NEW YORK – Los Angeles Sparks guard/forward Alana Beard, this season’s WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, leads the 2017 WNBA All-Defensive Team, the WNBA announced today.  This marks the fourth All-Defensive First Team selection for Beard, who became the second Sparks player to win Defensive Player of the Year (Lisa Leslie, 2004 and 2008).

Beard received 11 First Team votes (55 points) from a panel of the WNBA’s head coaches, making her the only unanimous pick.  The 12 coaches selected First and Second Teams by position and were not permitted to vote for players from their own teams.  Players earned five points for each First Team vote and three points for each Second Team vote.

Joining Beard on the WNBA All-Defensive First Team are Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (49 points), Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles (49 points), Connecticut Sun guard Jasmine Thomas (49 points) and New York Liberty forward Tina Charles (22 points).

The WNBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (41 points), Connecticut forward Alyssa Thomas (21 points), Minnesota’s Rebekkah Brunson (20 points) at forward and Maya Moore (16 points) at guard, and Indiana Fever guard Briann January (13 points).

Beard led the WNBA in steals for the first time, averaging 2.09 per game while starting all 34 of Los Angeles’ games.  In addition to her four All-Defensive First Team selections, Beard has four Second Team nods.

Ogwumike makes her third straight appearance on the All-Defensive First Team.  The 2016 WNBA MVP ranked third in the league in steals with 1.85 per game and tied for eighth in defensive rebounds with 5.9.  Behind Beard and Ogwumike, the Sparks were second in defensive rating (96.0 points per 100 possessions) and points allowed (75.2 ppg).

For Fowles, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, the All-Defensive appearance is her eighth overall and sixth on the First Team.  She tied for second in the league in blocks with 1.97 per game, ranked fifth in defensive rebounds with 6.8 and contributed 1.29 steals.  The four-time All-Star selection anchored a Minnesota defense that led the WNBA in defensive rating (94.1) and points allowed (74.2 ppg).

Jasmine Thomas made the All-Defensive First Team for the first time in her seven-year career after appearing as a Second Team selection for the first time last season.  The 2017 All-Star averaged a career-high 1.59 steals (fourth in the WNBA), including a season-high five steals in three straight games from July 8-13.

The WNBA All-Defensive Second Team features Griner, a two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.  The four-time All-Star selection led the WNBA in blocks (2.5 bpg) for the fifth consecutive season.

Alyssa Thomas, an All-Star for the first time this season, was named to the All-Defensive Team for the first time.  The Sun forward averaged career highs with 5.4 defensive rebounds and 1.5 steals, and she set single-game bests in defensive rebounds (13), steals (seven) and blocks (four).

Brunson added another honor to a 14-year career that includes four WNBA titles.  This is the fifth All-Defensive Second Team nod for Brunson, who has one First Team selection.  Brunson is the WNBA’s all-time leader in offensive rebounds (1,129) and has the fourth-most defensive rebounds (2,058).

Moore, the 2014 MVP, was named to the Second Team for the second time in her career.  The three-time WNBA champion tied a career high with 1.88 steals (second in the league).

January has been chosen to the All-Defensive Team six times in eight seasons, all spent with the Fever.  This is her second time on the Second Team to go with four First Team honors.

2017 WNBA All-Defensive First Team

Player                         Team                                      Position                       Points
Alana Beard                Los Angeles Sparks                Guard                          55
Sylvia Fowles              Minnesota Lynx                      Center                          49
Nneka Ogwumike       Los Angeles Sparks                Forward                      49
Jasmine Thomas          Connecticut Sun                      Guard                        49
Tina Charles                New York Liberty                   Forward                       22

2017 WNBA All-Defensive Second Team

Player                         Team                                      Position                       Points
Brittney Griner            Phoenix Mercury                    Center                         41
Alyssa Thomas            Connecticut Sun                      Forward                      21
Rebekkah Brunson      Minnesota Lynx                      Forward                      20
Maya Moore                Minnesota Lynx                      Guard                          16
Briann January            Indiana Fever                          Guard                          13

About the WNBA

The WNBA – which features 12 teams and is the most successful women’s professional team sports league in the world – is a unique global sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment value with its status as an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity. The league, which counts Verizon as its leaguewide marquee partner, concluded its 21^st regular season on Sept. 3, 2017.

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