New York Liberty's Michaela Onyenwere Named 2021 KIA WNBA Rookie of the Year

Onyenwere received 47 votes from a national panel of 49 sportswriters and broadcasters. Atlanta Dream guard Aari McDonald and Liberty guard/forward DiDi Richards received one vote each.

Onyenwere averaged 8.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 22.5 minutes in 32 games (29 starts) this season. She led all WNBA rookies in points per game, field goals made (91) and three-pointers made (37). The 6-foot Onyenwere also ranked second among rookies in total rebounds (94).

A regular starter in her first WNBA season, Onyenwere recorded 12 games with 10 or more points and five games with five or more rebounds. In her WNBA debut, she finished with 18 points and five rebounds against the Indiana Fever on May 14. Onyenwere scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed five rebounds against the Dream on May 29. In her first career double-double, she posted 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against the Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 31.

Onyenwere won all four Kia WNBA Rookie of the Month awards this season. She helped New York qualify for the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season.

New York selected Onyenwere with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft. Onyenwere played four college seasons at UCLA, where she became the Bruins’ first two-time AP All-America Team selection and finished her career as the fourth-leading scorer in program history (1,888 points).

In honor of being named the 2021 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year, Onyenwere will receive $5,150 and a specially designed trophy by Tiffany & Co.

Below are the voting results for the 2021 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Award and a list of past recipients.

2021 WNBA KIA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR VOTING RESULTS

Player Team Votes Michaela Onyenwere New York Liberty 47 Aari McDonald Atlanta Dream 1 DiDi Richards New York Liberty 1

WNBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WINNERS

2021 Michaela Onyenwere New York Liberty 2020 Crystal Dangerfield Minnesota Lynx 2019 Napheesa Collier Minnesota Lynx 2018 A'ja Wilson Las Vegas Aces 2017 Allisha Gray Dallas Wings 2016 Breanna Stewart Seattle Storm 2015 Jewell Loyd Seattle Storm 2014 Chiney Ogwumike Connecticut Sun 2013 Elena Delle Donne Chicago Sky 2012 Nneka Ogwumike Los Angeles Sparks 2011 Maya Moore Minnesota Lynx 2010 Tina Charles Connecticut Sun 2009 Angel McCoughtry Atlanta Dream 2008 Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks 2007 Armintie Price Chicago Sky 2006 Seimone Augustus Minnesota Lynx 2005 Temeka Johnson Washington Mystics 2004 Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury 2003 Cheryl Ford Detroit Shock 2002 Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever 2001 Jackie Stiles Portland Fire 2000 Betty Lennox Minnesota Lynx 1999 Chamique Holdsclaw Washington Mystics 1998 Tracy Reid Charlotte Sting

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).

Press Contacts: Ron Howard WNBA Communications 212-407-8641 rhoward@nba.com

Sam Tager WNBA Communications 212-407-8358 stager@nba.com

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About the WNBA:

Currently in its 25th season in 2021, the WNBA is a bold, progressive basketball league that stands for the power of women. Featuring 12 teams, the W is a unique sports property that combines competition and entertainment with a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and social responsibility. Through its world-class athletes, the in-game fan experience, TV and digital broadcasts, digital and social content and community outreach programs, the league celebrates and elevates the game of basketball and the culture around it.

In 2020, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) signed a groundbreaking eight-year CBA that charts a new course for women’s basketball—and women’s sports overall—with a focus on increased player compensation, improvements to the player experience, expanded career development opportunities, and resources specifically tailored to the female professional athlete. Key elements of the agreement are supported through the league’s new platform, WNBA Changemakers, with AT&T, the WNBA’s Marquee Partner and inaugural Changemaker, as well as fellow inaugural Changemakers Deloitte and Nike, and the recent addition of Google. During the 2020 season, the WNBA and WNBPA launched the WNBA Justice Movement forming the Social Justice Council with the mission of being a driving force of necessary change and continuing conversations about race and voting rights, among other important societal issues.

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