx (2)LSU (Sr.)12006[10]
2007Armintie PriceGuardChicago SkyOle Miss (Sr.)32007[11]
2008Candace Parker†Forward/CenterLos Angeles SparksTennessee (Jr.)12008[12]
2009Angel McCoughtry†ForwardAtlanta DreamLouisville (Sr.)12009[13]
2010Tina Charles^CenterConnecticut SunUConn (Sr.)12010[14]
2011Maya MooreForwardMinnesota Lynx (3)UConn (Sr.)12011[15]
2012Nneka Ogwumike^Los Angeles Sparks (2)Stanford (Sr.)12012[16] [17]
2013Elena Delle Donne†Guard/ForwardChicago Sky (2)Delaware (Sr.)22013[18]
2014Chiney Ogwumike†ForwardConnecticut Sun (2)Stanford (Sr.)12014[19]
2015Jewell Loyd^GuardSeattle StormNotre Dame (Jr.)12015[20]
2016Breanna Stewart^Forward/CenterSeattle Storm (2)UConn (Sr.)12016[21]
2017Allisha Gray^GuardDallas Wings (2)South Carolina (Jr.)42017[22]
2018A'ja Wilson^ForwardLas Vegas AcesSouth Carolina (Sr.)12018[23]
2019Napheesa Collier^Minnesota Lynx (4)UConn (Sr.)62019[24]
2020Crystal Dangerfield^GuardMinnesota Lynx (5)UConn (Sr.)162020[25]
2021Michaela Onyenwere^ForwardNew York LibertyUCLA (Sr.)62021[26]
2022Rhyne Howard^GuardAtlanta Dream (2)Kentucky (Sr.)12022[27]
2023Aliyah Boston^Forward/CenterIndiana Fever (2)South Carolina (Sr.)12023[28]
2024Caitlin Clark^GuardIndiana Fever (3)Iowa (Sr.)12024[29]

Teams

Awards Teams Years
5Minnesota Lynx,,,,
3Indiana Fever,,
2Washington Mystics,
Dallas Wings / Tulsa Shock / Detroit Shock (as Detroit)
(as Dallas)
Chicago Sky,
Los Angeles Sparks,
Atlanta Dream,
, (as Connecticut)
Seattle Storm,
1Charlotte Sting
Portland Fire
Phoenix Mercury
Las Vegas Aces / San Antonio Stars /
San Antonio Silver Stars / Utah Starzz		 (as Las Vegas)
New York Liberty
0Cleveland RockersN/A
Houston Comets
Miami Sol
Sacramento Monarchs

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2024 Hall of Fame Candidates . basketball-reference.com . November 8, 2021.
  2. News: Forward was Rookie of the Year in 1998 . . March 1, 2005 . October 22, 2024.
  3. News: Holdsclaw Wins Rookie Award . CBS News . August 28, 1999 . October 22, 2024.
  4. News: Lennox dominates Rookie voting . . Associated Press . August 17, 2000 . October 22, 2024.
  5. Web site: Stiles Named 2001 WNBA Rookie of the Year . . August 16, 2001 . October 22, 2024.
  6. Web site: Indiana's Catchings Wins 2002 Rookie of the Year . . August 16, 2002 . October 22, 2024.
  7. Web site: Detroit's Ford Named Rookie of the Year . . August 31, 2003 . October 22, 2024.
  8. Web site: Phoenix's Diana Taurasi Named 2004 WNBA Rookie of the Year . . September 27, 2004 . October 22, 2024.
  9. Web site: Washington's Temeka Johnson Named 2005 WNBA Rookie of the Year . . September 14, 2005 . October 22, 2024.
  10. Web site: Seimone Augustus Named 2006 WNBA Rookie of the Year . . October 22, 2024.
  11. Web site: Chicago's Armintie Price Named 2007 WNBA Rookie of the Year . . September 8, 2007 . October 22, 2024.
  12. Web site: Los Angeles Sparks’ Candace Parker Named Hanns-G 'Go Beyond' Rookie of the Year . . October 3, 2008 . October 22, 2024.
  13. News: McCoughtry is WNBA's top rookie . . Associated Press . October 2, 2009 . October 22, 2024.
  14. Web site: The Connecticut Sun's Tina Charles Named 2010 WNBA Rookie of the Year . . August 30, 2010 . September 27, 2024.
  15. Web site: Minnesota Lynx Forward Maya Moore Named 2011 WNBA Rookie of the Year . . September 16, 2011 . September 27, 2024.
  16. Web site: Los Angeles Sparks Forward Nneka Ogwumike Named 2012 WNBA Rookie of the Year . . October 8, 2012 . September 27, 2024.
  17. Web site: Nneka Ogwumike, Glory Johnson Headline 2012 All-Rookie Team. WNBA. 7 Oct 2012.
  18. News: Sky's Delle Donne named WNBA's Rookie of Year . . September 20, 2013 . September 27, 2024.
  19. News: Chiney Ogwumike is rookie of year . . Associated Press . August 28, 2014 . September 27, 2024.
  20. Seattle Storm's Jewell Loyd named WNBA Rookie of the Year . . September 24, 2015 . September 27, 2024.
  21. Web site: Breanna Stewart Named 2016 WNBA Rookie of the Year Presented By Samsung . . September 29, 2016 . September 27, 2024.
  22. Web site: Dallas’ Allisha Gray Named 2017 WNBA Rookie Of The Year . . September 19, 2017 . September 27, 2024.
  23. News: Michael . Voepel . Michael Voepel . A'ja Wilson unanimous choice for WNBA Rookie of the Year . . September 9, 2018 . September 27, 2024.
  24. News: Michael . Voepel . Michael Voepel . Lynx's Collier named WNBA Rookie of the Year . . September 16, 2019 . September 27, 2024.
  25. Web site: Crystal Dangerfield Named WNBA Rookie Of The Year . WNBA . September 17, 2020 . September 27, 2024.
  26. Web site: New York Liberty’s Michaela Onyenwere Named 2021 Kia WNBA Rookie Of The Year. wnba.com. WNBA. October 5, 2021. October 6, 2021.
  27. Atlanta Dream’s Rhyne Howard Named 2022 Kia Rookie of the Year. wnba.com. WNBA. August 25, 2022. August 25, 2022.
  28. Web site: Indiana Fever’s Aliyah Boston Named 2023 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year . WNBA . October 2, 2023.
  29. News: Voepel . Michael . Michael Voepel . October 3, 2024 . Caitlin Clark wins WNBA Rookie of the Year honors . ESPN.

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