Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson has been named WNBA MVP for a record setting 4th time, adding yet another trophy to her Hall of Fame resume.
Wilson beat out Napheesa Collier, Allisha Gray, Kelsey Mitchell, and Alyssa Thomas to earn the honour the second consecutive season. Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, and Lauren Jackson had each won the award 3 times previously, however Wilson now stands alone as the only player in league history to capture it 4 times.
At only 29 years old, and still playing dominant basketball, that’s a record which could be extended as Wilson continues her playing career.
The former South Carolina standout averaged 23.4pts/10.2reb/3.1ast per contest this season, while also shooting 50.5% from the field and 42.4% from beyond the arc. However, the season didn’t begin on the best of terms for Wilson and the Aces.
The team suffered an embarrassing 53 point loss on August 2nd to the Lynx, setting a WNBA record for the largest road victory in league history. From that point on however, the Aces were one of the hottest teams in the league, rattling off 16 consecutive wins at one point.
That streak, coupled with Wilson’s dominance (she elevated her game to average 26pts/12.1reb per game during the win streak), helped propel the Aces up the standings to save what was looking like a lost season for Vegas.
While there’s absolutely a case to be made for Lynx forward Napheesa Collier’s MVP candidacy, ironically, it was that same 53 point blowout win which may have cost her the honour. In the waning minutes of the game, Collier went down with an ankle injury which would sideline her for several games. The decision to keep her in the game, despite the score, was largely panned by analysts and fans alike.
All in all, despite having similar stats to Wilson (22.9pts/7.3reb/3.2ast/1.6ast/1.5blk), the fact that she only suited up for 33 games this year may have given the edge to Wilson. While Minnesota may have been the top seed overall at 34-10 on the year, voters clearly felt that Wilson’s contributions to the 30-14 Aces outweighed what Collier brought to the table in 2025.
Photo: Lorie Shaull. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.