WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) Rankings 2024: Top 5 candidates ft. Breanna Stewart (Week 6)

Another week of the 2024 WNBA season is in the books now. While some teams are getting better and others keep trying to compete with the top squads, players are also working to win awards at the end of the regular season.

The MVP race keeps getting hotter every week, and the team power rankings show that a couple of them are on a different level compared to the rest. This time, here's a look at the top five Defensive Player of the Year award candidates.

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Top 5 WNBA DPOY candidates in 2024 after Week 6

#5, Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty

WNBA: Indiana Fever at New York Liberty (Imagn)

Cameron Brink held this spot last week, but given the LA Sparks' young star's season-ending knee injury and Breanna Stewart's notable performances on the defensive end, Stewart takes the spot now. The New York Liberty star, just like the No. 1 player on this list, is a candidate to win both the MVP and DPOY awards.

Stewart is averaging 2.2 steals per game and 1.4 blocks per game, boasting a 96.0 defensive rating and .163 defensive win shares.

#4, Elizabeth Williams, Chicago Sky

WNBA: Chicago Sky at Phoenix Mercury (Imagn)

Elizabeth Williams's notable performance with the inspired Chicago Sky hasn't gone unnoticed and she's done a good job slowing down opponents. In nine games played this season, Williams is averaging 1.7 spg and 1.7 bpg, boasting a 94.7 DEF RTG and .146 DWS.

#3, Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm

WNBA: Seattle Storm at Phoenix Mercury (Imagn)

Ezi Magbegor, a Seattle Storm forward/center, made it to this list a couple of weeks ago, and she hasn't stopped performing at a good level on both ends of the floor. She still leads the WNBA in blocks with 2.5 per game and also averages 1.6 spg. Magbegor has a 90.3 DEF and .228 DWS.

#2, Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

WNBA: Minnesota Lynx at Las Vegas Aces (Imagn)

Napheesa Collier had a strong start to the season, leading this list for multiple weeks. Despite having a couple of weeks sitting at second, she's still a solid candidate to win this award. Collier ranks second in steals this season with 2.6 per game while also averaging 1.4 bpg. She has posted an 88.2 DEF RTG and .273 DWS.

#1, A'ja Wilson, LV Aces

Phoenix Mercury v Las Vegas Aces (Getty)

A'ja Wilson remains one of the best players in the W this season. For another week, she is a DPOY and MVP candidate. At the end of this season, she could make history and bag both awards. Wilson averages 2.4 bpg (second in the league) and 1.9 spg. She also boasts a 101.1 DEF RTG and 0.094 in DWS.