A’ja Wilson just took home some more hardware, folks. The Las Vegas Aces star absolutely crushed it, winning the 2026 WNBA MVP award and making history as the first player in league history to win three straight MVPs. Yeah, you read that right. This is also her fifth MVP award, which is the most all-time. Nobody’s ever done that.
Nobody’s Stopping Wilson, On Paper Anyway
Honestly, Wilson was the overwhelming favorite for MVP pretty much the whole season. She led the entire WNBA in points, dropping 26.2 a game, and also led in blocks with 1.9. Plus, she still pulled down enough boards to place fifth in rebounds. It is just ridiculous dominance. When she was on the court, her Aces had a wild plus-13.6 net rating. But when she hit the bench, that flipped to a minus-11.1 net rating. The stats don’t lie. The Aces finished third in the league standings, only two games behind the No. 1 seeded Lynx, and a huge chunk of that success rides directly on Wilson’s shoulders. It is safe to say that both labels apply: she is the best player, and she is the most valuable.
The Rookie Who Almost Stole the Show, Then the Playoff Collapse
You know who almost pulled off a massive upset though? Olivia Miles, the Lynx star. In any other year, she might have been the first rookie MVP since Candace Parker back in 2008. Instead, she finished runner-up in the voting. Miles still had an insane rookie season, averaging 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 steals in 40 games. And she showed some serious leadership when Napheesa Collier missed the first half of the season recovering from offseason ankle surgeries. Everyone thought the Lynx would be lucky just to sniff the playoffs after losing Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepard, and Natisha Hiedeman in free agency. But Minnesota only finished one game worse than they did in 2025, and Miles was a huge reason why. Still, for all that, the Lynx are already out of the WNBA Playoffs.
Now, Wilson and her Aces are still in the mix, fighting for a spot in the finals. But here’s the kicker: Las Vegas is down 2-0 to the Golden State Valkyries in the semifinals. They absolutely need to pull out a win in Game 3 on Friday if they want any shot at staying alive for another title. No pressure, right?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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