2026 WNBA awards winners: A'ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark and Olivia Miles headline All-WNBA teams

Awards season concluded Saturday when the 2026 All-WNBA Teams were announced. The First Team mirrorred the top-five in MVP voting, and featured MVP A'ja Wilson, unanimous Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles, both members of the Indiana Fever backcourt, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, and Breanna Stewart.

Wilson won a record-setting fifth MVP, while also becoming the first player to earn that award in three consecutive seasons. Miles became the sixth unanimous Rookie of the Year in league history and Angel Reese won Defensive Player of the Year. Other major award winners included Jessica Shepard (Most Improved Player) and Janelle Salaün (Sixth Player of the Year).

Cheryl Reeve won Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year, while the retiring Nneka Ogwumike took home the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award for the fifth time in her career.

The All-Rookie Team was highlighted by unanimous Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles and No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd, while the All-Defensive Teams were headlined by Wilson and Reese. Still to come are the All-WNBA teams.

Rookie of the Year: Olivia Miles, Lynx

Miles, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, was named the unanimous Rookie of the Year as expected. She is the sixth player to win that honor unanimously, joining Aliyah Boston, A'ja Wilson, Elena Delle Donne, Tina Charles and Candace Parker.

Miles, who averaged 19.8 points and six assists per game, led all rookies in scoring and assists, and finished eighth and seventh in the league, respectively, in those categories. She also broke Caitlin Clark's rookie points record (790) and led the Lynx to a 33-11 record and the No. 1 seed.

Most Improved Player: Jessica Shepard, Wings

Shepard joined the Wings in free agency on a two-year, $2 million deal that she immediately justified. As a full-time starter for the first time in her career, Shepard averaged 14.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, up from eight points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season. She finished second in the league in rebounding and 11th in assists, was one of two players (along with Angel Reese) to average a double-double, led the league with six triple-doubles and recorded just the second 20-20-10 game in WNBA history.

Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve, Lynx

The Lynx lost six rotation players from last season's team that went 34-10, and star forward Napheesa Collier was sidelined until late July after undergoing surgery on both ankles in the offseason, yet the Lynx once again finished with the best record in the league. That was thanks in large part to a tremendous coaching performance from Reeve, who helped turn Miles into one of the league's best players and got her new-look group to gel -- at least until the playoffs.

Reeve has now won Coach of the Year five times, extending her record and becoming the first coach in major American professional sports to receive the honor five times.

Defensive Player of the Year: Angel Reese, Dream

Reese's versatility, rebounding, and impact on one of the league's best defensive teams were impossible for voters to ignore as she earned DPOY honors for the first time. The Dream finished third in the league in defensive rating (103.5) in large part thanks to Reese.

Sixth Player of the Year: Janelle Salaün, Golden State Valkyries

As expected, Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün was named Sixth Player of the Year. She is first player in WNBA history to win the honor unanimously. The Frenchwoman led all bench scorers with 12.7 points per game, and shot 39.2% from 3-point range to help the Valkyries win a franchise record 32 games and earn the No. 2 seed.

MVP: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

A'ja Wilson has done it again. After yet another historic season, the Las Vegas Aces star was named the 2026 WNBA MVP, becoming the first five-time MVP in league history and the first player to win the award in three consecutive seasons.

Executive of the Year: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx

Reeve, who won her fifth Coach of the Year honor, was also named Executive of the Year for the third time in her career, matching Atlanta Dream general manager Dan Padover for the most such honors. Reeve is the first person to win Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year in the same season twice.

Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award

Nneka Ogwumike, who retired at the end of the regular season, won her second Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award in a row this season and fifth overall. The award is presented each year to a player who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, including ethical behavior, fair play and integrity.

All-WNBA Teams

As expected, the First Team mirrored the top-five in MVP voting. All-WNBA First Team: Caitlin Clark, Olivia Miles, Kelsey Mitchell, Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson. All-WNBA Second Team: Shakira Austin, Paige Bueckers, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese, Jackie Young.