On October 8, 2026, A’ja Wilson did what no basketball player had ever done. The Las Vegas Aces superstar was named WNBA Most Valuable Player for the fifth time — and the third season in a row. No one in league history had even won three straight. Wilson now stands alone.
The Vote Wasn’t Close
Wilson received 65 of 74 first-place votes. Minnesota rookie Olivia Miles finished a distant second, followed by Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark. The numbers behind the vote tell the story of total dominance.
In 41 games, Wilson averaged 26.2 points to lead the league in scoring for the third consecutive season. She added 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals — elite production on both ends of the floor. She scored at least 20 points in 33 games and tied her own single-season record with 13 games of 30 or more.
She also became the first WNBA player to average 25 points on 50% shooting and 40% from three-point range in a season.
From Columbia to the Top of the World
Wilson grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and became a national star at the University of South Carolina under coach Dawn Staley. The Las Vegas Aces selected her first overall in the 2018 WNBA Draft, and she has never looked back.
Her trophy case is unmatched: five MVPs (2020, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026), three WNBA championships (2022, 2023, 2025), two Finals MVPs, and eight All-Star selections — all by age 30.
For context on her five MVPs: Michael Jordan and Bill Russell each won five NBA MVPs. Wilson now sits alongside basketball royalty.
The One That Made Her Cry
This MVP hit differently. When WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert surprised her with the news — via a phone message from former Vice President Kamala Harris — Wilson broke down.
“Fifteen-year-old A’ja wasn’t dreaming about being a five-time MVP,” she said. “She wasn’t dreaming about being a three-time champion. She was dreaming about surviving this world.”
What’s Next
The Aces are chasing another championship, and Wilson — still only 30 — keeps adding to a résumé that already has no equal in women’s basketball history. The question is no longer whether she’s the greatest. It’s how far she’ll stretch the gap.
Photo: John Mac / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 (File: A’ja Wilson (53756794398) (cropped).jpg)
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