NEW YORK -- Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie was honored as the WNBA's defensive player of the year Sunday after leading the league in blocks.

She received 27 of 48 votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters. Yolanda Griffith of Sacramento was next with six votes.

Leslie anchored a defense that made the Sparks the only team in the league to keep opponents from shooting less than 40 percent.

"I wanted to do more things defensively this year, which included more blocked shots,'' Leslie said. "I improved blocking shots with my left hand. I saw more active defense this year."

Leslie, a member of the gold medalist Olympic team, averaged 2.88 blocks. She was first in the league in defensive rebounds (8.1) and 14th in steals (1.47).

Leslie and teammate Nikki Teasley also received awards for leading the WNBA in rebounds and assists, respectively. Teasley averaged 6.1 assists.