WNBA Rookie of the Year History
The WNBA Rookie of the Year Award is presented annually
to the league's most outstanding first-year player during the regular
season.
The award was first presented in 1998, the WNBA's
second season. Tracy Reid of the Charlotte Sting became
the first Rookie of the Year winner.
No Rookie of the Year Award was presented during the WNBA's inaugural
1997 season.
WNBA Rookie of the Year Winners
| Year |
Player |
Team |
| 1997 |
No Award Given |
— |
| 1998 |
Tracy Reid |
Charlotte Sting |
| 1999 |
Chamique Holdsclaw |
Washington Mystics |
| 2000 |
Betty Lennox |
Minnesota Lynx |
| 2001 |
Jackie Stiles |
Portland Fire |
| 2002 |
Tamika Catchings |
Indiana Fever |
| 2003 |
Cheryl Ford |
Detroit Shock |
| 2004 |
Diana Taurasi |
Phoenix Mercury |
| 2005 |
Temeka Johnson |
Washington Mystics |
| 2006 |
Seimone Augustus |
Minnesota Lynx |
| 2007 |
Armintie Price |
Chicago Sky |
| 2008 |
Candace Parker |
Los Angeles Sparks |
| 2009 |
Angel McCoughtry |
Atlanta Dream |
| 2010 |
Tina Charles |
Connecticut Sun |
| 2011 |
Maya Moore |
Minnesota Lynx |
| 2012 |
Nneka Ogwumike |
Los Angeles Sparks |
| 2013 |
Elena Delle Donne |
Chicago Sky |
| 2014 |
Chiney Ogwumike |
Connecticut Sun |
| 2015 |
Jewell Loyd |
Seattle Storm |
| 2016 |
Breanna Stewart |
Seattle Storm |
| 2017 |
Allisha Gray |
Dallas Wings |
| 2018 |
A'ja Wilson |
Las Vegas Aces |
| 2019 |
Napheesa Collier |
Minnesota Lynx |
| 2020 |
Crystal Dangerfield |
Minnesota Lynx |
| 2021 |
Michaela Onyenwere |
New York Liberty |
| 2022 |
Rhyne Howard |
Atlanta Dream |
| 2023 |
Aliyah Boston |
Indiana Fever |
| 2024 |
Caitlin Clark |
Indiana Fever |
| 2025 |
Paige Bueckers |
Dallas Wings |
WNBA Rookie of the Year Facts
-
Tracy Reid of the Charlotte Sting became the first
WNBA Rookie of the Year in 1998.
-
Candace Parker became the first and remains the only
player in WNBA history to win Rookie of the Year and league MVP in the
same season, accomplishing the feat in 2008.
-
Minnesota Lynx players have won the award multiple
times, including Betty Lennox, Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Napheesa
Collier and Crystal Dangerfield.
-
Indiana Fever produced back-to-back winners when
Aliyah Boston won in 2023 and Caitlin Clark followed in 2024.
-
Paige Bueckers won the 2025 award after averaging
19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game for the
Dallas Wings.
-
Bueckers became the first Dallas Wings player to win Rookie of the Year
since Allisha Gray in 2017.
Paige Bueckers — 2025 Rookie of the Year
Dallas selected Paige Bueckers with the first overall
pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. She quickly established herself as one of
the league's top young players and received 70 of 72 votes for Rookie
of the Year.
Bueckers led all WNBA rookies in total points, scoring average, total
assists and assists per game. She also set a WNBA rookie single-game
scoring record with 44 points against the Los Angeles
Sparks on August 20, 2025.
Candace Parker's Historic 2008 Season
Candace Parker produced one of the greatest rookie
seasons in professional basketball history in 2008. After being selected
first overall by the Los Angeles Sparks, Parker won both
WNBA Rookie of the Year and WNBA Most Valuable Player.
She remains the only player in WNBA history to win both awards during
the same season.
