Sparks stars Jordin Canada, Nneka Ogwumike selected to WNBA All-Defensive team
Sparks point guard Jordin Canada, who led the WNBA in steals, with 2.3 per game, and forward Nneka Ogwumike have been selected to the All-Defensive team, it was announced Friday.
Canada, the former Windward High and UCLA star, set a single-season record for the Sparks with 86 steals. This is her second selection to the All-Defensive first team. Ogwumike became the franchise’s all-time steals leader with 548. It’s her sixth time making the team, all on second team.
“Jordin is a relentless defender and was tasked with defending the opponent’s best perimeter guard each game, cementing herself as one of the premier guard defenders in the league,” Sparks coach Curt Miller said in a statement released by the team. “Nneka was our anchor in the post, having one of her best defensive rebounding seasons of her career, while continuing her standard of excellence on the defensive end.”
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson was chosen the league’s defensive player of the year for the second season in a row. It’s her third selection to the All-Defensive team.
Joining Canada and Wilson on the first team were New York’s Breanna Stewart, Washington’s Brittney Sykes and Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas.
Selected along with Ogwumike to the second team were Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, New York’s Betnijah Laney, Seattle’s Ezi Magbegor and Chicago’s Elizabeth Williams.
