By Field Level Media
Oct 08 (Field Level Media) – Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson became the first five-time MVP in WNBA history Thursday, extending her record with another selection as the league’s top player.
Wilson received 65 of 74 first-place votes, becoming the first player to win three straight MVP awards. Prior to the current streak, she also won in 2020 and 2022.
Wilson, 30, averaged 26.2 points to lead the league in scoring for the third straight season. She also averaged 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 blocked shots and 1.4 steals in 41 games.
Wilson (713 points) also received nine second-place votes. Minnesota rookie point guard Olivia Miles (442) earned six first-place votes to finish second, while Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (287 points, two first-place votes) finished third.
Indiana guard Caitlin Clark finished fourth with 212 points and one first- place vote, followed by New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart with 171 points.
Wilson was very emotional when she was informed of the award on the Aces’ practice court.
Later, she reflected on an earlier segment of her life where she never would have guessed “five-time MVP” or “three-time champion” would be labels attached to her name.
“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,” Wilson said in a press conference. “And when you’re able to check them off — small wins, big wins — it truly means a lot. I think that’s why I cried a little bit harder on this one because 15-year-old A’ja wasn’t sitting up here dreaming about being a five-time MVP, she wasn’t dreaming about being a three-time champion, she was dreaming about surviving this world.
“For me to sit up here surrounded by these trophies and to be able to play the game of basketball every single day, it just means a little bit more to me and it’s something I won’t take for granted.”
Wilson, an eight-time All-Star, 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 34 in 2024.
Wilson also tied the WNBA single-season record she set in 2025 with 13 games of at least 30 points.
The Aces, winners of three of the past four WNBA championships, face elimination Friday night when they host the Golden State Valkyries in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series. Golden State holds a 2-0 lead.
(–Field Level Media)
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