A’ja Wilson’s Historic Fifth MVP and Her WNBA Legacy

A’ja Wilson has set another milestone in her illustrious basketball career. She became the first player in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award five times, reaffirming her dominance in the league.

Wilson, a star with the Las Vegas Aces, clinched the MVP title for the third year in a row, becoming the first in league history to achieve three consecutive MVP awards. This is her fourth MVP win in five years. Her list of achievements also includes an NCAA Division I national championship title with South Carolina.

“(As) I said, take her off Mount Rushmore — she’s Everest,” remarked Aces coach Becky Hammon. “Now I’m taking her off Everest, and I have to put her on a different planet. She just has all of it.”

Hammon emphasized that Wilson’s success is not only due to her talent. She highlighted Wilson’s sustained team and personal achievements, noting, “Because you can be a really talented and skilled basketball player and not win as much as she has, and not become as individually great as she has.”

Wilson’s performance remains impressive, even in seasons that might not be statistically her best. She led the WNBA in scoring with 26.2 points per game and topped the league in blocks with 79. She was also among the top five in rebounds per game during the regular season. Elsewhere in the league, Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese led with 12.1 rebounds per game and was honored as the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

With her 2025 MVP win, Wilson surpassed Hall of Famers Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson, who previously held the record for most MVP awards in WNBA history. These players dominated the MVP award between 2000 and 2010, except in 2008 and 2009, when Candace Parker and Diana Taurasi won the awards respectively.

In NBA history, only Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Michael Jordan have won at least five MVPs. Wilson’s fifth MVP places her among these legendary players.

“If you’re able to set a standard, rewrite things, and kind of etch yourself into history books, it means a lot,” said Wilson. “I’m so grateful that I can share these moments with so many different people. But it’s always fun when you’re able to set the standard, and give people and yourself something to chase after.”

Wilson received the majority of first-place votes for MVP. Minnesota Lynx’s rookie Olivia Miles finished second, followed by Indiana Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark in third and fourth, respectively.

Wilson faces the task of leading the Aces through a challenging playoff series. They need to overcome a 2-0 deficit against the Golden State Valkyries in a best-of-five series. Winning this series would further solidify her legendary status in the sport.

Game 3 of the series is set for Friday night in Las Vegas.