Dream's Naz Hillmon Wins 2025 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Award over Hiedeman, More

After emerging as a critical role player for the Atlanta Dream, fourth-year forward Naz Hillmon was honored as the WNBA's Sixth Player of the Year for 2025.

Hillmon earned 44 of a possible 72 votes. Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman finished second with 22 votes, followed by Lynx forward Jessica Shepard (four votes), Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga (one) and Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb (one).

Hillmon averaged 8.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists while extending her consecutive games played streak to 151, a franchise record.

Her best outing came in Atlanta's 88-85 win over the Dallas Wings on July 30. She finished with 21 points and three assists off the bench, and she drilled a three-pointer, her fifth of the game, to put the Dream ahead with just 2.6 seconds on the clock.

The WNBA was a little behind the curve in terms of emphasizing floor-spacing. Traditional centers continued to thrive in the W as they were being steadily phased out in the NBA. Now, coaches around the league by and large are embracing "Moreyball."

Hillmon is a prime example of how players are evolving as well.

In four years at Michigan, the two-time All-American attempted just six shots from beyond the arc. She continued to live around the basket to start her WNBA career. According to Basketball Reference, her average shot distance from 2022-24 was just 5.7 feet, and nearly 80 percent of her field-goal attempts were within 10 feet of the hoop.

Hillmon was almost unrecognizable as a scorer in 2025. She nailed 53 threes at a 32.1 percent clip, fully embracing the role of a stretch 4 in Karl Smesko's offense.

"I think coach does a really good job of putting everybody in their best positions," she said in June. "Something that was really uncomfortable for me in the beginning, but I'm feeling confident in it, as you guys see, I'm shooting the 3-ball a lot more than I have in all three years that I've been here, but I think the team is buying in as well. Just a lot of movement, a lot of action, and he's putting everybody in the right position."

Like almost every veteran in the WNBA, Hillmon is headed for free agency, though she'll be a restricted free agent coming off her rookie deal. With the strides she made on the court, she'll be headed for a nice payday.