LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson earned the 2026 WNBA Most Valuable Player award on Thursday, capturing the honor for a record fifth time and becoming the first player in league history to win the trophy in three consecutive seasons, the league announced.
Wilson received 65 of 74 first-place votes and nine second-place ballots from a national media panel, totaling 713 points, ESPN reported. Minnesota Lynx rookie guard Olivia Miles was runner-up with 442 points and six first-place selections. Indiana Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark took third and fourth place, while New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart finished fifth.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert shared the announcement with Wilson on Thursday by presenting a phone with a recorded congratulatory message from former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to The Athletic.
“As a girl, you dream so big, and you write your goals out, and you just never imagine that you will be able to check them off,” Wilson told reporters at Michelob Ultra Arena. She noted that as a teenager she was not focused on winning five MVP awards or three championships, adding, “She was dreaming about surviving this world. So for me to sit up here surrounded by these trophies … it means a little bit more to me.”
Historical dominance on the court
Wilson produced another historic campaign in 2026, becoming the first player in WNBA history to post at least 25 points per contest while converting at least 50 percent of her field goals and 40 percent of her 3-point attempts, according to league statistics. Her scoring mark of 26.2 points per game led the WNBA and ranks as the second-highest single-season average ever, behind only her 26.9-point mark set two seasons earlier.
The 30-year-old superstar also paced the league in blocked shots, player efficiency rating and win shares, while pulling down 9.4 rebounds per contest. Overcoming back difficulties that forced her to bypass the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Germany in September, Wilson appeared in 41 of 44 regular-season games as the Aces went 31-13, closed the schedule with seven straight victories, and captured the No. 3 seed.
Her fifth MVP trophy breaks her own league mark set last season, when she became the first four-time winner. The achievement places her alongside NBA legends Michael Jordan and Bill Russell, who each won five MVP awards during their careers. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who earned six in the NBA, has claimed more across North American professional basketball.
Aces head coach Becky Hammon praised Wilson’s relentless drive, calling her “the most coachable player I’ve ever been around” and adding that she keeps finding ways to elevate her performance each season, ESPN reported.
Playoff focus supersedes celebration
Despite the milestone, Wilson’s immediate attention remains on keeping Las Vegas’ season alive. The Aces are trailing the Golden State Valkyries 2-0 in a best-of-five semifinal series.
While the franchise scheduled a pregame ceremony to celebrate her achievement ahead of Game 3 on Friday in Las Vegas, Wilson told reporters she plans to skip the center-court presentation to remain focused on pregame preparation with her teammates.
“I love the fans, but I will not be doing that,” Wilson said, per ESPN. “I will be warming up with my team. … Everyone in this room knows how much of a competitor I am [and] what my main focus is.”
The Aces will attempt to avoid postseason elimination on Friday night at home as they seek to extend the series.
