# WNBL Defensive 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 Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) award given since the 1990 WNBL season to the best defensive player throughout the regular season. Since 2000, the award has been known as the Robyn Maher Defensive Player of the Year (commonly known as the Maher Medal). Emily McInerny has won the award nine times, while Tully Bevilaqua has won it on four occasions.

## Winners

| | Denotes player whose team won championship that year |
| | 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 |
| 1990 | Karen Dalton | | Australia | Sydney Bruins |
| 1991 | Kim Foley | | United States | Hobart Islanders |
| 1992 | Robyn Maher | | Australia | Perth Breakers |
| 1993 | Karen Dalton (2) | | Australia | Sydney Flames (2) |
| 1994 | Robyn Maher (2) | | Australia | Sydney Flames (3) |
| 1995 | Tully Bevilaqua | Guard | Australia | Perth Breakers (2) |
| 1996 | Tully Bevilaqua (2) | Guard | Australia | Perth Breakers (3) |
| 1997 | Tully Bevilaqua (3) | Guard | Australia | Perth Breakers (4) |
| 1998 | Emily McInerny | Forward | Australia | Melbourne Tigers |
| 1998–99 | Emily McInerny (2) | Forward | Australia | Melbourne Tigers (2) |
| 1999–00 | Tully Bevilaqua (4) | Guard | Australia | Perth Breakers (5) |
| 2000–01 | Emily McInerny (3) | Forward | Australia | Dandenong Rangers |
| 2001–02 | Emily McInerny (4) | Forward | Australia | Dandenong Rangers (2) |
| 2002–03 | Natalie Porter | Forward | Australia | Townsville Fire |
| 2003–04 | Emily McInerny (5) | Forward | Australia | Dandenong Rangers (3) |
| 2004–05 | Emily McInerny (6) | Forward | Australia | Dandenong Rangers (4) |
| 2005–06 | Emily McInerny (7) | Forward | Australia | Dandenong Rangers (5) |
| 2006–07 | Emily McInerny (8) | Forward | Australia | Dandenong Rangers (6) |
| 2007–08 | Emily McInerny (9) | Forward | Australia | Dandenong Rangers (7) |
| 2008–09 | Alicia Poto | Guard | Australia | Sydney Uni Flames (4) |
| 2009–10 | Rachael Flanagan | Guard | Australia | Townsville Fire (2) |
| 2010–11 | Rachael Flanagan (2) | Guard | Australia | Townsville Fire (3) |
| 2011–12 | Alicia Poto (2) | Guard | Australia | Sydney Uni Flames (5) |
| 2012–13 | Kristi Harrower | Guard | Australia | Bendigo Spirit |
| 2013–14 | Rebecca Allen | Forward | Australia | Melbourne Boomers |
| 2014–15 | Kelsey Griffin | Forward | United States | Bendigo Spirit (2) |
| 2015–16 | Stephanie Cumming | Guard | Australia | Dandenong Rangers (8) |
| 2016–17 | Marianna Tolo | Center | Australia | Canberra Capitals |
| 2017–18 | Kayla Pedersen | Forward | United States | Dandenong Rangers (9) |
| 2018–19 | Lauren Nicholson | Guard | Australia | Adelaide Lightning |
| 2019–20 | Mercedes Russell | Center | United States | Southside Flyers (10) |
| 2020 | Stephanie Talbot | Guard/forward | Australia | Adelaide Lightning (2) |
| 2021–22 | Brittney Sykes | Guard | United States | Canberra Capitals (2) |
| 2022–23 | Stephanie Talbot (2) | Guard/forward | Australia | Adelaide Lightning (3) |
| 2023–24 | Lauren Nicholson (2) | Guard | Australia | Sydney Flames (6) |
| 2024–25 | Lauren Cox | Forward | United States | Townsville Fire (4) |

## Multi-time winners

| Rank | Player | Team(s) | Awards | Years |
| 1 | Emily McInerny | Melbourne Tigers (2) / Dandenong Rangers (7) | 9 | 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
| 2 | Tully Bevilaqua | Perth Breakers | 4 | 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004 |
| 3 | Karen Dalton | Sydney Flames | 2 | 1990, 1993 |
| 3 | Robyn Maher | Perth Breakers (1) / Sydney Flames (1) | 2 | 1992, 1994 |
| 3 | Rachael McCully | Townsville Fire | 2 | 2010, 2011 |
| 3 | Alicia Poto | Sydney Uni Flames | 2 | 2009, 2012 |
| 3 | Stephanie Talbot | Adelaide Lightning | 2 | 2020, 2023 |
| 3 | Lauren Nicholson | Adelaide Lightning (1) / Sydney Flames (1) | 2 | 2019, 2024 |