A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces made history on Sunday by becoming the second player in WNBA history to be named MVP as a unanimous choice, receiving all 67 first-place votes for a total of 670 points from a panel of media experts. The only other player to achieve this honor was Cynthia Cooper of the Houston Comets, who received the same accolade during the league’s inaugural season in 1997.
In the voting, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier secured the second spot with 467 points from 66 votes, while New York’s Breanna Stewart finished third with 295 points, receiving the only remaining second-place vote. Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark came in fourth with 130 points, and Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas rounded out the top five with 83 points. The point system awarded 10 points for first-place votes, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and one for fifth.
Reflecting on her unanimous selection, Wilson expressed her heartfelt appreciation, stating, “When I look back and reflect, that definitely touches my heart. It means a lot, it really does.” This marked Wilson’s third MVP title; she previously won in 2020 and 2022. Last season, she had been third in one of the closest MVP races in league history.
This season, Wilson demonstrated her formidable skills, becoming the first WNBA player to surpass 1,000 points in a season, finishing with a remarkable 1,021 points. She also set a new league record with 451 rebounds. Aces coach Becky Hammon praised Wilson, saying, “She’s the greatest because she’s so authentically committed to pulling greatness out of other people.”
With a scoring average of 26.9 points per game, Wilson led the league in several categories including scoring, blocks, and player efficiency rating, achieving the highest seasonal scoring average in WNBA history. Her average of 11.9 rebounds per game, along with her block and steal averages, also represented career highs.
Wilson scored at least 20 points in 89.5% of her games this season, another WNBA record, and she helped lead the Aces to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. She was also named WNBA Finals MVP last year. A former No. 1 draft pick from South Carolina and Rookie of the Year in 2018, Wilson recently turned 28 and won her second Olympic gold medal last month.
As the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, the Aces will face the No. 5 seeded Seattle in Game 1 of their three-game first-round series on Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.