A'ja Wilson named 2026 WNBA MVP: Aces star wins third straight, becomes first five-time honoree

A'ja Wilson has done it again. After yet another historic season, the Las Vegas Aces star was named the 2026 WNBA MVP, becoming the first five-time MVP in league history and the first player to win the award in three consecutive seasons. Though she has only just turned 30, Wilson can already stake her claim as the greatest player the WNBA has ever seen.

For the sake of comparison, in the NBA, which has been around for five more decades than the WNBA, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Bill Russell (five) and Michael Jordan (five) have won MVP five or more times. And only Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird have gone back-to-back-to-back.

Wilson took 65 of the 74 first-place votes, finishing ahead of Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles and Indiana Fever teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark. Miles received six first-place votes while Mitchell and Clark garnered two and one, respectively.

This season, Wilson averaged 26.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.9 blocks on 52.7/40.4/86.4 shooting splits. Only a dozen made free throws prevented her from joining the vaunted 50/40/90 club; her 62.5% true shooting was 6.4% above the league average.

Her 26.2 points per game were the second-highest single-season scoring average ever -- behind only her own 26.9 points in 2024 -- and gave her a third consecutive scoring title. The only other players in WNBA history to win at least three scoring titles in a row are Diana Taurasi (2008-11) and Cynthia Cooper (1997-99).

2026 WNBA MVP ballot: Why A'ja Wilson deserves record fifth trophy over Olivia Miles, Caitlin Clark

Jack Maloney

Also a leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, which has not been announced, Wilson also led the league in blocks for the fifth consecutive season. The only other players in WNBA history to win at least five consecutive blocks titles are Brittney Griner (2013-18) and Margo Dydek (1998-2003).

Along the way this season, Wilson became the first player in league history with multiple 45-point games and the first player with five 40-point games, as well as the fastest player to 6,000 career points. She also broke her coach Becky Hammon's franchise scoring record with the Starzz/Silver Stars/Aces, and is now the only player with multiple 1,000-point seasons.

Thanks in significant part to Wilson's brilliance on both ends of the floor, the Aces went 31-13 to earn the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. When she was on the floor, the Aces had a plus-13.1 net rating, and when she was off the floor, they had a minus-11 net rating -- a staggering plus-24.8 net rating differential.