A’ja Wilson, the Las Vegas Aces superstar, is already making history, and she is dead set on smashing it even further. Last season, she became the first player to snag four MVPs and join Cynthia Cooper as the only players to go back-to-back. Now, this absolute force of nature is eyeing her fifth MVP, which would make her the *only* player ever to win the award three years in a row. Yeah, you heard that right, *three straight*.
Wilson Is On a Historic Tear
Look, the numbers do not lie. Wilson is not just good; she is having one of the best individual seasons in league history. As the WNBA regular season winds down, with just over two weeks of action left before the FIBA World Cup break, she is the overwhelming favorite for MVP, sitting at a wild -1100 per FanDuel. Why such heavy odds? She is averaging 25.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2 blocks. Her shooting splits are insane: 51.8 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from deep, and 86.1 percent from the line. She is on track for her third consecutive scoring title and is pacing for the second-highest single-season scoring average ever, only behind her own 26.9 points from 2024. She leads the league with 11 30-point games, already tied for fourth-most in a season. This would be just the second time anyone in WNBA history has averaged at least 25 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks in a season. Guess who did it the other time? Yep, A’ja Wilson in 2024. She also leads the league in blocks and is fourth in rebounds. No other player even cracks the top four in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. Think about that for a second.
The Advanced Stats Scream MVP
If the raw numbers were not enough, the advanced metrics are absolutely screaming Wilson’s name. She leads the league in both win shares (7.3) and RAPM (+5.7). The Aces are sitting in third place at 25-13, and honestly, they would not be there without her. Wilson has scored a staggering 26.4 percent of the Aces’ points this season, putting up 908 of their 3,443 total. But the real kicker, the stat that tells you everything, is her on/off splits. When Wilson is ON the court for 1,094 minutes, the Aces boast a net rating of +11.3 (118.2 offensive, 106.9 defensive). When she is OFF for 386 minutes? That net rating plunges to a brutal -16.3 (98.4 offensive, 114.8 defensive). That is a swing of over 27 points! She is carrying this team on both sides of the ball in a way that is just mind-blowing. Her status as a reigning back-to-back MVP is massive, but she is not coasting. This is pure, unadulterated dominance.
So, while Minnesota’s Olivia Miles, who is a favorite for Rookie of the Year, and Indiana’s Caitlin Clark are out there, the MVP race feels like a formality. There are only a couple of weeks of regular season left before the league pauses for the FIBA World Cup, with the season officially wrapping up on September 24. What is at stake? A’ja Wilson solidifying her legacy as arguably the greatest player ever, snatching her historic fifth MVP. You better believe everyone will be watching that final buzzer.
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.
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