The WNBA playoffs are upon us and with the regular season having come to an end, it is also time for individual awards like: Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Defensive Player of the Year to be given out.
Doug Feinberg, an AP National women’s basketball writer, took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon and announced the Associated Press awards for the WNBA season. In their first year divvying up awards to the most impressive players in the league, the star center for the Minnesota Lynx, Sylvia Fowles, was awarded Defensive Player of the Year.
The 30-year-old 3x Gold Medalist had an amazing season on the defensive side of the ball. Fowles averaged 8.5 rebounds per game (5th in the WNBA), 1.3 steals and 1.8 blocks (5th).
When it comes to advanced stats, Fowles’ incredible play is even more evident. With players who competed at least 20 minutes a game, Fowles ranks: 5th in Defensive Rating (94.7), 8th in Defensive Rebounding Percentage (24.9), 5th in Rebounding percentage (18.3) and 2nd in block percentage (5.1).
The Official WNBA awards will be announced sporadically throughout the playoffs.
Defensive Rating (Def Rtg) – The number of points a team allows per 100 possessions.
Defensive Rebound Percentage (DREB%) – The percentage of available defensive rebounds a player or team grabbed while on the floor.
Block Percentage (BLK%) – The percentage of team blocked shots by a player.
Rebound Percentage (REB%) – The percentage of available total rebounds a player or team grabbed while on the floor.
**Advanced Stat Definitions courtesy of wnba.com**