2011 WNBA Award Winners List: MVP Tamika Catchings Led All Vote Getters For Her Sixth All-WNBA First Team Selection

by Jessica Lantz on Oct 4, 2011 9:10 PM EDT in WNBA

It was a banner year for Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings, who finally won a WNBA MVP award as well as being selected for the 2011 All-Defensive and All-WNBA First Teams. Photo by Craig Bennett/112575 Media.

The major individual WNBA awards have finally been announced and it was a great year for Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings, despite falling short of the ultimate goal: her first WNBA championship.

A listing of all of the award winners and links to our commentary - as well as yours - after the jump. With the big picture clear now, what are your overall thoughts on the league this year? Any major surprises?

Click the links for our commentary, which included your immediate reactions in the comments.

Media Awards

Voted upon by a panel of 40 local and national sportswriters and broadcasters:

Most Valuable Player: Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever)

All-WNBA First Team: Tamika Catchings, Tina Charles, Angel McCoughtry, Diana Taurasi and Lindsay Whalen

All-WNBA Second Team: Penny Taylor, Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, Sue Bird and Cappie Pondexter

Defensive Player of the Year: Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky)

Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx)

Rookie of the Year: Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx)

Most Improved Player: Kia Vaughn (New York Liberty)

Sixth Woman of the Year: DeWanna Bonner (Phoenix Mercury)

Coaches' Awards

Voted upon by the 12 WNBA coaches:

All-Rookie Team: Maya Moore, Danielle Robinson, Courtney Vandersloot, Danielle Adams, Liz Cambage

All-Defensive First Team: Rebekkah Brunson, Tamika Catchings, Sylvia Fowles, Angel McCoughtry, Tanisha Wright

All-Defensive Second Team: Swin Cash, Tina Charles, Katie Douglas, Sancho Lyttle, Armintie Price

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Comments

Reeve coached a lot better this year

and Agler coached a lot worse.

by ttdomi on Sep 16, 2011 5:51 PM EDT reply actions

I'm not sure Agler was "a lot worse"

Any coach looks bad when Lauren Jackson misses nearly 2/3 of the season.

All things considered, Agler did alright this season.

Twitter: @NateP_SBN.

by Nate Parham on Oct 4, 2011 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree.

by thewiz06 on Oct 4, 2011 11:59 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Catchings

A general thought that is as appropriate here as it would be in a separate fan shot…

I just read Catchings’ reflection on her season and you just really have to admire who she is as a human being beyond what she does as an athlete:

http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/7054291/tamika-catchings-reflects-injury-fever

One commentator mentioned that Catchings deserves MVP not just for what she does on the court, but all that she does off of it: community work, being a positive presence in the locker room, the way she interacts with media, and just being a generally great ambassador for a league that is still in its growth stages. I completely agree.

I’m not sure the Fever had any “better” chance to win it all this year than any other year given how well the Lynx are playing this year, but even though I’m not a “Fever fan” it’s hard not to hope for that Catchings eventually gets that ’ship.

Twitter: @NateP_SBN.

by Nate Parham on Oct 5, 2011 2:16 AM EDT reply actions