The WNBA has announced its All-Defense teams, and six players participating in the WNBA Finals will be represented: three from the Golden State Valkyries and three from the Atlanta Dream.
The All-Defense First Team is headlined by Shakira Austin (Washington Mystics), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Angel Reese (Atlanta Dream), Gabby Williams (Golden State Valkyries), and A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces). Reese was also awarded Defensive Player of the Year.
The All-Defense Second Team includes Veronica Burton (Golden State Valkyries), Jordin Canada (Atlanta Dream), Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics), Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), and Kiah Stokes (Golden State Valkyries).
The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream are well-represented
The Valkyries (99.3), Dream (103.5), and Mystics (104) had the three best defensive ratings in the WNBA this past season; all three teams are well-represented with at least two players on the All-Defense teams. Only Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson hail from defenses that were not top-four in the league.
Williams and Wilson get their second straight First Team All-Defense nod, while Burton and Stewart get their second straight Second Team All-Defense nod. Howard earns First Team honors after earning Second Team honors last season. Austin, Reese, Citron, and Stokes all made the All-Defense team for the first time in their career, while Canada earns her first honor since 2023.
So, when the WNBA Finals tip off on Saturday, some of the game’s best defenders will take the court.