2024 WNBA Finals Awards and Selections: A'ja Wilson as MVP and Caitlin Clark as Rookie of the Year by unanimous vote

The 2024 WNBA regular season has come to a close and now the playoffs are upon us, which begin on Sunday. Before that happens, it's time to look back at another exciting summer of basketball and make predictions for every major award, as well as give a Finals prediction.

Some of these honors have long been earned. Most notably, Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson is a lock for the MVP award after one of the best individual seasons the league has ever seen. Likewise, Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark is a sure bet for the Rookie of the Year award after a historic start to her career.

Although almost everything else is up for debate.

Without further ado, here are CBS Sports' expert predictions for all the major awards and which team will lift the trophy.

Most Valuable Player

Jack Maloney	Erica Ayala	Isabel Gonzalez
aja wilson	Aja Wilson	aja wilson

It's no surprise. Wilson has been absolutely dominant. She became the first player to score 1,000 points in a season, set the single-season rebounding record and led the league in blocks. Wilson will likely be the unanimous MVP, joining Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson as the only players to win the award three times.

Rookie of the year

Jack Maloney	Erica Ayala	Isabel Gonzalez
Caitlin Clark	Caitlin Clark	Caitlin Clark

Again, this one is obvious. Clark put together a historic rookie campaign, in which she set the single-season assists record, the single-game assists record, the rookie scoring record and the rookie 3-point record. She also led the league in assists and helped the Fever reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Defensive Player of the Year

The Lynx were the biggest surprise of this season, reaching the 30-win mark for the first time in franchise history thanks in large part to their dominant defense. Napheesa Collier was their best and most important player on that end of the court. She finished tied for second in the league in steals (1.9), tied for sixth in blocks (1.4) and second in defensive win shares (3.6).

Player who has improved the most

Three different players received votes for Most Improved Player, reflecting the fact that there was no standout choice this season. Alanna Smith made huge strides as a three-point shooter and defender, Sabrina Ionescu's approach inside the arc on offense was much improved and Dijonai Carrington made a leap on defense.

Sixth Player of the Year

Jack Maloney	Erica Ayala	Isabel Gonzalez
Leonie Fiebich	Leonie Fiebich	Leonie Fiebich

Before the season, 24-year-old German rookie Leonie Fiebich wasn’t on many people’s radar. But as the summer progressed, Fiebich became one of the Liberty’s most important players and allowed them to stay atop the league despite the absences of Courtney Vandersloot and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. She finished sixth in the league in three-point shooting (42.9%) and had the sixth-best plus-minus of any player (+283).

Coach of the year

Jack Maloney	Erica Ayala	Isabel Gonzalez
Cheryl Reeve	Cheryl Reeve	Cheryl Reeve

Coach of the Year is often a tough one to pick, but not this season. Cheryl Reeve was spectacular in turning the Lynx into one of the league's best teams, something no one predicted back in May. The Lynx earned a second-place finish, reached the 30-win mark for the first time in franchise history and had the league's second-best defense. If Reeve wins, she will become the first coach to win the honor four times.

Executive of the year

Jack Maloney	Erica Ayala	Isabel Gonzalez
Clara Duwelius	Talisa Rhea	Clara Duwelius

Talisa Rhea and the Storm made a big splash in the offseason by signing two future Hall of Famers in Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike and then adding Gabby Williams after the Olympics, but the moves didn’t work out as well as they hoped. The additions Clare Duwelius made for the Lynx, meanwhile, went largely under the radar, but Alanna Smith, Courtney Williams, Natisha Hiedeman and Myisha Hines-Allen turned the team into a legitimate contender.

First Team All-WNBA

Jack Maloney	Erica Ayala	Isabel Gonzalez
Caitlin Clark	Caitlin Clark	Caitlin Clark
Napheesa Collier	Napheesa Collier	Napheesa Collier
Breanna Stewart	Sabrina Ionescu	Breanna Stewart
Alyssa Thomas	Breanna Stewart	Alyssa Thomas
Aja Wilson	Aja Wilson	aja wilson

Second Team All-WNBA

Jack Maloney	Erica Ayala	Isabel Gonzalez
Kahleah Copper	Bridget Carleton	Kahleah Copper
Skylar Diggins-Smith	Skylar Diggins-Smith	Skylar Diggins-Smith
Sabrina Ionescu	Jonquel Jones	Sabrina Ionescu
Jonquel Jones	Mrs. Ogwumike	Jonquel Jones
Mrs. Ogwumike	Alyssa Thomas	Mrs. Ogwumike

First defensive team

Jack Maloney	Erica Ayala	Isabel Gonzalez
Napheesa Collier	By Wanna Bonner	Napheesa Collier
Good Magbegor	Napheesa Collier	Good Magbegor
Breanna Stewart	Breanna Stewart	Alanna Smith
Alyssa Thomas	Courtney Williams	Breanna Stewart
aja wilson	aja wilson	aja wilson

Second defensive team

Jack Maloney	Erica Ayala	Isabel Gonzalez
Dijonai Carrington	Skylar Diggins-Smith	Dijonai Carrington
Skylar Diggins-Smith	Leonie Fiebich	Skylar Diggins-Smith
Jonquel Jones	Betnijah Laney-Hamilton	Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
Mrs. Ogwumike	Kayla McBride	Mrs. Ogwumike
Alanna Smith	Alyssa Thomas	Alyssa Thomas

Rookie team

Jack Maloney	Erica Ayala	Isabel Gonzalez
Caitlin Clark	Caitlin Clark	Caitlin Clark
Camila Cardoso	Camila Cardoso	Camila Cardoso
Leonie Fiebich	Leonie Fiebich	Leonie Fiebich
Rickea Jackson	Rickea Jackson	Rickea Jackson
Angel Reese	Angel Reese	Angel Reese

Finals

Jack Maloney	Erica Ayala	Isabel Gonzalez
Freedom over Lynx	The lynx on freedom	Freedom over Lynx

The Liberty and Lynx were the top two teams in the regular season, and all three experts predicted that both would make the finals. There were two predictions for the Liberty to win their first title in franchise history and one for the Lynx to hoist the trophy for a record fifth time.

Perhaps most notably, no one picked the Las Vegas Aces to complete a three-peat. Before the season, that was the unanimous decision.