Know about all the top performers, winners and the honours at the 2022 WNBA Playoffs along with the finals MVP and championship prize money
The league has recently given official recognition to the top performers from the 2022 regular season. Here are the All-WNBA, All-Defensive, and All-Rookie Teams as well as a list of each individual champion.
WNBA 2022 Finals Winner, MVP, Trophy, Players Awards Winners List, Championship Bonus Prize Money, All Star Team, Coach Of The Year
The Las Vegas Aces claimed the 2022 WNBA championship with a win in Game 4 of the 2022 WNBA Finals on Sunday.
Las Vegas Aces point guard Chelsea Gray has won the WNBA Finals MVP trophy after leading her team to its first championship Sunday afternoon and she averaged 18.3 points per game in the Finals, and scored 20 in the series-clinching Game 4, while shooting 45 per cent from three and averaging six assists per game.
In 2022, players on the WNBA Championship team are set to earn $11,356 and next year, that number is expected to double to over $22,000.
How much WNBA players can earn for winning each award.
| INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT | BONUS |
|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | $15,450 |
| All-WNBA First Team | $10,300 |
| All-WNBA First Team | $5,150 |
| Sixth Women of the Year | $5,150 |
| Defensive Player of the Year | $5,150 |
| Sportsmanship Award | $5,150 |
| Rookie of the Year | $5,150 |
| Most Improved Player | $5,150 |
| All-WNBA Defensive Team | $1,500 |
| All-WNBA Rookie Team | $1,500 |
Breakdown of how the WNBA Playoff bonus pool is allocated
| ACHIEVEMENT | BONUS |
|---|---|
| WNBA Champion | $11,356 |
| Championship Runner-Up | $5,678 |
| Lost In Third Round | $2,839 |
| Lost In Second Round | $1,803 |
| Lost In First Round | $1,136 |
With the help of its sponsor Coinbase, the Commissioner’s Cup offers a $500,000 prize pool. Players from the winning team receive approximately $30,000 each. Meanwhile, players from the losing team can net about $10,000 and the game MVP gets an additional $5,000.26-Jul-2022
WNBA Playoffs Winners, MVP, Defensive Player, Rookie, Coach, Most Improved Player Of The Player And Many More
MVP: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
As expected, A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart were the two finalists for MVP, and their contest was determined by a small number of votes. Wilson ultimately prevailed by a slim margin, garnering 31 first-place votes and 478 total points against Stewart’s 23 first-place votes and 446 total points. With a field goal percentage of 50.1 and a three-point percentage of 37.3, Wilson averaged 19.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks a game.
Except for the points, every single one of those figures was a career high, and she finished the season fifth in the league in terms of scoring, second in terms of rebounds, and first in terms of blocks. No one else made it into the top five in all three categories.
Defensive Player of the Year: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
A’ja Wilson defeated Alyssa Thomas and Breanna Stewart for Defensive Player of the Year in one of the tightest races we’ve seen this awards season. Wilson is the first player in Aces franchise history to receive this honour for the first time, and she also won it this time. With 1.9 blocks per game, Wilson was the league leader. She also averaged 7.6 defensive rebounds and 1.4 steals. She also placed third in defensive win shares, according to Basketball-Reference.com, with 2.4. Although the Aces’ defence was not the strongest on the squad, Wilson’s individual skill and superior rim protection were enough to win her the award.
Rookie of the Year: Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
When this prize was revealed, there was no suspense. In her debut season, Howard, the No. 1 overall choice, excelled, averaging 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. She led rookies in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals, and assists while placing sixth overall. She also became just the eighth rookie in the history of the league to average at least 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 stocks (steals plus blocks). The Dream outperformed predictions and came close to making the playoffs, largely because of Howard.
Most Improved Player: Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
Jackie Young was voted Most Improved Player in yet another triumph for the top-seeded Aces. Young made a big jump this season and was named an All-Star for the first time after progressively improving since her debut campaign in 2019. With the exception of the assists, she had a career-high average of 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 43.1 percent from outside the arc. The largest improvement in Young’s outside shooting came as she went from being a reluctant shooter to one of the league’s finest.
Sixth Player of the Year: Brionna Jones, Connecticut Sun
The Most Improved Player from the previous season, Alyssa Thomas, returned to health, and Brionna Jones was relegated to the bench. There, she soon established herself as the overwhelming favourite for Sixth Player of the Year, which she has already formally won. She is the third player from the Sun to get the honour, more than any other team. Jones was selected as an All-Star for the second consecutive season after scoring 13.8 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor.
Coach of the Year: Becky Hammon, Las Vegas Aces
The Aces’ decision to fire longtime head coach Bill Laimbeer and bring in Becky Hammon as a replacement was one of the biggest decisions of the entire offseason. She transformed the Aces into a contemporary basketball squad and contributed to their offensive dominance. The Aces won a team-record 26 games under Hammon’s direction, giving them the top overall playoff seed. Third former player to receive the honour is Hammon.
Executive of the Year: James Wade, Chicago Sky
Few people in league history have ever managed the situation as successfully as Wade did this past season while also serving as the Sky’s head coach and general manager. He assembled a masterclass in team building and roster management in the offseason after leading the Sky to the championship the previous year so that they could compete again this year. Re-signing Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley, and Kahleah Copper; signing free agents Emma Meesseman and Rebekah Gardner; and dealing for Julie Allemand were all significant transactions.
All-WNBA First Team
Note: All-WNBA teams are now position-less
| PLAYER | TEAM |
|---|---|
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | Phoenix Mercury |
| Candace Parker | Chicago Sky |
| Kelsey Plum | Las Vegas Aces |
| Breanna Stewart | Seattle Storm |
| A’ja Wilson | Las Vegas Aces |
All-WNBA Second Team
| PLAYER | TEAM |
|---|---|
| Sylvia Fowles | Minnesota Lynx |
| Sabrina Ionescu | New York Liberty |
| Jonquel Jones | Connecticut Sun |
| Nneka Ogwumike | Los Angeles Sparks |
| Alyssa Thomas | Connecticut Sun |
All-Defensive First Team
Note: All-Defensive teams remain position-based
| PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION |
|---|---|---|
| Ariel Atkins | Washington Mystics | Guard |
| Natasha Cloud | Washington Mystics | Guard |
| Breanna Stewart | Seattle Storm | Forward |
| A’ja Wilson | Las Vegas Aces | Forward |
| Sylvia Fowles | Minnesota Lynx | Center |
All-Defensive Second Team
| Player | Team | Position |
| Brittney Sykes | Los Angeles Sparks | Guard |
| Gabby Williams | Seattle Storm | Guard |
| Ezi Magbegor | Seattle Storm | Forward |
| Alyssa Thomas | Connecticut Sun | Forward |
| Jonquel Jones | Connecticut Sun | Center |
All-Rookie Team
| PLAYER | TEAM |
|---|---|
| Rhyne Howard | Atlanta Dream |
| NaLyssa Smith | Indiana Fever |
| Shakira Austin | Washington Mystics |
| Queen Egbo | Indiana Fever |
| Rebekah Gardner | Chicago Sky |
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