A’ja Wilson wins record fifth WNBA MVP award

A’ja Wilson won the WNBA’s 2026 Most Valuable Player award on Thursday, extending her record to five and becoming the first player to earn the honor three consecutive times. The Las Vegas Aces star received 65 of 74 first-place votes, according to the league’s published results. Wilson finished with 713 points in the voting. Minnesota rookie Olivia Miles placed second with 442 points, followed by Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell with 287. Caitlin Clark of Indiana finished fourth, and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart was fifth. The award adds to Wilson’s previous MVP wins in 2020 and 2022, before her current three-year streak. She led the league in scoring for the third straight season, averaging 26.2 points per game. Wilson also averaged 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.4 steals across 41 games, according to the voting report. Her 1.9 blocks per game led the league. Wilson’s individual honor comes as the Aces face a pivotal point in the playoffs. Las Vegas trails the Golden State Valkyries 2-0 in their best-of-five semifinal series and faces elimination in Game 3, scheduled for Friday, October 9.