The accolades for Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson continue to accumulate after she was one of five players selected for the WNBA’s All-Defensive team.
Wilson and co-Defensive Player of the Year winner Alanna Smith made the cut, as did MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier, Smith’s teammate on the Minnesota Lynx. The Seattle Storm’s Gabby Williams and Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas rounded out the group.
Wilson and Smith combined for the first split DPOY vote in league history. They were each on 29 ballots, with Williams a distant third on nine votes.
Wilson overcame the fact the Aces finished eighth in defensive rating (101.9), per WNBA.com. She averaged a league-high 2.3 blocks along with 7.9 defensive rebounds per game.
Smith and Collier were key contributors to the WNBA’s best defense. The Lynx were first in defensive rating (97.5) and ranked second in opponent field-goal percentage (42.3). Together, Smith and Collier combined for 2.9 steals and 3.4 blocks per contest.
Williams was a terror on the perimeter. Her 99 steals tied for the second-most in a single season and were only one away from matching Teresa Weatherspoon’s record in 1998.
Thomas was likewise a stifling defender away from the basket, and she helped turn defense into offense. Her 7.2 defensive rebounds per game were the second-most of her career, and the Mercury’s average fast-break points went from 7.3 per game in 2024 to 11.8 in 2025, per WNBA.com.