WNBL Most Valuable Player Award

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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.

Contents

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

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
SeasonPlayerPositionNationalityTeamRef
1982 Karen Ogden Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia St Kilda Saints
1983 Karen Ogden (2)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia St Kilda Saints (2)
Robyn Maher Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Nunawading Spectres
1984 Julie Nykiel Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Noarlunga Tigers
1985 Kathy Foster Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia North Adelaide Rockets
1986 Kathy Foster (2)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Hobart Islanders
1987 Robyn Maher (2)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Nunawading Spectres (2)
1988 Julie Nykiel (2)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Noarlunga Tigers (2)
1989 Kathy Foster (3)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Hobart Islanders (2)
1990 Debbie Slimmon Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Bulleen Melbourne Boomers
1991 Joanne Metcalfe Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Melbourne Tigers
1992 Debbie Slimmon (2) Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Bulleen Melbourne Boomers (2)
1993 Allison Cook Guard Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Melbourne Tigers (2)
1994 Shelley Gorman Guard Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Sydney Flames
1995 Sandy Brondello Guard Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Brisbane Blazers
1996 Rachael Sporn Forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Adelaide Lightning
1997 Rachael Sporn (2) Forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Adelaide Lightning (2)
1998 Michelle Griffiths Forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Sydney Flames (2)
1998–99 Lauren Jackson Forward/center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Australian Institute of Sport
1999–00 Lauren Jackson (2) Forward/center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Canberra Capitals
Trisha Fallon Guard/forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Sydney Flames (3)
2000–01 Penny Taylor Forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Dandenong Rangers
2001–02 Penny Taylor (2) Forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Dandenong Rangers (2)
2002–03 Lauren Jackson (3) Forward/center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Canberra Capitals (2)
2003–04 Lauren Jackson (4) Forward/center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Canberra Capitals (3)
2004–05 Katrina Hibbert Guard/forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Bulleen Melbourne Boomers (3)
2005–06 Katrina Hibbert (2) Guard/forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Bulleen Melbourne Boomers (4)
2006–07 Hollie Grima Center/forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Bulleen Melbourne Boomers (5)
2007–08 Natalie Porter Forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Sydney Uni Flames (4)
2008–09 Rohanee Cox Guard/forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Townsville Fire
2009–10 Kristi Harrower Guard Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Bendigo Spirit
2010–11 Liz Cambage Center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Bulleen Boomers (6)
2011–12 Suzy Batkovic Center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Adelaide Lightning (3)
2012–13 Suzy Batkovic (2) Center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Adelaide Lightning (4)
2013–14 Suzy Batkovic (3) Center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Townsville Fire (2)
2014–15 Abby Bishop Forward/center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Canberra Capitals (4)
2015–16 Suzy Batkovic (4) Center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Townsville Fire (3)
2016–17 Suzy Batkovic (5) Center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Townsville Fire (4) [3]
2017–18 Suzy Batkovic (6) Center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Townsville Fire (5) [4]
2018–19 Kelsey Griffin Forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Canberra Capitals (5) [5]
2019–20 Kia Nurse Guard Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Canberra Capitals (6) [6]
2020 Stephanie Talbot Guard/forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Adelaide Lightning (5) [7]
2021–22 Anneli Maley Forward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Bendigo Spirit (2) [8]
2022–23 Cayla George Forward/center Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Melbourne Boomers (7) [9]
2023–24 Jordin Canada Guard Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Melbourne Boomers (8) [10]
2024–25 Sami Whitcomb Guard Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Bendigo Spirit (3) [11]

Multi-time winners

RankPlayerTeam(s)AwardsYears
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 Saints2 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

References

  1. Townsville (16 January 2018). "Batkovic crowned WNBL MVP". Townsville Fire. wnbl.com.au.
  2. Women's National Basketball League. SUZY BATKOVIC MVP TO BE AWARDED FROM 2019/20 SEASON. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  3. Sod (8 March 2017). "SUZY BATKOVIC RE-WRITES HISTORY BOOKS WITH RECORD FIFTH MVP". WNBL. wnbl.basketball.
  4. Townsville (16 January 2018). "BATKOVIC CROWNED WNBL MVP". Townsville Fire. wnbl.basketball.
  5. Uccapitals (18 February 2019). "KELSEY GRIFFIN CLAIMS WNBL MVP". Uc Capitals. wnbl.basketball.
  6. Sarahripley (13 February 2020). "#WNBL20 MVP KIA NURSE". WNBL. wnbl.basketball.
  7. Maddisonpettit (14 December 2020). "STEPH TALBOT NAMED 2020 CHEMIST WAREHOUSE WNBL MVP". WNBL. wnbl.basketball.
  8. "ANNELI MALEY NAMED THE WNBL 2021/22 SUZY BATKOVIC MVP". WNBL. wnbl.basketball. 31 March 2022.
  9. Brooke (5 March 2023). "Cayla George Named MVP at WNBL Awards Night". WNBL. wnbl.basketball. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  10. "Suzy Batkovic Medal WNBL 2023/24 League MVP: Jordin Canada". twitter.com/WNBL. 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  11. "Whitcomb headlines Spirit success at WNBL Awards Night". wnbl.basketball. 17 February 2025. Retrieved 17 February 2025.