Nation & World News

A'ja Wilson wins her third straight WNBA MVP and record fifth overall

A’ja Wilson has won the WNBA MVP for a third straight year and record fifth time overall
The Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes (41) and guard Kaila Charles (6) block Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22)  during Game 2 of the WNBA Semifinals in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
The Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes (41) and guard Kaila Charles (6) block Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) during Game 2 of the WNBA Semifinals in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
AJC
By DOUG FEINBERG – AP Basketball Writer
1 hour ago

A'ja Wilson won the WNBA MVP on Thursday for a third straight year and record fifth time overall.

Besides becoming the first player to three-peat, Wilson also won the award in 2020 and 2022.

The 30-year-old Wilson once again led the league in scoring (26.2) while shooting nearly 53% from the field. She also averaged 9.4 rebounds, a career-best 3.2 assists and 1.9 blocks.

Wilson has the defending champion Aces back in the WNBA semifinals for the eighth consecutive season although Las Vegas is down 2-0 in the best-of-five series against Golden State.

Wilson received 65 first-place votes and nine second-place votes (total 713 points) from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Minnesota’s Olivia Miles received six first-place votes and 40 second-place votes (442 points), while Indiana guards Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark followed with 287 and 212 points, respectively.

No WNBA player besides Wilson has more than three MVPs, with Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson each having a trio of them. On the NBA side, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had six and Michael Jordan and Bill Russell each had five.

___

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here