A'ja Wilson wins record fifth WNBA MVP as Aces face elimination Friday
Wilson received 65 of 74 first-place votes to become the first player to win three straight WNBA MVP awards. Her Las Vegas Aces trail the Golden State Valkyries 2-0 in their best-of-five semifinal and host Game 3 on Friday night.
A record fifth award
Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson was named the WNBA's Most Valuable Player on Thursday, the league announced, marking her fifth MVP overall and third consecutive. She is the first player in league history to win the award three years running, having also claimed it in 2020 and 2022. No other WNBA player has won more than three, according to The New York Times. Wilson received 65 of 74 first-place votes and 713 points from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
Wilson, 30, was very emotional when she was told of the award on the Aces' practice court. Later, at a press conference, she reflected on how far she has come.
When you dream as a young girl, you dream so big and you write your goals out and you just never imagine you will be able to check them off.
The voting
Minnesota Lynx rookie point guard Olivia Miles finished second with 442 points and six first-place votes. Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell was third with 287 points and two first-place votes. Caitlin Clark finished fourth with 212 points and one first-place vote, followed by New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart with 171 points.
- A'ja Wilson
- 713 points
- Olivia Miles
- 442 points
- Kelsey Mitchell
- 287 points
- Caitlin Clark
- 212 points
- Breanna Stewart
- 171 points
Season numbers
Wilson averaged 26.2 points, leading the league in scoring for the third straight season. She also averaged 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.4 steals across 41 games. The New York Times reported she led the league in blocks (79) and player efficiency rating (32.4). Her 32.9 usage rate was the highest of her professional career, and she worked through a back injury that led her to give up a spot on Team USA for the FIBA World Cup in favor of rest and rehabilitation.
Wilson scored at least 20 points in 33 games, the third-highest single-season streak in WNBA history, behind Mitchell's 35 this season and Wilson's own 34 in 2024. She also tied the WNBA single-season record she set in 2025 with 13 games of at least 30 points. Aces coach Becky Hammon has described her in strong terms during the postseason.
Because you can be a really talented and skilled basketball player and not win as much as she has, and not become as individually great as she has.
Playoffs and the Indianapolis incident
The Aces have won three of the past four WNBA championships and reached the semifinals for the eighth consecutive season. Golden State leads their best-of-five series 2-0, so Friday night's Game 3 in Las Vegas is an elimination game for Las Vegas. The Valkyries are coached by a team that includes French captain Gabby Williams, who has been one of their leading players this season.
In Game 2 on Tuesday in Indianapolis, Wilson had a confrontation with an Indiana Fever fan during the fourth quarter. The league announced before Game 3 that Wilson would not be fined or disciplined for the interaction. Before Game 2, Wilson had said of her year: "It has not been easy."
It has not been easy. I wish I could share every detail, but some things I like to keep to myself.
Wilson now stands alone among WNBA players with five MVP awards. Among the NBA's players, only Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan have won as many as five.
