– Skylar Diggins-Smith, Candace Parker, Kelsey Plum and Breanna Stewart Join Wilson on First Team –
– Candace Parker Earns 10th All-WNBA Team Selection and Sylvia Fowles Her Eighth –
– Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu and Alyssa Thomas Make All-WNBA Team Debuts –
NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2022 – Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson, the 2022 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player, and Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart have been unanimously selected to the 2022 All-WNBA First Team, the WNBA announced today.
Wilson and Stewart were named to the All-WNBA First Team on all 56 ballots in voting by a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Wilson, an All-WNBA Team selection for the third time in her career and the third consecutive season, earned a spot on the First Team for the second time (also in 2020). Stewart, a five-time All-WNBA Team selection, was named to the First Team for the third consecutive season and the fourth time overall.
Joining Wilson and Stewart (280 points each) on the 2022 All-WNBA First Team are Aces guard Kelsey Plum (265), Phoenix Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith (183) and Chicago Sky center-forward Candace Parker (183).
This is the 10th All-WNBA Team selection for Parker and the sixth for Diggins-Smith. Parker was voted to the First Team for the seventh time and Diggins-Smith for the fourth time. For Plum, this is her first selection to the All-WNBA Team.
The 2022 All-WNBA Second Team consists of Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (175 points), New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (168), Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (141), Sun forward Jonquel Jones (126) and Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles (65).
Fowles is an All-WNBA Team choice for the eighth time, Ogwumike for the fifth time and Jones for the fourth time. Ionescu and Thomas are All-WNBA Team honorees for the first time.
Voting for the All-WNBA Team was conducted at the conclusion of the regular season. For the first time, players were selected without regard for position. Players received five points for each First Team vote and three points for each Second Team vote.
2022 All-WNBA First Team
A’ja Wilson, Aces: The 6-4 Wilson became the seventh player to win the Kia WNBA MVP Award multiple times (also in 2020). She also was named the 2022 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. Wilson is the fifth player to win the WNBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season and the first to do so since Lauren Jackson in 2007. In her fifth WNBA season, Wilson ranked fifth in the league in scoring (19.5 ppg), second in rebounding (9.4 rpg) and first in blocks (1.94 bpg) and double-doubles (17).
Breanna Stewart, Storm: The 2018 Kia WNBA MVP finished in second place in voting for the Kia WNBA MVP Award behind Wilson. In her sixth WNBA season, the 6-4 Stewart led the league in scoring (21.8 ppg) and ranked seventh in rebounding (7.6 rpg) and tied for fifth in steals (1.59 spg). Her 11 games of at least 25 points paced all WNBA players and her four games of at least 30 points were second to Ionescu.
Kelsey Plum, Aces: The 5-8 Plum finished in third place in voting for the Kia WNBA MVP Award after averaging career highs of 20.2 points (second in the WNBA) and 5.1 assists (ninth). A first-time WNBA All-Star selection, Plum led the league in three-pointers made (113) and was fourth in three-point field goal percentage (42.0).
Skylar Diggins-Smith, Mercury: In her ninth WNBA season, the 5-9 Diggins-Smith averaged 19.7 points (third in the WNBA), the second-highest output of her career and the highest since 2014 (20.1 ppg). She also averaged 5.5 assists (seventh in the WNBA) and 1.53 steals (eighth) while playing a league-high 34.0 minutes per game. Her 10 games with at least 25 points ranked second in the league behind Stewart.
Candace Parker, Sky: The two-time Kia WNBA MVP (2008, 2013) averaged 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds (third in the WNBA) and 4.5 assists (11th). Parker recorded two triple-doubles this season, bringing her career total to three, which is tied with Ionescu for the most in league history. On May 22 against the Washington Mystics, the 36-year-old Parker became the oldest WNBA player to have a triple-double.
2022 All-WNBA Second Team
Alyssa Thomas, Sun: Thomas averaged 13.4 points, 8.2 rebounds (fifth in WNBA), a career-high 6.1 assists (fifth) and 1.72 steals (second). The 6-2 forward was named a WNBA All-Star for the third time and a WNBA All-Defensive Team selection for the fourth time.
Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty: A first-time WNBA All-Star, Ionescu became the first player in league history to record at least 500 points, 200 rebounds and 200 assists in a season. The 5-11 guard ranked eighth in the WNBA in scoring (17.4 ppg), 12th in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and third in assists (6.3 apg). Ionescu, 24, became the youngest player to ever have a triple-double (June 12 against Chicago) and the first player to post a triple-double with at least 30 points (July 6 against Las Vegas).
Nneka Ogwumike, Sparks: In her 11th WNBA season, Ogwumike averaged 18.1 points (seventh in the WNBA), 6.6 rebounds (15th) and 1.68 steals (third). The 2016 Kia WNBA MVP also finished seventh in the league in field goal percentage (54.4).
Jonquel Jones, Sun: The 2021 Kia WNBA MVP led the Sun in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots with averages of 14.6 points (17th in WNBA), 8.6 rebounds (fourth) and 1.15 blocks (seventh). The 6-6 Jones was selected to the WNBA All-Defensive Team for the third time.
Sylvia Fowles, Lynx: In her 15th and final WNBA season, Fowles averaged 14.4 points, a WNBA-high 9.8 rebounds and 1.20 blocks (sixth in WNBA). The 2017 Kia WNBA MVP earned All-Defensive Team honors for the 11th time, the second most in league history behind Tamika Catchings’ 12. Fowles also won the 2022 WNBA Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award.
In honor of their accomplishments, each member of the All-WNBA First Team will receive $10,300 and each member of the Second Team will receive $5,150.
Below are the voting results for the 2022 All-WNBA Team.
COURTESY WNBA COMMUNICATIONS
