The Women's National Basketball League Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) award given since the league's second season. MVP voting takes place throughout the regular season and is determined by a players' accumulated score from game-by-game voting. In every game, each head coach and the referees from each respective game complete a voting card, with three points being awarded for a first place vote, two for second, one for third, a player can take a maximum of nine votes from any one game.[1] It is the most prestigious award for individual players in the WNBL.
Suzy Batkovic is the most decorated player in WNBL history, winning the prestigious award a record six times. Due to this, from 2019 onwards the award will be known as the Suzy Batkovic Most Valuable Player Award (known as the Suzy Batkovic Medal).[2] Highly regarded as one of the greatest of all time, Lauren Jackson also won the award four times, and solely held the record until 2016.
Winners
edit| Denotes player whose team won championship that year | |
| Denotes player inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Denotes player who is still active | |
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player had been named MVP at that time |
| Team (X) | Denotes the number of times a player from this team had won at that time |
Multi-time winners
edit| Rank | Player | Team(s) | Awards | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suzy Batkovic | Adelaide Lightning (2) / Townsville Fire (4) | 6 | 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| 2 | Lauren Jackson | Australian Institute of Sport (1) / Canberra Capitals (3) | 4 | 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004 |
| 3 | Kathy Foster | North Adelaide Rockets (1) / Hobart Islanders (2) | 3 | 1985, 1986, 1989 |
| 4 | Karen Ogden | St Kilda Saints | 2 | 1982, 1983 |
| Julie Nykiel | Noarlunga Tigers | 1984, 1988 | ||
| Debbie Slimmon | Bulleen Melbourne Boomers | 1990, 1992 | ||
| Rachael Sporn | Adelaide Lightning | 1996, 1997 | ||
| Penny Taylor | Dandenong Rangers | 2001, 2002 | ||
| Katrina Hibbert | Bulleen Melbourne Boomers | 2005, 2006 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Townsville (16 January 2018). "Batkovic crowned WNBL MVP". Townsville Fire. wnbl.com.au.
- ^ Women's National Basketball League. SUZY BATKOVIC MVP TO BE AWARDED FROM 2019/20 SEASON. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
- ^ Sod (8 March 2017). "SUZY BATKOVIC RE-WRITES HISTORY BOOKS WITH RECORD FIFTH MVP". WNBL. wnbl.basketball.
- ^ Townsville (16 January 2018). "BATKOVIC CROWNED WNBL MVP". Townsville Fire. wnbl.basketball.
- ^ Uccapitals (18 February 2019). "KELSEY GRIFFIN CLAIMS WNBL MVP". Uc Capitals. wnbl.basketball.
- ^ Sarahripley (13 February 2020). "#WNBL20 MVP KIA NURSE". WNBL. wnbl.basketball.
- ^ Maddisonpettit (14 December 2020). "STEPH TALBOT NAMED 2020 CHEMIST WAREHOUSE WNBL MVP". WNBL. wnbl.basketball.
- ^ "ANNELI MALEY NAMED THE WNBL 2021/22 SUZY BATKOVIC MVP". WNBL. wnbl.basketball. 31 March 2022.
- ^ Brooke (5 March 2023). "Cayla George Named MVP at WNBL Awards Night". WNBL. wnbl.basketball. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ "Suzy Batkovic Medal WNBL 2023/24 League MVP: Jordin Canada". twitter.com/WNBL. 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.