NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2025 – Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon has been named the 2025 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year, the WNBA announced today. She has earned the honor as the league’s top reserve for the first time and become the first player to win the award with the Dream.
Hillmon received 44 of 72 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (22 votes) and forward Jessica Shepard (four votes) finished in second and third place, respectively. Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga and Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb each received one vote. To be eligible for the award, a player had to play more games as a reserve than as a starter.
In her fourth WNBA season, Hillmon averaged career highs of 8.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 25.5 minutes in 44 games (17 starts). She helped the Dream (30-14) set a franchise record with 30 wins, doubling its total from last season. Atlanta secured the No. 3 seed in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs presented by Google after finishing as the eighth seed in 2024.
Hillmon provided a spark off the bench throughout the season, recording eight games with at least 10 points and five rebounds as a reserve – the second-most such games in the league (Malonga, 12). The Dream went 5-0 in games when she scored 15 or more points.
Hillmon made 53 three-pointers this season after entering 2025 with one career three-pointer. On July 30 against the Dallas Wings, she scored a career-high 21 points and connected on five three-pointers, including a tiebreaking three with 2.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Durability has been a hallmark of Hillmon’s career since she joined the Dream as the 15th overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm out of the University of Michigan, where she was a four-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. She has played in a franchise-record 151 consecutive regular-season games for Atlanta, including all 124 games over the last three seasons.
In honor of being named the Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year, Hillmon will receive $5,150 and a trophy designed to commemorate her achievement.
Below are the voting results for the 2025 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Award and the list of recipients since the award’s inception in 2007.
2025 KIA WNBA SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR VOTING RESULTS
Player
Team
Votes
Naz Hillmon
Atlanta Dream
44
Natisha Hiedeman
Minnesota Lynx
22
Jessica Shepard
Minnesota Lynx
4
Dominique Malonga
Seattle Storm
1
Sami Whitcomb
Phoenix Mercury
1
KIA WNBA SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
Year
Player
Team
2025
Naz Hillmon
Atlanta Dream
2024
Tiffany Hayes
Las Vegas Aces
2023
Alysha Clark
Las Vegas Aces
2022
Brionna Jones
Connecticut Sun
2021
Kelsey Plum
Las Vegas Aces
2020
Dearica Hamby
Las Vegas Aces
2019
Dearica Hamby
Las Vegas Aces
2018
Jonquel Jones
Connecticut Sun
2017
Sugar Rodgers
New York Liberty
2016
Jantel Lavender
Los Angeles Sparks
2015
Allie Quigley
Chicago Sky
2014
Allie Quigley
Chicago Sky
2013
Riquna Williams
Tulsa Shock
2012
Renee Montgomery
Connecticut Sun
2011
DeWanna Bonner
Phoenix Mercury
2010
DeWanna Bonner
Phoenix Mercury
2009
DeWanna Bonner
Phoenix Mercury
2008
Candice Wiggins
Minnesota Lynx
2007
Plenette Pierson
Detroit Shock
About Kia America
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top automotive quality surveys. Kia is recognized as one of the TIME World’s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024. Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the WNBA and NBA and offers a range of gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America*.
For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert
* Select trims of the 2025 all-electric EV6 and EV9 all-electric three-row SUV, Sportage (excludes HEV and PHEV models), Sorento (excludes HEV and PHEV models), and Telluride are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.