A’ja Wilson, the standout forward for the Las Vegas Aces, has secured the 2026 WNBA Most Valuable Player award.
The official announcement was made by the league on Thursday.
A panel of WNBA sportswriters awarded Wilson 65 out of 74 first-place votes, totaling 713 points. Minnesota Lynx star Olivia Miles, the league’s Rookie of the Year, claimed the runner-up spot with six first-place votes and 442 points.
Rounding out the top five were Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell in third (two first-place votes, 287 points), teammate Caitlin Clark in fourth (one first-place vote, 212 points), and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart in fifth (171 points).
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert presented Wilson with her MVP trophy during a casual gathering at an Aces practice session alongside her teammates.
Following the presentation, she addressed the media to share her feelings on earning her fifth MVP title.
“As a young girl, you have massive dreams and map out your objectives, but you never actually expect to achieve them,” Wilson remarking on the milestone. “So when you do cross them off—whether they are minor accomplishments or major milestones—it is incredibly meaningful.
“I believe that’s the reason my tears flowed a bit more freely this time, because a fifteen-year-old A’ja never sat down to plan out being a five-time MVP. She didn’t envision herself as a three-time champion; she was simply trying to get by in this world.”
The road to Wilson’s fifth MVP crown
Appearing in 41 matchups throughout the season, Wilson registered 26.2 points per game—the second-best scoring average of her career and the top mark in the league this season.
Additionally, the star forward contributed averages of 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.9 blocks per contest.
Below is a comparison of Wilson’s statistics against the other top MVP contenders.
|
Per-Game Statistics |
A’ja Wilson |
Caitlin Clark |
Kelsey Mitchell |
Olivia Miles |
Breanna Stewart |
|
Points |
26.2 |
22.3 |
24.7 |
19.8 |
20.8 |
|
Rebounds |
9.4 |
4.0 |
1.7 |
4.7 |
8.3 |
|
Assists |
3.2 |
8.3 |
2.8 |
6.0 |
3.3 |
|
Games Played |
41 |
40 |
44 |
40 |
42 |
|
FG % |
52.7% |
44.6% |
50.9% |
49.2% |
47.4% |
|
FT % |
86.4% |
85.2% |
85.1% |
87.0% |
84.1% |
|
Blocks |
1.9 |
0.5 |
0.1 |
0.6 |
1.3 |
|
Steals |
1.4 |
1.1 |
1.0 |
1.3 |
1.4 |
|
Minutes Played |
32.0 |
31.1 |
32.5 |
31.0 |
33.0 |
With three consecutive MVP honors under her belt, this marks her fifth trophy overall in what is destined to be a Hall of Fame journey. The Aces superstar was already widely regarded as one of basketball’s all-time greats, and this achievement further cements her legendary status.
In the combined history of the NBA and WNBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stands alone with six MVP awards. With five, Wilson joins the elite company of Michael Jordan and Bill Russell. She had already claimed the sole WNBA record last season with her fourth trophy, moving past three-time winners Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson.
When reviewing her career achievements, the numbers are truly staggering. The 2026 campaign marked only her ninth year in professional basketball, meaning she has claimed the MVP title in over half of her active seasons.
The dominant Aces forward has also secured three league championships and has twice been honored as the WNBA Finals MVP.
In addition, Wilson has earned three Defensive Player of the Year awards, made eight All-Star appearances, led the league in scoring three times, and topped the blocks category in six different seasons.
