# WNBL Breakout Player of the Year Award

Women's National Basketball League awards and honours :
Championship :
WNBL Championship :
Individual awards :
Most Valuable Player
Defensive Player
Breakout Player
Sixth Woman
Coach of the Year
Grand Final MVP
Leading Scorer
Leading Rebounder
Golden Hands :
Honours :
All-WNBL Team
Statistical Leaders :
vte :
The WNBL Breakout Player of the Year (formerly the WNBL Youth Player of the Year Award) is an annual Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) award given since the 1988 WNBL season. The award is named the Betty Watson Breakout Player of the Year Award.
The award underwent a makeover for the 2019–20 season with new criteria seeing Australian players 23 years old or under eligible for Youth Player of the Year, replacing the long-standing Rookie of the Year. In 2022–23, the award was again redefined, to acknowledge any breakout player with an improved overall performance each season.

## Winners

| | Denotes player inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame |
| | Denotes player who is still active |
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player had won at that time |
| Team (X) | Denotes the number of times a player from this team had won at that time |
| Season | Player | Position | Nationality | Team |
| 1988 | Lucille Hamilton | | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport |
| 1989 | Renae Fegent | | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (2) |
| 1990 | Trisha Fallon | | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (3) |
| 1991 | Michelle Brogan | | Australia | Noarlunga Tigers |
| 1992 | Allison Cook | | Australia | Melbourne Tigers |
| 1993 | Allison Cook (2) | | Australia | Melbourne Tigers (2) |
| 1994 | Maryanne Difrancesco | | Australia | Melbourne Tigers (3) |
| 1995 | Chika Emeagi | | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (4) |
| 1996 | Jessica Bibby | Guard | Australia | Dandenong Rangers |
| 1997 | Lauren Jackson | Forward/center | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (5) |
| 1998 | Andrea Cartledge | | Australia | Melbourne Tigers (4) |
| 1998–99 | Caitlin Ryan | Guard | Australia | Dandenong Rangers (2) |
| 1999–00 | Shelley Hammonds | Center | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (6) |
| 2000–01 | Laura Summerton | Forward | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (7) |
| 2001–02 | Alison Downie | Forward | Australia | Dandenong Rangers (3) |
| 2001–02 | Kamala Lamshed | | Australia | Adelaide Lightning |
| 2002–03 | Kelly Wilson | Guard | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (8) |
| 2003–04 | Kathleen MacLeod | Guard | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (9) |
| 2004–05 | Renae Camino | Guard | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (10) |
| 2005–06 | Abby Bishop | Forward/center | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (11) |
| 2006–07 | Cayla Francis | Forward/center | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (12) |
| 2007–08 | Nicole Hunt | Guard | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (13) |
| 2008–09 | Sarah Graham | Guard | Australia | Logan Thunder |
| 2009–10 | Tayla Roberts | Forward/center | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (14) |
| 2010–11 | Gretel Tippett | Forward/center | Australia | Logan Thunder (2) |
| 2011–12 | Carley Mijović | Forward | Australia | Australian Institute of Sport (15) |
| 2012–13 | Stephanie Talbot | Guard | Australia | Adelaide Lightning (2) |
| 2013–14 | Alex Wilson | Guard | Australia | Townsville Fire |
| 2014–15 | Lauren Scherf | Forward | Australia | Dandenong Rangers (4) |
| 2015–16 | Alex Ciabattoni | Forward | Australia | Adelaide Lightning (3) |
| 2016–17 | Monique Conti | Guard | Australia | Melbourne Boomers |
| 2017–18 | Ezi Magbegor | Forward | Australia | Canberra Capitals |
| 2018–19 | Jazmin Shelley | Guard | Australia | Melbourne Boomers (2) |
| 2019–20 | Ezi Magbegor (2) | Forward | Australia | Melbourne Boomers (3) |
| 2020 | Shyla Heal | Guard | Australia | Townsville Fire (2) |
| 2021–22 | Ezi Magbegor (3) | Forward | Australia | Melbourne Boomers (4) |
| 2022–23 | Isobel Borlase | Guard | Australia | Adelaide Lightning (4) |
| 2023–24 | Alex Sharp | Guard | Australia | Canberra Capitals (2) |
| 2024–25 | Abbey Ellis | Guard | Australia | Townsville Fire (3) |