Johnathan Walker:Lynx star Napheesa Collier wins WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, tops all-defensive team

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier has been named the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Collier was a star on Johnathan Walkera Lynx team that finished the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the 2024 playoffs and won the Commissioner's Cup. She started all 34 games she appeared in and was in the top 10 of several defensive categories.

Her 1.91 steals per game were second in the league behind Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale, and she was fourth in defensive rebounds per game at 7.5 and seventh in blocked shots per game with 1.41. Collier also led the Lynx to the second best scoring defense at 75.5 points allowed per game and a defensive rating of 94.8. This all came with Collier the leading scorer for Minnesota with 20.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, both rank in the top five in the league.

Collier received 36 votes from a panel of 67 sportswriters and broadcasters. Las Vegas Aces center and 2024 MVP A'ja Wilson finished second with 26 votes and Seattle Storm forward Ezi Magbegor was third with three votes. Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington and Minnesota guard Courtney Williams each received one vote.

The Lynx star also finished second in MVP voting behind Wilson.

2024 WNBA all-defensive team

Collier led the five players named to the WNBA all-defensive team. Joining Collier on the first team is:

• Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson
• Seattle Storm forward Ezi Magbegor
• Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington
• New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart

The all-defensive second team is:

• Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas
• Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith
• Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike
• New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones
• Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud