A’ja Wilson has won a record fifth WNBA Most Valuable Player award, but the Las Vegas Aces’ season is in immediate danger: they trail the Golden State Valkyries in the semifinals. Wilson’s third straight MVP gives her a record that stands apart from the team’s playoff position.
Wilson, 30, led the league with 26.2 points per game while shooting nearly 53% from the field, according to NBC Sports. She also averaged 9.4 rebounds, a career-best 3.2 assists and 1.9 blocks per game. A national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters voted on the award. The Chicago Tribune also reported the win Thursday.
Wilson won decisively, receiving 65 first-place votes and nine second-place votes for 713 points. Minnesota’s Olivia Miles was second with six first-place votes, 40 second-place votes and 442 points. Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell received 287 points, and her Fever teammate Caitlin Clark had 212.
A Record That Stands Alone
Wilson’s five MVPs are the most in WNBA history. She won in 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2025 before claiming the award again in 2026; the 2025 honor was her fourth. Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson each won three, the same report notes.
The total also draws comparisons beyond the WNBA. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the NBA record with six MVP awards, while Michael Jordan and Bill Russell each won five, according to the same account.
Aces Fighting For Their Season
Wilson’s individual recognition comes as the defending champion Aces try to keep their season alive. Las Vegas reached the WNBA semifinals for an eighth consecutive season, but trails the Golden State Valkyries 2-0 in the best-of-five series, according to The Athletic.
The latest award follows a sustained run of production. Wilson led the WNBA in points per game for a second straight season and in blocks per game for the fifth time in 2025, according to WNBA.com. She again led the league in scoring this season.
League Attendance on the Rise
The reported attendance figure is leaguewide, not specific to Las Vegas, so it does not establish how Aces home crowds have changed. More broadly, the WNBA recorded 3.15 million in paid attendance in 2025, up 34% from 2024, according to Sports Business Journal.
Wilson’s fifth MVP is a historic individual achievement; the Aces now have to turn their attention back to the series if they are to continue their championship run.
