WNBL Most Valuable Player Award

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

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

Multi-time winners

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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

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References

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  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.