By W.G. Ramirez
The Sporting Tribune
LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson continues to rewrite the WNBA’s record books.
The 29-year-old was named the WNBA’s MVP on Sunday, the first time in league history a player has won the award four times.
In May, Wilson was honored just to have her name in the conversation when asked during media day about the possibility of earning her fourth MVP trophy.
“It would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson told the media surrounding her on May 8. “Every year, I try to be better than I was last year. Just to give myself a chance in this league. Because we’re getting better, we’re growing.
“So at this point, you know, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that. Because the season gets hard.”
Wilson, who was also named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes (657 points) from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (534 points) finished in second place, followed by Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (391 points) in third place, Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (180 points) in fourth place and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (93 points) in fifth place.
The 2025 campaign certainly got hard, but Wilson hoisted the Aces on her shoulders and led them to 16 straight regular-season wins to close the season.
For her efforts, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert, along with her parents Rosoe and Eva, team owner Mark Davis and boyfriend Bam Adebayo, strolled into the team’s practice facility with the MVP trophy, bringing Wilson to tears on Friday. Roscoe Wilson and Davis wore pink wigs, which the Aces star wore on media day.
“This ain’t been easy for us,” said Wilson, during an emotion-filled speech to her teammates. “It hasn’t been easy for us. They counted us out, wrote us all off, but we showed up every single day and we worked our asses off. We worked our asses off.
“This, it has my name on it, and it’s gonna be that. But this one is all of us, y’all.”
Wilson also won the award last season as a unanimous choice, and in 2020 and 2022.
Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson all won the award three times.
After opening the season averaging 21.6 points and 9.0 rebounds during Las Vegas’ 14-14 start to the season, Wilson averaged 26.1 points and 12.0 rebounds during the season-ending 16-game win streak.
Wilson finished the campaign leading the WNBA in scoring with 23.4 points per game, along with 2.3 blocked shots per outing.
In addition, during the season, Wilson:
- Produced the only 30-point, 20-rebound double-double in league history
- Had league-bests of 10 double-doubles with at least 30 points, 16 double-doubles with at least 20 points and finished with a total of 21 double-doubles, which ranked third among league leaders.
- Set the league record for 30-point games (13) in a season.
- Ranked No. 1 in player efficiency rating, win shares overall, offensive win shares, defensive win shares and defensive rating.
- Is the only player who finished among the top 5 in scoring, rebounding and blocks; also ranked No. 9 for offensive rebounds (2.3 per game), No. 2 for defensive rebounds (7.9 per game), No. 4 for steals (1.6 spg), No. 3 for offensive rating (110.6, minimum 20 games) and No. 13 for field goal percentage (.505).
- Led the league for total points (937), total rebounds (407), defensive rebounds (316), free throws made (248) and was second for 2-pointers made (307)
- Earned her league-record 13th Western Conference Player of the Month honor in August.
- Earned Western Conference Player of the Week a league-high six times in 2025, bringing her career total to a league second-most 28.
“When it’s all said and done, she will retire as the greatest to ever play,” coach Becky Hammon said earlier this season. “Her gears and her calm under pressure is next level,” Hammon said. “And I think that’s an elite skill set. Not only is it a skill set because she’s been there in so many big moments. But it’s also just her God-given nature to be there in those moments and composed and know that she can deliver whenever she has to deliver.”