It’s only a couple of weeks into the 2026 WNBA season, and already some players have made such strong early impressions that the end-of-season award conversations have begun in earnest. Some have performed exactly as expected. Others have taken the league entirely by surprise, staking their claims for individual honors far earlier than anyone anticipated. And for WNBA legend Candace Parker, she’s already seen enough to make her predictions for who will walk away with the biggest awards when it’s all said and done.
Speaking on the Post Moves podcast, which she co-hosts with Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston, Parker didn’t hold back. “So I got Olivia Miles as my rookie of the year,” she said. On the defensive side, she put forward three names for Defensive Player of the Year, including her own co-host, Aliyah Boston. “I think you’re in contention. I think A’ja, and then I would throw Brittney Sykes in there,” she said. She also put Boston in contention for MVP alongside Breanna Stewart. As she said, “MVP, I’m going with you, or I’m going with Stewie.”
And when it comes to the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, it’s a familiar one when A’ja Wilson’s name is involved. She has won the award three times previously and remains the standard against which all defensive performances in this league are measured. Aliyah Boston and Brittney Sykes have not yet claimed the official honor. But both bring elite defensive résumés to the table that make them genuine threats to dethrone Wilson.
But looking at performances so far this season, Sykes seems to be ahead in the pecking order. Although winning the accolade will also eventually be influenced by team performance, which may put Sykes at a disadvantage, considering she is on an expansion team whose chances of actually going far are still slim. As Parker said, “Toronto has to be good” for her to be able to win it.
Parker’s MVP prediction of Aliyah Boston, however, is the one that faces the most scrutiny. She’s averaging a solid 12.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. But that does not quite hold up yet, especially when you compare her performances so far to those of other players who might be in contention. Players like Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson, and Caitlin Clark are averaging nearly double her scoring numbers while also putting up similar numbers in other offensive categories. Breanna Stewart, especially, whom Candace Parker had as the second potential MVP, is already lighting up the league with 23.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 2.0 BPG while leading the New York Liberty near the top of the standings.
But then, the season has a long way to go. And the award race has a habit of looking very different in October than it does in May.
Candace Parker Also Predicts Sixth POTY & Coach of The Year Frontrunners
Candace Parker also extended her predictions to the Sixth Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards. For her, the Las Vegas Aces guard Chennedy Carter is in a lone race for the Sixth Player of the Year award. As she said, “I think Sixth Player of the Year, Chennedy Carter has that locked up, signed, sealed, delivered.”
Parker even finds it unbelievable that the WNBA would just watch the Aces add a top talent like Carter to their already star-studded roster. As she said, “I still will say I don’t get how the league allowed Chennedy Carter to end up in Vegas.” And her statement is quite understandable. From a competitive standpoint, the Las Vegas Aces adding an elite, hyper-efficient scoring threat like Carter to an already legendary superteam feels completely unfair to the other 14 franchises.
And Carter has completely validated Parker’s panic so far. Just days ago, she came off the bench against the Connecticut Sun and exploded for 27 points on a historic 13-of-16 shooting while adding 8 assists and 2 steals. She became only the second bench guard in WNBA history to drop 25+ points on 80% shooting. With performances like these, she could eventually earn a starting role and become ineligible to win the Sixth Player award. But that is quite unlikely with the kind of legendary starters the Aces already have.
For Coach of the Year, Candace Parker went with Stephanie White of the Indiana Fever. “Coach of the year, I’m going to go with Stephanie White. I think she’s gonna do her little thing,” she said. But she also put Jose Fernandez of the Dallas Wings in contention, saying, “Or I’m going with Fernandez because that was a different look than I’ve seen Arike play in. And a lot of it is because of Paige, but it’s a different look.”
While these are not the two coaches with the best results so far, Candace Parker appears to be speaking from a tactical perspective. For example, with the Dallas Wings, she believes there is a tactical shift in how Jose Fernandez is running the offense and utilizing Arike Ogunbowale.
But once again, the season is still a long way from over, and many would agree that it is still too early to decide. But that is what predictions are all about. What’s your own prediction?
