A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese win AP awards; 2026 season averages in the WNBA

A’ja Wilson has been named the WNBA Player of the Year by the Associated Press for the third straight season, while Angel Reese earned Defensive Player of the Year honors. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was recognized as the season’s Comeback Player of the Year. Their 2026 season averages: A’ja Wilson — 26.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.9 blocks; Caitlin Clark — 22.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks; Angel Reese — 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.7 blocks.

As Bleacher Report reports, Wilson received 15 of 17 first-place votes and became the first player to win the award four times, breaking the tie with Breanna Stewart since the award’s inception in 2016. The 30-year-old’s collection includes four league MVPs, three WNBA titles, three scoring titles, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, one Rookie of the Year award, two WNBA Finals MVPs, six blocks titles, six All-WNBA selections and five All-Defensive selections. “That’s got a nice ring to it,” Wilson said, according to the Associated Press.

Clark returned after an injury-shortened season of just 13 games and set career highs in points, field-goal percentage (44.6%) and three-point percentage (36.1%), finishing second in the league in assists per game. The Aces and Fever will meet in the first round of the playoffs, a rematch of last year’s semifinal, this time with Clark on the floor. Angel Reese enjoyed her first season with the Atlanta Dream, leading them to the No. 4 seed, earned her third All-Star selection and helped the United States win gold at the 2026 FIBA World Cup with strong defensive performances.

According to Bleacher Report, all three enter the playoffs on Sunday: Clark and Wilson will face off in Las Vegas, while Reese and the Dream host the Washington Mystics; a winning run will be needed to bring them face to face in the WNBA Finals.