There have been seasons by which the race for the WNBA’s MVP trophy has been shut, aggressive and compelling.
Final 12 months marked one among them, when New York Liberty ahead Breanna Stewart beat Connecticut Solar ahead Alyssa Thomas by simply seven voting factors—and Thomas had three extra first-place votes. The 2005 season marked one other slender debate when Sheryl Swoopes acquired two extra voting factors than Lauren Jackson.
However this season will not be a type of years. Frankly, there is just one logical selection for the league’s MVP award. It ought to be a runaway and unanimous choice. It ought to be the third time that Las Vegas Aces ahead A’ja Wilson takes the trophy residence. And it shouldn’t be shut.
A 12 months in the past, Wilson completed third in that tightly contested MVP race, simply 13 voting factors behind the winner, Stewart. There has by no means been a smaller margin between the first- and third-place vote getters for MVP within the historical past of the WNBA.
If Wilson used that bronze medal end as motivation, it labored. She dominated all through the 2023 postseason and powered the Aces to a second-straight championship whereas taking residence the Finals MVP award. If comfort prizes exist, these are fairly good ones.
After which Wilson proceeded to show in one of many biggest seasons ever by a WNBA participant.
The 28-year-old ahead from Columbia, South Carolina, is averaging 26.9 factors, 11.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals and a couple of.6 blocks per sport whereas capturing 51.8 p.c from the ground and 84.4 p.c from the charity stripe. She leads all WNBA gamers in factors, blocks, defensive rebounds, discipline targets made, and free throws made.
No participant within the historical past of the WNBA, which performed its first season in 1997, has averaged as many factors, rebounds and blocks in a single season as Wilson this 12 months. Merely put, she’s doing issues no participant has ever executed earlier than. The College of South Carolina product additionally recently grew to become the primary participant ever to attain no less than 1,000 factors in a single season, and she or he took maintain of the league’s single-season rebounding report on Tuesday evening with seven boards in a win over the Seattle Storm.
“Since I have been part of this league, which is 1999, I do not know if we have seen a season like she’s having now,” Aces coach Becky Hammon instructed ESPN. “She’s only a stunning participant to observe… And makes it look simple. It isn’t simple. It is a particular, generational expertise.”
Oh, and Wilson excels in superior statistics too. She’s second within the WNBA in points-per-play (1.12), and first in defensive rebounding price (31.8), participant effectivity score (34.9) and win shares (10). She’s additionally posting a career-best defensive score of 90.5.
“I can most likely say she’s the perfect rebounder I’ve ever seen, arms down,” 2009 WNBA MVP Diana Taurasi mentioned of Wilson. “When you may safe the ball on your crew, you’re all the time going to offer your crew an opportunity to win. She is simply enjoying out of her thoughts, and she or he goes to proceed to do it as a result of she loves the sport.”
It’s troublesome to even make a case for who could be a runner-up to Wilson this season. Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark has captured tons of consideration along with her long-distance 3-pointers and neck-breaking assists—which she leads the league in—however she isn’t scoring and defending on the similar price and as effectively as Wilson is. Stewart is having one other All-WNBA-caliber season, however not one which rises to the extent of an MVP. Napheesa Collier is arguably having her finest marketing campaign as a professional and is main the Minnesota Lynx again to the postseason, however nobody would fairly argue that she’s having a greater 12 months than Wilson.
The Aces don’t appear fairly as dominant as they did final season after they went 34-6 en path to a second championship. This 12 months, they’ve endured a three-game dropping streak and one other stretch the place they misplaced 5 of seven video games. The play, sturdiness, reliability and heroics of Wilson are a giant motive why Las Vegas is heading again to the postseason with the hopes of three-peating nonetheless alive. She’s missed only one sport this season and has performed a career-high 34.4 minutes per sport.
“It is an honor to have the ability to play along with her,” Aces guard Jackie Younger instructed ESPN. “She is available in each day and sort of exhibits us what an expert is.”
So long as Wilson is enjoying this manner, contemplate the Aces to be contenders for the title.
And go forward and pencil her in to affix the likes of Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson as a three-time MVP.