Indiana's Tamika Catchings regained her title as WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, for the fifth time in her career. Catchings who was usurped in 2011 by Sylvia Fowles, has also earned this designation in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010. She garnered 19 of 41 votes cast in the contest by media members.
Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry was second with nine votes, followed by Los Angeles teammates Candace Parker (6 votes) and Alana Beard (4 votes). Others receiving votes include Sancho Lyttle (2), Tina Charles (1) and Sophia Young (1).
Also announced were the 2012 All-Defensive Teams, as selected by the 12 WNBA head coaches (points earned in parentheses):
First Team -
- Tamika Catchings (50)
- Sancho Lyttle (26)
- Sylvia Fowles (33)
- Alana Beard (30)
- Briann January (26)
Second Team -
- Sophia Young (22)
- Candace Parker (15)
- Tina Charles (21)
- Armintie Price (18)
- Danielle Robinson (17)
Interestingly, Charles, Parker and Young, who received DPOY votes, did not make the first team. Instead, Fowles, Beard and January joined Catchings and Lyttle as first-team designees.