New York (AFP) – Las Vegas Aces center-forward A’ja Wilson was named the WNBA Most Valuable Player for a record fifth time, bagging the award for an unprecedented third straight season, the league said Thursday.
Wilson, who earned MVP honors in leading the United States to Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, became the first WNBA player to average 25 points, 50% shooting, and 40% from three-point range in the 2026 regular season. She averaged 26.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 blocked shots, and 1.4 steals per game, leading the league in points per game for the third straight season.
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Drafted number one in 2018, she has been the face of the franchise that relocated to Las Vegas in her rookie season. This year, the Aces won their last seven games of the regular season, finishing 31-13 to claim the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. They are chasing a fourth title but trail the Golden State Valkyries 2-0 in the semi-finals ahead of Friday’s game three.
Wilson received 65 of 74 first-place votes and nine second-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Minnesota Lynx rookie guard Olivia Miles finished second in the voting. Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson are the only other players to win three WNBA MVP awards.
© 2024 AFP
