It's hard to believe the 2025 WNBA season is almost over, but here we are with under a week to go in the regular season.
The MVP battle is between A'ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier at this point, but what about the Defensive Player of the Year battle? Well ... you probably wouldn't be shocked to learn that it's also a battle between those two, though a third name belongs firmly in the conversation as well.
Here are the top five contenders for WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.
5. Angel Reese - Chicago Sky
Look, this is probably a three-player race, so I'm using this fifth spot here not to highlight someone who I think has a chance to win the award, but to highlight someone who needs to be talked about more for what she's done on the defensive end.
That player? Angel Reese. Now, look, I can hear you right now, saying "Justin, what are you talking about — Reese is one of the most talked about players in the league. What do you mean we need to talk about her more?"
But I'm not here to talk about rebounding. Sure, her ability to collect boards is impressive, but Reese is also just an extremely talented defender. She has the athleticism to guard multiple positions and while her block numbers could be better, she's among the best bigs in the league when it comes to getting steals.
4. Alyssa Thomas - Phoenix Mercury
It's just crazy how good Alyssa Thomas is despite the physical limitation of her torn shoulder labrums, which she's dealt with for years at this point.
Despite that, Thomas ranked third in the WNBA in defensive rebounds per game and seventh in steals per game. Her block numbers aren't ideal because...well, because it can be a struggle to get her arms up high enough to block shots, but her energy and her intelligence on the defensive end help make up for that.
3. Napheesa Collier - Minnesota Lynx
This is one of those cases where I'm probably dinging Napheesa Collier a bit too much because of injuries, but I think we have to account for the fact that she missed 10 games this year when comparing her to the two players who'll follow her on this list.
If not for the missed games, Collier would have as good a DPOY case as anyone. She ranks fifth in the league in both steals and blocks per game, and the Lynx have a 98.45 defensive rating with her on the court vs. a 102.08 defensive rating with her off the floor. Her versatility on that end is a cheat code for Minnesota.
2. A'ja Wilson - Las Vegas Aces
This huge run of success for the Aces over the past month has vaulted A'ja Wilson into the MVP conversation, with her now viewed as the favorite ahead of Collier. She should also be viewed as the favorite of the two in the DPOY race.
The big thing for Wilson is her shot-blocking ability. No one in the WNBA is better at positioning herself in the post to make a play at the rim than Wilson, whose 2.2 blocks per game lead the league. And not just that; she's on track to lead the league in blocks for the fourth season in a row. The past shouldn't factor into whether she wins this year or not, but it does help illustrate just how special of a defender Wilson is.
And then there's the on/off numbers. The Aces defense just falls to pieces when Wilson hits the bench. The team allows 101.89 points per 100 possessions with her on the floor. That plummets to 116.64 points per 100 possessions when she hits the bench. Like...that's a stark difference, and her on/off numbers should factor heavily into her MVP case.
But there's one player who, IMO, deserves the award just a little bit more.
1. Gabby Williams - Seattle Storm
The betting odds might be in Wilson's favor, but I just really think Gabby Williams needs recognition for how good she's been on the defensive end this season.
Williams leads the WNBA in steals per game with 2.3, and she's making a real run at Teresa Weatherspoon's record for most total steals in a season. Sure, it's taken her more games, but if Williams records four steals over Seattle's final two games, she'll tie the record.
Beyond the steals, Williams has been a great on-ball defender, making life consistently difficult for whoever she's matched up with.
Gabby Williams held the league’s top 5 guard scorers (by PPG) to a combined 26.4% (14-for-53) FG% in halfcourt matchups, the lowest FG% allowed by any defender in the WNBA this season (min. 200 matchups), according to Genius Sports tracking data.
— Seattle Storm PR (@SeattleStormPR) August 29, 2025
Honestly, you can pick and choose who you prefer between Wilson and Williams. Wilson is the best interior defender in the league. Williams is the best perimeter defender. For my money, I just barely go with Williams, but it's close. Maybe we should just give the award to both players.