WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defense Team: SB Nation reveals votes

The article discusses the challenges of evaluating defense in basketball, noting the lack of clear metrics and the varying impact of players across positions. The author's philosophy for Defensive Player of the Year is that the winner should come from one of the league's best defensive teams, similar to how the MVP typically comes from a top overall team. They emphasize that defensive stats are less reliable than offensive ones.

Alanna Smith of the Minnesota Lynx is selected as the Defensive Player of the Year. The author also shares their All-Defense team selections, with the First Team including Napheesa Collier, Alanna Smith, A’ja Wilson, Gabby Williams, and Alyssa Thomas. The Second Team consists of Breanna Stewart, Veronica Burton, Rhyne Howard, Ezi Magbegor, and Monique Akoa Makani.

Additionally, the author references defensive ratings to identify the top five defenses in the WNBA, with the Minnesota Lynx leading at a defensive rating of 97.5.