The WNBA announced that Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon has won the league’s Sixth Player of the Year award. Hillmon earned 44 of 72 media votes, with Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman coming in second place with 22 votes.
WNBA guard snubbed for major end-of-season award
Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman came in second place for the WNBA’s Sixth Player of the Year — with Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon earning the majority of votes.
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Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
Lynx forward Jessica Shepard (4 votes), Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga (1 vote), and Sami Whitcomb (1 vote)
I voted for Hiedeman in large part because she came off the bench for every game this season. Hillmon, on the other hand, was elevated off the bench midseason, and ultimately only came off the bench for 27 of 44 games this season.
Both Hillmon and Hiedeman had stellar seasons that contributed to winning:
- Natisha Hiedeman averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 18.9 minutes off the bench last season, scoring at least 20 points in four games in September.
- Naz Hillmon, meanwhile, averaged 8 points and 4.9 rebounds in her 27 games as a bench player (and 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds for the season as a whole).
Why SB Nation selected Natisha Hiedeman over Naz Hillmon
Ultimately, a big reason why I picked Hiedeman over Hillmon was that she served as a more traditional Sixth player. Hillmon was a major contributor for the Dream, but ultimately didn’t play a traditional Sixth Player role for much of the season.
In addition, Hiedeman’s role on the top-seeded Lynx played a role as well, as I detailed in my initial ballot explainer earlier this month:
I try to take winning into account as much as possible when making award decisions — I selected Veronica Burton over Azura Stevens for Most Improved, for example, in part because the Golden State Valkyries have been much better than the Los Angeles Sparks (though Burton would have secured my vote regardless).
The Lynx had the best record in the league by 4 games, and their depth is a massive reason why. Though Courtney Williams has put together a great season of her own, the Lynx having such a strong backup plan for when things at the point guard position go south has been crucial.
For example, last month, in an August 22nd win, Williams was struggling and was ultimately benched. Hiedeman, who had tallied 17 points on 6-10 shooting, closed out the victory over the Indiana Fever. Then, two nights later, she played just 13 minutes as Williams refound her rhythm.
It’s a perfect example of Hiedeman being an effective Sixth Player — stepping into a crucial role when necessary, but also accepting that the role waivers.
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