Best WNBA Player ESPY Award

Jump to content
    Add links
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Best WNBA Player ESPY Award
    Awarded forThe best player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the preceding year
    Sponsored byESPN (ESPY Awards)
    DateAnnually
    CountryUnited States
    First award1998

    The Best WNBA Player ESPY Award is an award given at the ESPY Awards show. It has been presented annually since 1998 to the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player who has been voted the best in the preceding year before the ceremony. Beginning in 2003, the winner has been chosen by online voting,[1][2] before that, determination of the winners was made by an panel of experts.[3]

    The inaugural winner was Cynthia Cooper, who would go on to win three consecutive awards. Candace Parker has won the award a record four times, while Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie and Diana Taurasi have won the award three times. Only Cooper and Taurasi had their three wins in consecutive years. All winners other than Jackson, who is Australian, have been American. Winners have played all five of the standard Basketball positions, the most honored position is power forward, players playing power forward have won eight awards. The award wasn't awarded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    List of winners

    [edit]

      Player was a member of the winning team in the WNBA Finals
      Player was a member of the losing team in the WNBA Finals
    † WNBA Finals MVP

    YearPlayerNationalityPosition playedTeam representedRef
    1998Cynthia Cooper† United StatesPoint guardHouston Comets[4]
    1999Cynthia Cooper (2)† United StatesPoint guardHouston Comets[4]
    2000Cynthia Cooper (3)† United StatesPoint guardHouston Comets[4]
    2001Sheryl Swoopes United StatesSmall forwardHouston Comets[4]
    2002Lisa Leslie† United StatesCenterLos Angeles Sparks[4]
    2003Lisa Leslie (2)† United StatesCenterLos Angeles Sparks[4]
    2004Lauren Jackson AustraliaPower forwardSeattle Storm[4]
    2005Lauren Jackson (2) AustraliaPower forwardSeattle Storm[4]
    2006Sheryl Swoopes (2) United StatesSmall forwardHouston Comets[4]
    2007Lisa Leslie (3) United StatesCenterLos Angeles Sparks[4]
    2008Lauren Jackson (3) AustraliaPower forwardSeattle Storm[4]
    2009Candace Parker United StatesPower forwardLos Angeles Sparks[5]
    2010Diana Taurasi† United StatesShooting guardPhoenix Mercury[6]
    2011Diana Taurasi (2) United StatesShooting guardPhoenix Mercury[7]
    2012Diana Taurasi (3) United StatesShooting guardPhoenix Mercury[8]
    2013Candace Parker (2) United StatesPower forwardLos Angeles Sparks[5]
    2014Maya Moore United StatesSmall forwardMinnesota Lynx†[9]
    2015Skylar Diggins United StatesPoint guardTulsa Shock[10]
    2016Maya Moore (2) United StatesSmall forwardMinnesota Lynx[11]
    2017Candace Parker (3)† United StatesPower forwardLos Angeles Sparks[12]
    2018Maya Moore (3) United StatesSmall forwardMinnesota Lynx[13]
    2019Breanna Stewart United StatesPower forwardSeattle Storm[14]
    2020Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
    2021Breanna Stewart (2) United StatesPower forwardSeattle Storm[15]
    2022Candace Parker (4) United StatesPower forwardChicago Sky[16]
    2023A'ja Wilson United StatesPower forwardLas Vegas Aces[17]
    2024A'ja Wilson (2) United StatesPower forwardLas Vegas Aces[18]
    2025Caitlin Clark United StatesPoint guardIndiana Fever[19]

    See also

    [edit]

    References

    [edit]
    1. ^ "The 2004 ESPY Awards - Fans to decide all 2004 ESPY Award winners". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    2. ^ "ESPN Wants You to Vote … for ESPYs". Multichannel. April 22, 2004. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    3. ^ "Committee is newly found". ESPN.com. February 3, 1999. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "All-Time ESPY Winners". ESPN.com. June 24, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    5. ^ a b "Candace Parker wins ESPY for Best WNBA Player". Knoxville News Sentinel. July 18, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    6. ^ "Taurasi wins ESPY as best WNBA player". FoxSports.com. July 15, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    7. ^ "2011 ESPY Awards -- Winners revealed in Los Angeles". ESPN.com. July 14, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    8. ^ "2012 ESPY Awards Winners: Results, Recap and Top Moments". Bleacher Report. July 12, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    9. ^ McDonald, Soraya Nadia (July 17, 2014). "The top 10 moments from the 2014 ESPY awards". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    10. ^ "ESPY Awards: The Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. July 15, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    11. ^ "Maya Moore Wins ESPY Award For Best WNBA Player". Minnesota Lynx. July 15, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    12. ^ "ESPY Awards 2017: Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. July 12, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
    13. ^ "2018 ESPY Awards: Winners list".
    14. ^ "2019 ESPYS award winners". ESPN. July 10, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
    15. ^ "2021 ESPYS award winners". ESPN.com. July 10, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
    16. ^ "2022 ESPYS: Full list of award winners". ESPN.com. July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
    17. ^ "2023 ESPYS: Full list of award winners". ESPN.com. July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
    18. ^ "2024 ESPYS: Here is the list of winners". ESPN.com. July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
    19. ^ "Full list of every ESPYS 2025 Award winner". ESPN. July 16, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Best_WNBA_Player_ESPY_Award&oldid=1327224163"
      Best WNBA Player ESPY Award
      Awarded forThe best player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the preceding year
      Sponsored byESPN (ESPY Awards)
      DateAnnually
      CountryUnited States
      First award1998

      The Best WNBA Player ESPY Award is an award given at the ESPY Awards show. It has been presented annually since 1998 to the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player who has been voted the best in the preceding year before the ceremony. Beginning in 2003, the winner has been chosen by online voting,[1][2] before that, determination of the winners was made by an panel of experts.[3]

      The inaugural winner was Cynthia Cooper, who would go on to win three consecutive awards. Candace Parker has won the award a record four times, while Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie and Diana Taurasi have won the award three times. Only Cooper and Taurasi had their three wins in consecutive years. All winners other than Jackson, who is Australian, have been American. Winners have played all five of the standard Basketball positions, the most honored position is power forward, players playing power forward have won eight awards. The award wasn't awarded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

      List of winners

        Player was a member of the winning team in the WNBA Finals
        Player was a member of the losing team in the WNBA Finals
      † WNBA Finals MVP

      YearPlayerNationalityPosition playedTeam representedRef
      1998Cynthia Cooper† United StatesPoint guardHouston Comets[4]
      1999Cynthia Cooper (2)† United StatesPoint guardHouston Comets[4]
      2000Cynthia Cooper (3)† United StatesPoint guardHouston Comets[4]
      2001Sheryl Swoopes United StatesSmall forwardHouston Comets[4]
      2002Lisa Leslie† United StatesCenterLos Angeles Sparks[4]
      2003Lisa Leslie (2)† United StatesCenterLos Angeles Sparks[4]
      2004Lauren Jackson AustraliaPower forwardSeattle Storm[4]
      2005Lauren Jackson (2) AustraliaPower forwardSeattle Storm[4]
      2006Sheryl Swoopes (2) United StatesSmall forwardHouston Comets[4]
      2007Lisa Leslie (3) United StatesCenterLos Angeles Sparks[4]
      2008Lauren Jackson (3) AustraliaPower forwardSeattle Storm[4]
      2009Candace Parker United StatesPower forwardLos Angeles Sparks[5]
      2010Diana Taurasi† United StatesShooting guardPhoenix Mercury[6]
      2011Diana Taurasi (2) United StatesShooting guardPhoenix Mercury[7]
      2012Diana Taurasi (3) United StatesShooting guardPhoenix Mercury[8]
      2013Candace Parker (2) United StatesPower forwardLos Angeles Sparks[5]
      2014Maya Moore United StatesSmall forwardMinnesota Lynx†[9]
      2015Skylar Diggins United StatesPoint guardTulsa Shock[10]
      2016Maya Moore (2) United StatesSmall forwardMinnesota Lynx[11]
      2017Candace Parker (3)† United StatesPower forwardLos Angeles Sparks[12]
      2018Maya Moore (3) United StatesSmall forwardMinnesota Lynx[13]
      2019Breanna Stewart United StatesPower forwardSeattle Storm[14]
      2020Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
      2021Breanna Stewart (2) United StatesPower forwardSeattle Storm[15]
      2022Candace Parker (4) United StatesPower forwardChicago Sky[16]
      2023A'ja Wilson United StatesPower forwardLas Vegas Aces[17]
      2024A'ja Wilson (2) United StatesPower forwardLas Vegas Aces[18]
      2025Caitlin Clark United StatesPoint guardIndiana Fever[19]

      See also

      References

      1. ^ "The 2004 ESPY Awards - Fans to decide all 2004 ESPY Award winners". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      2. ^ "ESPN Wants You to Vote … for ESPYs". Multichannel. April 22, 2004. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      3. ^ "Committee is newly found". ESPN.com. February 3, 1999. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "All-Time ESPY Winners". ESPN.com. June 24, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      5. ^ a b "Candace Parker wins ESPY for Best WNBA Player". Knoxville News Sentinel. July 18, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      6. ^ "Taurasi wins ESPY as best WNBA player". FoxSports.com. July 15, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      7. ^ "2011 ESPY Awards -- Winners revealed in Los Angeles". ESPN.com. July 14, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      8. ^ "2012 ESPY Awards Winners: Results, Recap and Top Moments". Bleacher Report. July 12, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      9. ^ McDonald, Soraya Nadia (July 17, 2014). "The top 10 moments from the 2014 ESPY awards". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      10. ^ "ESPY Awards: The Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. July 15, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      11. ^ "Maya Moore Wins ESPY Award For Best WNBA Player". Minnesota Lynx. July 15, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      12. ^ "ESPY Awards 2017: Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. July 12, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
      13. ^ "2018 ESPY Awards: Winners list".
      14. ^ "2019 ESPYS award winners". ESPN. July 10, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
      15. ^ "2021 ESPYS award winners". ESPN.com. July 10, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
      16. ^ "2022 ESPYS: Full list of award winners". ESPN.com. July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
      17. ^ "2023 ESPYS: Full list of award winners". ESPN.com. July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
      18. ^ "2024 ESPYS: Here is the list of winners". ESPN.com. July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
      19. ^ "Full list of every ESPYS 2025 Award winner". ESPN. July 16, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
      Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Best_WNBA_Player_ESPY_Award&oldid=1327224163"