A’ja Wilson wins AP WNBA Player of the Year for 3rd straight year; Angel Reese is top defensive player

A’ja Wilson is in a class by herself, winning the AP’s WNBA Player of the Year award for an unprecedented third straight year.

Wilson received 15 of the 17 first-place votes from a national media panel Sunday. She topped Olivia Miles of Minnesota as well as Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana, who all had stellar seasons.

“It’s big. It’s an honor for me to do it three times in a row. It’s not easy,” Wilson said in a phone interview. “My counterparts in this league are really good. I don’t take it lightly because of how much talent we do have in this league.”

It’s the fourth time that Wilson has won the AP award, breaking a tie with Breanna Stewart for most since the awards were first given in 2016.

“That’s got a nice ring to it,” Wilson said. “That’s pretty cool.”

The AP voting is done by a 17-member panel that votes on the power poll each week. It’s the 11th year of the awards.

The WNBA will announce its postseason awards over the course of the playoffs, which begin Sunday. Wilson is a huge favorite to win the WNBA MVP for the third straight season.

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/sports