WNBA Awards 2024, Final Picks: A'ja Wilson unanimously named MVP and Caitlin Clark named Rookie of the Year

The 2024 WNBA regular season has come to an end and we're moving quickly on to the playoffs, which begin on Sunday. Before that happens, it's time to look back on another exciting summer of basketball, make picks for all the major awards, and make a finals prediction.

Some of these awards have been a given for some time. In particular, Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson is a sure-fire MVP candidate after one of the best seasons the league has ever seen. Likewise, Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark is a sure-fire Rookie of the Year candidate after a historic start to her career.

Almost everything else, however, is up for debate.

And now, without further ado, here are the predictions from the experts at CBS Sports for all the major awards and which team will take home the trophy.

Best Player

This is no surprise. Wilson was absolutely dominant. She became the first player to score 1,000 points in a season, set the single-season rebounding record and led the league in blocks. Wilson will likely be a unanimous MVP, joining Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson as the only players to win the award three times.

Rookie of the Year

That's obvious, too. Clark had a historic rookie season, setting the league's single-season assist record, single-game assist record, rookie scoring record and rookie three-point record. She also led the league in assists and helped the Fever make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Defensive Player of the Year

The Lynx were the biggest surprise of the season, reaching the 30-win mark for the first time in franchise history, thanks in large part to their dominant defense. Napheesa Collier was their best and most important player on that side of the ball, finishing second in the league in steals (1.9), sixth in blocks (1.4) and second in defensive win shares (3.6).

Players with the greatest progress

Three different players received votes for the Most Improved Player award, reflecting the fact that there was no standout vote this season. Alanna Smith made big strides as a 3-point shooter and defender, Sabrina Ionescu's inside-the-arc approach on offense was much better, and Dijonai Carrington took a leap forward on defense.

Sixth Player of the Year

Before the season, 24-year-old German rookie Leonie Fiebich wasn't on many people's radar. But over the course of the summer, Fiebich developed into one of the Liberty's key players, allowing them to stay at the top of the league despite the absence of players like Courtney Vandersloot and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. She finished seventh in the league in 3-point shooting (43.3%) and had the sixth-best plus-minus record of all players (+279).

Coach of the Year

Coach of the Year is often a tough choice, but not this season. Cheryl Reeve has spectacularly turned the Lynx into one of the best teams in the league, something nobody predicted in May. The Lynx were ranked No. 2, reached the 30-win mark for the first time in franchise history and had the second-best defense in the league. If Reeve wins, she will be the first coach to win the honor four times.

Manager of the Year

Talisa Rhea and the Storm made the biggest splash in the offseason by signing two future Hall of Famers in Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike. After the Olympics, they brought in Gabby Williams, but the move didn't work out as well as hoped. The additions Clare Duwelius made to the Lynx went unnoticed, but Alanna Smith, Courtney Williams, Natisha Hiedeman and Myisha Hines-Allen made the team a serious contender.

First All-WNBA Team

Second All-WNBA Team

Defensive First Team

Defensive Second Team

All-Rookie Team

final

Liberty and Lynx were the two best teams in the regular season, and all three experts predicted that both teams would advance to the finals. Liberty won the title twice as the first in franchise history, and the Lynx won the trophy for a record fifth time.

Perhaps most notable is that no one expected the Las Vegas Aces to win their third straight. Before the season, that was the unanimous decision.