The WNBA All-Defensive Team is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) honor given since the 2005 WNBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the WNBA head coaches. who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Defensive Team is composed of two five-woman lineups, a first and a second team, comprising a total of 10 roster spots. The players each receive two points for each first team vote and one point for each second team vote. The top five players with the highest point total make the first team, with the next five making the second team. Starting with the 2023 season, players are selected without regard to position; this follows the WNBA having adopted a "positionless" format for the All-WNBA Team in 2022. Before 2023, each team consisted of one center, two forwards, and two guards. During that time, if there was already a center on the first team, but another center received more points than two of the guards on the first team, that center would still be on the second team.
Tamika Catchings has the record for the most total selections with 11. Catchings has 10 first team selections and 1 second team selection.
In 2020, Defensive Player of the Year Candace Parker, was not selected to either of the WNBA All-Defensive Teams. This was the first time in the history of the award that the Defensive Player of the Year was not selected to an All-Defensive Team in either the WNBA or NBA. It reflects a difference in voters: The WNBA's defensive player of the year is voted on by media, while the all-defensive teams are voted on by the league's coaches.
Winners
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player has been selected |
| Player (in bold text) |
Indicates the player who won the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in the same year |
2005 to present
| Season | First team | Second team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Nationality | Team | Player | Nationality | Team | |
| 2005 | Tamika Catchings |  United States |
Indiana Fever | Lauren Jackson |  Australia |
Seattle Storm |
| Sheryl Swoopes | United States |
Houston Comets | Taj McWilliams-Franklin | United States |
Connecticut Sun | |
| Yolanda Griffith | United States |
Sacramento Monarchs | Lisa Leslie | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | |
| Tully Bevilaqua | Australia |
Indiana Fever | Alana Beard | United States |
Washington Mystics | |
| Katie Douglas | United States |
Connecticut Sun | Deanna Nolan | United States |
Detroit Shock | |
| 2006 | Tamika Catchings (2) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Alana Beard (2) | United States |
Washington Mystics |
| Lisa Leslie (2) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Margo Dydek |  Poland |
Connecticut Sun | |
| Sheryl Swoopes (2) | United States |
Houston Comets | Deanna Nolan (2) | United States |
Detroit Shock | |
| Tully Bevilaqua (2) | Australia |
Indiana Fever | Cheryl Ford | United States |
Detroit Shock | |
| Katie Douglas (2) | United States |
Connecticut Sun | Yolanda Griffith (2) | United States |
Sacramento Monarchs | |
| 2007 | Tamika Catchings (3) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Tully Bevilaqua (3) | Australia |
Indiana Fever |
| Lauren Jackson (2) | Australia |
Seattle Storm | Rebekkah Brunson | United States |
Sacramento Monarchs | |
| Katie Douglas (3) | United States |
Connecticut Sun | Margo Dydek (2) | Poland |
Connecticut Sun | |
| Alana Beard (3) | United States |
Washington Mystics | Loree Moore | United States |
New York Liberty | |
| Deanna Nolan (3) | United States |
Detroit Shock | Chelsea Newton | United States |
Sacramento Monarchs | |
| 2008 | Lisa Leslie (3) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Sylvia Fowles | United States |
Chicago Sky |
| Tamika Catchings (4) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Lauren Jackson (3) | Australia |
Seattle Storm | |
| Sophia Young |  St. Vincent |
San Antonio Silver Stars | Rebekkah Brunson (2) | United States |
Sacramento Monarchs | |
| Ticha Penicheiro |  Portugal |
Sacramento Monarchs | Deanna Nolan (4) | United States |
Detroit Shock | |
| Tully Bevilaqua (4) | Australia |
Indiana Fever | Katie Smith | United States |
Detroit Shock | |
| 2009 | Tamika Catchings (5) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Lisa Leslie (4) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks |
| Lauren Jackson (4) | Australia |
Seattle Storm | Sancho Lyttle | St. Vincent |
Atlanta Dream | |
| Nicky Anosike | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | Angel McCoughtry | United States |
Atlanta Dream | |
| Tanisha Wright | United States |
Seattle Storm | Deanna Nolan (5) | United States |
Detroit Shock | |
| Tully Bevilaqua (5) | Australia |
Indiana Fever | Candace Parker | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | |
| Alana Beard (4) | United States |
Washington Mystics | ||||
| 2010 | Tamika Catchings (6) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Lauren Jackson (5) | Australia |
Seattle Storm |
| Angel McCoughtry (2) | United States |
Atlanta Dream | Rebekkah Brunson (3) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | |
| Sylvia Fowles (2) | United States |
Chicago Sky | Sancho Lyttle (2) |  Spain |
Atlanta Dream | |
| Tanisha Wright (2) | United States |
Seattle Storm | Lindsey Harding | United States |
Washington Mystics | |
| Cappie Pondexter | United States |
New York Liberty | Tully Bevilaqua (6) | Australia |
Indiana Fever | |
| Katie Douglas (4) | United States |
Indiana Fever | ||||
| 2011 | Tamika Catchings (7) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Sancho Lyttle (3) | Spain |
Atlanta Dream |
| Rebekkah Brunson (4) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | Swin Cash | United States |
Seattle Storm | |
| Sylvia Fowles (3) | United States |
Chicago Sky | Tina Charles | United States |
Connecticut Sun | |
| Tanisha Wright (3) | United States |
Seattle Storm | Armintie Price | United States |
Atlanta Dream | |
| Angel McCoughtry (3) | United States |
Atlanta Dream | Katie Douglas (5) | United States |
Indiana Fever | |
| 2012 | Tamika Catchings (8) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Sophia Young (2) | St. Vincent |
San Antonio Silver Stars |
| Sancho Lyttle (4) | Spain |
Atlanta Dream | Candace Parker (2) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | |
| Sylvia Fowles (4) | United States |
Chicago Sky | Tina Charles (2) | United States |
Connecticut Sun | |
| Alana Beard (5) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Armintie Price (2) | United States |
Atlanta Dream | |
| Briann January | United States |
Indiana Fever | Danielle Robinson | United States |
San Antonio Silver Stars | |
| 2013 | Sylvia Fowles (5) | United States |
Chicago Sky | Rebekkah Brunson (5) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx |
| Tamika Catchings (9) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Glory Johnson | United States |
Tulsa Shock | |
| Angel McCoughtry (4) | United States |
Atlanta Dream | Érika de Souza |  Brazil |
Atlanta Dream | |
| Armintie Price (3) | United States |
Atlanta Dream | Briann January (2) | United States |
Indiana Fever | |
| Tanisha Wright (4) | United States |
Seattle Storm | Jia Perkins | United States |
San Antonio Silver Stars | |
| Danielle Robinson (2) | United States |
San Antonio Silver Stars | ||||
| 2014 | Sancho Lyttle (5) | Spain |
Atlanta Dream | Tamika Catchings (10) | United States |
Indiana Fever |
| Angel McCoughtry (5) | United States |
Atlanta Dream | Maya Moore | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | |
| Brittney Griner | United States |
Phoenix Mercury | Sylvia Fowles (6) | United States |
Chicago Sky | |
| Tanisha Wright (5) | United States |
Seattle Storm | Alana Beard (6) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | |
| Briann January (3) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Danielle Robinson (3) | United States |
San Antonio Stars | |
| 2015 | Tamika Catchings (11) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Tina Charles (3) | United States |
New York Liberty |
| Nneka Ogwumike | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Sancho Lyttle (6) | Spain |
Atlanta Dream | |
| Brittney Griner (2) | United States |
Phoenix Mercury | Kiah Stokes | United States |
New York Liberty | |
| Angel McCoughtry (6) | United States |
Atlanta Dream | DeWanna Bonner | United States |
Phoenix Mercury | |
| Briann January (4) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Tanisha Wright (6) | United States |
New York Liberty | |
| 2016 | Alana Beard (7) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Brittney Griner (3) | United States |
Phoenix Mercury |
| Angel McCoughtry (7) | United States |
Atlanta Dream | Tamika Catchings (12) | United States |
Indiana Fever | |
| Nneka Ogwumike (2) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Breanna Stewart | United States |
Seattle Storm | |
| Sylvia Fowles (7) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | Tanisha Wright (7) | United States |
New York Liberty | |
| Briann January (5) | United States |
Indiana Fever | Jasmine Thomas | United States |
Connecticut Sun | |
| 2017 | Alana Beard (8) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Brittney Griner (4) | United States |
Phoenix Mercury |
| Tina Charles (4) | United States |
New York Liberty | Rebekkah Brunson (6) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | |
| Nneka Ogwumike (3) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Maya Moore (2) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | |
| Sylvia Fowles (8) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | Briann January (6) | United States |
Indiana Fever | |
| Jasmine Thomas (2) | United States |
Connecticut Sun | Alyssa Thomas | United States |
Connecticut Sun | |
| 2018 | Alana Beard (9) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Sylvia Fowles (9) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx |
| Brittney Griner (5) | United States |
Phoenix Mercury | Rebekkah Brunson (7) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | |
| Natasha Howard | United States |
Seattle Storm | Nneka Ogwumike (4) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | |
| Jessica Breland | United States |
Atlanta Dream | Ariel Atkins | United States |
Washington Mystics | |
| Jasmine Thomas (3) | United States |
Connecticut Sun | Tiffany Hayes | United States |
Atlanta Dream | |
| 2019 | Natasha Howard (2) | United States |
Seattle Storm | Brittney Griner (6) | United States |
Phoenix Mercury |
| Jonquel Jones |  Bahamas |
Connecticut Sun | Ariel Atkins (2) | United States |
Washington Mystics | |
| Jasmine Thomas (4) | United States |
Connecticut Sun | Alysha Clark | United States |
Seattle Storm | |
| Nneka Ogwumike (5) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Alyssa Thomas (2) | United States |
Connecticut Sun | |
| Jordin Canada | United States |
Seattle Storm | Natasha Cloud | United States |
Washington Mystics | |
| 2020 | Alysha Clark (2) | United States |
Seattle Storm | Breanna Stewart (2) | United States |
Seattle Storm |
| Betnijah Laney | United States |
Atlanta Dream | Napheesa Collier | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | |
| Brianna Turner | United States |
Phoenix Mercury | Ariel Atkins (3) | United States |
Washington Mystics | |
| Alyssa Thomas (3) | United States |
Connecticut Sun | Brittney Sykes | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | |
| Elizabeth Williams | United States |
Atlanta Dream | A'ja Wilson | United States |
Las Vegas Aces | |
| 2021 | Brittney Sykes (2) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Jasmine Thomas (5) | United States |
Connecticut Sun |
| Briann January (7) | United States |
Connecticut Sun | Ariel Atkins (4) | United States |
Washington Mystics | |
| Jonquel Jones (2) | Bahamas / Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Connecticut Sun | Breanna Stewart (3) | United States |
Seattle Storm | |
| Brianna Turner (2) | United States |
Phoenix Mercury | Brionna Jones | United States |
Connecticut Sun | |
| Sylvia Fowles (10) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | Brittney Griner (7) | United States |
Phoenix Mercury | |
| 2022 | Natasha Cloud (2) | United States |
Washington Mystics | Brittney Sykes (3) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks |
| Ariel Atkins (5) | United States |
Washington Mystics | Gabby Williams |  France |
Seattle Storm | |
| A'ja Wilson (2) | United States |
Las Vegas Aces | Alyssa Thomas (4) | United States |
Connecticut Sun | |
| Breanna Stewart (4) | United States |
Seattle Storm | Jonquel Jones (3) | Bahamas / Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Connecticut Sun | |
| Sylvia Fowles (11) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | Ezi Magbegor | Australia |
Seattle Storm | |
| 2023 | A'ja Wilson (3) | United States |
Las Vegas Aces | Betnijah Laney (2) | United States |
New York Liberty |
| Alyssa Thomas (5) | United States |
Connecticut Sun | Ezi Magbegor (2) | Australia |
Seattle Storm | |
| Brittney Sykes (4) | United States |
Washington Mystics | Nneka Ogwumike (6) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | |
| Breanna Stewart (5) | United States |
New York Liberty | Napheesa Collier (2) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | |
| Jordin Canada (2) | United States |
Los Angeles Sparks | Elizabeth Williams (2) | United States |
Chicago Sky | |
| 2024 | Napheesa Collier (3) | United States |
Minnesota Lynx | Alyssa Thomas (6) | United States |
Connecticut Sun |
| A'ja Wilson (4) | United States |
Las Vegas Aces | Alanna Smith | Australia |
Minnesota Lynx | |
| Ezi Magbegor (3) | Australia |
Seattle Storm | Nneka Ogwumike (7) | United States |
Seattle Storm | |
| DiJonai Carrington | United States |
Connecticut Sun | Jonquel Jones (4) | Bahamas / Bosnia and Herzegovina |
New York Liberty | |
| Breanna Stewart (6) | United States |
New York Liberty | Natasha Cloud (3) | United States |
Phoenix Mercury | |
References
- "WNBA Unveils End-of-Season Awards Schedule and Announces New Process for Selecting All-Defensive Teams" (Press release). WNBA. August 30, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ Voepel, Mechelle (2020-09-29). "Storm's Clark tops WNBA all-defensive 1st team". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- "WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Natasha Howard Highlights 2019 WNBA All-Defensive First Team". wnba.com. WNBA. September 11, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
- Voepel, Mechelle (September 26, 2021). "Minnesota Lynx star Sylvia Fowles named WNBA Defensive Player of Year for 4th time in career". ESPN. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- @WNBA (August 30, 2022). "Your 2022 #WNBA All-Defensive First Team ⬇️ @_ajawilson22 @T_Cloud4 @SylviaFowles @breannastewart @arielatkinssvn #MoreThan" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- @WNBA (August 30, 2022). "Your 2022 #WNBA All-Defensive Second Team ⬇️ @athomas_25 @ezimagbegor @jus242 @BrittBundlez @gabbywilliams15 #MoreThan" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- @WNBA (September 22, 2023). "Your 2023 WNBA All-Defensive First Team ⬇️ @_ajawilson22 @athomas_25 @BrittBundlez @breannastewart @jordin_canada #MoreThanGame" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- @WNBA (September 22, 2023). "Your 2023 WNBA All-Defensive Second Team ⬇️ @BetnijahLaney @ezimagbegor @nnekaogwumike @PHEEsespieces @E_Williams_1 #MoreThanGame" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- Maloney, Jack (September 29, 2024). "WNBA Defensive Player of the Year: Lynx's Napheesa Collier edges Aces star A'ja Wilson for first honor". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- @WNBA (September 29, 2024). "Announcing the 2024 WNBA All-Defensive Teams" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "All-Defensive Teams". WNBA.com. WNBA. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
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