A’ja Wilson just did something absolutely wild. The Las Vegas Aces superstar was officially named the 2026 WNBA MVP, snagging the award for a record fifth time and making it three consecutive MVPs in a row. This isn’t just big for the WNBA; it puts her in a conversation with some of the all-time greats in professional basketball, period.
The League Is On Notice: She’s Matching Legends Already
At only 30 years old, Wilson is already staking her claim as the greatest player the WNBA has ever seen. Think about this: The NBA has been around for five decades longer than the WNBA, and only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Bill Russell (five), and Michael Jordan (five) have won MVP five or more times. Wilson just joined that exclusive club! And for winning three straight? Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird are the only other players who have ever pulled off that kind of back-to-back-to-back dominance. It’s truly nuts what she’s accomplished. Wilson absolutely crushed the voting, too, pulling in 65 of the 74 first-place votes. Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles got six, while Indiana Fever teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark picked up two and one vote, respectively. That’s a landslide, and it shows the league knows exactly what they’re seeing.
Numbers Don’t Lie: A’ja Wilson Is Just Different
This past season, Wilson’s stats were simply outrageous. She dropped 26.2 points, pulled down 9.4 rebounds, dished out 3.2 assists, grabbed 1.4 steals, and blocked 1.9 shots per game. Her shooting splits were ridiculous: 52.7% from the field, 40.4% from three, and 86.4% from the free throw line. She was literally just “a dozen made free throws” away from joining the legendary 50/40/90 club. Her 62.5% true shooting was 6.4% above the league average, which is bonkers efficiency. That 26.2 points per game? It’s the second-highest single-season scoring average ever, only behind her *own* 26.9 points from 2024. This also means she’s got her third consecutive scoring title. The only other players in WNBA history to win at least three scoring titles in a row are Diana Taurasi and Cynthia Cooper. She’s also a leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, which hasn’t even been announced yet, and she led the league in blocks for the fifth straight season! Only Brittney Griner and Margo Dydek have done that before. Wilson also became the first player in league history with multiple 45-point games, the first with five 40-point games, and the fastest player to 6,000 career points. She even broke her coach Becky Hammon’s franchise scoring record, and she’s now the only player with multiple 1,000-point seasons.
The Stakes Are Sky-High for the Aces Right Now
Look, Wilson’s brilliance is why the Aces went 31-13 and snagged the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. Her impact is undeniable: when she was on the floor, the Aces boasted a plus-13.1 net rating. When she was off? A minus-11 net rating. That’s a staggering plus-24.8 net rating differential, showing just how vital she is to their success. Last season, the Aces won their third title in four years, and this season they took down the Indiana Fever in three games in the first round of the WNBA playoffs. But here’s the kicker, and this is where it gets real for the Aces: they’re currently trailing the Golden State Valkyries 2-0 in the semifinals. Game 3 is scheduled, and you know Wilson is going to leave everything out there. She’s got the MVP trophy, now can she lead the Aces back in this series? The pressure is absolutely immense, and we’ll be watching to see if this MVP can carry her team to another comeback.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply