A’ja Wilson adds one more accolade to wrap up 2026
Derek Hegna
Host · Writer
While the championship case will not see a new addition this year, A’ja Wilson still has some individual achievements to mark the 2026 season.
On Thursday, the five-time MVP and Las Vegas Aces superstar was named to the 2026 All-Defensive First Team.
This is the fifth straight season where Wilson has been named to the first team, as well as her sixth year on the All-Defensive team (she was named to the second team in 2020).
Joining Wilson are the Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard, the Golden State Valkyries’ Gabby Williams and the Washington Mystics’ Shakira Austin.
Wilson earned her spot in the lineup by leading the league in blocks for the fifth consecutive year, averaging an impressive 1.9 rejections per game. She also lead the league with 3.3 stocks (steals + blocks per game, while also finishing in the top five in defensive rebounds (third with 7.5 rpg), total rebounds (9.4 rpg, fifth) and defensive win shares (3.1, fourth).
The 2026 season also saw Wilson reach some defensive career milestones.
On Aug. 3 against Atlanta, Wilson officially moved ahead of Hall of Famer Lauren Jackson for sixth all-time in total blocks, finishing the season with 612 for her career. She also recorded her 1,000th stock to become the 10th player in WNBA history to reach that mark.
While Wilson is now contending with Reese for the best defensive player in the WNBA, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has shown that she can still be reliable in protecting the basket.
