WNBA Celebrates Two Winners in Historic Co-Defensive Player of the Year Vote

Liam McKeone | Sep 18, 2025

A'ja Wilson and Alanna Smith were named co-Defensive Players of the Year on Thursday. / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The WNBA is rolling out its annual awards this week. Thursday's Defensive Player of the Year reveal resulted in history being made.

The league announced, for the first time ever, two players have been named co-winners of the Defensive Player of the Year award. Aces superstar A'ja Wilson and Lynx stalwart Alanna Smith are both DPOY for the 2025 WNBA season. It is the first time in the history of the W that two players tied for an end-of-season award. Wilson and Smith both received 29 of 72 possible votes; other vote-getters included the Storm's Gabby Williams, the Mercury's Alyssa Thomas and Smith's Minnesota teammate Napheesa Collier.

It is a shocking result even if both players are deserving. Wilson, now a three-time DPOY winner, led the WNBA in blocks per game with 2.3 and total defensive rebounds with 316. This is the first award for Smith, who anchored the league's best defense with the Lynx and recorded 135 combined steals and blocks on the season— trailing only Wilson, who racked up 156 stocks.

The Aces finished the year at 30–14 behind the superstar play of Wilson and will play a deciding Game 3 on Thursday night against the Storm to move onto the second round of the postseason. Smith held down the middle for the Lynx en route to a league-best 34–10 finish and helped lead Minnesota to a sweep over the Valkyries in the first round of this year's playoffs.

A historic result for the WNBA award record books.

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