WNBA Queen Crowned: A'ja Wilson Smashes Records with Historic 5th MVP Win!

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson has achieved a historic milestone, winning a record fifth WNBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the 2026 season. This makes her the first player in league history to secure three consecutive MVPs, a feat that brought a deeper emotional resonance for Wilson. "This one here is just a little bit different," Wilson remarked on Thursday afternoon, shortly after Commissioner Cathy Engelbert shared a message from former Vice President Kamala Harris delivering the news. Wilson expressed that her 15-year-old self never dreamed of such accolades, focusing instead on surviving, making this achievement surrounded by trophies profoundly meaningful.

Wilson's dominance was reflected in the voting, where she received an overwhelming 65 out of 74 first-place votes and nine second-place votes. Lynx rookie guard Olivia Miles finished second with 442 points and six first-place votes, followed by Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell (287 points, two first-place votes) in third and Caitlin Clark (212 points, one first-place vote) in fourth. Liberty forward Breanna Stewart secured fifth place with 171 points.

Statistically, Wilson's 2026 season was exceptional. She became the first WNBA player to average 25 points, 50% shooting from the field, and 40% on 3-pointers. Her 26.2-point scoring average ranked second-best in WNBA history, only behind her own record of 26.9 points two years prior. She led the WNBA in scoring average (26.2 PPG), blocks (1.9 BPG), Player Efficiency Rating (32.4), and Win Shares (9.4). Additionally, she finished fifth in rebounding average (9.4 RPG) and boasted impressive shooting percentages of 52.7% from the field and 86.4% from the foul line. She also maintained a near-career-high 62.5% True Shooting clip and blocked at least 2.0 opposing shots per game for the fourth consecutive season, solidifying her status as the league's best statistical player by a wide margin.

Despite turning 30 in August and dealing with some back issues that prevented her from playing for the U.S. team in the FIBA Women's World Cup, Wilson played 41 of the Aces' 44 games, averaging 32.0 minutes. She was instrumental in leading the Aces to win their last seven regular-season games, finishing 31-13 and securing the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. However, the Aces currently face elimination, trailing the Golden State Valkyries 2-0 in their best-of-five semifinals series, with Game 3 scheduled at home.

Breaking from tradition, Wilson opted against a pregame ceremony to receive her MVP trophy, prioritizing her team's playoff challenge. "I love the fans, but I will not be doing that," she stated, emphasizing her focus on warming up with her team and her competitive drive to extend their season. This decision highlights her commitment, especially given the Aces' past struggles on celebratory nights, such as losing Game 1 of the semifinals last season after her fourth MVP ceremony and losing on ring night this year.

Wilson's achievement places her in rarefied air among professional team sport athletes in the United States. She is now one of only eight players across the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and WNBA to win five or more MVPs in their careers, joining legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Barry Bonds (7), Wayne Gretzky (9), and Peyton Manning (5). She also joins NBA greats Michael Jordan and Bill Russell as five-time MVP winners, players she has openly admired and sought to emulate. Furthermore, she is among an exclusive group of six players in major North American pro sports history to have won at least four MVPs in a five-year span.

No other player in WNBA history has won the award more than three times, a record held by Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson. Wilson has personally claimed approximately 17% of all MVPs awarded in the WNBA's three-decade history. Her coach, Becky Hammon, lauded her performance, stating, "You can be a really talented and skilled basketball player and not win as much as she has, and not become individually great as much as she has. She's the most coachable player I've ever been around. There's a reason why she keeps coming back better and better each year."

Wilson, who also holds two WNBA Finals MVP awards and three league titles with the Aces (2022, 2023, 2025), attributes her continuous improvement to her love of winning and hatred of losing. "I'm learning how to do it on my own terms, the way I want to. But there is always room for improvement, and I'm going to make sure that I can check that box every single day," she affirmed. Her ability to consistently outperform her peers, even when faced with narratives that could lead to voter fatigue or challenges from emerging stars like Napheesa Collier, has solidified her unprecedented run.

Having been drafted No. 1 in 2018 out of South Carolina, where she led the program to its first NCAA title, Wilson has been the heart of the Aces since their relocation to Las Vegas. Her first WNBA season was the only one in which she didn't make the playoffs; the Aces have finished in the top four in all eight seasons since. Remarking on her potential for future accolades, Wilson, whose age-29 season is how Basketball-Reference lists her age on July 1, joins Wayne Gretzky and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as athletes winning at least five MVP awards through their age-29 season, signaling potentially many more years of dominance.