NEW YORK – Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury, who averaged a WNBA-record 4.04 blocks per game this season, has been named the 2015 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Samsung, the WNBA announced today.  The 6-8 center becomes the first player to win the award in back-to-back seasons since Tamika Catchings in 2009 and 2010.

Griner, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, received 33 votes from a national panel of 39 sportswriters and broadcasters.  Kiah Stokes of the New York Liberty finished second with two votes.  New York’s Tina Charles, Briann January of the Indiana Fever, Angel McCoughtry of the Atlanta Dream, and Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx received one vote each.

Griner swatted 105 shots in 26 games, improving on her average of 3.79 rejections last season, when she set a WNBA record for total blocks with 129.  She also ranked second in the league this season in defensive rebounds with an average of 6.42 per game.  Behind Griner, the fourth-place finisher in balloting for the 2015 WNBA Most Valuable Player Award presented by Samsung, the Mercury ranked second in the league in opponents’ field goal percentage (.393) and fourth in points allowed (72.3 ppg).

The three-year pro, who is the sixth multiple winner of the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award presented by Samsung, blocked at least two shots in 23 games and five or more shots in 11 games.  Griner set a season high with nine rejections against the Lynx on Aug. 30, and she averaged 5.6 blocks during a five-game winning streak from July 28-Aug. 7.

A WNBA All-Star selection in all three years of her career, Griner’s defensive prowess and offensive contributions (15.1 ppg) helped the Mercury to a 20-14 record and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference for the 2015 WNBA Playoffs presented by Boost Mobile.  Phoenix opens the postseason tonight against the Tulsa Shock in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals (10 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

This marks the second season that Samsung, an official WNBA marketing partner, is serving as the presenting partner of the WNBA’s highest individual honors. The WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA Most Valuable Player, WNBA Most Improved Player, WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, WNBA Rookie of the Year, and the WNBA Players of the Month and Rookie of the Month awards are a part of the WNBA Performance Awards presented by Samsung program.

In honor of being named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Samsung, Griner will receive $5,000 and a specially designed trophy.

Below are the voting results for the 2015 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award presented by Samsung and a list of past recipients:

2015 WNBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG VOTING RESULTS

Points             Player                                     Team
33                  Brittney Griner                      Phoenix Mercury
 2                   Kiah Stokes                             New York Liberty
1                   Tina Charles                            New York Liberty
1                   Briann January                       Indiana Fever
1                   Angel McCoughtry                  Atlanta Dream
1                   Maya Moore                           Minnesota Lynx

ALL-TIME WNBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG WINNERS

Points             Player                                     Team
2015                Brittney Griner                  Phoenix Mercury
2014                Brittney Griner                        Phoenix Mercury
2013                Sylvia Fowles                          Chicago Sky
2012                Tamika Catchings                   Indiana Fever
2011                Sylvia Fowles                          Chicago Sky
2010                Tamika Catchings                   Indiana Fever
2009                Tamika Catchings                   Indiana Fever
2008                Lisa Leslie                               Los Angeles Sparks
2007                Lauren Jackson                      Seattle Storm
2006                Tamika Catchings                   Indiana Fever
2005                Tamika Catchings                   Indiana Fever
2004                Lisa Leslie                               Los Angeles Sparks
2003                Sheryl Swoopes                      Houston Comets
2002                Sheryl Swoopes                      Houston Comets
2001                Debbie Black                          Miami Sol
2000                Sheryl Swoopes                      Houston Comets
1999                Yolanda Griffith                       Sacramento Monarchs
1998                Teresa Weatherspoon            New York Liberty
1997                Teresa Weatherspoon            New York Liberty

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