A'ja Wilson vs Napheesa Collier: Who deserves the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year? 

With the 2024 WNBA regular season concluded, fans now have clearer stats to analyze for awards, especially the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), where Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson and Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier appear to be the frontrunners.

Wilson is also a top contender for MVP, but her impact on both ends of the floor makes her a strong DPOY candidate. Meanwhile, Collier has been dominant on both ends as well, guiding the Lynx to a 30-10 regular season, the second-best in the league.

Here’s a breakdown of their stats to assess who should win the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

Comparing A'ja Wilson vs Napheesa Collier’s basic stats

A'ja Wilson posted 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.6 blocks over 34.4 minutes per game.

Napheesa Collier averaged 20.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.9 spg and 1.4 bpg in 34.7 minutes per contest.

Collier ranked second leaguewide in steals per game, while Wilson came in fifth, whereas Wilson led the league in blocks per game while Collier ranked seventh.

Wilson also finished second in rebounds per game, with Collier close behind in third.

Diving into A'ja Wilson vs Napheesa Collier’s advanced stats

A closer look at their advanced statistics, Napheesa Collier had an individual defensive rating of 91 while A’ja Wilson's defensive rating was 92.

Wilson ranked second in block percentage at 6.3%, while Collier was 13th at 3.6%. Collier also placed fourth in steal percentage with 2.8% and Wilson followed closely in 11th at 2.6%.

Furthermore, Wilson ranked second in total rebound percentage at 19.9%, just behind Angel Reese's 23.0%, while Collier stood 12th at 16.2%.

Regarding defensive win shares or the estimated number of wins contributed by a player due to defense, Wilson led with 3.8 with Collier right behind at 3.7.

Comparing A'ja Wilson vs. Napheesa Collier’s team stats

While the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year is an individual accolade, team stats are essential since both players anchor their defenses.

The Aces allowed the fourth-fewest opponent points in the paint (34.5), while the Lynx ranked seventh at 35.0. Las Vegas also had the second-best defensive rebound percentage (74.0%) while Minnesota was near the bottom with 68.2%.

However, in defensive rating, the Lynx were second-best at 94.8%, while the Aces ranked fifth at 99.6%. Wilson’s contributions came with the league’s highest usage rate (32.2%), while Collier was eighth with 26.8%.

Who deserves the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award?

Both have strong cases for the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award, but A'ja Wilson has the slight edge.

While Collier’s individual effort was impressive, Wilson’s record-breaking season will likely sway voters. The Aces star set WNBA records with 1,021 points and 451 rebounds and led the league in blocks with 98.