Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson has cemented her legacy as a basketball great, becoming the first player in WNBA history to win the league MVP four times.
She previously earned the honor in 2020, 2022, and last season as a unanimous selection, joining an elite company that includes Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson, who each won three.
“It’s not going to hit me until the end of the season,” Wilson said ahead of Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals against Indiana.
“It is truly a blessing to be where I am. My name is in the history books forever.”
Wilson led the league with 23.4 points per game while also topping blocked shots at 2.3 per game. She guided the Aces to a 16-game winning streak to close the regular season and claimed the No. 2 playoff
seed.
For the second consecutive year, she averaged at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal per game: an unmatched feat among WNBA players.
Coach Becky Hammon praised her dominance: “Every year she’s coming back and adding something different to her game. Everyone talks about the Mount Rushmore of basketball faces… there’s no Mount Rushmore—you’re the only one, you’re Everest.”
The league surprised Wilson with the trophy at practice, where she shared the moment with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and her boyfriend, Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo.
“It has my name on it, but it’s all of us,” she said emotionally. “There is no award without each and every last one of you guys.”
Wilson also shared the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year honor with Minnesota’s Alanna Smith, marking her third time claiming the accolade in four seasons. Napheesa Collier of Minnesota finished runner-up in the MVP voting, followed by Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas, Atlanta’s Allisha Gray, and Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell.
(with AP inputs)
