Salaün unanimous Sixth Player of the Year; Miles, Shepard, Reese, Reeve win WNBA awards
Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün was named the unanimous Sixth Player of the Year, according to www.cbssports.com.
Salaün joins Olivia Miles (Rookie of the Year), Cheryl Reeve (Coach of the Year), Jessica Shepard (Most Improved Player) and Angel Reese (Defensive Player of the Year) as this season's award winners. The first two honors went to Lynx members Miles and Reeve, both eliminated from the playoffs Tuesday by the New York Liberty in a historic first-round upset.
The exact date of Salaün's award announcement has not been confirmed. The WNBA has not announced an awards schedule this year, so it's unclear when the remaining honors will be announced, per www.cbssports.com.
Still to come is MVP, along with the All-WNBA, All-Defensive and All-Rookie Teams. The league will also hand out the Executive of the Year and the Sportsmanship Award.
MILES AND REEVE WIN DESPITE EARLY EXIT
Olivia Miles, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, was named the unanimous Rookie of the Year, according to www.cbssports.com. She is the sixth player to win the honor unanimously, joining Aliyah Boston, A'ja Wilson, Elena Delle Donne, Tina Charles and Candace Parker.
Miles averaged 19.8 points and six assists per game, leading all rookies in both categories. She finished eighth in the league in scoring and seventh in assists, per www.cbssports.com.
She also broke Caitlin Clark's rookie points record of 790 and led the Lynx to a 33-11 record and the No. 1 seed. But Miles' postseason ended Tuesday, when Minnesota fell to the New York Liberty.
Cheryl Reeve won Coach of the Year for the Lynx, but her team made history for the wrong reason. The Lynx became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 seed in the first round in WNBA history, according to www.cbssports.com. The specific details of Reeve's Coach of the Year voting have not been confirmed.
SHEPARD AND REESE SHINE
Jessica Shepard joined the Wings in free agency on a two-year, $2 million deal that she immediately justified, per www.cbssports.com. As a full-time starter for the first time in her career, she was named Most Improved Player.
Shepard averaged 14.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, up from eight points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season. She finished second in the league in rebounding and 11th in assists.
She was one of two players, along with Angel Reese, to average a double-double. Shepard also led the league with six triple-doubles and recorded just the second 20-20-10 game in WNBA history.
Angel Reese of the Atlanta Dream won Defensive Player of the Year, according to www.cbssports.com. Reese's specific defensive statistics for the season have not been confirmed.
AWARDS SEASON UNFOLDS
Awards season has arrived in the WNBA, and the early honors carry a sharp twist. The first two awards announced — Olivia Miles for Rookie of the Year and Cheryl Reeve for Coach of the Year — went to members of the Minnesota Lynx, per www.cbssports.com, the same team eliminated from the playoffs Tuesday by the New York Liberty.
Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard (Most Improved Player) and Atlanta Dream's Angel Reese (Defensive Player of the Year) joined the honorees earlier this week, according to www.cbssports.com. Now Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün is part of the club after her unanimous Sixth Player of the Year win, as reported by www.cbssports.com.
The exact order of award announcements and any future schedule are not confirmed. The WNBA has not announced an awards schedule this year, so it's unclear when the remaining honors will be announced, per www.cbssports.com.
That leaves the biggest prize still in play. MVP remains unannounced, along with the All-WNBA, All-Defensive and All-Rookie Teams, plus Executive of the Year and the Sportsmanship Award, according to www.cbssports.com.
For fans, this awards season carries unusual weight. The Lynx pair won despite a historic first-round exit, Shepard and Reese reshaped the conversation around frontcourt production, and Salaün's unanimous nod cements her as the league's standard for sixth-player impact. The slate is only half dealt, and the remaining honors will determine just how much of this season's narrative belongs to the teams still standing.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Still to come is MVP, along with the All-WNBA, All-Defensive and All-Rookie Teams, according to www.cbssports.com. The league will also hand out the Executive of the Year and the Sportsmanship Award, per the same report. That leaves six honors unclaimed, with the biggest individual prize in the sport still undecided.
The WNBA has not announced an awards schedule this year, so it's unclear when the remaining honors will be announced, as reported by www.cbssports.com. The dates for the remaining award announcements are not confirmed.
For fans, this awards season carries unusual weight. The Lynx pair won despite a historic first-round exit, Shepard and Reese reshaped the conversation around frontcourt production, and Salaün's unanimous nod cements her as the league's standard for sixth-player impact. The slate is only half dealt, and the remaining honors will determine just how much of this season's narrative belongs to the teams still standing.
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