New York Liberty forward Michaela Onyenwere has been named the 2021 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year, the WNBA announced. She becomes the first player to win the annual award with the Liberty.
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 |
Press Contacts:
Ron Howard
WNBA Communications
212-407-8641
rhoward@nba.com
Sam Tager
WNBA Communications
212-407-8358
stager@nba.com
About Kia America:
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top automotive quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands. Kia serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of nearly 750 dealers in the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America.
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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.
For more information, visit WNBA.com.
© Press Release 2021
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