In addition to it being the postseason (and it thankfully always being social justice season within the WNBA), it has also been awards season.
From A’ja Wilson winning the MVP award, Cheryl Reeve being named Coach of the Year to Crystal Dangerfield winning Rookie of the Year, lots of news has been made commemorating coaches and players for their stellar performances this season at the wubble.
Awards SZN continued prior to Thursday’s games in the WNBA semifinals when Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks added to her already extensive trophy case when she was announced as the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year.
Hear from the @seattlestorm after Game 2 of the #ATTPlayoffs semifinals. https://t.co/wxVCeU45YR
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 25, 2020
Congratulations @Candace_Parker on winning the @wnba Defensive Player of the Year!! I’m so proud of you and the career you are having in @WNBA The baby’s all grown up😘 Love ya!!!
— Lisa Leslie (@LisaLeslie) September 24, 2020
Congratulations @Candace_Parker on winning the @wnba Defensive Player of the Year!! I’m so proud of you and the career you are having in @WNBA The baby’s all grown up😘 Love ya!!!
— Lisa Leslie (@LisaLeslie) September 24, 2020
Congratulations @Candace_Parker on winning the @wnba Defensive Player of the Year!! I’m so proud of you and the career you are having in @WNBA The baby’s all grown up😘 Love ya!!!
— Lisa Leslie (@LisaLeslie) September 24, 2020
She averaged eight defensive rebounds, over one blocked shot and over one steal in the 22 games she played. The Seattle Storm’s Alysha Clark and the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas were the second- and third-place vote-getters respectively.
Congratulations @Candace_Parker on winning the @wnba Defensive Player of the Year!! I’m so proud of you and the career you are having in @WNBA The baby’s all grown up😘 Love ya!!!
— Lisa Leslie (@LisaLeslie) September 24, 2020
Congratulations @Candace_Parker on winning the @wnba Defensive Player of the Year!! I’m so proud of you and the career you are having in @WNBA The baby’s all grown up😘 Love ya!!!
— Lisa Leslie (@LisaLeslie) September 24, 2020
Congratulations @Candace_Parker on winning the @wnba Defensive Player of the Year!! I’m so proud of you and the career you are having in @WNBA The baby’s all grown up😘 Love ya!!!
— Lisa Leslie (@LisaLeslie) September 24, 2020
Not to be outdone, but in June, Betnijah Laney was let go from the Indiana Fever. Who knows what went into that decision, but the reality is Laney made the Fever regret that decision with her stellar play for Atlanta.
The wubble was good to Laney from start to finish as she averaged 17 points per game, second on the Dream only to its dynamic rookie Chennedy Carter (who only played 16 of the 22 games inside said wubble due to injury).
Also notable – she averaged just under five points per game in the previous season.
She received 25 votes. Myisha Hines-Allen (Washington Mystics) came in second and former Dream star and current Las Vegas Ace Angel McCoughtry was third – with only one vote.
