"Alanna Smith isn't probably too happy" - Becky Hammon shares her feelings on A'ja Wilson's co-DPOY winner

Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson shared the 2025 WNBA DPOY with Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith. Aces coach Becky Hammon shared her feelings on the situation on a Friday episode of ESPN’s NBA Today.

Coach Hammon said:

“Probably Alanna Smith isn’t too happy with the co either. However, these are both two really dominant defenders in our league. But I’m happy for A’ja to get that recognition.”

For the first time in WNBA history, the Defensive Player of the Year award was shared between two players. They both received 29 votes from a 72-member media panel, and because of the tie, the league awarded both players the honor.

This is A'ja Wilson’s third Defensive Player of the Year award. She had previously won it in 2022 and 2023. In the 2025 season, she led the league in blocks per game (2.3), defensive rebounds (316), total rebounds (407), combined steals (64) and blocks (92), and also helped her team to a 16-game win streak to finish the regular season strongly.

This is Alanna Smith’s first time winning the Defensive Player of the Year award. Her defensive impact was major as she anchored Minnesota’s defense, which had the best regular-season record in the league. She ranked high in several defensive metrics, third in blocks per game (1.9), total blocks (80), steals (55) and defensive rebounds (149).

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What’s next for A'ja Wilson?

The WNBA on Friday announced the five finalists for the 2025 Kia Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Among them was A'ja Wilson, alongside Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, Alyssa Thomas of the Phoenix Mercury, Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream and Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever.

Las Vegas Aces v Seattle Storm - Game Two - Source: Getty

Wilson put together an extremely impressive season. She led the league in scoring with 23.4 points per game. If she wins, Wilson would become the first ever four-time WNBA MVP, having already won in 2020, 2022 and 2024. The MVP announcement is scheduled for Sunday, ahead of the WNBA semifinals.

The Aces will face the Indiana Fever in a best-of-five series in the playoffs. The Aces beat the Seattle Storm in three games, including a tight Game 3 victory, while the Fever upset the third-seed Atlanta Dream, winning Game 3 on the road (87-85).

Edited by Ubong Richard