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Jessica Shepard Most Improved: 6 triple-doubles, huge year

Dustin Judge
Jessica Shepard Most Improved winner, then with the Minnesota Lynx, talks with coach Cheryl Reeve during the 2025 WNBA playoffs

Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard was named The Associated Press WNBA Most Improved Player on Sunday, Sept. 27, capping a breakout season for a franchise that set a league record with a 17-win turnaround. The Jessica Shepard Most Improved honor came as the AP announced its 2026 award winners, according to the AP.

The award

Shepard, who joined Dallas as a free agent, set career highs with 14.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 31.7 minutes per game, the AP reported.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson won AP Player of the Year for the third straight season and the fourth time overall. Angel Reese was named Defensive Player of the Year, and Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles was a unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve won Coach of the Year, and Golden State’s Janelle Salaun was honored as the league’s top reserve.

Wilson received 15 of 17 first-place votes and won her fourth AP Player of the Year award, breaking a tie with Breanna Stewart for the most since 2016. “It’s big. It’s an honor for me to do it three times in a row,” Wilson said, according to the AP. Miles set a WNBA rookie scoring record, averaging 19.8 points, 6.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds.

Jessica Shepard Most Improved: Inside the breakout season

Shepard led the WNBA with six triple-doubles, according to theScore. The sixth came in the regular-season finale Sept. 23, when she had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in Dallas’ 103-91 win at Seattle.

The statistical jump behind the Jessica Shepard Most Improved win is stark. In 2025 with the Minnesota Lynx, Shepard averaged 8.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 20.9 minutes over 40 games, according to ESPN. With Dallas this season, she played 42 games and nearly doubled her scoring while adding almost 11 minutes a night.

Those numbers, the core of the Jessica Shepard Most Improved case, reflect her value as a passer and rebounder as well as a scorer. Her 11.1 rebounds per game led the Wings, per ESPN.

Dallas’ historic turnaround

The Jessica Shepard Most Improved award highlights a Wings team that won 27 games this season after winning 10 in 2025. The 17-win improvement is the best single-season turnaround in WNBA history, theScore reported.

Paige Bueckers scored 25 points and Arike Ogunbowale added 23 in the finale against Seattle. Dallas won seven of its last eight regular-season games, swept the four-game season series with the Storm for the first time in franchise history and earned the No. 7 seed in the playoffs.

Three days after the Jessica Shepard Most Improved announcement, she had eight rebounds and six assists in Dallas’ 108-100 overtime win over Golden State in Game 2 of the first round on Sept. 30, according to ESPN.

Shepard and the Wings are now in a deciding Game 3 against Golden State in the first round. Read our Valkyries vs. Wings Game 2 preview, the latest on A’ja Wilson’s decision to stay with the Aces and more WNBA coverage.

Reporting from The Associated Press and theScore contributed to this story.

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.