NEW YORK – Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard has been named the 2026 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player, the WNBA announced today.

Shepard received 29 of 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin finished in second place with 25 votes, and Portland Fire guard Carla Leite was third with 11 votes. Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey finished fourth with four votes, followed by Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga in fifth with three votes and Los Angeles Sparks guard-forward Rae Burrell in sixth with two votes.

In her sixth WNBA season and first with the Wings, Shepard averaged career highs of 14.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 31.7 minutes, up from 8.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 20.9 minutes with the Minnesota Lynx in 2025. She joined Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese as the only players to average a double-double this season. A starter in all 42 of her appearances, Shepard helped Dallas earn the No. 7 seed in the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel.

Shepard ranked second in the WNBA in rebounds per game, fifth in field goal percentage (57.5) and 11^th in assists per game. Her 467 rebounds were the second-highest single-season total in WNBA history, behind Reese’s 521 in 2026. She also helped the Wings lead the league with 22.3 assists per game.

Shepard recorded a league-leading six triple-doubles, tied for the second most in a season in WNBA history, after entering the season with one career triple-double. Her 25 double-doubles, up from 10 in 2025, were the fourth most in a single WNBA season. On May 28, Shepard posted 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a victory against the Las Vegas Aces, becoming the second player in WNBA history with a 20-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist game.

Shepard was selected by the Lynx with the 16^th overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft. After playing five seasons with Minnesota, she signed with Dallas before the 2026 season. Shepard earned her first WNBA All-Star selection this season and was voted a starter for the 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game.

In honor of being named the 2026 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player, Shepard will receive $15,000 and a trophy designed to commemorate her achievement.

Below are the voting results for the 2026 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player Award and a list of past recipients of the annual honor.